Ethical Advertisement Essay

Much of the controversy over advertising stems from the ways many companies use it as a selling tool and from its impact on society’s tastes, values, and lifestyles. In the ads where sexual stereotyping is used, there is a relationship between the recall of the ad and the consumer’s subsequent purchasing decision. Similar relationships are also evident in ads that use cultural stereotyping and emotional exploitation. Consumers also tend to remember the ad and get motivated to purchase products/services when they feel that the information in the ad is truthful and not deceptive. The six most important ethical issues in advertisements are as follows: 1) Advertisements targeting Vulnerable Groups 2) Cultural issues in advertisements 3) Comparative and Competitive Advertisement 4) Subliminal advertisements 5) Use of deception in advertisements 6) Advertisements of Controversial Products Advertisements targeting Vulnerable Groups Companies are targeting children in their advertisements irrespective of the negative impact and affect on their personality. While advertising several elements regarding ethics are not considered, and in this report we will focus on few of those issues. Adults are also targeted by the companies. Later in this report it will be discussed how companies build perceptions and image of different cultures in minds of young generation. How the youth is being affected by the companies’ unethical practices? Advertisement regarding Culture The importance of recognizing human differences such as age, gender, and ethnicity do exist and can significantly impact a practitioner’s work. Advertisers are manipulating the cultural ethnicity and are trying to build their own culture. However their practice is considerably raising the cultural issues in different and diversified geographical areas around the globe. Comparative and Competitive Advertisement Comparative advertising is an advertisement in which a particular product, or service, specifically mentions a competitor by name for the express purpose of showing why the competitor is inferior to the product naming it, where as Competitive advertisement points out features of a brand which may not be available in other brands, but does not directly name a competitor. Subliminal Advertisement A subliminal message is a signal or message embedded in another medium, designed to pass below the normal limits of the human mind’s perception. The use of subliminal messages in advertisement is called subliminal advertisement. Deception in Advertisements The miss-presentation or omission of the product’s features in the ads is a routine practice of companies to deceive consumers. Misleading messages or images are just lies and unfair. The aim of this type of advertisements is just to deceive the consumer. Ethics have some power in deceptive and misleading advertising. Later in this report various ways of deception will be discussed to clarify the unethical practices. Advertisements of Controversial Products The advertisements of controversial products were once not acceptable but now marketers are showing the advertisement of these products frequently because of which consumers are getting immune to the advertisements of such products. Later in this report we will discuss what kind of unethical practices marketers are using in the advertisements of such products. Companies design the advertisement of their products in such a way that even if a person has no need for the product will buy it. Companies take â€Å"Persuasive advantage† of vulnerable groups such as Children, the elderly, and people in developing countries etc. to sell their products. Children Ads for kids serve as training for consumer culture; hence, their role in culture formation and socialization should not be underestimated. The impact of advertisement on their behaviors and attitudes is highly affective. As children are the emerging seeds of any civilization hence it should be seriously considered that they are exposed to what kind of ethics. Things which they learn in their early stages of life are reflected in their later life stage. Following topics will further elaborate this concept. Children’s Exposure to Advertisement Commercials are highly effective in presenting the formal features of products, to attract children’s attention, such as unique sound effects and auditory changes, rapidly moving images, and audiovisual gimmicks and special effects. The most common persuasive strategy employed in advertising to children is to associate the product with fun and happiness, rather than to provide any factual product-related information. For example, a commercial featuring Ronald McDonald dancing, singing, and smiling in McDonald’s restaurants without any mention of the actual food products nutrition available, reflects a fun/happiness theme. Effects of Food Advertisement on children It is evident from the available sources that children are highly influenced by the food advertisement and that they are highly important for the marketers to be targeted. Unhealthy Eating Habits It is found that kids are attracted by entertaining products that’s why companies are showing them the enjoyable advertisements instead of focusing on the nutrition of the products. As done by McDonald which shows entertaining toys provided with the package of burger, in this way, children start buying burgers without considering the amount of calories and other nutritious in those eatables. This practice has lead to the obesity of children specifically in United States of America. The children are shown those eatables which are unhealthy for them but still they enjoy purchasing them and they force their parents to make those eatables available for them. Cause of Obesity Currently 15% of US youth are overweight, a prevalence nearly twice as high in children and three times as high in adolescents compared to 1980 prevalence rates. Almost two-thirds (60%) of overweight children have at least one cardiovascular risk factor (e.g., hypertension, hyperlipidemia) and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing in youth.

Dance Choreography

RESEARCH PROJECT SUBJECT TITLE: Choreography TOPIC: Choreograph two dances in the school musical, High School Musical ASSESSMENT TYPE 1: FOLIO PROPOSAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT Weeks 1-4: (Background Research) †¢ Plan for the year. Background research – history of choreography †¢ Send letter to Kenny Ortega and Mia Michaels in America †¢ Analyse DVDs of musicals, Grease, High School Musical, Centre Stage, Bring It On Fringe and Festival Performances †¢ Research copyright laws and copying exact moves from the movie Weeks 4-10 (the audition process) †¢ Send email to VN about auditioning techniques Interview ET, ST, AP about auditioning experiences †¢ Interview BS about how she selects dancers for musicals she choreographs †¢ Choreograph audition dance and get feedback †¢ Interview MB about what inspires her choreography Weeks 10-11 †¢ Teach audition piece and select dancers †¢ Weeks 12-14†¢ Research famous choreographers and how people learn Weeks 11-14 †¢ Choreograph dances to teach at the musical camp †¢ Attend camp and teach dances and rehearse them Weeks 15-20 †¢ Continue rehearsals and polishing performances †¢ Discuss my ideas for costumes for the dancers School Musical Performance BACK GROUND RESEARCH ABOUT CHOREOGRAPHY AND CHOREOGRAPHERS (and my annotations in blue) Kevin O'Day: starting at the top – choreographer and dancer Kevin O'Day, the redheaded dancer so familiar to us from his distinguished tenure with the company of Twyla Tharp (he toiled there eight long years), his duties as soloist with American Ballet Theatre, and his current membership in Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project, has made a bravura leap into the tenuous, difficult world of choreography and emerged a winner. makes me realise that choreography isn’t easy, and not everyone succeeds, not even experienced dancers) With astonishing aplomb, O'Day, at thirty-two, seems to have sprung ful l-grown into the arena of making dances, forging a vocabulary that while tinged with influences nevertheless shapes movements and phrases at once formal, musical, inventive, and genuinely felt. realise my choreography will probably show influences from teachers I have had) That his choreographic gifts should have made themselves evident within the span of less than a year, and through only two brief works, each under a distinguished aegis, is a tribute to his finely honed dance sensibilities and to the eyes and minds of his champions, Baryshnikov and Peter Martins.Indeed, so strong was their belief in O'Day's talent and so positive was the audience and critical response to these fledgling works that both directors instantly commissioned new works for their respective companies. (shows that if people believe in you and guide and support you the choreography can become amazing. Also if something is so spectacular your work can get noticed and take you far) On February 9. O'Day's secon d work for New York City Ballet (still untitled at press time) will be premiered.It is set to a score by the young English composer Graham Fitkin. Last December in Tokyo, White Oak unveiled O'Day's The Good Army, to music of John Lurie of the Lounge Lizards, with Baryshnikov as one of its dancers. This uncommon whirlwind of choreographic success (success is hard and uncommon! ) all began in March 1994, when the White Oak Dance Project gave its first New York season at the New York State Theater. There was no question that O'Day's first ballet. entitled Quartet for IV (and sometimes one, two or three †¦ , was the unqualified hit of the company's first New York appearance.While several pleasures were garnered from Baryshnikov's small troupe, not the least being his own masterly and immaculate performances, the company's repertoire was short on originality or genuine interest. When O'Day's moment came, audiences responded with an immediacy that indicated the relief they felt at fi nally encountering a work that, in its exuberance and emotional focus, proved as intellectually engaging as it was entertaining. This para shows that if something isn’t original or interesting the audience just doesn’t respond, but when something amazing is seen before them they react and now are much more engaged) A few critics carped at what they considered O'Day's glaring Tharpisms, such as his noodling with her polycoordinations and her odd manipulations of phrasing. But some, notably Arlene Croce in the New Yorker, found this choreographic debut remarkable and worthy of attention. (His debut shows that even your first show can be great.Gives me hope) When only a few weeks later O'Day presented his second ballet, Viola Alone (With One Exception), set to Hindemith, created at the invitation of Martins for New York City Ballet's prestigious Diamond Project II, the rarity of O'Day's gifts became even more evident. Here was a work of very particular craft and content. (Not all dancers can choreograph) Dance Magazine senior editor Tobi Tobias, writing about the Diamond Project premieres in New York magazine, stated, â€Å"O'Day's ballet, the most vivid and engaging of the seven [seen], shows him attempting to steer clear of the Twyla Tharpisms that are his heritage. (still need to be individuals and break free from your influences)Then, describing the flow and structure of the ballet, Tobias concludes, â€Å"At the end, [Alexander] Ritter gestures toward the onstage violist, as if to say, `The carefree days of my life–gone now–lie in this music,' but sentiment is so ruthlessly excluded from the earlier proceedings that the chief elements of the piece remain lusty energy and bold motion, deftly marshaled. On speaking with O'Day, one learns that the act of choreographing has long been part of his life as a dancer, a by-product of observation and, of course, desire: â€Å"I had always worked in studios on my own whenever I could,â₠¬ . he says. I'd get a video camera, set it up, and I'd dance around. I was collecting material. (I will be doing this this year – e. g. experimental research) â€Å"I learned from Twyla Tharp that if you're going to choreograph, you had to go into the studio by yourself and spend time working. You just had to work and work and work.And you had to work on your own way before working with a group of people or even just two people. The point is, you had to have an understanding of what you want from dancers before you start working with them. You can't just snatch things out of the air. (This is excellent advice – working by yourself before working with the class so you can perfect the piece. It takes a lot of time and lots of practice but this way you know how it looks and what to expect from the dancers) â€Å"The influence of Twyla helps me when I'm in the studio alone.You see, Twyla has a lot of ways of putting movements through a road test. She'll improvise, make a phrase, then turn it into something very solid. She would also change the music. Within the span of an hour she might change the music four or five times. So, she makes a body of material, and that's been her greatest influence on me: how to put together a body of material. â€Å"(a lot of trial and error will be involved, so must allow time to experiment) Thus, explains O'Day, he, like Tharp, will try things on is own body, sometimes to different music, and create a patchwork that may ultimately be used in a work: â€Å"The more I try this, with different textures, different music, different road tests, different qualities of doing a movement, to see how far a movement can be stretched or shrunk. All these things serve to build a body of material, which might then go into forming a piece. † Dance Magazine, Feb, 1995 by John Gruen http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1083/is_n2_v69/ai_16686035/ NIGEL LITHGOW’s line – â€Å"if the choreography is simplist ic it is up to the performer to bring the routine to life. (So You Think You Can Dance) Will really apply to me as most of the students I will be working with don’t have much experience –so will have to have simple steps. This means that I will have to enforce that dancers have to be so energetic to really bring the moves to life. This shows that my choreography, although very important, isn’t everything. There’s a big responsibility on the dancers to bring the dances to life. I will share the quote with the group when it’s looking dull so they can bring it to life.My views on RESEARCH ON HOW TO TEACH: from article in SACE STAGE 2 Physical Education Workbook, Different methodologies (ways to teach or coach) Visual Demonstrations –this is the most effective way of teaching dance. This is the main method I have used so far and it’s the method I will continue to use the majority of the production. This won’t have to be done as muc h once the dance is learnt as the students have to know how to do it without me because I will not always be standing at the front. This method is so useful for them to get a picture of the dance in their head and how to do it correctly.Usually when we start a rehearsal and before I begin to teach a new dance I sit everyone down and stand out the front and do the dance properly so they know what the dance is meant to look like. Then I break down each move, visually showing the cast each step. This would best suit visual learners. Audible Cues – when I am teaching a dance from the beginning this method will only be used in conjunction with the visual demonstrations. Just verbally telling them how to do the dance won’t work. This will be used also when they are doing the dance and I can call out the counts or â€Å"Arms straight! , â€Å"Point your toes† etc. When I am instructing, have to ensure that instructions are short and simple so I don’t confuse/ov erload the learner and once they know the moves the instructions can get more complex. This obviously suits a verbal learner who understands best through written and spoken words. Manipulation – haven’t used this methodology so far, but from past experience in dancing I know it’s very effective. I believe it’s more useful for beginners or those who struggle with dancing. Basically I have to physically put the person’s body/arms/legs through the correct range of motion.Obviously there is a slight ethical concern here, I have to ensure I don’t touch someone in the wrong way. But I think I will start using this more especially with arm movements as they can be quite tricky and visually and verbally showing them how to do it doesn’t always work, Reflections about article Tips for Teaching – Seven Principles of Good Practice http://honolulu. hawaii. edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip. htm#techniques Use time well – very important – time is everything, to get production ready on time.Have to keep reminding cast and they have to help. I have to completely plan rehearsals and set realistic goals. Communicate high expectations – â€Å"Expect more and you will get more†. – reflects my way of teaching. I have such high expectations of this musical and have a vision of how good it will look. Expecting the cast to perform well is a bonus for me as I will put in the effort to ensure it reaches this standard. Respect diverse talents and ways of learning – have to ensure all dancers have opportunity to learn in ways that work for them.Seize the moment – if people come and ask for clarification – even though I might not have time to help them, I should as they are probably ready to learn at that moment. Involve the student in planning – this could help if I’m stuck for ideas giving the groups challenges to come up with choreogra phy. There is some student involvement in the freestyle parts where students get the chance to be creative and do their own thing. Move from simple to complex- I can use this principle in my teaching for sure – If I teach complex choreography to begin with and then assess everyone’s progress who finds it easy and who finds it difficult.Then if everyone gets it and it looks too simple I can make it more difficult. TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH ST (actor, singer, dancer) + My Reflections (in blue) a) What do you think works well in auditions as a performer? Having confidence is the key to success. Believing in yourself. Forgetting a move – just keep going I will have to reinforce these points to all the cast. They should be confident and believe in themselves and remind them to keep going even if they make mistakes. b) How does a dance audition usually run?Get there and register (giving name, age, details experience). This is a good suggestion; however, using numbers c ould be a bit intimidating for our students. We would get them to fill out their details of experience etc You then sit in a waiting room – most people warm up here. If it is an audition with a prepared dance you practice it. We’d give them time to warm up, but not in another room Usually there would be 2 sessions with 40 dancers. You get called and line up and learn the dance in rows of four. First four would do the dance and then go to the back of the line.Because of the time constraints we’d only have one session but I like the idea of doing it in rows and them moving to the back of the line There isn’t usually a set warm up- done by the performers while they are waiting. I’m considering doing a set warm up – only because a lot of the performers are inexperienced and would not know what stretches to do. c) What auditions have you been successful in and why is that? Is it because of the way the auditions were run? It is mainly the audition s which make you feel really comfortable.You are already nervous enough as it is and the places that make you feel safe and secure make you perform better. The environment makes big difference, for example you would be feeling scared auditioning in a spooky house so rooms with warm nice colours give it a good feeling. I will make an effort to be really friendly, welcoming and kind to make the students feel comfortable. A lot of them would never have danced before and I wouldn’t want them to feel scared and not come back. In no way would I get angry, frustrated or grumpy if they’re not being cooperative. I’ll be the nicest person I can try to be. ) Are the dances usually hard so the good people excel or easy so everyone has the opportunity to shine rather than focus on the moves? Usually you would learn a dance that is either going to be in the show or a similar style to what is going to be in it. At first I wanted to do a different dance rather than one weâ€⠄¢ll use but after hearing this, and after talking to the director, I have decided to do the chorus of â€Å"We’re all in this together† for the audition dance. e) Anything else you would like to add? You would usually receive a phone call, email or letter in the post about 3 eeks later saying if you’re successful or not. I’d have to discuss this with other teachers involved, but we’d probably take 1-2 weeks to decide and let them know by hanging up the parts or telling them in person. You need a large wide room as there is nothing worse than trying to dance when it is crowded and squishy. Mirrors and bars are something you need but if it’s at school you might not have it. The auditions would usually be held in the hall but from past experience this is narrow and squashy. Ideally I’d like them to be held in the spacious gym, but guess it depends on the availability of the gym.The main thing is to talk loud. With echoing rooms the nois e can bounce off the walls and it is hard to hear which is difficult for people at the back. You are already nervous enough and this makes it much more stressful if you can’t hear the instructor. This is a good point. Nothing is worse than not being able to hear the teacher, especially in a big room where there’s lot of people. I’m going to speak loudly and clearly so everyone can understand. This also raises the issue if there’s so many people in rows, it’s hard to see people up the backI think this interview was really successful as ST gave me some really good ideas and insights. REFLECTIONS ON THE MOCK AUDITION AND WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT CHOREOGRAPHY On Monday I gathered 3 close friends to trial the audition process. The aim was to teach the dance I had prepared for the audition and get some feedback on what the dance was like and how I went teaching it. I chose three friends with 3 diff levels of dancing ability: one is a talented well coordinate d dancer; one is a competent dancer but inexperienced and one is not into dancing at all.I filmed the majority of the audition if I need it for future reference. I think this was a valuable task and I got so much out of it as I faced some hurdles but the main thing was they learned the dance in the allocated time frame. One thing I learnt during this mock audition is to be totally prepared. On the day I forgot the CD I was using. I also thought about what was a more appropriate method of teaching; facing the cast and therefore the moves being opposite direction or facing the same way as the cast with them not able to see what is going on the front of the body.I also had to think about how much I would teach at once. For example, teach 4 or 8 counts before renewing it. How competent did they have to be before we tried it to the music? I also demonstrated the moves in different areas around the room so everyone got to see exactly what I was doing and from different angles. I found I n eeded to speak slower and clearer to G as she needed more explanations so I have to remember there will be a variety of standard in the room.Giving the cast the opportunity to do it without me, whilst I sit back and watch not only gives me the chance to see how my choreography looks but makes the students think harder. From past experience I know that doing a new routine without the teacher demonstrating with you gets the routine drilled in your mind, especially as they’ll have to do it alone/pairs at the audition. Giving the cast the opportunity to watch me and the way it is meant to be done will also help. Finally I think I have to show I’m confident and happy with my choreography because I thought I looked a bit embarrassed and worried about what others would think.Things I’ll do the same- filming, deconstructing choreography into 8 counts, demonstrate with them NOT participating, demonstrate with them following, face same way as cast then swap so they get to see the whole picture, stand aside and watch them do it alone, move around room demonstrating + giving advice, get feedback. Things I’ll do different- be more organized, more confident, speak with louder voice, don’t get frustrated as everyone learns at different pace, get into it – be OVER THE TOP, wait till they’re more competent before practicing with music. USEFUL ADVICE FROM VN about how she chooses successful dancers at the udition (from email):Compare the dancers to the strongest performer in the group. Other things like heights to make the sure the group is evenly balanced. How the performer presents themselves for an audition is also important. AUDITION PROBLEM: A problem we encountered during this process was a large number of people pulling out after the audition and callback process This really worried me as I was stressed that everyone would pullout and we wouldn’t have a big enough cast. After talking with the other teachers involved I realized that this was a positive.A smaller cast would be a lot easier to handle and would be easier to get 50 people looking tight and uniform compared to 100. This number would also fit on the stage better and give everyone the opportunity to be on stage for most of the time. Another problem with picking parts was that we had a lack of boys to begin with†¦I think I will have to learn not to stress too easily as things usually fall into place at the end. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS. – keep in mind people’s feelings. A lot of these kids have never danced in their lives so I have to treat them with respect when teaching the dance and give them the time to pick it up.Not that I want to do this, but I can not laugh, or stare or give sarcastic comments or do anything to restrict them wanting to return to practices†¦. Also when choosing parts I have to be aware that my friends are auditioning and not be tempted to favour them and give them important roles if they do n’t deserve them. I have to leave friendships aside and be unbiased, treating everyone fairly. – I also have to remember not to copy the choreography from the movie. The part I did adapt for the finale is the only part I am really going to use.This just reminds me that someone else has spent so much time choreographing these dances and it is not fair if I take them completely and say they are mine. Not to mention legally this would not be allowed. I actually don’t like some of the choreography in the movie so I don’t want to take it and besides a lot of the choreography would be too difficult for our standard of dancers. So sticking with the another method I have just come up with ,where I play the music and just do what comes to my head seems like a good thing to do. PROBLEM: There are not any huge problems at this stage.One thing that I have to go is remember to keep researching. I am doing a lot of choreographing at the moment which is obviously a posi tive thing, but I also have to remember that this subject is the research project. Now the audition process is over I don’t have to keep researching that but I do have to keep looking at ways of teaching and research choreographers and what makes other musicals good. In my last discussion Ms W told me I was not doing enough researching. FEEDBACK ON MY CHOREOGRAPHY FROM questionnaire to a third year Dance student at Adelaide Centre of the Arts (showed him the footage taken at the Musical Camp)What do you think of the choreography of ‘We’re All In This Together’? It’s great, for someone so inexperienced. Looked effective and strong as a large group. Obvious that it’s taken from the movie which is what your audience will want to see, but some of your easier modifications look cleaner. Some students are struggling –especially some boys and some leads. What could be changed? Perhaps some of the hard moves could be modified/slowed down, espe cially in the Wildcats’ cheer at the end. Arms look messy and un-uniform in â€Å"wave your hands up in the air†.It doesn’t even look like there are any set moves. In chorus, â€Å"When we reach, we can fly†, maybe arms could be simplified. Looks all over the place. What am I doing well in the area of teaching the moves? The way you break down every single move helps cast know where the placements are. Modifying moves as you go along is a positive as you’re not changing it later when the old move has already stuck in their head. Like the way you demonstrate it alone first. What do you think I could do to improve? Louder voice! Don’t look as nervous, your body language makes you seem not confident.Stand closer to cast, feel free to mingle and help individuals. You did seem more capable and confident as time went on. What did the choreography look like so far in Status Quo? Looked great, loved the big chorus around the tables. Good idea doing it around one big circle so everyone gets a feel for the directions. Good concept – Brainiacs and book dance. Overall looks like a fun piece, shows great potential. What could be changed? Brainiacs’ dance needs to be sharper, maybe tell them to get into it a little more (footwork needs to be the same at the end of the dance).Some small groups could have simple choreography. A lot of freestyle people just need to get right into it or learn how to freestyle better (show them some moves ) Slow motion needs more work (actual moves. ) I do understand this is a work in progress. [pic] [pic] DISCUSSION My notes |How research is developing: |Ideas developing through the research | |firstly – looked at internet, dance magazines for info on choreography. Not all dancers can choreograph | |Was quite useful and made me more confident |Its up to the dancers to make the choreography â€Å"sing†, so simple moves can | |second – interviews with dancers+ choreograp hers about auditions to help|be really effective (good to know as I will probably be | |me get ideas about running auditions and selecting the dancers. Was |Creating a positive atmosphere is important to make performers feel | |really useful comfortable and get the best out of them (particularly important in our | |third – experimental – started getting down my ideas about the |school – with boys and inexperienced dancers) | |choreography for the audition |Need to speak loud | |fourth –ran a mock audition to trial my choreography and practice |Break choreography into small parts, e. g. – 8 counts | |teaching it to a small group |Make sure performers are confident with steps before adding difficulty by | |NEXT – plan to look into learning styles and how to teach, so I get more|doing it to music | |information about how to teach the dances successfully |Good to sometimes demonstrate facing the cast, but also facing same | | |direction as them so they can follow | |Knowledge and skills I am developing and applying |FEEDBACK FROM TEACHER | |Knowledge -Many things about ethical considerations in being a |-Ms W said I need to remember that focus of the task is actually research, | |choreographer, such as: |not the choreography of the dances, that most of what I had done so far was | |how strict copyright laws can be. How important it is not to copy the |thinking about the steps and how I will run the audition, so need to think | |exact moves of the dances in High School Musical, also how to get |of more ways of incorporating research into it. this is true – but am | |permission to obtain performing rights , cant change the American |pretty nervous about what people will think of my choreography –so I keep on| |flavour of it or the script in any way etc |thinking about this) | |being completely fair when selecting parts for the musical – have to be |Suggested I analyse the DVDs of High School Musical and the Behind the | |professional and not let friendships influence my decisions |Scenes extras to get ideas. Also really needed to get on to organize visits | |Be aware of the abilities of the group |to view performances. |Many things about how to teach – importance of things like giving |Also suggested I undertake more research into the features of a well | |students a say where possible (even though this is pretty difficult with|choreographed dance and look at some theoretical writing about choreography,| |dance – would look a mess if I did this) |so that I will be able to base the decisions for my choreography on more | |Importance of using different teaching methodologies |technical aspects drawn from the research. This would show that I have more | |Essential to be super organized ( have forgotten music CDs on a couple |thoroughly researched my topic. Will ask the dance teacher for some | |of occasions – is disastrous and don’t look professional) |sugg ested readings on this. |How high expectations can be really productive- encourage performers to | | |strive – but not be too high that they cant achieve them | | |Knowledge & Skills in Choreography – importance of facing dancers but | | |also showing them when facing the same way. Teaching routine in small | | |chunks, then lots of repetition. Plotting patterns on paper and planning| | |beforehand. | |CHOSEN CAPABILITY: | | |Really enjoying being part of the musical and assisting others to | | |develop their creativity, as well as myself | | |Learning a lot about being sensitive to others- particularly with | | |learning to dance – it’s pretty scary and challenging for some so I | | |really need to take that into consideration | | |Have been getting feedback from a few people (teachers, director, stage | | |manager etc) and taking it into consideration. Is really helpful | | Stage 2 Research Project Performance Standards |Planning |Application |Synthesis |Evaluation | | |[pic] |[pic] | | | |[pic] | |A |Thorough consideration and |Thorough and highly resourceful development|Insightful synthesis of knowledge, |Insightful evaluation of the research | | |refinement of a research |of the research. |skills, and ideas to produce a |processes used. | | |topic. |In-depth analysis of information and |well-developed research outcome. |Insightful reflection on the nature of the| | |Thorough planning of research|exploration of ideas to develop the |Insightful and thorough substantiation of|chosen capability and its relevance to | | |processes that are highly |research. |key findings central to the research |themselves and the research project. | | |appropriate to the research |Highly effective application of knowledge |outcome. |Well-considered and insightful reflection | | |topic. and skills specific to the research topic. |Clear and coherent expression of ideas. |on the research outcome and its value to | | | | | |themselves and, where applic able, to | | | | | |others. | |B |Consideration of the main |Considered and mostly resourceful |Considered synthesis of knowledge, |Considered evaluation of the research | | |area of research and some |development of the research. |skills, and ideas to produce a |processes used. | |refinement of a research |Some complexity in analysis of information |well-developed research outcome. |Considered reflection on the nature of the| | |topic. |and exploration of ideas to develop the |Substantiation of most key findings |chosen capability and its relevance to | | |Considered planning of |research. |central to the research outcome. |themselves and the research project. | | |research processes that are |Effective application of knowledge and |Mostly clear and coherent expression of |Considered reflection on the research | | |appropriate to the research |skills specific to the research topic. |ideas. outcome and its value to themselves and, | | |topic. | | |where applicable, to others. | |C | Adequate consideration of a |Adequate development of the research. |Adequate synthesis of knowledge, skills, |Recount with some evaluation of the | | |broad research topic, but |Adequate analysis of information and |and ideas to produce a research outcome. |research processes used. | | |little evidence of refining |exploration of ideas to develop the |Substantiation of some key findings |Reflection on the relevance of the chosen | | |the topic. research. |central to the research outcome. |capability to themselves and the research | | |Satisfactory planning of |Adequate application of knowledge and |Generally clear expression of ideas. |project. | | |research processes that are |skills specific to the research topic. | |Reflection on the research outcome and its| | |appropriate to the research | | |value to themselves and, where applicable,| | |topic. | | |to others. |D |Basic consideration and |Development of some aspects of the |Basic use of information and ideas to |Superficial de scription of the research | | |identification of some |research. |produce a research outcome. |processes used. | | |aspects of a r esearch topic. |Collection rather than analysis of |Basic explanation of ideas related to the|Superficial reflection on the relevance of| | |Partial planning of research |information, with some superficial |research outcome. |the chosen capability to themselves and | | |processes that may be |description of an idea to develop the |Basic expression of ideas. |the research project. | | |appropriate to the research |research. |Some reflection on aspects of the research| | |topic. |Superficial application of some knowledge | |outcome and its value to themselves and, | | | |and skills specific to the research topic. | |where applicable, to others. | |E |Attempted consideration and |Attempted development of an aspect of the |Attempted use of an idea to produce a |Attempted description of the research | | |identification of an area of |research project. |resear ch outcome. |process used. | | |interest. Attempted collection of basic information, |Limited explanation of an idea or an |Attempted reflection on the relevance of | | |Attempted planning of an |with some partial description of an idea. |aspect of the research outcome. |the chosen capability to themselves and | | |aspect of the research |Attempted application of one or more skills|Attempted expression of ideas. |the research project. | | |process. |that may be related to the research topic. | |Emerging awareness that the research can | | | | | |have a alue to themselves and, where | | | | | |applicable, to others. | ———————– My topic and question. †¢ To choreograph two dances in our school musical, the much anticipated â€Å"High School Musical†. †¢ Really interested in dance. Have been doing calisthenics since I was two and am member of the Junior Crows Cheerleading Team. Have been in two Rock Eisteddfod Team s. †¢ Thrill of performing gives natural high and experiences have brought lifelong memories, lifelong friends and lifelong skills which will get me through life. †¢ Want to try something new now, still in dancing field but in different direction where I can have a say in the choreography and what is going on.Relevance of The Chosen Capability: Citizenship †¢ I will be very involved in, and contribute to, the school community. †¢ Will have to show understanding of other people’s perspectives all along. †¢ Will be taking action to contribute to the school community objectives of giving students opportunities to develop their talents (artistic) †¢ Will be asking for and taking notice of people’s feedback – basically giving them a say in the choreography. Isn’t that democracy? Research processes Background Research- using internet, magazines, journals, newspaper articles. Research topics like: Choreography, choreographers, revie ws of â€Å"High school Musical†, interviews with cast etcAnalysing performances of musicals on DVD, during the Fringe, TV shows like â€Å"Dancing With the Stars†, â€Å"So you think you can dance†; Adelaide Fringe or Festival Shows Interviews – with dancers choreographers, I know + to get feedback on my choreography Will have to work with and negotiate with many others, e. g. the director, stage manager, costume designer, all the performers, choreographers. Be open to suggestions Experimenting with different routines (often in small groups I’ve got to think of the ethical considerations too e. g. : -Safety of the performers – make sure choreography is safe. -Privacy – get permission from people I interview them -Plagiarism – must make my own steps original and not copy the choreo Suitability to audience- make sure moves are suitable to audience of all ages and not offensive in any way. My Outcome The video of the dances + an oral to my teacher explaining my choreography. †¢ My Outcome The video of the dances + an oral to my teacher explaining my choreography (14) This student’s research development was presented in large scrap book folios, too large to reproduce as an exemplar. The following is a selection of this evidence, reduced to 10 pages, for inclusion in the student's portfolio to be submitted for moderation and marking. This selection of evidence, with the student notes to record the discussion, can be used for moderation purposes to confirm the teacher assessment decision for Assessment Type 1: Folio. CommentsOn balance the Folio is indicative of a B standard. Planning: †¢ The research topic is well defined. Thoroughly considered research processes, which are appropriate to the task, as well as manageable and ethical, have been planned. Application: †¢ The research is developed in a mostly resourceful and considered manner, including web-based research on choreography, fea tures of successful musicals, how to teach and the audition process. Feedback from more experienced choreographers, has been sought although evidence is not provided of the way the research develops in response to this. At times, there also appears to be an over emphasis on ‘doing’ the choreography. Information to develop the research has been methodically collected and documented. There is also some evidence of information being analysed in order to develop the research. Some complexity in analysis of information and exploration of ideas to develop the research is evident, such as in the responses to some of the sources located, interviews and the mock audition conducted. †¢ Knowledge and skills specific to the topic are applied in a highly effective way, such as in careful planning of patterns for different parts of the dance, preparation for the auditions. Assessment Type 1: Folio Assessment Type 2: Research Outcome Assessment Type 3: Evaluation

Analysis for Buzzard Ltd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

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President's Role in the Regulatory Process Article

President's Role in the Regulatory Process - Article Example In evaluating the role of the president in the regulatory process, there exist two sets of distinctions. The president is an advocate or rather the formulators of policies enacted by the congress (Himmelberg, 1994). The president execute theoretical establishment manned by the chief executive. In this regard, the president’s role is to provide a regulatory process that functions for the citizens and not against them. The process should be dedicated to improving citizens’ safety, health, the surroundings, and encouraging growth of economy and creating jobs to citizens. The president is responsible for providing guidance, assistance in planning and dispute resolution (Lubbers, 2006). During his term as the president of the U.S, President Reagan issued an executive order that aimed to carry out a cost benefit analysis of certain regulatory processes from agencies. This order ensured that agencies followed the desires of the coalitions that enacted the procedures. The procedures are eventually used to establish a decision-making environment for agencies in their daily operation. In my opinion, I think President Obama has impressed the best regulatory process in furthering administration goals. In this process, the president has employed recommendations that offer a harmonious relationship between the agencies and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the state. The president Obama has provided guidance on transparency and disclosure. He also encourages the public to take part in agency regulatory process. In president Obamas’s regulatory process, he allowed suggestion made on the function of the cost-benefit analysis of the economic laws. He applies a decentralization method of regulatory process in that it is not stakeholders only that are involved in the process but citizens also take part in the process and not . In conclusion, regulations are means with which agencies execute definite laws and general goals of the

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Concept of Weight - Essay Example Weight can be described and defined in a physical as well as social context. It is referred to as mass in law, in colloquial uses and in commerce. However, I would wish to describe and define it on a medical perspective. Weight is one of the most important issues as far as quality health care is concerned. It can be defined as the body mass index of an individual, or the heaviness of an object, or simply mass. It is a very essential issue when examining health matters on individuals because it is known medically to be a major contributor and cause of various conditions. The health of any individually changes significantly by change of BMI. The weight of a person keeps increasing, if little concern is considered, to a point where their lives start changing for the worse. Too much weight is capable of causing illnesses, which would never have been encountered had the weight been checked constantly. Weight, therefore, plays a big role in the health-care sector and is always recommended as one of the weapons used in health-care to assist clients maintain a healthy body. According to medical experts, including nurses and doctors, it is advisable to always keep low BMI’s so that even when sicknesses strike, it is easier to treat and get rid of them. A high body mass is dangerous to an individuals health (Alters & Schiff, 2011). As a medication caution, the first test for persons in hospitals is weight checking. These weights are used to determine whether the patient’s body mass is capable of posing danger to their health and whether it is the reason for the condition of the patient if sick. There are various ways used by the health-care providers to assist patients and clients to maintain or change their body weight. Hospitals and other health-care institutions encourage safe body mass and weight, and they provide ways of managing it. Health-care sector is commonly

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Delphi Technique of Forecasting Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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How sports affects people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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The US military's role in domestic disaster response. Is it an Research Paper

The US military's role in domestic disaster response. Is it an effective use of resources or danger to civil liberties - Research Paper Example This same assistance was provided during the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2009 typhoon which flooded the streets of Manila, the Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquake, and other global disasters. The utilization of military disaster relief has not however been welcomed by some politicians, with most critics defining such relief as an ineffective use of military resources and as an interference with the civil liberties of citizens. Others have been quick to point out however that providing disaster relief is not a waste of military resources and in fact is a necessary function of the US military, an adjunct to their peace and order function. This paper shall now review this issue, specifically on the US military’s role in domestic disaster response and whether or not it is an effective use of resources or a danger to civil liberties. Disasters are significant and widespread events which involve the loss of life and which cause significant damage to property and infrastructures (Weeks, 2007). Accidents on the other hand are at a smaller scale with less lives and property lost. In these situations, failure of communication seems to be one of the more persistent issues often faced, along with the inability to establish clear links with other agencies. Disasters imply the significant loss of life and it usually occurs without warning (Weeks, 2007). It also has a significant impact on society, including its culture and geography. These events are difficult to assess because of the widespread impact they cause. The major challenges which first responders often face are difficult areas to evaluate. Much preparation must be carried out in order to evaluate disaster situations because they involve a significant amount of elements which cannot be easily controlled and observed (Weeks, 2007). Marret and Brimmer (2008) discuss that the military has increasingly found itself managing disasters and

Parliament between 1603-1629 Essay Example for Free

Parliament between 1603-1629 Essay The period 1603-1629 is perhaps better divided into two distinct sections 1603-1625 (reign of James I) and 1625-1629 (reign of Charles I) since these two monarchs had fairly different approaches to foreign policy, which in turn determined how Parliament responded to them. James I brought a peaceable approach to foreign policy, hoping to establish a reputation for himself as a mediator within Europe. One of his first actions as monarch was to negotiate peace with Spain in the Treaty of London in 1604. This was unpopular with Parliament for several reasons, the main one being that as Protestants many members of parliament were opposed to peace with Catholic Spain for religious reasons. However, with regards parliament, peace did have the benefit of saving a great deal of money which would have had to be raised by Parliament, and relations between parliament and James remained fairly constant over the next few years. James next major action with regards foreign policy was to support a Protestant successor to the Duke of Cleves-Julich in 1609, even to the extent of committing several thousand troops to the cause. This action undoubtedly gained Parliaments support, as did the marriage in 1613 of James daughter Elizabeth to the Protestant Frederick V of the Palatinate. Throughout these early years of James reign, his foreign policy did not seem to have a detrimental effect on his relations with Parliament indeed, his later actions in this period even served to improve his relations with Parliament. And although there were some disagreements between James and Parliament during this time, they were due to finance issues and not foreign policy. After this time, however, relations between monarch and Parliament began to sour, and one of the key factors in this breakdown of relations was the foreign policy pursued by James from 1614 onwards. From this time, James attempted to negotiate marriage first for his eldest son and then, after his death, for his heir and second son Charles with the Catholic Spanish infanta. This was deeply unpopular with most MPs, as they feared the influence a Catholic Queen of England would have on the continuing reformation of the Protestant church, and desired a foreign policy more hostile to Spain than any previous policy of James. The situation worsened as James first had the very popular Sir Walter Raleigh executed after he clashed with Spain on a trip to South America, and then as he distanced himself from the conflict between Catholics and Protestants over the Palatinate. At this point in time it appeared that relations between monarch and Parliament were very bad indeed, since James had been governing without Parliament since 1614, although this was more over disagreements about finance than anything to do with religious policy. However, when James finally did call Parliament after a seven-year gap, foreign policy became the main issue. James called Parliament in order to raise money to go to war to recover the Palatinate, an action which was widely supported. As time progressed, though, without any sign of James actually preparing for war since he was still pursuing negotiations Parliament began to demand a naval war and an end to the marriage negotiations with Spain. This angered James enough to lead him to reply that none [in the House of Commons] shall presume to meddle with anything concerning our government or deep matters of State, referring, in the main, to Parliaments rights (or not) to discuss foreign policy. This led to the Commons producing a Protestation, which claimed the right of Parliament to free speech, regardless of royal prerogative. James then dissolved Parliament and arrested several prominent MPs. Certainly, this rift had arisen mainly due to James foreign policy (although there still were other contributing factors, namely finance but also other domestic policies). However, it was not permanent as James called a final Parliament in 1624, in which he seemed to accept that he would have to go to war with Spain, especially since both his son Charles and his favourite, Buckingham, were now joining Parliament in asking for war, due to the breakdown of marriage negotiations. Parliament voted subsidies although they were insufficient for James to wage a land war and left satisfied with the situation, although no war was waged in the remainder of James lifetime (he died ten months after dissolving Parliament). So, when James died in 1625, it seemed that towards the end of his reign his foreign policies had been responsible for souring relations with Parliament, although it is worth noting that the resolutions of the final Parliament (if not fulfilled) had gone some way to repairing the relationship between monarch and Parliament. It also seemed as though, with the ascension of Charles I, who had openly supported war during the last years of his fathers reign, relations with Parliament would be improved. However, although Charles came to the throne full of plans for a war with Spain, Parliament only voted i 250,000 for a sea war and were unsure about the other plans made by Charles and Buckingham costing around i 2 million. These plans Mansfeld, the Cadiz expedition and the Isle de Rhe expedition became a series of failures, mainly due to poor training, and led to the unpopularity of both Charles and Buckingham. By 1626, relations with Parliament were very bad, and the main (although not only, since e. g. tonnage and poundage caused disputes), cause of this was foreign policy. The reluctance of Parliament to vote sufficient subsidies for war, the attacks in the House of Commons of Buckingham and the disillusion with the war caused by the failed expeditions, led to Charles dissolving Parliament in 1625. When Parliament met again the following year, Charles had married the French, Catholic, Princess, Henrietta Maria. Because of Charles need for parliamentary subsidies, he tried to reduce the MPs suspicions about pro-Catholic policies and therefore failed to carry out part of the marriage treaty. This eventually led to war with France at the same time as England was at war with Spain, a disastrous policy which caused real damage to the monarchs relationship with Parliament. Charles relations with Parliament only continued to deteriorate after this time, eventually leading to Charles pursuing Personal Rule from 1629, and the reasons for this deterioration stemmed from Charles foreign policy, mainly because of the money needed to fund the wars, for which Charles resorted to more and more desperate measures for example the forced loan, which led to greater discussion of the monarchs financial and religious policy. There is no doubt that foreign policy played a major part in the souring of relations between monarch and Parliament in the period 1603-1629. However, its influence can be seen to have increased later on in this period after Charles came to power. With James I, foreign policy did play a part in affecting his relationship with Parliament especially towards the end of his reign. However, it was his foreign policy combined with other issues particularly finance which led to a breakdown in relations in 1621. Perhaps if foreign policy had been the only issue things would not have reached such a crisis point. And, even after the breakdown occurred, the fact that James called another Parliament in 1624 showed that it was by no means permanent. In contrast, all of Charles problems and disagreements with Parliament appear to have stemmed from issues surrounding his foreign policy and the breakdown in 1629 was far more threatening to the continued existence of Parliament than any with James as monarch.

New product development

New product development Need in the Market The need for an eBook in the market was evident. In the information age, where volumes of data and information need to be exchanged, created, examined and organized, there was a huge void to be filled by a handy device capable of being carried around, having an interface big enough like a book, but not the limited capacity of a paper book. The books were omnipresent, even though depleting in number with the internet coming up. But for extended reading, the computer screen was too inconvenient. It took too much time to load up. It was unwieldy to carry around. Not everything was available in a format youd want it in. To look into what exactly the need was, lets us look deeper into some specific points. To fill the current void, the market needed a product that: Was not heavy on the environment, like books. There was too much paper and ink being used for relatively miniscule amounts of information. Replicated the book in terms of readability. The computer screen was strenuous to look into for too long. Further, the computer screen could not be seen in sunlight. It also was very hard to read at angles. Facilitated exchange of information without necessarily the constriction of holding a device and keeping the users eye fixed on it. For example, in the ultra mobile culture that is emerging, many users are either driving a vehicle for a big fraction of the day. They may be users who are working around the house too. Books, because of the undivided attention they required, were slowly being drifted away from. Did not require storage space. Books took up a lot of space. Theres only so much information that can be kept in the library in the form of books. Was not heavy. Books are heavy if you realize that just to move from your living room to the park outside with a few big books is not inviting. If youre travelling, its almost impossible. Was updated in real time. Books cant be, and computers are, as we saw, unwieldy. We now see how the Kindle fulfilled these needs. The Amazon Kindle and how it filled the gap The answer was an eBook reader. One such product is the Amazon Kindle. A quick glance at its features, benefits and how it fits with the market demand identified above is presented. Amazon Kindle: a software/hardware platform by Amazon.com for displaying e-books and sometimes, other digital media. The 3 versions are: Kindle, Kindle 2, and Kindle DX. The Kindle First Generation, which was Amazons first device, was released in the US in 2007 (on November 19). The Kindle uses an E Ink brand electronic paper display. It downloads content using Amazons Whispernet (propriety online store) using mobile networks. The Kindle 2 devices use the American ATTs service and some roaming partners that give wireless access internationally. Kindle does not have to be connected to a computer, and Amazon Whispernet does not require a subscription. All Kindles come with free access to the Internet over mobile networks in the US. Here is a look at the features and benefits you can find with Amazon Kindle. The screen looks like real printed paper. Kindle also became desirable because of its 3G connection service in more than 100 countries. Users are able to get the first chapters of books before purchasing them. The actual download takes 60 seconds. The Kindle DX features a larger screen and more memory to hold more e-books. The screen size is 9.7 inches which is pretty large for comfortable reading. Even the available memory of 3.3 GB is enough to keep to the tune of 3500 books. The screen boasts not having any glare or illumination. This doubles up as a major power saver. In addition, the words of the book, once displayed on the kindle, remain that way without consuming any power. So, in the domain of utilization of power, it is very efficient. About 500,000 book titles are available at its Kindle Store for international customers. Competitive analysis Porters analysis for the eBook industry Entry Entry barriers to the e-book industry are few, if any. The manufacturing process is relatively simple; except for the screen, the technology is well developed. The Kindle uses an electronic paper display manufactured by E-Ink Corporation and this same display can be found in the Sony Reader, the iLiad, the Cybook Gen3, and the Readius. However, there is a challenge of signing agreements with publishers so that the material can be released as an e-book. Perhaps the biggest obstacle that all the companies are facing right now is the lack of growth in the industry. Jinke has been in the business since 2000 but has sold only 150,000 readers, the most of all the companies. Rivalry The e-book market is still in an early stage and because of this, market price levels are still uncertain. There are significant variations in price between different producers of e-book readers. Amazon entered the market at a significantly higher price than Sony and many other competitors, but there are also other readers selling at $700 or more. Because the consumer base is so small, all producers would rather see it expand than steal customers from other manufacturers. Consequently, there is more incentive for manufacturers to improve their product and increase interest in e-books than to compete on price. Supplier Bargaining Power Supplier bargaining power is derived from the number of suppliers, availability of substitutes, and costs associated with switching to alternative inputs. There are two main inputs to the Kindle: screen and network technology. The technology used to create the specialized display on the Kindle is manufactured by the E-Ink Corporation. E-Ink is the leading firm in the electronic paper market and is a supplier to a variety of companies, including Sony and other e-book manufacturers. Since the electronic paper market is relatively new and does not consist of many firms, substitutes are limited. Given the state of the electronic paper market and the fact that electronic paper is a recently developed technology, E-Ink needs customers and hence E-Ink does not have much supplier bargaining power over Kindle. This could change in the future, depending on the popularity of the Kindle and the development of the electronic paper market. Amazon uses EVDO network technology, supplied by the Sprin t network. Kindle users do not need to pay to connect to the network, as Amazon covers the cost. Large EVDO network providers also include Verizon and Alltel, with other competing networks using a standard other than EVDO. This means that Amazons choice of networks for Whispernet is fairly limited. While not an issue now, if Kindle becomes much more widespread in the future, the company could face a holdup problem with Sprint if Sprint wants more of Amazons profits. Thus Kindles display and network suppliers currently do not have much bargaining power, but it is highly likely that if Kindle succeeds, supplier bargaining power will increase and may become a problem for Amazon. Publisher bargaining power is also important to consider since the Kindle is fairly useless without e-books. To increase the size of Amazons e-book library, it needs to obtain publisher permission for each book it converts. Publishers have a great deal of bargaining power in this respect; while there are many publishers, for each title one publisher has a monopoly. Thus, if Amazon wants a specific book for its Kindle, it will have to pay monopoly prices to the publisher. This effect can already be seen in the market for printed books, where much of the profit on a book is retained by the publisher. For a large publishing company like Random House, its profits are on the order of 10% of its revenue. On the other hand, a book retailer like Barnes and Noble has drastically lower profitability, with profits less than 1% of revenue. Thus publishers have a great deal of supplier bargaining power since they essentially decide which books become e-books and whether those books will be availa ble for the Kindle. Publishers can also require that Amazon sell only versions of their books that include Digital Rights Management (DRM), an attempt to prevent illegal copying of the content. Consequently, all books sold through Amazon on the Kindle are available only in the proprietary AZW format. Most competing readers also specialize in their own DRM format. Buyer Bargaining Power Kindle buyers have little bargaining power. Bargaining power is derived mainly from the ease of switching to a competing product and the value of the product to the buyer. Because both the Kindle and competing readers use DRM schemes, books purchased for the Kindle cannot be transferred to other manufacturers devices and vice versa. This is not the primary reason for DRM, but it is advantageous from Amazons point of view because it increases switching costs and helps to create buyer lock-in. The market for e-book readers is still young and small, so the majority of e-book reader buyers do not have a significant existing electronic library. Existing libraries are not yet an important factor in shaping consumers purchasing decisions. However, once the market matures a significant portion of sales will be to existing owners of e-book readers. Thus buyer bargaining power will decrease over time and be very weak in the mature market. Substitutes The main substitutes for Amazon Kindle are libraries, both brick and mortar and online bookstores, and Google Books. However, unlike the online bookstores and Google books, Kindle does not require a computer. Kindles free wireless connectivity which uses the same network as advanced cell phones enables buyers to shop from the Kindle Store directly from the Kindle device. Instead of having to travel to the local library or waiting for books to arrive from online bookstores, this wireless network can download a book in 60 seconds providing customers a more efficient and direct access to books. Although Kindle does not yet have access to as many books as some of these substitutes, it is progressively adding more books. Also, the Kindle stores everything a purchaser buys online; in this way, if a customer loses the Kindle, the reading material will not be lost, as would be the case if you had a paperback. The readers also do not have to deal with heavy or numerous books because of Kindle s light portability. The Kindle display looks like ink on paper, which is easier on the eye than LCD screens and comparable to printed media. It can also increase text size which is a clear advantage over books. Physical bookstores allow customers to browse books before purchasing. Amazon attempts to emulate this feature by allowing users to download and read the first chapter of any book for free. E-book versions of new releases and New York Times Best Sellers are $9.99, saving on average 60%, and many other books can be found for less. As for Google Books, Googles aim is to help people find and discover books and learn where to buy and borrow them. Although there are books that can be read online from start to finish, this is only the case for books in the public domain and out of copyright. For these reasons, Kindle compares favourably to these substitutes. Complements The size of the e-book library, other file types such as .pdf, .doc, and .jpeg, and the service to convert files to Kindle format are all complements of Amazon Kindle. The most important compliment required is the number of books offered to Kindle users. The day Amazon Kindle was released last year, the Kindle Store had more than 88,000 digital titles available for download and now has over 115,000 Books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs. Amazon also offers an email-based service that converts .html, .doc, .jpeg, .gif, .png, and .bmp documents to their Kindle format, AZW, or can load unprotected Mobipocket or plain text content. This AZW format is only for the Kindle which is a good strategy on Amazons part to tie the complement to the product. Kindle also supports formats for audio in the form of MP3s and Audible 2, 3, and 4 audiobooks, which must be transferred to the Kindle over USB or an SD card. With a variety of book options and supported formats to accommodate more customers a nd their various needs, the Kindle is a simple and convenient alternative to reading a paper copy book. Major Competitors This competitor analysis only compared the products on the basis of the technology but to sell the product, there is much more than mere technology which has to be projected. That is where marketing steps in and that is the area where Amazon has been at the forefront with its clear marketing strategy and its proactive and subtle innovations which keep them at the forefront of the E-book reader industry. Marketing strategy The marketing strategy of Amazon Kindle can be seen through the STP (Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning) analysis of the Kindle which would give way to the marketing mix followed by the brand. A typical buyer of a Kindle can be perceived as a businessman/businesswoman who does not have enough time and space to carry along the pile of books and newspapers when they go out on a trip or a business meeting. They want multipurpose equipment with no frills attached so that they can browse their favourite book whenever, wherever they can. The popularity of the Kindle can be seen in countries such as America and Europe where these kinds of users are easy in good number. The Kindle is sold on the website of Amazon that saves Amazon a lot of cost due to a direct supply chain. The communication is basically through a series of adverts whenever one goes to the website of Amazon. Amazon has positioned the Kindle as a book carrier for the people on the go. The product is marketed heavily in A merica and not so much in Europe as books have an aesthetic value in the Europe. It considers book as a form of art which is not a case with Americans. Methodology The methodology consists of both the primary and secondary research methodology. The basic aim of the methodology is to gauge the consumer perception of the Amazon Kindle and to analyze the gap between the Brand identity portrayed by the product and the brand image which is actually created in the mind of the consumer of an Amazon Kindle. Generally, it is seen that a new product has problems filling this gap and it is one of the major threat whenever the product is launched in the market. There is a need for the company to portray itself in a manner that the gap is minimized. In order to see the success of the Kindle we tried to visit the various blogs and the website of the Kindle to look for the consumer perception and the post purchase analysis. This methodology was validated by the questionnaire floated on various internet sites and the blogs in order to get maximum responses from the people. The scope of study was narrowed down on to finally three types of units: Users of Amazon Kindle Non-Users of Amazon Kindle People who havent heard of Amazon Kindle It is very important to gauge all the three responses in order to get the birds eye view on the product and the concept delivery. While hundreds of responses were analyzed in the secondary research, we came up with 54 responses in the primary research which was covering the geographical areas of USA, India, France, Germany, Greece, Australia, South Africa, Spain, Argentina and many more nations which make the study geographically significant. The responses were analyzed by the statistical tools such as excel and SPSS in order to come up with the impact analysis of Amazon Kindle and finally the recommendations that we came up to make this process of marketing the Kindle much more efficient and focused. Observations and analysis Secondary research observations: The secondary research was performed on the following web blogs and websites: inventorspot.com ireaderreview.com www.wired.com www.bestebookreaders.com reviews.cnet.com crunchbase.com blogs.techrepublic.com www.computerworld.com wiki.mobileread.com www.hanselman.com www.macworld.com gadgets.boingboing.net arstechnica.com www.digitaltrends.com Amazons Website The blogs are the major technology blogs which constantly receive the comments of the users and the non users and are a fair indicator of the trends and perception of the new product in the market. This is majorly significant in the case of the Kindle as the marketing mix of the product significantly enhances the importance of the blogs and reviews online. The product is sold online only and thus all the users or the people who are interested in the product are more likely to be avid internet users. The first step for adaptation of any new product is the search of the information about the product and the information, in case of Amazon kindle is majorly available on these websites and the Amazons site. The user therefore pays a lot more attention to these blogs in this case. Thus these blogs are very powerful in forming the perception about a product which is sold online. The E-Paper screen is slightly smaller than that on its primary competitor, the Sony Reader, but is still quite legible and roomy E-Paper has a long way to go before it replaces ink on paper, but its comfortably on the right path Youll need to use the Kindle in the same sort of well-lit environment that youd read a normal book or magazine Some of the features such as the expandable memory and the wireless services truly make using a Kindle an unforgettable experience. However, we can never call the Kindle a radical innovation as the concept was already put in to the market by Sony via their Sony reader. But as compared to its counterparts, it is perceived as a pioneer in innovation and technology. With the latest launch of the I-PAD, there has been a lot of speculation while we compare the I-PAD to the Kindle. While both Apple and Amazon maintain that the products are not in competition but there has always been a comparison made which can be unfair to the Kindle as it is not a multipurpose device as compared to the Kindle. But Kindle has been very proactive in ensuring that they come out with the subtle innovations that would keep their nose ahead at all times. This can be seen when they launched the Kindle application for the IPAD very recently just after the launch of the IPAD. Primary Research Observations The primary research was conducted on 51 respondents who were spread all over the globe on all continents of the world. The respondents were divided into 3 categories and the perception mapping was performed. The results show high involvement of Americans over the rest of the world. This can be easily explained by the history of the Amazon Kindle which launches the new version in America first and then another version is launched in the rest of the world. There is always an international version of the Kindle which is meant for the rest of the world except America. The research had 61 percent female respondents and 39 percent male respondents. There were many avid readers among the Americans who answered the questionnaire. The total avid readers were 55 percent and out of those, 80 percent were Americans. The value sought in the Amazon Kindle was very high among these groups of people which tell us that the Kindle is very popular among the people who love to read a lot. The people were mainly fond of the fact that the kindle is very compact and easy to operate. The peoples response was mainly hinting that the Kindle is surely a device that they would like to buy but the barriers that they have put either on the initial price and on the subsequent running costs is deterring them from having a Kindle with them. According to them, there is a special place of books in there and Amazon should not compete with them. The testimony of the fact is that the 90 percent of the people preferred paperback books instead of an electronic book if given a free choice. The reason given is that the book looks much more real and there is a sense of possession when we have a book in our hand rather than when we have an eBook in our laptops of our Kindle for that matter. The Kindle had the biggest advantage over the rest of its competitors due to its wireless capabilities which actually allow you to get your favorite books within a few seconds room anywhere in the world and anytime in the world. While Americans and Australians preferred the Kindle because it saved a lot of shelf space which in other cases would have been taken by the books, the Europeans preferred Kindle because it was su pposed to save a lot of paper and it looked elegant in the hand of the possessor. Some of the other findings include the fact that while 39 percent of the respondents were actually Kindle users, there were 21 percent of the respondents who were not aware of the Kindle at all. The reason that we could thought of was that it has something to do with the less popularity of Amazon in the countries of these people as most of these people were from India(50 percent) and Thailand and other parts of Asia. This throws light on the fact that for a product which mainly sells from the internet, it is very important for the parent company to have an established base of consumers who can then communicate with them and participate in the offerings given to them in the form of products such as the Kindle. There is no distribution channel where we can push the product. The other respondents who had heard of the Kindle but never thought of buying it thought that the price of the Kindle is the major factor that deters them from even thinking of having one. For the ones who want to b uy it and do not have it as of now, the major reason is that the people associate a lot of hidden costs with the product. This was a major finding as the company never projects the actual cost to consumer throughout the life of the consumers. While the possessors liked the fact that the Kindle has good connectivity which we too found out as the point of difference of the Kindle from its competitors, the non users liked the read without glare feature the most attractive one. This lead us to one more observation that the most attractive feature is not the unique feature of the kindle so the Kindle may or may not be the first choice of the people when they go on to buy an eBook reader. This is kind of disheartening for the company as the product is highly placed on the price and the technology table and the users may not find value for money once they look to buy a Kindle. There were some serious observations made in the value that the consumers attach regarding the price of the Kindle and that comes out to be around 140 Euros that is way less than the actual price of the kindle i.e. 250 Euros. This leads us to the observations is that the barrier is too high for a large amount of potential users which can be exploited if they agree to lower the initial cost. The people were very apprehensive of the actual cost to customer and Amazon can do well to enlighten the customers about the same. Success of the product to date The Amazon kindle is unarguably the best selling product for Amazon and the adverts on the website of Amazon are a testimony of this. It is the most wished for, most desired and most searched for product on Amazon site which tells us that the product is doing very well on the international scene as well. Some of the factual data released by Amazon can also be seen below. It tells us that the product is doing wonderfully well on the international scene. The product is a very successful one and the continual improvements that it has come up with are a major factor contributing towards such a success. The revenue percentage of Amazon is as high as 2.6 percent that tells us that it is the star performer for Amazon. The fact that is not taken into consideration is that there are huge running costs that are related to each Kindle that are unfortunately not mentioned in the data. But it is clear that the Kindle is doing cery well in the market since its launch in 2008. Recommendations Amazon should focus on advertising to attract new customers to the e-book market. A large potential for growth in its base of consumers is with commuters and business travellers, who will benefit from the convenience of the Kindles portability and also possess the disposable income to afford the device in its current price range. As Ron Hawkins, vice president for portable reader systems at rival Sony, points out, Digital readers are not a replacement for a print book; they are a replacement for a stack of print books. That is where we see people, on the go, in the subway and in airports, with our device. The Kindle delivers newspapers directly to users for, on average, $10/month. This enables commuters to easily read the newspaper on a smaller medium without the unwieldiness of the print version. Similarly, businessmen will find the Kindle appealing to avoid carrying multiple books while travelling. By targeting these consumers through increased advertising in subways, airports, and on airplanes, Amazon can expand the market and reach out to new adopters of e-books. In coordination with this advertising effort, Amazon should attempt to negotiate deals with major newspapers. At a time when newspapers are struggling with declining numbers in readers and revenue, Amazon can seek to capitalize on their situation. For example, the LA Times started a task known as the Manhattan Project seeking to investigate solutions to reinvent the paper for the future. Amazon has the opportunity to approach them with the Kindle as a new venue to revive their business through a younger tech-savvy audience. The primary goal of this advertising campaign is to increase the overall e-book market, rather than to steal customers from rivals, so competitors should not feel threatened by it. In fact, other firms may benefit from the increased awareness of e-book readers. Similarly, parallel campaigns by rivals do not pose a significant threat to Amazon, since the major challenge at hand is to grow the market and provide for future profitability. However, Amazon needs to ensure that rivals do not enter into exclusive contracts with newspapers or other content providers in general. These deals only serve to benefit individual firms in the short run and ultimately hinder expansion of a relatively small, nascent market. Long Term Positioning In the long run the market for e-books themselves is unlikely to support significant profits. The main issue stems from the large amount of publisher bargaining power that currently exists in the print book market. Publishers have a significant influence in the supply chain for books, retaining the largest portion of the producer surplus in print media. The retailer only receives a small fraction of the overall profits on the book, so it is presumable that Amazon will face similar difficulty in extracting profits from e-books. In addition, Amazons business model is reproducible and thus their current distribution advantage is not necessarily permanent. Amazons reputation would be their only substantial barrier to new entrants in the e-book sales market. Lastly, competition with free pirated e-books would present problems. Even if Amazon proves more successful than competitors in e-book retailing, as the market grows, piracy will inevitably emerge to erode profits. This has occurred o ver the last decade in the music industry as digital music and the Internet have matured. These pitfalls make it unwise for Amazon to pursue a partnership with a hardware-oriented company like Sony, in which Amazon would limit itself to selling e-book reader content. Instead, Amazon should continue to produce the Kindle itself. Due to the nature of the market, the selection of complements will not distinguish the Kindle from other readers. If Amazon can maintain comparable hardware quality to other manufacturers, switching costs and brand identity should allow Amazon to keep a stable customer base and to support some level of sustainable profits. Pricing It also might be tempting for Amazon to leverage their current advantage in e-book distribution into greater profits on the e-books. This trades larger short term profits for a weaker future position in the market, which will be much larger that it is now. Thus, Amazons pricing strategy should be consistent with the long term focus on hardware and a desire to prioritize market share over short term profits throughout the growth phase. Amazons recent price reduction from $399 to $359 reflects a shift from targeting quality sensitive early adopters to more price sensitive consumers. It should continue to drop prices in steady increments to attract wider consumer bases. Consumers are less sensitive to e-book prices than they are to hardware prices, and the decision to purchase a Kindle is more likely to be triggered by the cost of the Kindle itself. Hence, Amazon should not be overly concerned with further reducing e-book prices. These prices are currently lower than most hardbacks and trade paperbacks but higher than most mass market paperbacks. Attempting to compete with mass market paperbacks is infeasible because of publishers resistance to pricing e-books much cheaper than print versions. It already loses money on most of its e-books, priced well below what it pays publishers, and further price cuts would likely require Amazon to take losses unjustified by the small benefits in market share. However, if the Kindle is able to propel the e-book markets into a fast growing phase, publishing executives anticipate that it will not be long before Amazon begins using the Kindles popularity as a lever to demand that publishers cut prices. At this point , Amazons increased bargaining power will enable it to price more competitively without the losses from subsidies. Questionnaire Age Sex Male Female Nationality How much reading do you do in general? I am an avid reader, I cant live if I dont read I like to read, you would find me reading very often I like to read sometimes I read rarely I hate reading, i have better things to do in life What according to you is the most attractive feature of Amazon Kindle? Its sleek design and light weight The concept of an electronic reader The easy connectivity(Global 3G wireless) Long Battery Life Reads like real paper without glare, even in bright sunlight Holds up to 1,500 books Saves paper Lower prices than paper books Over 450,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books people Other: What is it that would deter you from buying the Kindle? Price The concept of buying an E-book and limited number of reads Lack of Knowledge(less advertizing) Other: What according to you is the biggest competitor of the Kindle? Apples I-Pad The paper books Barnes Nobles Nook The Nook book reader Sony pocket touch edition

Mycenaean Civilization Essay -- World History

Mycenaean Civilization The Mycenaean civilization flourished for four hundred years in the late Bronze Age before collapsing in to small bands of subsistence farmers. Some historians attribute this decline to ‘the Sea People’ who terrorized the Egyptians, Anatolians and the Hittites. But could a mysterious people who left no archeological proof of their existence really bring about the collapse of entire civilizations? Mycenaean civilization is characterized by the large palace-like buildings that they created. These huge structures contained dozens of rooms used for a variety of purposes. The rooms were used for everything from industry to meeting places and even sleeping quarters. The main function of these palatial buildings seemed to be economical. From clay tablets that have been accidentally preserved through fire historians know that the Mycenaean employed a ‘palace economy.’ The tablets, written in an ancient script called Linear B, are mostly records of good coming in and out of the palace. A palace economy was maintained by trading the surplus of goods produced by farmers and craftsmen with other cities around the eastern Mediterranean. Mycenaean pottery has been found in ancient sites in Palestine and Syria as well as Miletus, Rhodes and Egypt and it is a testament to the extent of trade that Mycenaean had with other cultures . It was essential that the trade routes be kept safe in order to maintain the flow of goods. By about 1300bce Mycenaean wares had been so standardized that regional differences were impossible to detect . This suggests tha t during the late Bronze Age, Mycenaean culture had become increasingly unified economically. The tablets found at Pylos suggest that Mycenaean must have used slaves to d... ...at fragile. A collapse in trade due in part to overspecialization and increasing aggression by the ‘Sea People’ and others, catalyzed by natural disasters eventually led to the economic collapse of the eastern Mediterranean market. After this the large palaces with their complex administration were no longer needed and could no longer be sustained. People simply abandoned to cities and went back to subsistence farming until they slowly rekindled an empire. REFERENCES Huxley, G.L.. Achaeans and Hittites. Oxford, The Queen’s University. 1965. Palmer, Leonard R.. Mycenaeans and Minoans. London, Faber and Faber. 1961. Sanders, N.K.. The Sea Peoples. London, Thames and Hudson. 1978. Velikovsky, Immanuel. Peoples of the Sea. Garden City, Doubleday & Company. 1977. Wood, Michael. In Search of the Trojan War. London, British Broadcasting Corporation. 1985. Mycenaean Civilization Essay -- World History Mycenaean Civilization The Mycenaean civilization flourished for four hundred years in the late Bronze Age before collapsing in to small bands of subsistence farmers. Some historians attribute this decline to ‘the Sea People’ who terrorized the Egyptians, Anatolians and the Hittites. But could a mysterious people who left no archeological proof of their existence really bring about the collapse of entire civilizations? Mycenaean civilization is characterized by the large palace-like buildings that they created. These huge structures contained dozens of rooms used for a variety of purposes. The rooms were used for everything from industry to meeting places and even sleeping quarters. The main function of these palatial buildings seemed to be economical. From clay tablets that have been accidentally preserved through fire historians know that the Mycenaean employed a ‘palace economy.’ The tablets, written in an ancient script called Linear B, are mostly records of good coming in and out of the palace. A palace economy was maintained by trading the surplus of goods produced by farmers and craftsmen with other cities around the eastern Mediterranean. Mycenaean pottery has been found in ancient sites in Palestine and Syria as well as Miletus, Rhodes and Egypt and it is a testament to the extent of trade that Mycenaean had with other cultures . It was essential that the trade routes be kept safe in order to maintain the flow of goods. By about 1300bce Mycenaean wares had been so standardized that regional differences were impossible to detect . This suggests tha t during the late Bronze Age, Mycenaean culture had become increasingly unified economically. The tablets found at Pylos suggest that Mycenaean must have used slaves to d... ...at fragile. A collapse in trade due in part to overspecialization and increasing aggression by the ‘Sea People’ and others, catalyzed by natural disasters eventually led to the economic collapse of the eastern Mediterranean market. After this the large palaces with their complex administration were no longer needed and could no longer be sustained. People simply abandoned to cities and went back to subsistence farming until they slowly rekindled an empire. REFERENCES Huxley, G.L.. Achaeans and Hittites. Oxford, The Queen’s University. 1965. Palmer, Leonard R.. Mycenaeans and Minoans. London, Faber and Faber. 1961. Sanders, N.K.. The Sea Peoples. London, Thames and Hudson. 1978. Velikovsky, Immanuel. Peoples of the Sea. Garden City, Doubleday & Company. 1977. Wood, Michael. In Search of the Trojan War. London, British Broadcasting Corporation. 1985.