The future of RFID protocols Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The future of RFID protocols - Essay Example In terms of necessity, each input assigned to an RFID protocol can be acquired from computations that can only be conducted by parallel RFID tags partaking in the evidence (Peris-Lopez et al., 2011, p. 843). This ability will assure the interconnection of the tokens produced in the course of the evidence, which only the verifier can terminate within a given period. RFID tags should entail different, untraceable, and masked identifiers during every protocol implementation process (Srivastava, n.d., p. 4). Including arbitrary figures appears suitable for developing privacy-secured identifiers although it does not assure immunity against privacy hacks for suggested RFID protocols. RFID protocols should have supreme matching capabilities. For instance, when RFID tags are unable to authenticate their fitting in a certain group, separate tags can be members of a proof. As a result, only the verifier would detect the tags’ failure when sent the evidence (Peris-Lopez et al., 2011, p. 843). RFID protocols should also use encoded versions of timestamps. Verifiers should compute secure timestamps using their abiding secret input. I think a future that employs these potentials of RFID protocols will see a rise in â€Å"smart† products and smarter electronics. For instance, RFID protocols that reach these potentials should be able to tag smart clothes or machines at a store (Srivastava, n.d., p. 9). Peris-Lopez, P, Orfila, A, Hernandez-Castro, JC, van der Lubbe, JCA 2011, ‘Flaws on RFID grouping-proofs. Guidelines for future sound protocols,’ Journal of Network and Computer Applications, vol. 34, pp.

Make a summery for this Interview Questions and Answers Essay

Make a summery for this Interview Questions and Answers - Essay Example The district provides a computer program called TEAMS for scheduling. The principal and the counselor mutually develop the master schedule. Different campuses take different durations to complete the master schedule. Sometimes, it is completed by the eend of the school year, but some campuses complete it a week before the students arrival on campus. Variables that influence the development of master schedule primarily include courses that can only be offered once and the teachers schedules. Such courses should not be offered simultaneously. The master schedule is finally approved by the guidance office and the principal. Factors involved in the development of master schedule when arranged in the order of decreasing importance are these; labs and specialized need courses, personnel allocations, facilities, time, and extra-curricular activities. Adjustments in the master schedule are made according to the needs of the students. Adjustments are made with mutual consensus of the principa l and the counselor. The master schedule is not affected by the peprally, early release, or special programs since these factors are linked with the special schedules. Goals are identified considering the campus needs and the budget. Goals that address the campus needs without exceeding the budget are established. The rest may be postponed. The central office starts the budgeting at the end of the year which continues till the Summer months. The actual budget is not materialized till the next school years beginning. The central office provides assistance for the budget management. The principal is helped in the decision making process regarding all matters related to the campus from the Site Based Decision Making (SBDM) committee. Every campus is allocated budget at the 1st of September. Budget includes different kinds of funds, travel, and staff development programs. Allocation of funds is the next step. The campus budget

Rogers Chocolates Essay Example for Free

Rogers Chocolates Essay What is competition like in the premium chocolate industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest? Which is weakest? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness and the potential profitability of new entrants? The premium chocolate industry is having an intensive competition in Canada with the strong growth potential. Industry growth opportunity imposes increasing competition from rivals and threats of new entrance that adds pressure on overall profitability. Even though Roger’s has been able to establish its place in the chocolate industry with its strong brand recognition and products’ quality, it still needs to be on top of ever- going market changes, by continuously monitoring, crafting and updating its marketing and packaging strategies. Only then it can sustain its competitiveness from the front line rivals. For that, intensity of rivalry among competitors and the threat of new entrants are considered the strongest competitive force, given the fact that the premium chocolate market was growing at 20 percent annually. Given that Rogers’ Chocolates has successfully targeted market niche by its strategy based on differentiation, and by concentrating on narrow consumers segment comprising of affluent customers looking for a luxury experience with a superior taste or an elegant, prestigious and uncommon product, it can be said that the weakest competitive force for Rogers’ is the bargaining power of buyers and the suppliers. Differentiation and niche market remedies the opportunity of price fixing. The threat of substitute products is also at the weakest point, given the fact that Rogers’ chocolates are fairly expensive relative to others in market. Their distinctive hand-packaging process and quality ingredients are not much appealing for others to copy and imitate. The rapid growth and profit prospects factors are attractive enough to induce additional entry to this industry. For that, every chocolate producer is challenged to craft a successful strategy that is strong enough to fight for its profit in competition battle. The competition of the premium chocolate industry is strong. There are some regional brand businesses and some large companies. The key market competitors that are Rogers’s direct rivals are summarized in the table: Company Name| Price| Quality| Packaging| Distribution| Advertising| Godiva| 15 % High than Rogers on standard products and double/triple price on premium chocolate| Not as high as Rogers| Strong; glitzy, sleek modern. Chocolates of various colors molding| Retailers of gift items| Strong| Bernard Callebaut| Similar to Godiva| Good , excelled in new flavour introductions| Superior could be customized at the store| 32 stores across the West, US and Ontario| Great seasonal displays| Lindt| 90% of Rogers| Mid-range| Mid-range| Broad : mass merchandisers, drug grocery retailers| Strong| Purdys| 35% lower than Rogers| Lower than Rogers| Good| 50 locations based in malls , strongest presence in BC| Good, offers discounts on volume purchase| Rogers| Premium price, however low than Godivas Bernard Callebauts| High| hand packaging, old fashioned, not appealing to young consumers| Company owned stores; online mail orders, wholesaling, Sams Deli| Limited to Victorias area| Question 2 How is the premium chocolate industry changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those driving forces individually or collectively change competition in the industry? The premium chocolate industry is showing its shift towards healthy nutrition trend and consumers’ market that is more health conscious about their diet. Purchasers are also demanding more from chocolate than its taste. In line with a broad social trend for healthier diets, the demand for organic products, including organic chocolates, is growing. Consumers are looking for products with no trans-fats, as well. Demand for dark chocolate, traditionally less popular than milk chocolate in North America is growing in part because of its heart-healthy anti-oxidant properties. With the increasing trend in healthy diet preference, the underlying drivers of change of competition in premium chocolate industry at the strongest level are the buyers’ preferences for differentiated, refined products, instead of standardized ordinary products that are no longer demanded. In addition, baby boomers generation with their disposable income are spending a lot on high quality premium chocolates. Moreover, consumers and employees are also demanding chocolate companies to follow good corporate social responsibility practices in addressing the environmental concerns in terms of how to design its packaging, procurement and operational decisions. Human rights concerns are also high in terms of consumer expectations of chocolate companies with respect of forced child labour in West Africa. All of these driving forces societal concerns, attitudes and change in lifestyles, are strong enough to shape up the competition and impose the constraint on chocolate industry profitability and competitive survival. One important underlying driver of change in the chocolate industry is the large manufacturers lobbying to change the definition of the term chocolate under USFDA guidelines, if they are successful in doing this then this could potentially have a dramatic impact on the competitive environment, with lots of cheaper products flooding the market. If lots of cheaper brands of chocolates suddenly become available and prices start dropping this could creep into the premium brand segment of the market and force companies like Rogers to lower their prices. Question 3 What key factors determine success for producers of premium chocolates? Rogers’ customers are attracted to the company because of its superior quality. Customers who tasted Rogers’ chocolate are willing to pay its high price because of Rogers’ superior quality, â€Å"Ooooh , Rogers’ That is the best chocolate I’ve ever tested. † (pg. C-185) Key factors that determine success for producers of premium chocolates, looking only at the quality and the product characteristics prospective are: * Taste and quality * Quality ingredients * Price * Package * Advertising * Distribution. The key factors that determine success for producers at the functional levels are: * Marketing – The appeal and quality of the packaging has a big impact on the sales of chocolate and a good advertising campaign to make the brand name well known * Distribution – Having a good distribution network to get product to market in a timely manner and favourable display space * Technology – The use of new technology to reduce labour intensive production methods to reduce production costs * Manufacturing- The availability of labour, ability to produce quality product and achieving economies of scale * Skills Capability- Having talented employees with knowledge of chocolate to continue product innovation, required production management and supply chain management skills and software for accurate decision making * Other- Location of retail stores are also important. * Strong leader and management team who agree on the companies strategic vision and are able to communicate it successfully to all employees Question 4 What does a SWOT analysis of Rogers Chocolates reveal about the prospects for companys future success? What are its key resources strengths and competitive capabilities? its resource weaknesses and competitive liabilities? its external opportunities and threats? Roger’s Chocolates has a good base to succeed in the chocolate industry and increase their market share in Canada and internationally by revamping their brand image, improving their internal production process, increasing their online sales, building stronger management teams, investing in technology to improve their production schedule, forecasting and marketing. The SWOT analysis presented below highlights the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats: Strengths and Competitive Capabilities * One of the oldest chocolate companies in Canada with a wide range of the highest quality unique chocolate assortments including: an Ice cream line, specialty products, no-sugar added chocolates * Use of natural ingredients. * The company has an impressive loyal customers base around the world * Loyal employees that share company’s value for the higher quality of products * Superior quality of company’s products; in 2006 the company won prestigious Superior Taste award from the International Taste Quality Institute * Company provides excellent retail experience and in 2000 won the Innovative Retailer of the Year award Weaknesses and Competitive Deficiencies * Higher priced products * Labour intense and costly production process. * The company didn’t establish standards to measure its productivity or efficiency * Difficulties with the evaluation of seasonal customers demand, as a result the company carries large inventories * Seasonal problems with out-of stock items result in loss of sales, and production schedule chaos * Unreliable suppliers of art tins. * Unattractive packaging to younger consumers * Difficulty with the prediction of the required production volume of ice cream * Interruptions of the production process with the special orders commitments * Employees resistance to change * Lack of organic or fair trade capabilities Market Opportunities * Projected premium chocolate market’s growth at 20% annually, as baby boomers consume more premium chocolates. * Increased demand for organic and dark chocolates * Pre- Christmas sales demand is growing * Strong brand recognition in the Victoria area, and a â€Å"corporate gift of choice† * Possibilities of Increasing online orders * Cruise port travellers. * Become supplier to Butchart Garden’s gift shop and other tourist destinations on Vancouver Island * 2010 Olympics External Threats * Threat by Hershey’s and Cadbury companies which are growing their presence on the premium chocolate market by acquiring and taking over small companies. * Growing environmental concern * Growing customers concerns related to West Africa’s child labor rights * Some of the big corporate purchasers of Roger’s products such as Second Cup and the Bay switched to low cost providers and concentrate on developing their own line of products * Decline of the US dollars * Poor wholesale presentation of Rogers’ products * Poor Brand recognition outside of BC Question 5 How would you describe Rogers Chocolates competitive strategy? How is it positioned in the industry? What specific steps has management taken to implement this strategy? Do the companys functional strategies and tactics appear to be consistent with its competitive strategy? Rogers’ Chocolate functional strategies are consistent with their competitive strategy. Of the five generic competitive strategies (overall low-cost provider, broad differentiation, focused low-cost, focused differentiation and best-cost provider) the one that best aligns with Roger’s Chocolate competitive strategy is focused differentiation. A focused differentiation strategy means that the company concentrates on serving a narrow buyer segment or niche market. Roger’s Chocolates targets affluent customers with high disposable incomes specifically baby boomers, established families, middle-aged childless couples and empty nesters. Roger’s Chocolates is positioned in the industry as a manufacturer, distributor and retailer of premium chocolates, its main products being high quality, hand-wrapped chocolates. Specific steps Roger’s Chocolates’ management has taken to implement this focused differentiation strategy included * Setting a high price point for its products * Individually hand wrapping their products to give it an elegant, prestigious and uncommon look. * Targeting cruise ship visitors and tourists, as these people tend to have higher disposable income and fit the target demographic. * Advertising in guide magazines and Enroute magazine Air Canada flights to reach tourists as well as seasonal print, radio and TV advertising. The company’s functional strategies and tactics is consistent with its competitive strategy as demonstrated by the tight control it exerts over its brand image, it refuses to lower is prices to compete as this might cheapen its brand image, it also rejected the idea to franchise because it did not want to lose control over the brand and pricing, its manufacturing facility is labour intensive because the company places value on having hand wrapped chocolates. Question 6 How well is Rogers Chocolates strategy working in terms of the financial performance it is delivering? What is your assessment of its level of profitability, its degree of liquidity, and the extent of its leverage? | | | | 2006| 2005| Profitability Ratios| | | | | Growth Profit Margin| | 54. 56%| 55. 16%| Operating Margin| | | 9. 73%| 12. 68%| Net Profit Margin| | | 7. 52%| 8. 92%| Return on Total Assets| | 10. 62%| 12. 57%| Return on Equity| | | 15. 71%| 22. 36%| | | | | | | Liquidity Ratios| | | | | Current Ratio| | | 136. 66%| 124. 49%| Quick Ratio| | | 46. 12%| 57. 85%| Working Capital| | | 625,109| 569,876| | | | | | | Leverage Ratios| | | | | Debt-to-Assets Ratio| | 32. 43%| 43. 88%| Long-Term Debt-to-Capital Ratio| 15. 21%| 22. 79%| Debt-to-Equity Ratio| | 48. 00%| 78. 18%| Long-Term Debt-to-Equity Ratio| 17. 94%| 29. 51%| Times-Interest-Earned Ratio| | 12. 61| 17. 49| | | | | | | Activity Ratios| | | | | Days of Inventory| | | 104. 64| 105. 24| Inventory Turnover| | | 3. 49| 3. 47| Average Collection Period| | 11. 06| 22. 86| Although Rogers is profitable in 2006, their sales and profit are down slightly from 2005. Gross margin is consistent but all other profitability measures are down. ROE is reduced 6% from 2005. The company’s operating margin is reduced 3%, reducing profitability from operations. The company’s current ratio has increased from 1. 24 to 1. 37, but the quick ratio has decreased. The company increased their ability to pay the current debt. The working capital has also increased, giving the company more funds to purchase equipment and investment. The company is in a very good leverage position. The long-term debt –to capital ratio is 15% in 2006, giving them more capacity to borrow additional funds. All leverage ratios have improved from 2005 except times interest earned. In addition, due to Sam’s Deli $200k increase in salaries and benefits increase, the selling and administrative expense have increased, leaving cash at only $112,185 in 2006. The days of inventory are more than 100 days. Since the company spends a lot of cash on inventory and equipment, so there is a big concern that Rogers may not have enough cash and receivables to pay its payables and long term debt. Question 7 What specific actions should Steve Parkhill undertake to improve Rogers competitiveness in the Canadian Premium Chocolate Industry? How will the culture of the organization impact Parkhills decision? As a relatively new CEO, how would you suggest that Parkhill reconcile the competing growth suggestions championed by various members of the Board of Directors? Place Open a small location in Butchart Gardens to tap into the change in tourist travel patterns. Open franchising location outside of Victoria/Vancouver/BC area if they are profitable given ROI/NPV valuation, provided there is a good franchise agreement that can maintain the image of Rogers Chocolates. Boost efforts in capturing and creating a competitive advantage in the online store and corporate gift markets. Establish wholesale or reseller relationship with American companies, at least in the Seattle area due to its close proximity to BC/Vancouver, which will allow Rogers to better reach the affluent target market in the States. It should extend its wholesale distribution outside of British Columbia, especially to Ontario which is its second largest geographical market. Promotion Provide wholesalers/retailer with more incentives, such as sales promotions, especially in the important seasonal periods to improve the display of in-store Rogers products. Instead of obtaining more stores in the Vancouver or BC area, which is capital intensive, provide greater incentives, such as discounts or sales promotions, for more retail/wholesale channels to offer Rogers products, and to gain more prominent in-store displays to increase sales through the 2010 Olympics. Increase the advertising budget to include other provinces, and more mass marketing. Product Reduce the number of products offered to premium products that only have a history of selling well, and have good growth/profitability potential due to derived demand. Keep the brand identity/integrity, but update and standardize the packaging so that it is more modern, appealing and consistent. Operations Divest the ownership of Sams Deli, and concentrate on selling core products from a smaller retail space within Sams Deli. Rogers should improve production processes, lower labour costs, increase efficiency, lower lead-time and inventory on hand. Most of these can be achieved through computerization (ex. accounting, forecasting, scheduling), normalization of sales history, and better demand forecasts. If it can do this, then initially it does not need to increase capacity. If it cannot, then it should relocate off island where the production facilities are more modern, and transportation is cheaper. Improve the company’s management teams communication and change its silo mentality. The culture of Rogers is very good, and provides a strong resource that cannot be easily copied by competitors. Instead of changing it, the new CEO should communicate and educate the staff and board of directors that the changes implemented will improve the long-term outlook of the Rogers while maintaining its long roots, and keeping its core values and approach to business. Since the majority of the board of directors are owners of the business, and require the CEO to double or triple the business, they have vested interest in the long term outlook of Rogers Chocolates. As such, their concerns and varying strategies can be set aside if he effectively communicates that his chosen strategy, of refocusing on a niche differentiating strategy, will improve profitability and growth.

Impact Of Social Networking Sites On Brand Promotion Marketing Essay

Impact Of Social Networking Sites On Brand Promotion Marketing Essay If considering the example of Skoda, it gives the substantial results for such instance. Skoda has created the community of about 2000 people through social media. This community was started when a female customer has posted its comment about the after sales services of Skoda and a person has picked this comment and posted it on social networking site (Muncaster, 2007). It is not only the corporate biggies who have used social networking sites as a medium to promote their brand but also a phenomena of retailing the designers label to increase the brand awareness among the target customers. Looking at the importance of social networking, this research aims to analyzing the impact of social networking sites on brand promotion. This chapter provides the brief introduction about the research study, including the aims and objectives of the research, significance of the research and rationale behind conducting this research study. Aims and Objectives of the Research: The aim of this research is to analyze the impact of social networking sites on brand promotion. In order to fulfill the aim of the research, researcher has laid down following research objectives which has been achieved in this research as a part of research aim. To understand the importance of social networking websites in branding strategy To determine the advantage of using social media in marketing and branding To understand the current and future scope viability of social media To identify the strategies of companies using social media as a medium for promoting their brand In order to achieve the above research objectives, the research has addressed the following research questions in this study. RQ1: What is the importance of social networking sites in branding and marketing? RQ2: What are the advantages for a marketer in using social media for its marketing and branding strategy? RQ3: What is the current and future scope viability of social media? RQ4: What are the strategies used by companies for using social media in promoting their brands among the target customers? Significance of the Research: This research study is contributing significantly in the studies of marketing and brand management where the researcher has provided some key facts about the current usage of social networking sites in brand promotion and marketing. The research findings will help the marketers to understand the advantage of using social media as a medium for promoting their brands and they can integrate these findings in preparing their brand strategy. In addition to this, the research work provided the base for future academic researchers to conduct the research in the social networking space in relation to the marketing and branding management. Rationale behind the Research: Reason for conducting this research is to get the deeper insight about how the companies are using social networking websites for promoting their brand and in what ways they are making it effective among the target customers. In this way researcher would be able to get greater learning in the field of marketing and brand management and can integrate these findings into its professional career. Chapter Scheme of the Research: It is essential to divide the complete research into sub sections or chapters to get the sequential understanding of every step taken by the research for completing the research. Therefore researcher has segregated the complete research into fiver chapters. First chapter of the research provide the brief introduction about the research. Second chapter provided the literature of the research. Third chapter includes the research methodology. Fourth chapter provided the discussion, analysis and findings of the research. Last and fifth chapter includes the conclusion drawn by the research from the key findings and provided the recommendation to marketers. Summary: There is a latest trend of using social networking sites for brand promotion however the businesses are realizing slowly of using social networking sites for brand promotion. The aim of this research is to analyze the impact of social networking sites on brand promotion. Social network affect the purchase decision making process of consumers which make the difference in the branding and marketing strategies. However social networking websites are useful for the marketers to increase the brand awareness and product awareness. Reason for conducting this research is to get the deeper insight about how the companies are using social networking websites for promoting their brand. This chapter provided the brief introduction of the researcher to the reader. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction: Social networking sites such as Facebook (400 million users worldwide) and Orkut (100 million), or the micro-blogging site Twitter (which crossed 10 billion tweets recently) may offer engaging distractions to the average user. But the numbers add up to a dizzying truth for brands: social networking sites (SNS) and sites like Twitter are prodigiously fertile spaces to harvest ad business. Adgully speaks to Indias leading brand nurturers and digital agencies to understand how they are leveraging the networking revolution. Social Networking soon became a way for brand Marketing and promotion on social sphere, whereby, the enterprises started using these online communities or websites for developing contacts and driving traffic to their respective websites. Today, these social networking websites form the main tool of social media marketing. The most commonly used websites that have become drastically popular over last couple of years are Twitter and Facebook. Following these two are som e other sites such as LinkedIn, My Space, Digg and StumbleUpon (Adler Kwon, 2002).   Facebook is a Social Networking Site which helps friends and colleagues to share dialogues with each other through Wall Posts, Messages and Comments. Today, Facebook has more than 350 million members and still counting. This site experiences more than two million clicks per day. Statistics state that users spend an average of 20 minutes per day in Facebook. The advanced functionalities of Facebook allow the users a longer shelf life. A user can view your files which are more than five years old. With such wonderful features, Facebook soon became one of the lethal tools of SMM and SMO. Businesses, especially small scale business houses started using the medium of Facebook to promote their brands and services. Setting up a business page and initiating and regulating interactions with the visitors are some of the strategies that business houses adhere to, in Facebook (Alba, 2003). 2.2 Popularity of Social Networking Sites in Developing Countries: The online penetration is just 3-4 per cent, and less than 1 per cent of our total population has a Facebook account. And the percentage of people using Twitter is even smaller. Mehra said that despite the percentages, developing countries like India were already the 5th largest consumer of Twitter in the world, owing largely to Bollywoods enthusiasm for it. And we are in the Top 10 list of consumers of Facebook. Rahul Mehta, the business head of Chings Secret, said, There are approximately 5 crore Indians and 1 crore NRIs online. Facebook alone has 1.2 crore Indians and 40 lakh NRIs. Mehta said the RoI on social media was substantially higher than what was offered by traditional media (Albrecht Adelman, 2007). These numbers are comparable to most national newspapers, Mehta said. Facebook is best place to reach Sec A+, A and B+. With internet penetration deepening, the numbers will rise in the next three to four years, he said. Chings Secret has 98,826 (and counting) fans on Faceboo k. Khushboo Maheshwari, the head (digital) of OMD, said, Today, 5% of Indian population has an online presence and it is growing at a rate of 35% CAGR. In other words, 50 million users have a presence on social media. And the numbers were growing, Maheshwari said. With the government planning to spend Rs18,000 crore over the next three years to lay a 5 lakh km optic fibre cable network to reach every gram panchayat, the growth rate is going to touch 100% CAGR, Maheshwari said. Mobile, web, and broadband will be critical to the growth in the coming years, Maheshwari said. Mihir Ferrao, who looks into Social Media Optimization and ORM at Starcom IP feels that Internet in India needs to grow by at least 20 to 25% year on year, to shake off the constant comparisons with TV and Print (Alkire, Collum, Kaswan, Love, 2008). He said, The only reason why we do not get a fare share of advertising budgets is because, next to the reach penetration of TV or Print, we are very small. But if we look at the concentration of brand TGs on TV Internet, then surely the Internet will have higher traction. Sagar Dhoke, the founder of Fun Element said that the e-revolution had helped to bridge the gap between the product and the end consumer, be it for a movie or an FMCG product. As for the group being targeted online by marketers, Ritesh Patel, the brand manager of CEAT, said, Social media has indeed proved to be a very useful medium for a brand like CEAT. He said that CEAT aspired to be a youthful brand and it finds complete match of TG in this medium (Arabie, 2004). 2.3 The Approach: Sandeep Singh, the business head of Quasar, said that promotional activities designed for online platforms could be a campaign lead in which the target audience is engaged for a specific purpose and for a short duration. Or, brands could choose a more strategic and long-term initiative. In a campaign lead, the idea is to use social media platforms to create a buzz and receive feedback from the community represented by the target audience, Singh said. Strategic initiatives involve the management of social presence from brands online-reputation standpoint, and the use of social platforms as a medium of continued dialogue with the prospects and customers. Singh said experience suggested that the one-size-fits-all approach did not work. Every product and campaign needs a different approach and activation strategy, he said (Bainbridge, Brent, Carley, Heise, Macy, Markovsky, Skvoretz, 1994). Maheshwari of OMD described one of the agencys typical media activities. Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited has been quite active on the social media, Maheshwari said. We have uploaded Wealth Creation Study (WCS) Videos on You Tube and also created a Linked In event page for the WCS awards ceremony. Besides, we also have a scribed page where we have uploaded different annual WC Studies. The creation of Wikipedia pages on the Motilal Oswal Group, on Motilal Oswal and Raamdeo Agrawal had been completed, Maheshwari said. As a result of these activities, seven out of 10 results on Google are owned and controlled by Brand Motilal Oswal for the search Wealth Creation Study, Maheshwari said (Baker Hubert, 2001). Zapak has carried out several similar campaigns; Axe, Ponds, and Mahindra campaigns which used a mix of available options are among the most successful Zapak works. Mehra listed the focus areas: Fan pages and groups, gaming and other fun applications on platforms like Orkut and Facebook, an active handle on Twitter. Mehra said it was essential to link the APIs (application programming interface) like OpenID and Facebook Connect to ones site to promote easy communication and conversations (Barabasi, 2002). Chings Secret advertises regularly on Facebook and YouTube, the brands Mehta said. But a lot of traffic has been generated virally because of the content, quizzes, contests on Facebook. He said that in the end, social media was a long-term strategic investment. It is not brand building but genuine relationship creation and maintenance, he said. And like any relationship, it takes time to build. Describing the two aspects of promotion social applications and paid advertising -they use both options equally well. For Emotional Attyachar, social advertising was placed on Facebook and other sites. And we also released an application on Facebook, Mistry said. Applications turn on engagement to high levels, users get to communicate with the brand, and they understand the values of the shows. On the other hand, advertising draws people who are unexposed to the brand. So the two options serve different purposes and we use as much of both as they can (Barnlund Harland, 2005). Patel of CEAT said that any one people-engagement tactic would not work in isolation. If they create a fantastic social application and do not promote it, it will die a natural death owing to the lack of critical mass required to give it a viral effect. Similarly, only paid advertising will fail to generate brand interaction with consumers which is the essence of social media. Such a tactic would evoke the fee ling of a one-night stand and customer would probably not engage with the brand in question in the future. Starcom IPs Ferrao, also said that lots of their clients are slowly waking up to the fact that social media is a growing phenomena in India. Some of their clients whom they have brought onto the social space are Himalaya Herbal Tea and Foster, while they are enhancing the social presence of brands like Tata Teleservices and Pantaloons. The results they have got, in terms of fans on Facebook and followers on Twitter etc. have given the client reasons to be excited. And has initiated thoughts of how do they leverage these groups further (Bernard Killworth, 2003). 2.4 Pros and Cons: Every platform has certain advantages and disadvantages, so its a question any longer of them wanting to be on it or not. The advantages are varied: right from being able to monetize certain things to being able to put your content out there; to getting feedback from users. In the past, people could not connect to a brand on a one-on-one basis, but social media allowed that to happen. Most brands feel that going to SNS will put their brands up for public scrutiny, which is considered a disadvantage. But it is considering that to be an advantage because it gives them a good reality check to improve your product or service. But on this channel, Singh warned, one wrong step could snowball into something highly detrimental to ones brand, in matter of minutes. So they should learn to do it well than not doing it at all, as you cant run away from such platforms if their consumers are flocking them (Bonacich, 2002). They will have to embrace them today or tomorrow. SNS can definitely contri bute to making or breaking the brand image. Brands should be very cautious in venturing into SNS. While developing games for the brands, Dhoke suggests subtle branding techniques to his clients. Constant hammering of the product is a complete turn-off to the player and user, he said. Same applies to social applications and games. The app should highlight the main features of the app in a very exciting way rather than in the brochure style. Maheshwari endorsed Dhokes assertion about treading carefully. Yes, a single bad comment or rumor can severely damage the reputation that a brand like MOFSL has taken great pains to establish over the years, Maheshwari said. Also since SNS connect users from different parts of the world, it takes little to no time for bad news to spread. Patel strongly believes that a consumers negative feedback could be used to create customer delight. Today, more and more brands are engaging directly with consumers through various discussion forums, networking sites and forums to understand their expectations (Borgatti Everett, 1999) Ferrao of Starcom IP sees the clear advantage of social networking sites in the entire brand experience which one can bring to the consumer. He said, With Facebook and Twitter, you can communicate so many brand properties to those people who want to listen! he believes that by doing so, you know the effort is not going to waste and that your initiatives could actually lead to sales (Burt, 2008). 2.5 The Future: Patel also highlighted the fact that only a select age group was active in social media. While Youngistan is spending more time online, the older age group is not very active yet. Also, online options are more popular in metro and tier-II cities. Internet penetration is still an issue in rural India. But Dhoke sees things differently. Things will change in the next five to six years. When 3G is operational, the number of internet users will grow by about 25-35%. It is estimated that by 2013, India will have the third largest Internet user base. Singh goes a step further and says that as in the West, the audience is now online. When you refer to the audience, these are the guys with high disposable incomes and spending power. These guys are online for sure. And most brands are eying their wallets. If you talk about numbers, we still have some way to go to before the medium reaches the masses. The Indian audience was enjoying the internet and its offerings. Gaming is an offering that h as now become a passion among the youth (Carley Krackhardt, 1996). The online gaming industry is growing and how! Year-on-year, they are recording a rise in the number of gamers in the country. Zapak, which was started just three years ago, already had 7 million unique registered users, and continues to grow. Soon, there will be a day when the online Indian farmers on Farmville will outnumber all the real farmers of our country put together. Other than Twitter and Facebook, there are couples of other websites that have gained immense popularity. LinkdIn is a professional social media website where a stream of professional gets the chance to review and interact with their counterparts. With more than 50 lacs people registered with this site, LinkedIn offers a solid platform for establishing new business relationships. LinkdIn by facilitating more of a personal communication between the business professionals can help the business as a whole. MySpace also have a massive impact in the social networking world. Once registered with MySpace, a user can not only inform the entire networking circle about their likes and dislikes but can also submit videos. A lot of personal stuffs can also be added to the site, and an active mode of communication can be initiated. MySpace also helps in Social Media Marketing by enabling the businesses to create their own profile page and communities and develop interactive dialogues with targeted mass of people. This enables in building brand awareness and can be of immense help to small business houses. Social media and networking Sites have not only contributed to take inter-personal communication to a different level, but also have been a great marketing tool for the small businesses. Well planned approach to social media marketing via social networking sites can be of great help in promoting the business, create proper brand awareness and in the end, meet the ultimate business ends. A business house must have proper expertise and planning to approach in the network so as to reap the fruits of benefits to the very best (Cartwright Harary, 2007). 2.6 Spreading brand awareness: We all know word-of-mouth propagation is a great way of spreading your brand awareness. This is what social network can do. As soon as brand becomes recognizable to a large number of customers, they start discussion about the product. Maximum people who are satisfied with the product they often post their comments through these social networking, which encourage other customer to buy the product. Big companies create a blog in relation with the social network to give customer a wide area to discuss about product and give reviews. This way social network spread your brand awareness to millions of customer online (Cohen Prusak, 2001). 2.7 Engage customer interest: A social media website is ideally suited for product discussions, demonstrations, and showcasing of expertise and quality. Businesses can engage the interest of customers from a global market and build a powerful brand image. People will become fans of your website, product or business because they choose to; Make them feel comfortable with this decision by posting quality information. Talking about online business, social networking is a great opportunity to keep your site busy by attracting potential customer with well developed networking strategies. Organizations are already making use of new and creative way to utilize the massive popularity of various social media to promote their particular product. The additional benefit is the long-term impact on business revenue through brand management. Social media websites are just right for business marketers to spot potential customers (Eveland Bikson, 2007). But in order to get benefit from social networking, business owner should study to handle their social networking assets carefully. Most famous social networking sites like facebook, twitter and my space are the great for carrying your message to abroad. But new businesses must always remember that benefits from social networking solely include arduous work (Crane, 2009). 2.8 Summary: A social network is a social structure made up of individuals or organizations called nodes, which are connected by one or more specific types of mutuality, such as friendship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige. It was initially intended to make friendship and stay connected with colleagues, but now days every businessman would have known how important social networking is for their business. Mainly online business has made social networking a priority as well. Premier Websites have made it possible for businesses to develop their contact lists, handle their relationships and created the ideas of viral marketing. It is because Shopping and social networking Web sites gather a lot of information about online users, and has become tremendously useful for companies to track and model consumer behavior. Businesses are looking to companies like Twitter, MySpace and Facebook to help companies to sell more products and services. Let s see how it makes an impact on your business in reality (Fararo Skvoretz, 2004). Chapter 3: Research Methodology Introduction: A research methodology enables the researcher to get the right direction in achieving the research aim and objectives. Therefore it is important for the researcher to understand the different research methods available and making the right selection of the appropriate research component to design the complete research methodology. This chapter provides the detailed explanation of the research methodology that has been used by the researcher for this particular research. The aim of this research is to analyze the impact of social networking website on brand promotion which requires a robust research methodology. Research Methodology: Before moving further, a research first needs to understand the difference between exploratory and explanatory research and make the appropriate selection between them. Exploratory research is useful where the research wants to conclude the research through in-depth and detailed discussion about the research objectives and findings of the research. On the other hand explanatory research is useful where the researcher conclude the research based on the key facts and using statistical measures without having in-depth discussions. Here the research wants to conduct the analyses to understand the impact of social networking websites on brand promotion therefore it requires statistical measures to conduct the impact analyses. Hence researcher has used explanatory research in this study. Research Design: There are the various authors who have provided the approach to design the suitable research methodology. However the most relevant research methodology design is given by Saunders et al (2003) by developing the research onion. Each layer of this research onion provided the research component and selecting the research components gives the complete design of the research. Research has used the research onion developed by Saunders et al (2003) for designing the research methodology. Description of selecting the research components by using research onion is provided in the following section. Research Approach: Research approach is chosen from the first layer of the research onion. A research can go for deductive, abductive or inductive research approach. In this research, researcher has used abductive research approach which enables the researcher to get the deeper understanding of research objective and need of correlating the literature with key findings of the research. Other research approaches such as inductive and deductive approach has been rejected by the research since both the approaches more focused towards the theoretical implications and less towards the practical implication of the research. Research Philosophy: Research can select the research philosophy by removing the second layer of the research onion. There are the two research philosophies such as positivism and interpretivism research philosophy. Interpretivism research philosophy is useful where the researcher interpret the study results using literature and less focused towards the practical implications of the research study. Since the research approach used by the researcher is abductive which requires the practical implication hence interpretivism research philosophy is irrelevant. In positivism research philosophy researcher only considers the practical implication along with the use of literature to be linked with research findings. Hence in this research, researcher has used the positivism research philosophy. Research Strategy: Research strategy can be chosen by removing third layer of the research onion. Research strategy enables the researcher to conduct the analysis and presenting the key findings of the research. In addition to this research decides on methods of data collection. A research can use survey questionnaire methods or face to face interview method to collect the data. It is essential to capture the views of marketing managers about the impact of social networking websites in brand promotion. Hence the research has used survey questionnaire method for collecting the data. Once the data is collected, a researcher needs to understand the way of conducting the analysis and presenting the data. In this research, research has used question by question analysis and drawn the conclusion. Research has used both the secondary and primary data in this research and method for each of type of data is described below: Data Collection Methodology: Secondary data is the data which is already existed in the published format. On the other hand primary data is the data which is not available and researcher collect the information using questionnaire method from the relevant respondents. In this study, researcher has collected both the secondary and primary data. The methodology description of collecting each type of data is provided below: Secondary Data: Secondary data in this research has been collected using various secondary sources such as academic journals which have been procured from the university library, books, news articles, web articles, company websites and general internet search. Secondary has been used to compile the literature in this research. Primary Data: In order to capture the view points of marketing managers towards the impact of social networking websites, the data has been collected using primary research. In primary research, researcher has prepared the quantitative questionnaire and administered the questionnaire using email. Others details of primary research is provided below. Target Respondents: Target respondents were marketing managers who must have knowledge about the social networking concepts and websites and responsible for preparing branding strategy for their companies. Sample Size: A total of 200 questionnaires were sent to the target respondents out of which 59 responses were received by the researcher. Therefore the total sample size of this study is 59. Sampling Methodology: Convenient sampling methodology has been used by the researcher for designing the samples in this study. In this research, the researcher already known to the screening and qualification criteria of the target respondents therefore the convenient sampling methodology is useful for this research study. Data Analysis: A researcher has used excel tool for analyzing the data. Each questionnaire responses are filled in Excel and developed a final data file. Researcher has used some basic statistical measures to analyze the data and key findings of the research has been presented using charts and graphs which have been prepared using Excel. Ethical Consideration Research Limitations: There are certain ethical issues that have been taken into consideration by the researcher. Researcher has followed the market research guidelines to meet the ethical challenges in this research such as disclosing the respondents names contact information as per the respondents consent, acknowledging the information sources, use of authenticated data sources and websites and meeting the university guidelines to avoid plagiarism. Some limitations faced by the researcher are access to the company information, coverage of sample size and reach out to the target respondents.

Terrorism and Technology :: September 11 Essays 9/11

Terrorism and Technology It wasn’t until the morning of September 11th that America began to question just how safe we really are. As the world watched the devastation on the news, everyone was looking for comfort. However, often times when something as horrific as this happens, the ones you look to for comfort are looking back at you for comfort. Many people found what piece of mind they could, through technology during this horrible time. The September 11th terrorist attacks have had both positive and negative impacts on the use of computers and technology. It is hard for many to believe that good things can come from bad situations. In this case it took a terrorist attack to make us realize that there is room for improvement in the quality of our technology that we rely so much on today. On September 11, 2001 so many people tried to log onto the internet to get information about the terrorist attacks, that there was a huge jam. No one could get online. Modern technology, televisions, radios and scanners rescued our curious minds. Most everyone found himself or herself glued to the television, watching the gruesome scenes over and over again, after the computers had failed us. Computers were not the only devices that let us down on that tragic day. In New York cell phone connections even went out. Too many people were trying to use their cell phones at once, that there was an overload, making it extremely difficult for anyone to get through the lines. Another technological advance that we entrust our safety to, that failed us was airport security system. Those men managed to get past out high tech security systems and onto those planes. Thousands of innocent people lost their lives because some men out smarted out fool proof system. The creators of airport security must have been unfamiliar with the saying, "where there’s a will, there’s a way". No one wants to admit to himself or herself, or anyone else for that matter, that sick people who thrive on pain and suffering, really do exist. Because airport security creators didn’t think about this fact, or they thought about it and chose to ignore it, innocent people lost their lives. This horrible act of terrorism has opened the doors to many necessary changes. Terrorism and Technology :: September 11 Essays 9/11 Terrorism and Technology It wasn’t until the morning of September 11th that America began to question just how safe we really are. As the world watched the devastation on the news, everyone was looking for comfort. However, often times when something as horrific as this happens, the ones you look to for comfort are looking back at you for comfort. Many people found what piece of mind they could, through technology during this horrible time. The September 11th terrorist attacks have had both positive and negative impacts on the use of computers and technology. It is hard for many to believe that good things can come from bad situations. In this case it took a terrorist attack to make us realize that there is room for improvement in the quality of our technology that we rely so much on today. On September 11, 2001 so many people tried to log onto the internet to get information about the terrorist attacks, that there was a huge jam. No one could get online. Modern technology, televisions, radios and scanners rescued our curious minds. Most everyone found himself or herself glued to the television, watching the gruesome scenes over and over again, after the computers had failed us. Computers were not the only devices that let us down on that tragic day. In New York cell phone connections even went out. Too many people were trying to use their cell phones at once, that there was an overload, making it extremely difficult for anyone to get through the lines. Another technological advance that we entrust our safety to, that failed us was airport security system. Those men managed to get past out high tech security systems and onto those planes. Thousands of innocent people lost their lives because some men out smarted out fool proof system. The creators of airport security must have been unfamiliar with the saying, "where there’s a will, there’s a way". No one wants to admit to himself or herself, or anyone else for that matter, that sick people who thrive on pain and suffering, really do exist. Because airport security creators didn’t think about this fact, or they thought about it and chose to ignore it, innocent people lost their lives. This horrible act of terrorism has opened the doors to many necessary changes.

The Importance of Birth Control :: Contraceptives, Birth Control Essays

We have all heard sad stories of unwanted teenage pregnancies. There are the girls who drop out of school to care for babies they did not really want, having to work to support their unexpected new "families." There are the guys who marry before they are ready and perhaps to wives they would not otherwise have married-so often these marriages end in divorce. Most tragic of all, though, are the children who grow up knowing that they were not wanted in the first place, knowing that they were more a burden to their parents than a joy even before they were born. Clearly, we as a society need to get a grip on this problem of teenage pregnancy, and the obvious solution is to encourage teens to be responsible and practice birth control. But we face so many choices in deciding which type of birth control to use. Condoms? IUDs? Diaphragms? DepoProvera injections? "The Pill"? Abortion? Abstinence? Which method of birth control is the most practical and the most likely to provide a legitimate s olution to the problem of teenage pregnancy?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Far and away the most common method of birth control today is the birth control pill. The pill is relatively easy to obtain through Planned Parenthood clinics, the price is not unreasonable, and the pill has an excellent record of success in pregnancy prevention. However, the pill places all the burden of birth control on women, and although it is usually the women who have the most to lose in unwanted pregnancy, shouldn't [GR#1] men take some of the responsibility for birth control, too? Plus, the pill is something that users must remember to take every day, even if they do not engage in sex for months or years. The pill may have the added advantages of making menstrual cycles more regular, and decreasing the sometimes painful intensity of a woman's periods, but as far as being purely a method of birth control, the pill has drawbacks, too. Besides being something that the user must remember to take each and every day regardless of the frequency of sexual activity, being on the pill involves visits to the doctor's office or to Planned Parenthood with annual or even more frequent exams and tests that may be unpleasant and cost more money.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diaphragms? IUDs? DepoProvera Injections? These methods, too, place all the burden of birth control on the woman.

McCloskey in his article claims

Atheism is a belief that has entered the mind of man prior to the advent of scientific revolution. This ideology is not an original one and has its roots even during the time of the kings and prophets in the Old Testament. The Bible records their existence in one of its verses â€Å"The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God†[1].They have been a minority in the past but as man’s ability to invent and create progressed so does his self ego and pride expanded. More and more people are now embracing the belief that there is no God and the belief in an all powerful being is simply unreliable because there are no strong proofs that can prove its validity.[2]Some of the countries which receive a high rate of atheism include first world countries like Japan, Denmark, Norway, Finland, France, Germany and Sweden which topped the list.[3] It has indeed received prominence in the world and it is attracting more supporters through the series of counterarguments it throws to t heism.McCloskey in his article claims that proofs or arguments which theists provide to support their belief â€Å"have no weight†.[4] He speaks of this primarily in relation to the ontological argument, the argument which attempts to show that the very concept of God implies his reality.[5] McCloskey believes that there is no point in debating on this particular proof because it has no bearing but the ontological argument serves as the very foundation for other arguments which supports and defends God’s existence.If not for the purpose of proving His existence, the ontological argument is still necessary because it distinguishes the characteristics of God whom we are defending. The first rule of philosophical discourse is clarity and since God is the main topic, there is no way in which we should avoid discussing the ontological argument. Actually, McCloskey’s failure to analyze the ontological argument is one of the reasons why he failed to understand the thei sts’ arguments.The diversity of religious beliefs scattered in the world is not aiding the theistic endeavor. It has further complicated the defenses used by theists all over the world. Fortunately, Evans clarified some misconceptions about the characteristics of God in his article.For one, atheists refute the belief of an all powerful being because it will result to absurdity. According to them such a being should be able to create an object that is both a circle and a box or if not create a boulder so heavy that he himself cannot carry. But such a rebuttal should not be considered as worthy to be accepted. It is only a mockery.Atheists fail to remember that the God who is being supported by the cosmological, teleological and moral argument is a God of reason.   He is indeed all powerful but the phrase â€Å"all powerful† is not to be equated to human vocabulary as being absolute. It is only used to elaborate on the fact that compared to man his power is unimaginabl e. He is not bound or limited by anything in this world.He is not governed by the systems of the world rather he governs it. Whatever we do will not diminish nor lessen his godliness. He is the only thing that is constant in this world and will not undergo any change. He is self-existent and will remain that way forever.Further clarification of the nature of God will lead us to the Cosmological Argument. The cosmological argument states that God’s existence is inferred through the existence of the cosmos or the universe.[6] According to McCloskey, â€Å"the mere existence of the world constitutes no reason for believing in such a being (omnipotent)†.[7]He argues that the most we can accept is that the cause, which is the first cause or God, is powerful enough to create the universe.   But this position is in no way contradicting the belief that a being which is powerful enough did began the series of events which triggered the composition of the universe.It perfectly meets the demand of the temporal argument which only assumes that the universe had a first moment of existence. I have earlier stated that the phrase â€Å"all powerful† should not be misinterpreted because it is only used figuratively to describe God. How can you further address someone that is able to trigger the formation of galaxies? Will the word â€Å"powerful† or â€Å"very powerful† be sufficient ?For the sake of emphasizing his greatness we use the term â€Å"all powerful† because no man can ever do the things that he have done. It is unimaginable for man to even produce a single strand of hair from nothing. Yes, scientists have managed to clone plants, animals and humans but he is only capable of doing such if he has a specimen. He starts from something and makes it more complex but creation is not done in that process. It is from nothing to something.[1] â€Å"Psalm 14:1†, The Holy Bible.com, accessed on 13 May 2010. [2]   Martin, Mic hel, â€Å"Report: Atheism on the Rise in U.S.†, 2009, NPR.org, accessed on 13 May 2010 from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111885128 [3] Zuckerman, Phil. â€Å"Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns†, chapter in The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, ed. by Michael Martin, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK (2005). [4] McCloskey, H.J. â€Å"On Being an Atheist†, p. 50 [5] Evans, Stephems â€Å"Classical Arguments for Gos’s Existence†, p. 63 [6] ibid., p. 67 [7] opcit, McCloskey, p. 51