Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Criminal Justice in the Movie Gridiron Gang Review

Criminal Justice in the Gridiron Gang - Movie Review Example The Camp Kilpatrick serves as the "last stop" for juvenile offenders before they are finally transferred to jail with the adults. The essence of retribution is encapsulated in the statement: "Let the punishment fit the crime" which is actually reflected in Gridiron Gang. Under this context, the degree of the harshness of the crime committed should be proportionate to the seriousness of the crime that was committed. Simply put, retribution is somewhat a backward-looking type of theory which looks to the past in order to know what to do in the present. In the context of the film, this is manifested through the number of years that a convicted person should spend inside the jail. Meanwhile, deterrence is usually classified into two categories: general deterrence and specific deterrence. General deterrence basically uses the individual who is sentenced for a crime as means of inducing the public not to commit any forms of crime. On the other hand, specific deterrence means punishing the offender to prevent the offender himself from committing other crimes in the future. Their detention itself is actually a means to convey to the other people that these offenders must not be emulated; meanwhile, the offenders themselves would be discouraged to commit another crime given the stigma that they could get from the society. Meanwhile, rehabilitation asserts for changing the offender through correctional means like the football team that is initiated by Sean. It is a good way of motivating the teenagers to turn a new leaf and also serves as a good way of diverting their attention into worthwhile activities. Instead of thinking about the punishment that they are given, they would be more focused on forging camaraderie and sportsmanship among their teammates, as well as opponents in the game. Rehabilitation is considered more effective among first time and non-violent offenders. Â  

Stalinism and Leninism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stalinism and Leninism - Essay Example There is no generally accepted point of view. The adherents of the continuity theory believe that Stalinism was the direct continuation of Leninism whereas their opponents do not (Evans, 1993). Paradoxically but they use the same citations and rhetoric to approve their believes. Stalin was a deserving successor of his teacher and comrade thus many phenomena of Stalinism had their roots in the theoretical postulates proposed by Lenin. Such conceptual views like democratic centralism in the governing, expectation of international revolution, and single party rule (ibid) are characteristic both for Leninism and Stalinism. However some Stalin's contributions are distinctive of Lenin's views. Thus he supported thesis of the possibility to built socialism in one country, and developed the theory of "aggravation of the class struggle along with the development of socialism" (Stalin, 1933). The critics of Stalinism (e.g. Leon Trotsky and his followers) as well as the historians Discontinuity who support alternative theory argue that Stalinism discontinued the development of Lenin's ideas. Lenin proposed the rule of party and dictatorship of the revolutionary proletariat while Stalin replaced this thesis with the absolute power of party leader. Theoretical achievements of Stalin's works were non-significant thus Stalinism is more related to the style of governing than to true political theories (Fitzpatrick, 2000). Some researchers found the relation between the traditional Russian autocracy (Tzar's government) and Stalinism (Kotkin, 1997; McCauley, 2003). They consider that Stalin adopted traditions to the new ideology and built the cult of own person. Contrarily Lenin never emphasized his own role in the Bolsheviks party. Of course, many features of Stalinism could be linked to the trends occurred during Lenin's rule. Thus Red Terror developed the tools and infrastructure for the further repressions. Lenin wrote in 1917 "One out of every ten idlers will be shot on the spot". He gave hundreds orders for repressions and murders but he never use his weapon and deterrent against members of his party - they could be exiled from Russia but their lives were preserved. Nevertheless the idea of political control through terror is related Lenin. "It was Lenin who laid the police state foundations which made Stalin's monstrous feats technically possible" (Leggett, 1981, cited by D02C143HP, 2003). Stalin was not too liberal, he "killed more Communists than Hitler, Mussolini and Franco together. He destroyed Lenin's Bolshevik Party and murdered all its leaders" (Woods, 2004). During the "purges" thousands of people were expelled from the Bolshevik Party and then arrested, imprisoned or persecuted later. But the number of Stalinism victims was estimated at the millions. They put their lives to the basement of Soviet Empire and its leader, Stalin. There is interestingly that Lenin understood the dangerosity of his comrade, Stalin, for Bolshevik Party. He wrote in his Testament: "Comrade Stalin, having become General Secretary has immeasurable power concentrated in his hands, and I am not sure that he always knows how to use that power with sufficient control" (Lenin, 1922) Lenin and Stalin demonstrated different approaches in the economic policy of Communist State. Vladimir Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy and restored the agricultural and industrial

Monday, October 28, 2019

Deutsche Brauerei Essay Example for Free

Deutsche Brauerei Essay The agenda attached (EXHIIBT 1) became the focus of Ms. Greta Schweitzer’s concentration for the next 24 hours. She relied on her team from her EMBA class in Frankfurt to assist her with the recommendations she would need to address this board tomorrow morning. Upon initial analysis, it became obvious that DB was in trouble with respect to the Ukraine market, much less the proposed capital expansion. Several items alarmed the team when we read the statements from both Lukas Schweitzer and Oleg Pinchuk. The sales and marketing manager has an obviously different approach than that which made DB successful in the past. Oleg Pinchuk has extended credit to its â€Å"distributors† which is causing a rise in sales and accordingly an increase in his salary (as it is based on sales). This needs to be corrected; given such a volatile environment and this firm’s recent history, a person in his position should earn a salary based on accounts receivable collections, rather than sales. Perhaps then, his discretion would be more restrictive with respect to extension of credit. Furthermore, if the distributors are in fact expanding and enhancing their stores by purchasing new equipment and restocking inventories, then obviously they have the cash to pay DB for their outstanding invoices. This raises considerable questions regarding the prudence of â€Å"trade-credit extensions† and compensation packages offered Mr. Pinchuk, and accordingly, we recommend his termination. A new salary structure and job description delineating required results can be negotiated with Mr. Pinchuk’s replacement. When considering adopting the budget for 2001, we must consider the proposed expansion and investments in new plant and equipment (warehouse and distribution center). With the overuse of short term debt and a borrowing rate over 2% higher than the government rate, it will be impossible to finance this capital expansion. We cannot recommend approval of the budget in its current form. There is not enough cash being collected, too much inventory carried on behalf of the distributors, too much risky short term debt and too many capital improvements budgeted to justify this expansion. Without actually collecting cash from the receivables, we do not recommend declaring any additional dividends, as indicated in the budget. Historically, declared and paid dividends were right at or below $2,000 (in thousands of Euros) and the proposed budget increases those to well over $3,200. We recommend restricting dividends declared to what was done in the past, without any increase. Once collections are received and with the change in marketing, credit policies, and inventory control, the company would be in a better financial position to pay additional dividends. As a matter of final note, we strongly urge the Board of Directors of DB to consider the short term effects of expanding into a new market economy. The Ukraine is just transitioning into becoming a market economy (experiencing supply and demand that guides the allocation of resources). Such a transition is politically and socially difficult for businesses because of rising inflation, unemployment, and economic uncertainty. We have serious questions about the vitality of DB and whether it can survive until the long term benefits of this transition are realized.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Introduction To Modern Technology Media Essay

Introduction To Modern Technology Media Essay Modern technology has made the requirement for information flow to be quick and effective. We have been able to achieve this through the internet; the medium i.e the internet has facilitated each of us, by making the communication cheap and fast. News for U.K is available in the Australia as soon as its on the media, accessible by millions at one time. The growth of the internet is a necessity nowadays. Now internet, where people choose to spend a major part of their day has brought social communities where people can chat, message, share beliefs, extract information, share information about things they are interested in. The internet being the centre of usage for millions of users every day, thus it also appears to be a medium for brands and products to advertise, but this advertisement is different from the advertisement we see otherwise. This advertisement takes into account that the information flow is fast and inspired by people more than the advertising agencies. So let us see how social networking became the part of our lives. The last ten years of the century brought the innovative technology Internet. As predicted by Newman (1991) Internet: Altered the meaning of geographic distance. Allowed the huge increase in the volume of communication. Provided the possibility of increasing the speed of communication. Provided opportunities for interactive communication. Allowed forms of communication that was previously separate to overlap and interconnect. Whereas Grieco and Holmes (1999) (citied in Combe et al, 2003) identifies three powerful features of Internet: Disintermediation or the removal of brokers by allowing direct communication across spatial and sociometric distance; Asynchronicyty of the removal of temporality as a barrier to communications; Oculacy or the ability to communicate messages through images. According to Hermeking (2006) the spread of modern technology, including information and communication technology (ICT), is commonly regarded both as an indicator of the postmodern era of globalization and as the very precondition for that era of intensive worldwide interactions of people and exchanges of goods, services, information, and capital. On the contrary Hoffman (Hoffman et al., 1995) believes that the popularity of the WWW as a commercial medium (in contrast to other networks on the Internet) is due to its ability to facilitate global sharing of information and resources, and its potential to provide an efficient channel for advertising, marketing, and even direct distribution of certain goods and information services. world internet users Sixty five per cent of all UK households had a broadband connection in 2008. Adults under 70 years of age who had a degree or equivalent qualification were most likely to have access to the Internet in their home, at 93 per cent (Office for National Statistics,2009). According to Linda Peters (1998) the Web presents a fundamentally different environment- both as a medium and as a market from traditional communication channels perspective. It creates the Marketspace a virtual realm where products and services exist as digital information and can be delivered through information-based channels (Rayport and Svikola, 1994). Social Networking is a phenomena that has seen a rapid growth over the last few years. If you are not involved in one (or more) of these sites you are probably wondering, so what is this Social Networking thing all about?. Let us go through a general overview of a description of a Social Network A website where people are able to develop networks of friends and associates (whether only ever on line, in real life, or both) and create, share or give information on similar interests, tastes, lifestyles and other information. Also keep in mind that social networking websites are like communities. The Social Networking sites have gained popularity and are on the increase for one simple reason, the ability to share, with others, information about yourself, your interests, your hobbies, your thoughts and your feelings or anything you choose. These can quickly be seen by others in your network and by you through messages, comments, instant messaging applications, photos, games, and group interaction. Facebook one of the most popular social networking sites started as a site for previous College Associates to remain in contact with one another during and after they had finished College. Youtube is another social networking site not just a repository for uploading various types of videos. Some people have found new friendship and romance. People get to know events like fires, storms, and even floods in other countries that have occurred locally in that vicinity, usually even hours before these events are made public by the media. People become involved in many discussions which have given them an opportunity to get to know differing cultures and beliefs One other belief some people have is that it is only Generation Y that use these sites. You will be surprised that many people from many different walks of life in many countries in many age groups use these sites. Some sites are broad category sites like Myspace and Facebook (now). Some are specific to a narrow category, like Small business, the Arts, connecting Families, Blogging, Making Money on the Internet and Dating Services (using a broad and polite term there). Some are popular by type of category they use, where others are popular by region (like UK and Europe, Africa, etc). Social media According to Liu Shrum (2002) new media (Internet), brought new models of interactivity: user-to-user and user-to-message. The interactivity develops a new meaning when it is applied through Web 2.0 platforms and Social media channels as dialogue between consumer and company becomes much more active and interactive. Contemplating about user-to-user interactivity Ha and James (1998) suggested that the more communication in a computer-mediated environment resembles interpersonal communication, the more interactive the communication isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬-. Defined by Steuer (1992) users-to-message interaction as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢the extent to which users can participate in modifying the form and content of a mediated environment in real timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬-. The above figure outlines the E marketing strategy suggested Constantinides (2008) Nielsen Company analyzed and found that the global average time spent for a person on social networking sites is over five each month (February 2010 data), Facebook being the major part of the usage. Social networking is a great option to advertise your business. Social networking does not require large amounts to be invested in, rather its free most of the time, moreover its very simple, easy and quick. There are dozens of websites on the internet where you can sign up within a few minutes and network with millions of people quickly and easily. Social media encourages feedback from everyone who is interested. Social media provokes the user controlled media, empowering the users to drive the communities they are in. Make their comments on products and brands, as they come to them. They can exploit these communities to promote a product and also ruin the reputation of one. Weston (2008) says that, social networking, if approached in the right manner, can build brand awareness, find new customers, help find talent, and help creating a database for market research and analysis. Some businesses find it unnecessary to market themselves on social networking sites, although it is a good way to advertise products/services with knowing what consumers think and want. Social network marketing can be very fruitful for businesses. Social networking media has been thought to be an advertisement source though should be used cleverly to reap of the benefits from it. Thus it is important that the brands committed to using it should use it in the correct way. Zirinsky, 2009 believes online social advertising is all about two way conversations with consumers, not one way broadcastmaking this mistake is far too common and simply makes brands appear out of touch with their audience and reality, and is detrimental to their overall image. Social media keeps an edge over other forms of online communication for its use of enabling content sharing on a network. Content sharing and interaction is defines social media making it different from other means of communication. This means that if brands are going to the get value from social media, they should use it for what it is good in; allowing and helping the sharing of interesting material to create relevant positive hype for the brand or product. Powell, 2009 on the other hand states that Brands need to add value into an online community through enabling the sharing of content, if it cannot do this it has little value, and will be perceived as having little value. For information sharing social media has accelerated the entire process. James in 2009 has said Across networks, a good or bad experience will be shared, potentially on a huge scale. Between 700,000 and 1.3 million blog posts are made daily and, according to Google, a new blog post is being created every second of every day. Most social media services are open to feedback and participation. They encourage voting, comments and the sharing of information. There are rarely any barriers to accessing and making use of content password-protected content is frowned on. Thus a free portal for information sharing, which is effective and fast engages millions of users, now for brands they should be aware how to engage masses they are interested in, because as discussed earlier social networking is probably the fastest way of communication and words positive or negative spread very quickly. Powell, 09 debates Normal social etiquette has crossed over into social media. Social media are communities and there are standards and protocols as to what kind of behavior is acceptable and unacceptable. This statement suggests that the brands should communicate and behave in the social media as to not offend the users of social networking. It is important that whatever information the brands or products are interested in sharing has been uploaded after careful screening and thought process. The strategy for online advertising has to be defined precisely. Thorbjornsen et al. in 2002 affirms that empowering consumers is crucial to online relationships. Rowley in 2007 argues that the concept of customer community leadership has been proposed with the customer being viewed as a partner. Virtual space was a key aspect in amplifying community member experience. Kozinets solicited that retribalized virtual communities of consumption require a newer framework for traditional relationship marketing theory. It is therefore vital at this point to provide a brief overview of tribalism. Cova, 1997 proposes that the potential of tribalism and the linking value has been developed. A tribe is defined as a network of heterogeneous persons in terms of age, sex, income, etc. who are linked by a shared passion or emotion; a tribe is capable of collective action, its members are not simple consumers, they are also advocates; (Cova and Cova 2002: 602). The Internet has only helped to increase the potential of tribalism. E-tribes allow people to gather together in groups based on a huge range of cultural and subcultural interests and social affiliations (Kozinets, 1999: 253). Muniz and OGuinn, 2001 argue that it is crucial to notice that tribal communities are argued to be less explicitly commercial than brand communities. Social Media Web 2.0 Social media and Web 2.0 are two words which are many times used interchangeably in the marketing literature, even though they are not entirely the same. As per the marketing perspective, the Web 2.0 should be apprehended as the recent tool for the marketing communication mix and facilitator and enabler of social media. The Web 2.0 term was introduced by Tim Oà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸Reilly in 2004, it has originated from talks about social software and the communities surrounding these applications. Tim Oà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸Reilly said the companies that survived the dotcom boom had something in common; these companies realized that the Web is much more useful for delivering service than being used just as a platform for packaged products (i.e. software). Constantinides and Fountain (2008) on the other hand defined Web 2.0 as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Web 2.0 is a collection of open-source, interactive and user-controlled online applications expanding the experiences, knowledge and market power o f the users as participants in business and social processes. Web 2.0 applications support the creation of informal users networks facilitating the flow of ideas and knowledge by allowing the efficient generation, dissemination, sharing and editing / refining of informational content . Hoegg believes that Web 2.0 is the philosophy of mutually maximizing collective intelligence and added value for each participant by formalized and dynamic information sharing and creationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬-. Both of these definitions are exhibits of similar concepts for amplifying the collated intelligence, a community regulated by itself, effects of the network, openness in showing the information creation and sharing process, but the vital aspect here is the consumer. There are not many changes in the Web 2.0 compared to Web 1.0 applications from the technological aspect; value over here is created by the people as they do not just use this software but also play a major role in the creation of these soft wares. Thus as apprehended in modern IT solutions and models, user input is the most vital aspect, can be viewed on a global level with each social networking website. Web 2.0 applications are still considered to be in the development stage, they are categorized according to the purpose and field of the research. Constantinides and Fountain (2008) classify them into 5 broad types according their nature: Blogs: Short for Web logs: online journals, the most known and fastest-growing category of Web 2.0 applications. Blogs are often combined with Podcasts, that is, digital audio or video that can be streamed or downloaded to portable devices. Examples: www.blogtopsites.com , www.blogger.com and several others. Social networks: applications allowing users to build personal websites accessible to other users for exchange of personal content and communication Examples: www.facebook.com , www.myspace.com and others. (Content) Communities: Websites organising and sharing particular types of content. Examples are applications of Video sharing: http://video.google.com, www.youtube.com, http://etsylove.ning.com, Photos sharing: http://www.flickr.com, Social Bookmarking: www.digg.com , http://del.icio.us and Publicly Edited Encyclopedias (Wikis): www. wikipedia.org , http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Main_Page. Forums/bulletin boards: sites for exchanging ideas and information usually around special interests Examples: www.epinions.com, www.personaldemocracy.com, http://www.python.org. Content aggregators: applications allowing users to fully customise the web content they wish to access. These sites make use of a technique known as Real Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary (RSS). Examples http://uk.my.yahoo.com/, http://www. google.com/ig, http://www.netvibes.com/. Blogs and blogging Web Logs (knows as Blogs), according to Tredinnick (2006), are arguably the oldest Web 2.0 applications and have been in the web space since mid 1990à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s. Constantinides and Fountain (2008) states that it is the most known and fastest-growing category of Web 2.0 applications. Published in Daily Blog Tips, 2008 A Blog is a Web site, usually run by any individual with regular entries of discussions, happening of events, or other content such as graphics or videos where entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order and has permalinks. Antony Mayfield argues (2008), the most important features of the blogs are Linking, Trackbacks, Comments and Subscription (RSS) which allow companies to engage with their stakeholders and facilitates conversations between them. Good blogs are used by people to easily access information and share the viewpoint of things. People from various geographical locations, can log in and write blogs at one place, being able to share knowledge and express them. Blogs help people discover a lot a things that a layman would not be aware of but yet, through a search engine would reach a blogspot where he or she can gain the information they require. The internet guru Seth Godin (2004) remarked that good blogs work when they are based on: candor, urgency, timeliness, pithiness, controversy and utility. Armano (2008) groups these features to 4 Cà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s of blogging. Furthermore, Huang in 2007 identified the main techniques for how to manage brand communications according to various blogging motivations. Table 2.2. Bloggersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ motivations. Source: Huang (Huang al., 2007) Social networks Social networking is the fastest growing Web 2.0 application, and this is the main reason for the social media to prosper as quickly as it is powered by effective, fast communication, this media is driven by the users demand. A user prefers to believe in their counterpart rather than any organization. McKinsey defines social networking as systems that allow members of a specific site to learn about other members skills, talents, knowledge or preferences. Pew/Internet believes- A social networking site is an online location where a user can create a profile and build a personal network that connects him or her to other users. Wikipedia states that a social network service focuses on the building and verification of online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. It provides various ways for users to interact chat, messaging, email, video, file sharing, blogging and discussion groups The features of social networks present an opportunity to create brand communities and interact with them online. It allows people from all over the world to sign up within a few minutes and access the information available, this has allowed the organizations to be acting in a multinational mode, as they can reach anywhere in the world with the least amount of time taken. Tim Oà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸Reilly (2005) thinks otherwise and said that Web 2.0 doesnt have a hard boundary, but rather, a gravitational core which could be visualized as a set of principles and practices that tie together a veritable solar system of sites that demonstrate some or all of those principles, at a varying distance from that core (Appendix 2.4). Therefore it is difficult to classify the Web 2.0 into the precise groupings, because the applications are interrelated and most of the time a few Web 2.0 features works on one platform. The mixture of Web 2.0 applications working under one site are known as Mash-ups. On the contrary according to Mayfield (2008) this combination of two or more pieces of content (or software, or websites) is one of the phenomena in social media that make it at once so exciting, fast-moving and sometimes bewilderingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬-. But even more vital aspect of Web 2.0 applications is the coherence with the different platforms. Social applications are getting more and more popular on mobile devices (Phones, iPods (via podcasts)). In fact, according to BBC News (2008) one of the reasons the Internet usage on the mobile devices is increasing Web 2.0 applications. According to Drury (2008) social media applications has an ability to bring Head (Professional) and Tail (UGC) content together in all the formats (audio, video , text). As more and more professionally edited websites incorporate social media content some companies (i.e. Joost) are trying to apply Web 2.0 principals (live participation) for even bigger media platforms as TV. These applications are being tested in the Internet TV and in the near future have a good chance to redefine TV experience completely. All these changes open new opportunities for integrated marketing campaigns, where marketers are enabled to reach bigger number of audiences of consumers at all their touch points with mediated world at one-stop shop. Facebook is the most used social networking site that has involved the masses all over the world. Facebook is a social networking site, which provides users with a platform to create a personal profile page, add friends, and send messages, post on their profiles, comment on their status. Kazeniac, 2009 said that since the company was founded in 2004, it has become the top ranked social networking site. According to Facebook Statistics (2009), there are over 300 million current active users (i.e. users that have logged-on in the past 30 days). Facebook users have claimed the site a necessity, along the lines of oxygen, water, and food (Verna, 2009). For many people, visiting Facebook has become an integral part of their daily lives, and has even caused some to have an unhealthy obsession with the site. According to Elizabeth Cohen (2009), a CNN medical correspondent, therapists are seeing more and more Facebook addicts, who become compulsive Facebook users to the point where the site interferes with relationships, jobs, and normal daily life. The site has transformed social communication in the 21st century, with Facebook and other Social networking sites reaching hundreds of millions of people across the globe. Facebook achieves the comptetive edge by adding new features and developments on a continuous basis. Since it is free to create an account, Facebook has to generate its revenue elsewhere, through a venue such as advertising. Companies can utilize Facebooks features to reach their audiences in different ways. Gangadharbatla (2009) states that Social networking sites are changing the way advertisers reach consumers, and that these changes are transforming online advertising all together. There are a variety of ways to use Facebook, and the different features allow creativity and experimentation in advertising. For instance, when users log-on, they are taken to a homepage called a News Feed which highlights recent activities from other users. Each Facebook account also includes a personal profile page, a Wall to write public messages to other users, Facebook-generated applications (photos, events, groups, video, notes, and links), and an inbox to write private messages to other users. T he site also allows users to add optional features called Platform applications to connect in new ways. According to Facebooks statistics (2009), more than 70% of Facebook users utilize Platform applications on a monthly basis. Since these Platforms are optional, it is significant that users are seeking out additional Facebook features and uses for the site. The purpose of Facebook has shifted, as the continued popularity of added features proves that its users are looking for more than just casual networking with friends. A few of the currently popular platform applications include games, fan pages, and gifts. Social-network gaming company Zynga has dominated the site with applications such as FarmVille, Cafà © World, and Mafia Wars. Zynga has over 126 million monthly active users, making it the leading Facebook development platform. The company reported that they currently spend approximately $50 million on Facebook advertising annually, and this figure is expected to increase as the company continues to develop over the years. The games allow Facebook users to purchase virtual products with a credit card, as a means to advance further in the game. Techniques such as these provide Zynga with Facebook-user generated revenues and encourage more advertising and developing on the site. Advertisers can also utilize the option to create a free fan page, where companies and individuals can invite users to become a fan of a product, service, person, company, brand, etc. The page is set up similarly to a profile page, with the option to add status updates, photos, announcements, etc. According to Facebooks statistics (2009), over 10 million users become fans of pages on a daily basis, which provides growing possibilities to reach consumers without any financial risk. The updates on the fan pages are also displayed on the home page news feed of the fans who have joined as fans. There is also a chance to buy birthday gifts, as Facebook has expanded its gift shop to include real gifts alongside virtual ones. This type of online shopping connects cyber space with the real world, so that what happens online does not necessarily stay online. Impact of Social media advertising Castells, 2000 states that it has long been suggested that the western world in particular operates in a network society. The leitmotif of societing the link is more important than the thing is central to tribalism. Crucially, tribalism encourages dialogue in many directions and combinations; Business to Consumer (B2C), Customer to Business (C2B) and Consumer to Consumer (C2C). Drury (2008) suggests that when analyzing social media marketers too often concentrates on the media factor, when social element is the key, because marketing within social media is about building a relationship and conversation with the audience, where the simple message delivery is changed by ongoing exchange of perceptions and ideas between company and the consumer. Haven (2008) argues that social media key elements are not entirely new as features of sharing, connecting, opining, broadcasting and creating has been long in our lives, but there are several characteristics of new technologies and behaviors that set them apart from the past: Reach Historically, audiences for the common person have been limited: a tribe, family, friends, neighbors, or the local community. Todays technologies provide scale and enable anyone to reach a global audience. Accessibility The means of production for most media used to lie in the hands of enterprises with unlimited resources (financial or human). Todays technologies for media creation are available to anyone at little or no cost. Usability The means of production typically required specialized skills and training, both technically and creatively. Todays technologies simplify those processes, or in some cases reinvent them, so anyone can create and operate the means of production. Transparency People, especially Americans, historically kept personal information to themselves and had a general distrust of authority (enterprises, government, etc.). Today, people are willing to share anything about themselves (interests, location, family situations, health condition, etc.) in a public venue, and todays technologies make that both possible and purposeful. Recency When people did have the means of production and distribution in the past (albeit limited), the time lag between communications was typically long (days, weeks, or even months). It was a limitation of the technology or system in which it operated. Todays technologies enable instantaneous responses and dialog where only the participant determines the delay in response. From the results of a research, Ofcom (2008) identified the following fundamental principle of social networking; By extending their social networks, users have the opportunity to communicate with people who share their interests and with people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds (Ofcom,2008). And, Communication with family and friends was found to be the main reason adults used social networking sites (Ofcom, 2008). Next Thing Now (McCann, 2008) said that 74% of social media users use the social media to be able to get in touch with their friends. This fact emphasizes on the fact the social network advertising has to be dealt with care and for the reason of not getting into the line of bad publicity. Glen Urban argued that the customer has much more power then ever before because of the three main reasons: More information. More alternatives. Easy transaction. A study from Delloite Touche USA narrated that 62% of the U.S consumers read consumer generated online reviews and 98% of them find these reviews reliable enough. 80% of these consumers say that these reviews have affected their buying intentions. According to Lockhorn (2007) word of mouth campaigns can take off very quietly through niche communities and can be powerfully persuasive, or conversely result in an astonishing backlash. This perhaps is not good for products, the habitat in which they are pushing to gain an entry is not notably considerate, and even if they do get a break, there is still a lot of competitor brand presence. James, in 2009 states that In a UK study by Jam/MySpace in early 2009, 26% of social media users said they already felt bombarded by too much clutter/advertising. The social media networking is uncommon and challenging and the brands that do not comply to the requirements will have to combat as their competitors reap on the market share. But the ones that can exploit the environment stay to make deeper relationships with the audience, and increase their brand awareness. The information over a social network spreads like a fire. Thus a bad word or a wrong mode of communication will also travel to millions of people at the same time, accessible by millions. The User Generated Content (UGC) can become an influential message of the consumer to the consumer (C2C) about the company and therefore should be carefully monitored. In fact, the content is the new message in social media channels. According to Eikelmann (Eikelmann et al, 2008) the best marketers can do in this environment is to try to engage with the consumers through social media in order influence these messages. Drury (2008) proposes that instead of sending simple messages, marketers should provide the audience with content that would intrigue them and would also be a means to kick off conversations at. Therefore, influence will become a standard measurement in Marketing 2.0 (Dowdell, 2008). As blogger and social media strategist Douma (2008) put it: The age of persuasion is over. Welcome to the age of influence. Give us the people control and we will use it, if you do not give us control you will lose us (Jarvis, 2009). Control now lies with the users, their perceptions, opinions, demands, satisfaction is what matters more. Previously, the powerful; companies, institutions and governments believed they were in control, and they were. Now the internet allows us to speak to the world, to organise ourselves, to find and spread information, to challenge old ways, to retake control (Jarvis, 2009). Companies realize this shift in control when they can stop holding on to what is lost, and start indulging in what is going to attract consumers. Engagement means giving the users content that is interesting and would appeal the masses, also providing them space where they can discuss the content. The control can be handed to the consumer. If the consumer spreads out a positive word for brand, this will create a positive image for it. Social media communities are used by humans, for a brand to prevail, it must use emotions, or undergo the subsequent results. Jarvis 2009 quotes Today, when you lose a customer, you dont lose just that customer, you risk losing that customers friends. And thanks to the internet and blogs and consumer rate and review services, your customers have lots and lots of friends all around the world. According to Powell (2009) The brand is no longer

Saturday, October 26, 2019

England :: essays research papers

England is a very small country with a huge population. This report will tell you some features and facts about this country. I will be talking about its people, it’s government, it’s industry, it’s resources, it’s land, and finally it’s religion. The reason I said England has a big population is because they have about 47,505,000 people living there. The numbers speak for themselves. Most of England’s population is descendants of the original inhabitants. There are Saxons, Angles, Jutes, Scandinavians, Norman French, Scots, Welsh, and Irish. Now commonwealth immigrants are coming from southern Asia. Since there are so many different kinds of people there has been a lot of fighting between them. England’s economy is very strong because of an excellent school system. Their school system is much like ours except they only have to attend school from ages 5 through 16. Although they don’t go to school as long as us they learn things at a faster rate and school involves harder work. The English also play sports. They are very good at soccer, Rugby and cricket. If you don’t know what cricket is its kind of a mix between bowling and baseball. England’s government also has a few similarities with ours. Even though there government is a monarchy and ours is a republic. Their current leader is Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen of England is more of a symbol than a ruler. The actual ruler is a cabinet of people. The head of the cabinet is the Prime Minister. England also has a law making body, which passes all the laws. They are like our congress. The capital of England is London and the government buildings are located in a region of London call Westminster. The center of England’s industry is based on its coal mining and natural gases. They also do things with nuclear energy. Although all these things make England most of its money agriculture and fishing does bring in some doe. They produce milk and other dairy products, and they farm vegetables and meat. Since England is an island there is a lot of water to fish so they have an abundance of resources in the ocean. Speaking of resources England has three main minerals coal, iron ore, and petroleum. As I said up in my last paragraph England gets a lot of seafood. The main ports are in Liverpool, Hull and Bristle. There aren’t many places ships can come in because of the rocky coastline.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Using VotanWeb to Buy an Existing Website :: Sell Websites Buy Websites

Using VotanWeb to Buy an Existing Website Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com Have you considered being your own boss, creating your own financial independence and making your dreams a reality? You're not alone, owning your own website is the new "American dream". But the reality is that buying a website is a serious financial and personal commitment that requires an understanding of what makes a website successful. All too often, people jump blindly into a new venture. Before they know it, they are overwhelmed by the tremendous workload of starting a website from the ground up. A government survey shows that 80% of new websites fail within the first year. An existing, established website which is purchased by a new owner shows a minimal failure rate. If you have considered owning your own website, buying an existing website has many advantages over building a website from scratch: You can review actual operating results, rather than projected results. You get immediate cash flow from the ongoing website activities. You will have a trained webmaster already in place. You will have established suppliers. You will have established customers and referral business. The seller will train you in operating the website. VotanWeb ranks number one in the sale of existing websites. VotanWeb has over ten years experience of matching the right website opportunity with the right buyer. It's that simple. From understanding the reasons an on-going website can provide a positive cash flow, to the value of an established domain name and customer base to the inner workings of a website. VotanWeb can make your dreams reality. The right website will pay for itself over and over again - let VotanWeb show you how. Unlike the sale of a house or car, the sale of an on-going website is very confidential for both the seller and the prospective buyer.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Kate Chopins The Awakening †In Defense of Edna Pontellier :: Chopin Awakening Essays

The Awakening – In Defense of Edna    Does everyone have the right to happiness?   It is stated in the Constitution that we as Americans have the right to life, liberty, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.  Ã‚   In the novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin the main Character Edna has a comfortable life.   A sweet loving husband, cute children, enormous amounts of money and an extremely large house.   Yet with all of this Edna is not fulfilled. Edna never took time to examine her life to see what she wanted out of it.   After marriage, Edna wanted the freedom to explore her mind, find herself and find what this person liked.   In the following I will defend the actions Edna took to find her happiness as irrational as they may seem.    This story took place in the late 1800's when women's liberation was never heard of.   In this era women were supposed to find happiness in serving their husbands and taking care of the children.   There were no other options within the restrictive boundaries of marriage, and divorce was never an alternative. Women's lives were austere and self enrichment or self gratification were often times cast aside relative to the more mundane tasks of daily life.   Most women accepted this but Edna did not.   She figured that life was more than constantly doing for someone else.   She wanted time for herself in order to figure out who she was.   Some may see this as selfish but everyone is entitled to â€Å"me† time and space.   Although I admit she did not go about it in the best way at times; Edna still was in going in the right direction.    Edna's marriage to Leonce Pontellier was to spite her father the Colonel because Leonce was of a different religious faith.   Also, Leonce was unceasingly devoted to Edna which was something that had never occurred in any other relationship. Edna, who had not experienced many male relationships before this was naive when it came to men.   This naivetà © affected her in such a way that she neither knew love and it's limitations nor the experience it took to make it through a relationship.   This showed Edna's immaturity which was a big issue in this story. This shown as the woman inside who had been asleep all those years. Her relationship with Leonce was what she sought to find happiness in.    After six years of marriage to Leonce,   Edna felt an ever-growing void in her life.   She gave up all of her responsibilities such as taking care of her children when they were sick and she never spent time playing with them.

Disney Cruise Case Study

Marketing Strategy Development Proposal – Disney Cruise Line Dave Rothenberg & Kang Liu Marketing in Tourism and Hospitality Dr. Ceridwyn King Temple University School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Structure Executive Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 1. 0 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 2. 0 Situational Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 2. 1 Internal †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 2. 1. 1 Organization Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 2. 1. 2 SWOT Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 2. 1. 3 Target Market Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 2. 2 External †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 2. . 1 Porter’s Five Forces †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 2. 2. 2 PEST Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 2. 2. 3 Competitor Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 2. 3 Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 3. 0 Problem/opportunity Identification.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 4. 0 Marketing Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 4. 1 Product/service strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 4. 2 Distribution strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 4. 3 Communication strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 5. 0 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 Reference list†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 Appendixes †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 Executive Summary Disney Cruise Line has been running since 1988 and was successful in the past 24 years. In this report, the situation analysis of the company will be provided separately into internal analysis, which includes organization analysis, SWOT analysis, and target market analysis, and external situation, which includes Porter’s five forces, PESTE analysis, and competitor analysis. By viewing the situation analysis, it is clear that Disney Cruise Line has a disadvantage on the scale of business and a strong advantage on its brand and the loyalty of its customers.Last but not least, t hree marketing strategies, which are product/service strategy, distribution strategy, and communication strategy for next 12 months have been developed at the end of the project in order to give the direction to the company’s yearly marketing plan in 2013. 1. 0 Introduction Disney Cruise Line was founded in 1988 with its first ship, Disney Dream, follow by Disney Wonder in the next summer. After enter the cruise line industry for decades, Disney Cruise Line now became one of the most famous cruise line companies in the world. Now, Disney has four ships on line and serves travelers to several destinations around the world.In 2012, it is estimated Disney Cruise Lines will own nearly 3% share of the worldwide cruise market (2012 World Wide Market Share, 2011). Disney Cruise Line has position itself as a head in the cruise line industry, providing a place as Disney theme parks, where families can spend their time together and every member can have fun. 2. 0 Situational Analysis T he purpose of this situational analysis is to understand Disney Cruise Line’s external and internal situation, including the customer, the market environment, and the firm’s own capabilities.The situational analysis will forecast current and future trends in the dynamic environment in which the Disney Cruise Line organization operates. 2. 1 Internal The conduction of the internal analysis will portray how the organization itself operates. This internal analysis will include decision-making within Disney Cruise Line, promotional programs, the image of the organization, and an assessment of the key internal strengths and weaknesses of the organization. 2. 1. 1 Organization Analysis Disney Cruise Line is one of the new businesses from the Walt Disney Company; ther Disney companies are in the film industry (1928) and the Disney theme parks (1955). The first ship, Disney Magic was launched in 1998 and then Disney Wonder joined the fleet in 1999, the next year. Those were th e only two ships that the Disney Company had for the last 13 years until Disney Dream was launched in 2011. Disney Cruise Line has now established itself as a leader in the cruise industry, providing a setting where families can reconnect, adults can recharge and kids can immerse themselves in a world only Disney can create (Disney Cruise Line, 2012).Disney Cruise Line continues to expand its blueprint for family cruising with its fourth ship, Disney Fantasy, scheduled to make its maiden voyage in 2012 (Disney Cruise Line). 2. 1. 2 SWOT Analysis In order to satisfy customer needs and have the greatest opportunity to reach its full potential, the Disney Cruise company must understand its external and internal situation, including its customer, the market environment, and the firm’s own capabilities. In doing so, a SWOT analysis was conducted in order to point out the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats.Appendix A sh ows the SWOT analysis conducted for Disney Cruise Lines. In conducting a SWOT analysis many trends in within the organization as well as in the surrounding environment were identified. With our own analysis, we found key strengths in the organization essential to the success of Disney Cruise Lines. Disney Cruise lines is owned and operated by the largest media and entertainment company in the world (Cruz, 2011). This strength provides customers with a product and service marked by the excellence of the Walt Disney organization.  Also you can read about  History of the Culinary Arts.Disney Cruise Lines currently employs over 150,000 people with an average turnover rate of eight years. This shows us that employees are satisfied with their employer, and will in return portray this to the customers. Disney Cruise Lines are continuing to introduce new innovative products to the market. Disney’s new â€Å"first of it’s kind† 4,000 passenger ship brings with her ev en more features and a wave of innovation (Young, 2011). This ship is the first cruise vessel to be equipped with an onboard water rollercoaster.Disney’s Fantasy, which will premiere in April, will also carry new ground breaking features only available from Disney companies. Along with the introduction of two new ships, Disney Cruise Lines are expanding their ports to three new cities. New to 2012, Disney Cruise Lines will be sailing from New York City, Seattle, and Galveston, Texas (Weissman, 2011). The addition of these new ports will allow customers from even wider geographical regions to enjoy the unique Disney experience on the sea. Through conducting the SWOT analysis a number of weaknesses were also able to be identified.A major trend in customer’s perception shows that the Disney name only appeals to family’s seeking a vacation (Mena, 2011). There is currently little marketing or promotion being conducted in order to appeal to different groups of custome rs. It is commonly perceived that Disney only offers family fun, and does not interest customers seeking a more multi-dimensional experience (Archer, 2011). Also, the Disney Cruise Lines demand nothing but excellence from their employees while on board the ship. However, it will take a vast amount of resources to continually train the staff in order to upkeep the superior service.This will cost the organization a great amount of resources on an ongoing basis in order to properly train all of the staff. Superior service, however, is an absolute necessity within this industry as leading competitors such as Carnival Cruise lines have above average customer satisfactory ratings (Mena, 2011). A number of opportunities were also identified within our analysis that could assist in the achievements of the organization. Continuing the company’s expansion into new regions by increasing the ports from which the ship sails, will allow more customers to access the service both internation ally and domestically.The CLIA has reported an increase in cruise line passengers within the United States by 10. 3% from 2009-2010, proving an increase in domestic demand (Mena, 2011). Disney Cruise needs to continue to respond to this rising demand by opening new homeports throughout the country. In response to this rising demand, Disney is providing two new vessels to the fleet, from which it can market their services beginning in 2012. (Cruz, 2011) This provides the organization with opportunities to advertise this unique product and expand above the competition.Disney’s newest ship, the Disney Fantasy, will debut in April of 2012. The addition of this much-anticipated vessel will provide the organization with an opportunity to market a product that will provide extensive customer appeal and attract new patrons. Some potential threats to the Disney Cruise line were also noted within the situational analysis. Perhaps the most important of all is the fact that demand will v ary accordingly with its surrounding environment. For example, irregular weather patterns as well as natural disasters serve as a major threat to the wellbeing of the organization (Scull, 2011).The fertility rate has also been decreasing since 2007 and is predicted to keep failing in the next few years (Brady, 2012) (refer to Figure 1). Figure 1: â€Å"Recent Trends in Births and Fertility Rates Through June 2011,† The trend identified in Figure 1 may potentially affect the entire organization as Disney Cruise markets specifically to families with young children. As a result, the demand for the product may decrease due to the decreased fertility rate. Another external threat to Disney Cruise is the overall customer’s perception of the safety of the cruise industry.The recent sinking of the Costa Concordia cruise vessel on January 13, 2012 will impose personal fear of safety in potential customers (D’Emilio, 2012). Although the cruise industry is currently experi encing growth, on-shore resorts also pose a potential threat to the cruise industry. Another threat that may affect the company’s public perception are the social and ethnic groups who protest against by the Disney Company, including the Disney cruise ships as a result of alleged inappropriate activities and things such as damage caused to the local marine life by the ships.This has brought about negative media attention, which may ultimately affect the customer’s view of the Company (Mena, 2011). This has the potential to directly put a damper on the entire Disney brand name. 2. 1. 3 Target Market Analysis In order to effectively find which consumers and markets the Disney Cruise line should be targeting, a target market analysis must be constructed. This analysis will allow the Company to view and analyze the current target market as well as decode other target markets that would be beneficial to the organization.The target market of Disney Cruise Line is similar to Walt Disney theme parks that are directed towards families with young children. The cruise line is strongly supported by the Disney culture created by the Disney organization (Watts, 1995). Since the cost of taking a cruise is higher than going to the theme parks, families interested in taking a Disney Cruise must have high and stable incomes (Silverstein, 2010). Because the distance will influence the motivation of the tourists, the major target market should be the residents in the United States.From the 2009 to 2010 primary vacation season, the amount of American tourists leaving from USA based ports increased by 3. 2% (Mena, 2011). To further identify the preferences of families when taking a Disney Cruise, a survey (see Appendix B) has be designed to gain better insight into their profile. The survey can be viewed in Appendix B in which we used to gather target market information. 2. 2 External Within the conduction of the situational analysis, an external analysis is conducted in order to analyze all of the forces outside of the organization.This analysis includes competitor information, consumer information, industry information, and outside forces information. These external forces will assist in creating the best marketing decisions for Disney Cruise Line. 2. 2. 1 Porter’s Five Forces In order to better understand the business decisions that are needed to be made by Disney Cruise Line, the Porter’s Five Forces model presents the relative power that each of these forces has in the industry and their impact on the Disney Cruise Line.By looking at the model portrayed in Appendix C, Disney Cruise Line will be able to identify the key forces influencing the industry. According to Porter’s five forces, it is clear that competitors and suppliers have more power than the Disney Cruise Line. Although Disney Cruise Line has its specific position in the cruise line market, other cruise line companies are older and bigger than Disney. (Clancy , 2008). Furthermore, the basic facilities that the other cruise lines offer are quite similar, such as providing rooms, restaurants, events and transportation to destinations.Thus, competitors become one of the most important threats to the company. Also, the suppliers in cruise line companies have high bargaining power. They are companies such as shipyards which include large companies that provide unique products, i. e. the cruise ships themselves, and which contribute to their high bargaining power. Another example is the petroleum companies which provide one of the most important sources in the cruise industry, oil. The price of oil cannot be control by one or few companies and is related to the international situation existing at the time.On the other hand, one of the more unique features in the cruise line industry is economies of scale. The cruise line companies provide many different destinations, a large number of ships and build the loyalty of their brand to increase the barriers to entry in the market by others (Huxley, 2008). This causes a low threat of new entrants. Moreover, the bargaining power of buyers in the industry is also low. According to the report from Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), the number of customers in the cruise line industry is increasing (Scull, 2012).Another reason for optimism toward the Disney Cruise Line is the high degree of loyalty to the Disney brand. The Walt Disney Company has created a magical world that cannot be replaced easily (Johnson, 1981). This is why although the price of Disney Cruise Line is very high, there are still many people wanting to take a cruise on the Disney Cruise Line rather than other cruise lines. Therefore, the bargaining power of buyers can be considered low. Last but not least, the potential substitutes for the Disney Cruise Line are Walt Disney Resorts, other family resorts, and package tours which include flight ticket and hotels.However, in addition to providing a Disney experience, the cruise provides travelers the opportunity to travel between ports. As the result, the threat of substitutes in the cruise industry is considered to be low. 2. 2. 2 PESTE Analysis The PESTE analysis is a framework used by business strategists to identify those factors operating in the ‘outer’ (macro) environment of a firm which impinge upon its activities and profitability in addition to factors affecting its immediate product markets. PESTE has five elements: political; economic; social; technological and environmental (PEST, 2006).These factors play an important role in the cruise line industry. However, they are usually outside the control of the corporation and must be considered as either threats or opportunities. The PESTE analysis diagram for Disney Cruise Lines can be viewed in Appendix D. In order to get a more complete view of the company’s current and future environment, the PESTE analysis has been conducted to assess the market from the standpoint of Disney Cruise Lines. Information gathered will help identify how external factors affect arketing situations and how they might influence future marketing activities. The PESTE diagram in appendix D illustrates the PESTE analysis conducted for Disney Cruise Lines. In conducting the PESTE analysis, it presents the factors in the political environment that affect Disney Cruise Lines in the positive ways and those which provide opportunities to the organization. For example, the U. S. government is expanding the Global Entry Program to make it easier for frequent tourists to visit the United States (Bart, n. d. ).Such a policy brings more tourists into the U. S. and has the potential to increase the demand for the Disney Cruise Line. Furthermore, the technological environment creates exciting new opportunities for the cruise line industry. Cutting edge technology has been added to many cruise lines in the market in 2012 allowing them to utilize new and ever expanding tec hnology (Archer, 2012). For example, it is now more convenient than ever for customers to plan and book a cruise vacation online with the do-it-yourself travel agent option, acquired by Disney (Pike, 2012).The Disney Cruise Line can use these new technologies to develop new service, such as incorporating a â€Å"Virtual Porthole†, a service provided on the new Disney Dream. These portholes offer a real-time view outside the ship via live video provided by high-definition cameras placed on the exterior of the ship (Cruz, 2012). On the other hand, the factors in the social environment today show the negative impact to the industry. Religious welfare groups who protest Disney for what they deem as offensive material will have an impact on the company and the marketing decisions the company makes.There are also groups that claim cruise ships are harming the environment. These trends will affect consumers and particularly when customers are making decisions of choosing either an o nshore resort vacation, or an open sea cruise vacation. Recent events have also highlighted the potential dangers and safety factors of the cruise line industry. The recent Costa Concordia cruise ship that has sunk has attracted media attention and will alter the markets perspective on the safety of open sea vacations (D’Emilio, 2012).If consumers are concerned about the safety of cruising, they may choose an onshore resort vacation instead of the cruise Last but not least, current economic and environmental factors do not appear to be having a real significant impact in the cruise line industry. Although the industry is still trying to survive from an extremely difficult economic period from 2008- 2010, the demand on the wave season in 2012 is still high (Mena, 2011; Yong, 2012). The wave season is the cruise industry’s peak sales period of the year, typically running from January to March for most lines.The cruise line industry usually uses this to predict the demand for the following quarter in the year. (Yong, 2012) In conclusion, the political environment and technological environment have positive impacts and provide encouraging opportunities to the cruise line industry. On the other hand, the current social environment can be the threat to the industry. Additionally, while the economic environment does not appear to significantly influence the cruise line industry at this time, the organization should still be aware of its potential impact. . 2. 3 Competitor Analysis The competitor analysis plays an important role in marketing plan. It not only shows the position of the organization in the market but also presents both the advantages and disadvantages of the organization compared to its competitors. By looking at the competitor analysis, the organization can correct the marketing direction and clear its position in the industry. Furthermore, the organization can ensure that the product is superior so as to satisfy the customers, especially the customers in the target market.The direct competitors of Disney Cruise Line are other cruise line companies, including those with different types of marketing positions. The figure shown in Appendix E uses the two factors, price and the level of family orientated packages provided to identify the position of all the competitors. By looking at Appendix E, it presents that the Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival are in the same position group which are highly family-oriented. Furthermore, Disney is the only company which provides true luxury cruise line products to the family market.According to the figure portrayed in Appendix F, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian are the main competitors to Disney Cruise Line. All three companies provide special kids programs but using different names (Sloan, 2011). Another similarity between Disney and Norwegian is that both of them have their own fictional characters. Disney Cruise Line has Disney’s character such as Mickey Mouse and Toy Story. On the other hand, Norwegian has characters from Nickelodeon such as â€Å"Spongebob Squarepants†. Since there are more cartoon characters in the media today, Disney should be aware of he potential competition non-Disney characters play in consumer’s decision making. In addition, Disney and Royal Caribbean both provide unique cruising experiences but in different way. Royal Caribbean provides many adventure facilities on their ships, such as onboard rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, mini-golf course, surfing simulator, and boxing ring; these are very attractive to some family members, particularly teenagers. On the other hand, Disney is more focused on younger children and families as a whole.By including in Disney’s special show the famous Disney characters and the â€Å"Magical moment†, it attempts to create the unique Disney experience for every family. Disney creates a moment that parents and children can experience to gether. The similarities between the Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise line are primary pricing and the diversity of destinations. The average per person price of Disney Cruise is over $250 per day while the other cruises are closer to $100 per day, significantly cheaper than Disney. The diversity of destinations is another difference between Disney and its two main competitors.Since Disney has only 4 ships, it can only provide a few destinations to its customers. On the other hand, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean have 12 and 22 ships respectively. Based on the size of the company, they provide more choices of destinations than Disney, and this becomes another weakness to the Disney Cruise Line company. 2. 3 Summary Through conducting of the situational analysis, many reoccurring themes were highlighted which are important for making good marketing decisions for the Disney Cruise organization. It is evident that the Disney’s Cruise organization makes beneficial use of the Di sney experience and theme.As seen in the SWOT analysis, while Disney Cruise offers a unique experience attractive to families, the company is also not as established as its competitors within the industry. This also appears to be evident in Porter’s five forces when considering Disney’s position in the industry since its competitors have been in existence longer, are much larger, as well as competitor footprint. The targeted market analysis presents that the family consumer market is the targeted audience for Disney Cruise, but as was also shown in the SWOT and competitor analysis’s, packages and services are high priced and limited.The analysis has shown that Disney Cruise offers a unique theme attractive to all family vacation seekers, but also shows the already established and large competition to the organization by the long stand cruise lines. 3. 0 Problem/opportunity Identification Through conducting the situational analysis, it is evident that the Disney Cruise organization is unable to compete with leading competitors due to their lack of size and ports. This problem is especially apparent in the organization’s competitor analysis where the small size of the organization relative to competitors within the industry is portrayed.This is troublesome for the Disney Cruise Line as tourists usually select their cruise line based upon destination first and then look for accommodations that satisfy personal desires (Jenkins, 1978). Disney currently only provides a few destinations which are all located near the continental United States, such as Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Spain, and the Bahamas. In contrast, its competitor, Royal Caribbean, provides destinations all around the world, including various ports in South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. This makes it impossible for Disney Cruise to compete based upon ports.Expanding the size of the company is a strategy that would require significant resources and time. The Disney Cruise organization does however possess the opportunity to create a niche market targeted towards customers who remain loyal to the organization. It has been shown that customers in the cruise industry often show a high degree of loyalty to the organization which they choose (Sun, Jiao, & Tian, 2011). Through conducting an internal analysis, it is made clear that consumers who use Disney’s products and services often remain loyal to the organization and are likely to purchase from the Disney brand again.Disney Cruise has the opportunity to specifically target Disney loyalists who are seeking a new form of the Disney experience. In doing so, the Disney Cruise organization must focus its marketing on the journey rather than the destination. The best opportunity for the organization is to develop a specific market in which the consumer will not be influenced by the amount of ports that are offered. In order to create a niche market, which is defined as targeting one segment of a market (McDaniel, Lamb & Hair, 2007), Disney Cruise Line must market itself to Disney loyalists.The organization must implement and execute certain marketing strategies that target current and previous Disney customers. 4. 0 Marketing Strategy As seen in section 3. 0, the major weakness of Disney Cruise Line is the size of the organization. This causes a problem for the company because it cannot compete with its competitors on the quantity of service such as choices of destinations, date of departure, and the period aboard. In order to counteract this weakness, it is necessary to develop a marketing strategy for Disney Cruise Line.Developing a marketing strategy will help the company to achieve its goal by defining a target market, setting marketing goals, and developing and maintaining a marketing mix (Shoemaker & Shaw, 2007). According to previous sections, Disney Cruise Line is unique in the cruise line market, due to the ability to create a unique â€Å"Disney exp erience† for its customers and attract tourists with its â€Å"Disney brand† (Watts, 1995; Pettigrew, 2011). Thus, the goal of the company should be to focus on a niche market. In this case, the niche market is visitors who have been to Disney theme parks and are highly loyal to the Disney Company.In order to achieve this goal, Disney Cruise Line has to create a specific position which occupies a place in consumers’ minds that cannot be replaced by its competitors (McDaniel, Lamb & Hair, 2007). Furthermore, the functional strategy mix for Disney Cruise Line in the next 12 months is a product/service strategy, distribution strategy, and communication strategy. 4. 1 Product/service strategy Product and service are the basic items in a company. According to Shoemaker and Shaw, product/service mix is defined as the combination of products and services aimed at satisfying the needs of the target market (Shoemaker & Shaw, 2007).In addition, since positioning is about d esigning product/service offering and accompanying image to occupy a unique place in customers’ minds, product and service play an important role in a positioning strategy (King, 2012). In order to segment the market, Disney Cruise Line has to develop a unique product which turns a cruise line experience into a â€Å"Disney experience†. As Disney has its characters, shows, and a private island, Castaway Key, Disney Cruise Line should position itself as a destination rather than just a travel mode. In addition, DisneyCruise Line should provide more package options which combine the existing travel resources, such as Disney resorts and Adventures by Disney, to offer more experiences to their customers. 4. 2 Distribution strategy The distribution mix is made up of all channels available between the firm and the target market that increase the probability of getting the product and the customer to each other (Shoemaker & Shaw, 2007). In other words, it is a mix of ways cus tomers purchase the product. Thus, where to sell the product to customers has become the most important question in this strategy.The target market of Disney Cruise Line is families which have been to Disney resorts and like the experiences. They usually have a high loyalty to the Disney Company. In this situation, direct marketing is the best strategy to use. Direct marketing refers to the techniques used to get costumers to make a purchase from home, office, or other nonretail setting (McDaniel, Lamb & Hair, 2007). This provides more opportunities for customers to purchase the product. In this case, Disney resorts and Disney theme parks can become channels through which Disney Cruise Line can sale its products.Furthermore, Disney companies can share the customer information and send out e-mails directly to their potential customers to create the motivation of booking their next trip with Disney Cruise Line. 4. 3 Communication strategy One of the proposed strategies that will assis t in the development of a niche market is to create a Disney loyalists rewards program. The development of a rewards program focuses on current customers rather than on potential customers or competition. This type of strategy is a form of relationship marketing, which is intended to establish, develop, and maintain successful relational exchanges (Morgan, 1994).This promotion targeting frequent customers will create communications between the firm and the market that increase the tangibility of the product/service mix, monitor consumer expectations, and persuade customers to purchase (Shoemaker & Shaw, 2007). A rewards program for the frequent customers of Disney will influence these consumers towards future business with the organization, creating a niche market. 5. 0 Conclusion In conclusion, it was found through the conduction of the situational analysis that Disney Cruise Line could not successfully compete with its major competitors based upon size alone.It is noted in the ana lysis that consumers within the cruise industry will often use ports as a deciding factor in determining their interests. Disney Cruise Line must counteract this problem by marketing to and creating a niche market for Disney loyalists. In doing so, the organization must focus on targeting previous Disney customers who are looking for another way to experience the Disney theme. This strategy is one that could be implemented within a 12 month time period, and serves as a strategic plan to counterbalance the lack of size and ports of the Disney Cruise organization. Reference list Archer, J. 2011). Seven ships for seven seas. Travel Weekly (UK), 5(Nov 2010), 14-16. Bart, J. , & USA, T. (n. d. ). President invites the world to visit. USA Today. Brady, E. H. , Paul D. S. , & Division of Vital Statistics. (2012). Recent trends in births and fertility rates through June 2011. NCHS Health E-Stat. Retrieved from http://www. cdc. gov Clancy, M. (2008). Cruisin' To exclusion: Commodity chains, the cruise Industry, and development in the Caribbean. Globalizations, 5(3), 405-418. Cruz, G. (2011, July). Disney Dream. 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Cruise industry overview 2011. Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association. Retrieved from http://www. f-cca. com Morgan, R. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20-38. Retrieved from http://www. jstor. org/stable/1252308 PEST. (2006). Collins Dictionary of Business.Retrieved from http://www. credoreference. com Pettigrew, S. (2011). Hearts and minds: children's experiences of Disney World. Consumption, Markets ; Culture,  14(2), 145-161. doi:10. 1080/10253866. 2011. 562016 Pike, J. (2012). 2012 Survival guide. Travel Agent,  339(9), 28-33. Scull, T. W. (2012). Cruising 2011. Cruise Travel, 33(4), 8-18. Shoemaker, S. , ; Shaw, M. (2007). Marketing Essentials in Hospitality and Tourism: Foundations and Practices. Boston, MA: Pearson Prentice Hall. Sloan, G. (2011, September 16). How to pick the perfect cruise. USA Today. Sun, X. , Jiao, Y. , ; Tian, P. (2011).Marketing research and revenue optimization for the cruise industry: A concise review. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(3), 746- 755. doi:10. 1016/j. ijhm. 2010. 11. 007 Watts, S. (1995). Walt Disney: Art and politics in the American century. Journal of American History, 82(1), 84-110. Weissmann, A. , ; Tunney, D. (2011). Disney Cruise Line adds New York, Seattle and Galveston homeports. Travel Weekly, 70(15), 6. Woodside, A. G. , ; Megehee, C. M. (2010). Advancing consumer behaviour theory in tourism via visual narrative art. International Journal of Tourism Research,  12(5), 418-431. Young, S. J. 2012). Cruise industry's wave season under way: Signs are encouraging, say travel agents. Travel Agent, 339(9), 8. Appendixes Appendix A – SWOT analysis Strengths| Weaknesses| 1. Owned and operated under the largest media and entertainment company in the world, Walt Disney. 2. Corporation employs over 150,000 people. 3. O perated under Disney’s well -established brand name. 4. The introduction of new, innovative ships. 5. Expansion to new ports and shipping destinations throughout the world. 6. Low turn over rate for employees. 7. Management is committed and confident in continuing promotions and attracting new customers. 8.Provides unique atmosphere that can not be replicated elsewhere. | 1. Limited range of target audience. 2. Customer perception of non-dimensional experience. 3. Already established and successful competition. 4. Resources needed to train employees to maintain exceptional service. | Opportunities| Threats| 1. Expansion into new markets internationally and domestically. 2. Addition of new ships can satisfy the rising demand. 3. New ship â€Å"Disney Fantasy† to debut in April. | 1. Demand may vary accordingly with environment. 2. Demand may vary seasonally and is weather permitting. 3. Public perception of cruise industry’s safety. . Expansion and growth of on-s hore resorts will decrease interest in cruise lines. 5. High competition within cruise line industry. 6. Social and ethnic groups protests against Disney brand. | Appendix B – Survey ————————————————- This is a survey designed to find out the target market and the consumer behavior of Disney Cruise Line. It may take you 5-10 minutes to complete the survey. Thank you for your cooperation Question Group A- Motivation 1. Are you interested in attending Disney Cruise Line? ?Yes ? No 2. Have you ever been to any Disney’s theme park? ?Yes ? No 3.Have you ever been to Disney Cruise Line? ?Yes ? No (Go to question 7 if your answer is NO) 4. How do you like the overall experience on Disney Cruise Line? (Choose one) Strongly dislike Some-what dislike Normal like strongly like ? ? ? ? ? 5. Rank how the following items were attractive to you on Disney Cruise Line? Choose one on each question, from 1 (very unattractive) to 5 (very attractive) Price of the ticket†¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 2 3 4 5 Quality of the room†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 3 4 5 Quality of the Service†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 2 3 4 5 Taste of the food†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 2 3 4 5 Activities on the cruise†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 2 3 4 5 The destination of the trip†¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 2 3 4 5 Show provided on the cruise†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 2 3 4 5 Disney’s Characters†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 2 3 4 5 Program for Children†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 2 3 4 5 Question Group B – Satisfaction 6. After your experience, how satisfied are you with the following items on Disney Cruise Line?Choose one for each question, from 1 (very unsatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied) Price of the ticket†¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 2 3 4 5 Quality of the room†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 2 3 4 5 Quality of the Service†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 2 3 4 5 Taste of the food†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 2 3 4 5 Activities on the cruise†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 2 3 4 5 The destination of the trip†¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 2 3 4 5 Show provided on the cruise†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 2 3 4 5 Disney’s Characters†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 2 3 4 5 Program for Children†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 2 3 4 5 Question Group C – Other cruise experience 7. Have you ever been to any other cruise line? ?Yes ? No 8. If answer to question 6 â€Å"Yes†, which cruise line did you take? (Circle one or more) ? Carnival ? Caribbean ? Celebrity ? Coasted ? Crystal ? Cunard ? Holland ? MSC ? Norwegian ? P & O ? Princess ? Regient ? Royal ? Other 9. Compared to the other cruises you have experienced, what are the 3 areas where you think Disney Cruise Line is better? Rank 1(Most favorite), 2(Second favorite), 3(third favorite) in the following items] ? Price ? Food ? Service ? Program for children ? Activit ies at the destination ? Show ? Room ? Characters ? Activities on cruise ? Other 10. Compared to the other cruises you have experienced, what are the 3 areas that you think Disney Cruise Line is worse? [Rank 1(Worst), 2(second worst), 3(third worst) in the following items] ? Price ? Food ? Service ? Program for children ? Activities at the destination ? Show ? Room ? Characters ?Activities on cruise ? Other Geographic questions 11. What is you gender? ? Male ? Female 12. What age group are you in? ?Under 12 ? 13-17 ? 18-24 ? 25-29 ?30-39 ? 40-49 ? 50-64 ? over 65 13. Which country are you resident in? ?The United States ? Other 14. What is your marriage situation? ?Single ? Married ? Divorced 15. How many children (under 18) are you live with in your family? ?None ? 1 ? 2 ? 3 ? More then 4 16. Who did you travel with on the cruise line? (Choose one or more) ? Alone ? Husband/Wife ?Son/Daughter ? Boyfriend/Girlfriend ? Parent(s) ? Friend(s) ? Colleague(s) ? Schoolmate(s) 17. Would yo u say your family’s total gross income for this calendar year will be? ?Under $30,000 ? $30,000-$49,999 ? $50,000-$99,999 ? $100,000 or more ————————————————- Congratulations! You have done all the questions, thank you again for your cooperation High Competitive Rivalry * Many competitors and industry continues to grow * Similar products offered between competitors * High satisfied customer loyalty Low Supplier Power * Oil price are hard to control Suppliers large corporations * Unique products and services * Ability to constantly change and adapt to times Low Threat of Substitution * Some substitution available for different for of vacation * Uniqueness of cruise industry Low Buyer Power * Increasing number of customers * High loyalty to Disney’s brand * Customers tend to be price sensitive Low Threat of New Entry * High barriers to entry * Economies of scal e * Demand and interest within industry is rising High Competitive Rivalry * Many competitors and industry continues to grow * Similar products offered between competitors High satisfied customer loyalty Low Supplier Power * Oil price are hard to control * Suppliers large corporations * Unique products and services * Ability to constantly change and adapt to times Low Threat of Substitution * Some substitution available for different for of vacation * Uniqueness of cruise industry Low Buyer Power * Increasing number of customers * High loyalty to Disney’s brand * Customers tend to be price sensitive Low Threat of New Entry * High barriers to entry * Economies of scale * Demand and interest within industry is rising Appendix C – Porter’s Five ForcesPolitical * The tourism policy has become more friendly to international tourists, especially to China and Brazil| Economic * Recovery from difficult 2008-2010 economic period * The cruise line industry are not really influenced by the recession| Social * Religious welfare groups protest against Disney for â€Å"offensive material† * Lifestyle trend of consumers rather onshore vacation rather than overseas * Customers opinions of weather or not the cruise industry provides a safe vacation * Public perception of Cruise Lines from social media, including propaganda of sinking ships. Technological * New technological advancement on features for vessels * Overall, 19 new vessels for 2012 include latest technology from competitors * Online booking and advancements in technological travel agencies * â€Å"Virtual Porthole† in all inside staterooms| Appendix D – PEST analysis Appendix E – Competitor map Carnival ? Low Price| ? Disney ? Norwegian ? Royal Caribbean High Price| Coasted ? MSC| ? Cunard ? Princess ? Celebrty ? Holland Regient ? ? P & O Crystal ? | Family Oriented Package Family Oriented Package Characters Unique experience Low Price Different region Program for ki ds Characters Unique experience Low Price Different region Program for kids Appendix F – Competitor footprint

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Comparison/Contrast Essay Eng101

Name Professor ENG 101 November , 2012 British PSA is the best choice Although both the â€Å"British PSA† and the â€Å"AT&T PSA† use the fear of injury and death to discourage texting while driving, the British PSA is more effective than the AT&T PSA because it focuses on the details of the injury and death during the accident. Both the British PSA and the AT&T PSA show the â€Å"life changing† and â€Å"life ending† consequences that can occur when a person chooses to text while driving.The British PSA shows a deadly multi-car crash that occurs because the texting driver crosses the centerline and hits another car head-on only due to the fact that she and her teenage passengers were distracted by a text message on her cell phone. Likewise, the AT&T PSA shows several different people whose lives have been destroyed by tragic car accidents (involving injury or death) caused by texting while driving.Both videos show the devastating effects that texting whi le driving can have on the texting driver and other innocent people, but the â€Å"British PSA† is the more effective video. The AT&T PSA shows three separate storylines of people who have been affected by injury and/or death because of texting while driving. The 1st storyline is about a teenage girl who died a year earlier when she was texting while driving. The story has a policeman describing the accident scene and the victim’s family and friends describing their loss.The 2nd storyline is about a teenage boy who killed a man on a bicycle when he was texting while driving. The 3rd storyline shows a mentally and physically disabled young man who became disabled from a car accident in which he was texting while driving. These 3 storylines bring out strong feelings in the audience of compassion for the loved ones, sadness for the injured, and concern that something like this could happen to you or your loved ones.However, this video does not show any details of the actu al accident, therefore making it difficult for the viewer to imagine this all came from just a simple text message. In contrast, The â€Å"British PSA† clip uses a dramatic approach by showing the details of a full-fledge highway multi-car accident. The clip shows the terrifying effects of a deadly head-on collision in slow motion. Immediately after the head-on collision, the car with the 3 teenage girls gets broad-sided (T-boned) by a third car travelling at a high rate of speed.It provides a bloody and graphic example of the devastating effects that texting while driving can bring and strives to promote staying off cell phones while operating a vehicle by depicting an event that the audience would never want to live through. Instead of just showing the aftermath or the long term effects of the accident, The â€Å"British PSA† uses an approach to shock the audience and literally scare them from ever wanting to text while driving by showing the injury and death of seve ral people involved.The â€Å"British PSA† is more effective than the â€Å"AT&T PSA† because it allows the audience to witness the horrible details of a car accident instead of just hearing about the aftermath several months later. Works Cited AT&T Don’t Text While Driving Documentary. (2010). Retrieved November 22, 2012 from http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=DebhWD6ljZs. PSA Texting While Driving U. K. Ad. (2009). Retrieved November 22, 2012 from http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=R0LCmStIw9E.

In Exile Poem Analysis (Arthur Nortje) Line By Line

English 101D First Assignment Unique Nr: 826883 Dedre Immelman Student nr 5012-960-0 In Exile  Poem Analysis (Arthur Nortje) Line By Line Question 1 The poem â€Å"In Exile† was written by Arthur Nortje in the 1960 – 1970 period. There could be different interpretations to the meaning of the title â€Å"In Exile†. Arthur Nortje won a scholarship to study at the Jesus College at Oxford University. Arthur became one of the privileged few â€Å"chosen† to further their education outside the borders of South Africa. Can he be seen as truly in exile? I will argue that the title of the poem is relevant and is a reference to the personal feelings and experiences of Arthur Nortje during his time spent in England and Kanada. This poem was written during the time period 1960 to 1970 – during this time South Africa had a volatile political situation and many a young activists fled the country. As mentioned, the poet did not flee the country but this title can be seen as an identification with those fellow South Africans in exile as well as a emotional reference to the feelings one experiences when you leave your country of birth and need to settle new roots in the soil of a new country. In Exile† indicates that something or someone is unsettled and not in their place of true origin. They have moved away – either voluntarily or by force. The title does not indicate whether this exile is a positive or negative experience. It does however refer to an action because exile indicates motion. One other aspect worth conside ring is the fact that the poet was born from a mixed couple and classified as colored. This could have left him with a feeling of alienation and the social implications could have left him with a feeling of being in â€Å"exile†. Question 2 The poem could be seen as a lyric description of the poet’s feelings. The poet is writing about 2 things – his country of origin and his feelings of desolation and possibly anger towards his birth country. Secondly, he is painting a picture of a landscape in his new adopted country. Nortje often uses imaginative landscapes to compensate for his personal dislocation and feeling of isolation. It also refers to South Africa and the political isolation characteristic to certain groups of our population during that period of time in our history. The communicative aim of the poet is to tell the reader more about the feelings of isolation he experienced and how wounded his soul was. It also refers to South Africa and the political and emotional context of fellow anti-apartheid or rather non-white patriots during that time. He is strongly relying on connotations in the reader’s imagination to bring his story across. A picture is painted of a current landscape but the poet makes you realise that you can’t see the beauty of a new picture without dealing with the hurt of the past. Question 3 The poet is relying on the readers understanding of the political and economic situation in South Africa during the time period in which this poem was written. In the first line â€Å"Open skies flare wide enough† – this is the first reference to the power of memory because the word â€Å"flare† could be a reference to the noise and action when a grenade explodes during war. The flare is often seen and heard when the grenade explodes. In the second stanza, the poet refers to â€Å"boots passing through† – this could be a reference to the unseen soldiers of apartheid South Africa passing through the townships at night to make sure no non-whites were out in the street. If you have experienced South Africa during that time, the boots passing through will remind you of oppression and fear or on the other side it might remind you of protection and hope. The words â€Å"wrong pigment† gives the reader an indication of a situation where people are judged simply because they don’t have the correct appearance – their skin color is unacceptable and thus they are unacceptable. Question 4 The poet is referring to storm clouds in his past and also to clouds in the history of South Africa. He was declared â€Å"colored† in the time when this ethnical group faced many adversaries and oppression in South Africa. He is using a picture of a landscape to refer to the political isolation in South Africa during that time. It could also be a reference to the repetitiveness of the storm clouds – they have been there before and they will probably be there again in the future. He has experienced hardship in South Africa and he is probably experiencing hardship again in his new country. Question 5 In view of the title and substance of the poem, it seems like the description of the boots passing through is a reference to the South African Armed Forces and specifically soldiers marching. It could be a reference to the enforcement of the group areas act – people were forcefully moved from their homes by soldiers. The noise of their boots must have left many fearful. Alternatively it could also be referring to the political unrest of that period in South Africa. Non-whites started standing up for their rights and the government tried to squash it by using the military to enforce their apartheid laws. Question 6 The poem is primarily about a person in exile remembering certain images from his home country whilst referring to new experiences in his adopted country. Nature is used to describe certain emotions and feelings. If we look at verse 14, reference is made of paradise. It is poignant as the overall concern of the poem is about negative experiences from both the past and present. However, the speaker uses the word paradise to tell us that we can choose to remember the good things about our past. Our memory and associations can help us remember the good things about our past. South Africa is not all doom and gloom – there are positive experiences as well. Question 7 The word benign, indicates that something/growth is not cancerous or negative. Benign indicates that it is good-natured or favorable – doing very little harm. The speaker could be referring to actual hunger or a spiritual hunger for a little sunshine that is hidden behind a cloud. The cloud is not life threatening but it is keeping the speaker from reaching his full potential or target. There is hope that this cloud can be overcome as it is benign. If one looks at the content of the poem, it is clear that the speaker is looking at a beautiful landscape and he is trying to see the positive aspects of both the picture and his life. However, he has a benign cloud covering his picture. The reader needs to answer the question â€Å"if it is possible to see the sun with this benign cloud of the past obscuring it? † Question 8 â€Å"In Exile†, by Andrew Nortje speaks to the reader from the first word in the title to the last word in the last stanza. If one looks at the content of the poem, it is clear that the poet is painting a picture of a landscape in front of him. He is making reference of open skies with strands of clouds, winds sweeping through the towers of buildings and his clothes trembling in the wind. He is also thinking about an imaginary picture of the sea. However, from the first stanza, the reader is reminded of a different landscape in another â€Å"exiled country† The poet is painting a somber picture of skies where we get flares making us anxious, soldiers passing through with their boots making noise, wrong pigment leaving you without hope or opportunity and bad memories clotting your vein of memories. At the end, the reader draws the conclusion that one can’t build a new picture of beautiful sunny days and wind still situations without making peace or taking into consideration, the memories of the past. I think the message of this poem is positive. In the beginning everything reminds the speaker of his horrid past – even blue skies with thin wispy clouds remind him of South Africa and the fear and anger he experienced there. He has definite negative feelings towards his country of origin. However, as time passes one gets the feeling that the speaker is growing into the understanding that one has to deal with the past in order to survive the present. He realises that one’s soul will decay even in exile if you don’t stop the negative memories from the past and start building a new picture with a positive attitude. One can never leave the past behind but you can turn the malignant memories into benign clouds. The poem is a free verse with no specific rhyming except in the 4th stanza. It is interesting that we only have one incident of rhyming and that is in line 17 and 19. The poet refers to â€Å"wrong pigment† that has no future and this gives the reader a strong indication that he was feeling rather negative and angry about the classification of people according to skin color. He uses 5 stanzas with no specific and they differ in length from 4 lines to 6 lines each. I think the effect of this single rhyming verse is very important. It clearly indicates the importance of the fact that once the poet was judged and classified as colored – it stayed with him and impacted his whole life. The poet used personification to help the reader understand the untold story of his past. In the first stanza the reader is told that the open skies made the poet anxious and that clouds are tracing patterns of the past. The reader gets the first indication that the poet is feeling estranged and sad about his past. He is telling the untold story of war and anxiety, things that happened in his past. The poet is using alliteration in certain instances to emphasize the stories f the past. â€Å"My heart is hollowed with the boots passing through† and â€Å"garments gather† are examples of alliteration. If we look at the language used in this poem, there is a change in tone in the poem. In the first 3 stanza’s a description is given of a nature scene or rather that is the first impression. On closer inspectio n, the reader learns about the fear experienced in â€Å"open skies† in Africa, clouds reminding you of the horrible past and wind reminding you about the horrors of the past – of boots of soldiers creating fear, anger and sadness. It seems like we are lost in the picture of the past. A perfect paradise seems impossible but then in the 4th stanza, the poet states that we to meet certain conditions in order to keep your soul from decay. In order to see your new paradise, you need to realize that you have to stop the vein of bad memories and build a new positive picture of your present life. The writer reaches a turning point in the last stanza. He no longer only seems to remember the ugly pictures of the past. He is building or describing a new nature scene by building a new picture on a sand slope. It is still very vulnerable and the grains slide away easily. However, his past is now only a benign cloud that obscures the sun. He can choose to look at this new positive landscape or picture of the sea and get hope. His past will always be part of him even in exile; however, the reader is brought to the point where he or she can choose to look at the sun through only a benign cloud. I think the use of the words â€Å"the soul decays in exile. But wrong pigment has no scope† are very important when analyzing this poem. It seems to be a turning point. This is the essence of what is hurting the writer and causing him to feel estranged and in exile. He realizes that he will not move forward as long as he only thinks about him being colored and that his soul will die if he doesn’t move on. I think the writer has succeeded in using imagery to relate the untold story of South Africa and his walk through life. He has told us about his pain and anger and the feelings of abandonment experienced in South Africa. At the end the reader is brought to the realization that in order to make peace with ones past, and see the new beautiful landscape of life, one has to move forward to a point where the hurt and anger merely becomes a dark memory, shaping the way you look at your future.