How does Medea Essay

Usually Greek Playwrights were primarily concerned with religious issues rather than the smaller issues of social or political. However, within the Greek myths there were a series of topics that were primarily presented to challenge the audience socially and politically. In the case of Medea by Euripides it is the strong female character Medea who takes the main lead role in the play. It is possible to study the role of women in culture yet especially with a text like Medea it is evident that there is more than one culture involved. They are the culture of the actual subject, in this case Medea and the culture of the author. Euripides constructed a play by using a series of stories that had been handed down generations gone before him from the time of Medea and of course his own particular observations of women in that society around him. What Medea does by the end of the play is a very powerful statement on the role of women in Ancient Greece. From researching into the political status of women it is suggested that it was seen as acceptable that they were treated as an object of possession. The Greek legal system worked accurately if the husbands were honest and responsible. The wife herself only had legal protection if her husband was either dead or sick. Also, the non citizen wives were worse off as they had to have a citizen friend besides their own husband. In this play Medea creates a very strong and stern warning to society to not take advantage of this possibility. Many modern day critics of the play believe that this Greek view of the role of women in society was to blame for Medea’s excesses and the overall extreme she went to. If there was a good well balanced legal system then there would be no need for vengeance. Thus making Medea take the law into her own hands. A point worth mentioning is the fact that Medea is not described to the audience on her appearance instead she is greatly described on what she can do. Unlike Greek women in her society at that time, Medea does not rely it seems on such Gods and Goddesses such as Aphrodite and her charms, but instead she relies on her own potions and her incantations. Medea in her society was the priestess of Hecate who gave her lots of power both physically and socially. With having this power she had the powerful social status in which she was respected and also greatly feared. If Medea was alive today she would be considered a witch, yet this Ancient Greek woman does not fit our stereotypical idea of a witch. Instead of this view the Ancient Greek Witches were young and beautiful, during their Sabbath on looking men would be in awe and incapacitated by their beauty. During her era a Greek lady would not have to worry about the devil as such. Women who acted like witches were considered to be powerful and interesting. They would either be good or bad which was, to be expected greatly dependant on what they did with their powers. In Ancient Greek times it was much harder to live outside of your family than it is now. Back in that era as a woman you would be very dependant on your family for welfare, social security, food and your social life. Other important aspects included your legal protection and citizenship. In Medea she was the Princess in Colchis so she had all the important elements that a family provided for their child. However, she fell in love and decided to leave Colchis with Jason and took the biggest step of all, killing her own brother. This was considered and still would be considered a very powerful act against your family, which is an act in which few Ancient Greek people could identify with. This made Medea be caste out of her Greek society. The stereotypical man of Ancient Greek times wanted to fall in love with a woman who they considered to be easy to handle. Men saw women as easy to handle when they appear weak and are just strongly agreeable to the men. Yet, when they are powerful they are regarded as nightmares. Thus giving the indication that Jason would consider Medea as a nightmare as she challenges in the extreme. This stereotypical view of the perfect Ancient Greek wife who could fit easily into the men’s fantasies was a view in which Medea certainly does not fit into. There is a vast extremity in Medea, one which no man could successfully control. An American critic of the play Fredrick John Kluth quotes that â€Å"Medea does for men what they cannot do for themselves†. Thus creating a very interesting character who adds a great deal to the interests of the play. Therefore, in a sense Medea is outside of the time and does not really show a role of women in any time period. Looking closely at Ancient Greek women they usually possessed the characteristics of a nurturing and [passionate individual. Medea strove against men and stood up to them as a strong woman. This would not have been considered in the era of the Greeks, instead this rationality would have been left to the men whilst the women stood back. Medea stands as a great symbol of the intelligent woman who has no place in the social life of the Greek community. By this I mean other members of the Greek community would not wish to be caught up and eventually damaged by this woman’s great power. She provides Euripides’ complain for the actual social status that a woman has in Greek society which is likely to be more relevant to Euripides era rather than Medea’s. Therefore Medea the play acts as a social statement by the playwright himself. Euripides also attempted to explain the spiritual nature of mankind and their attitudes towards other people of their own, slightly different society.

HR Dissertation †Iconicity and hubris

Abstract This paper outlines the importance of iconicity and hubris in the context of modern architecture. Significant applications of the phenomenon identified as Starchitects and their contribution to developing a new mode of architecture are presented in this study. The main objective of the study is to explore the failures of iconic buildings created by Starchitects, by focusing on various aspects including economical and political, social and ethical, and environmental and evolutionary. In order to meet these research objectives, the researcher uses non-empirical research method in the sense of collecting relevant information from secondary resources. The most important conclusion presented in the study is that iconic buildings are perceived as egocentric representations of the improperly constructed ambitions of Starchitects. Chapter 1: Introduction In the 21st century, global developers have demonstrated their strong willingness to use the potential of Starchitects in order to create monumental buildings. The boom of Starchitects in modernity can be explained with the rapid process of globalisation as well as economic progress and development (Marshall, 2000). Designs of such architects are usually perceived as iconic dominated by extensive visibility and unique characteristics that contribute to the appeal of these buildings. It has been argued that the use of Starchitects is an innovative way to expand tourism in different sites across the world. The design of prestige buildings around the world has been marked by the simple idea to make a difference in producing specific landmarks for cities (King, 1990). The motives for the establishment of particular landmarks adhere to the specificity of Starchitects who are a product of their sponsors and organisations, which actively seek to present continuous innovation in the architec tural field. Different examples of iconic buildings can be found globally, such as the Imperial War Museum North (2002) based in Greater Manchester, UK, and the Seattle Central Library (2004) based in Washington, US. Similar buildings have been highly criticised since the time of their construction. This implies the existence of controversies surrounding some of the most famous buildings around the world especially at modern times. Perceived as an attitude, modernity can coexist with traditional architectural patterns. Modernity is mainly concerned with transformation of the present and tries to ensure such an aspect in emblematic buildings. Modern architectural patterns as evident in the pieces created by Starchitects implement the latest in composite materials and composite structural technology (Marshall, 2000). Accordingly, the growth of the cities has generated the needs for the incorporation of all the elements that define a developing civilisation, allowing them to seek out identity in the infrastructural resources that are found within them and their capability to communicate with others and represent themselves in international entrepreneurial matters (Reutskaja and Nueno, 2009). While the development of the architectural landmarks creates the possibility of increasing the tourism attraction to the sites, expositions and events are necessary to highlight and showcase these developments thus creating a means of investment for the local authorities and foreign investors. The main aim of the study is to provide a relevant understanding of the aspects of iconicity and hubris as applied to the work of Starchitects. The following objectives have been outlined for the study: To outline the economic and political failures of iconic buildings; To discuss the impact of social and ethical failures of iconic buildings; To present environmental (urban & natural) failures of iconic buildings; To explore the relevance of evolutionary perspectives Chapter 1 is introduction and sets the context for the present study. Chapter 2 is the literature review providing adequate information relating to the explored topic in the thesis. Chapter 3 outlines the research methodology used in the study. Chapter 4 consists of research findings, discussion and analysis of findings. Chapter 5 concludes the study and provides specific recommendations pertaining to the main research questions and objectives. Chapter 2: Literature Review Three important subject matter terms identified in this thesis are Starchitects, iconicity and hubris. A Starchitect is referred to as an architect who is quite famous as a result of the high-profile creations being presented by him or her to the public (Reutskaja and Nueno, 2009). Iconicity is a term relating to the specific characteristics of an icon or something emblematic in the context of architecture (Glendinning, 2012). Hubris indicates a high level of self-assurance and thus is identified as extensive pride or self-confidence. In a book by Glendinning (2012), the focus is on the pitfalls of global modernism demonstrated in the creation of various architectural buildings globally. The main argument introduced by the researcher is that architecture has been apparently spectacularised, which has led to alienated architectural pieces and individuals. It has been indicated that the so-called iconic buildings have insignificant social and historical integrity, implying that the aspect of iconicity has been replaced by triviality that shows inappropriate identified architectural objectives (Jacobs, 1961). The type of iconic buildings created by famous Starchitects has expanded criticism in recent years, as outlined by Glendinning (2012). These buildings have been presented as competing for attention on the skyline and in the mass media. Similarly, Sudjic (2005) indicates doubts in the authenticity and properly intended purpose of iconic buildings. Moreover, researchers have considered iconicity as a distinct type of architectural tourism, which reflects in buildings intended for urban travel destinations (Specht, 2014). Kent (2010) implies that architecture’s status has been changed from iconic to extraordinary in the process of exploring architectural buildings’ effect on a sense of place. Such a sense has been explored by Rybczynski (2008) with a focus on the Bilbao effect or the Bilbao anomaly representing a costly iconic failure. The Bilbao effect, as shown in an article by Martin (2013), creates controversies and thus the researcher presents a warning about the perceived negative impact of Starchitects’ iconic buildings on local cities and states. Iconic architecture has been identified as a substantial failure, as argued in an article by Romaniuk (2010). The author of the research has presented convincing arguments relating to the manipulation of the mass media trying to create a desirable vision of iconic architecture. Such manipulation is evident in emotionally charged architectural projects including the Freedom Tower for Ground Zero (Romaniuk, 2010). It has been argued that the decline of belief and the extensive growth of pluralism have led to the emergence of iconic buildings that are unable to fulfil the objectives of authentic iconography (Reutskaja and Nueno, 2009). In addition, the legitimacy of identifying particular buildings as iconic can be judged with time, disregarding the mass media’s projected implications of successful architectural buildings solely based on sociological and financial profitability. Based on the major studies presented in the literature review, it can be concluded that buildings shou ld be constantly assessed in terms of the values with which they are associated. Chapter 3: Research Methodology The type of research methodology used in this study is non-empirical research design, which is suitable to explore the relationship between iconicity and hubris. Arguments are based on evidence and credible opinion provided in secondary resources (Yanow and Schwartz-Shea, 2006). The major aspect relating to non-empirical research is the focus on data previously gathered by researchers in the field of architecture rather than gathering a new set of data. This research framework is often associated with the purposes of humanities and natural philosophy. One of the most important elements of this type of research methodology, as applied in the present study, is review of existing literature as the focus is to provide sufficient arguments in order to accomplish the previously stated research objectives (MacNealy, 1998). The systematic review of existing literature on the subject implies not only prior knowledge and adequate research skills but also ability to use a distinct form of meta- analysis in an attempt to reach conclusions which are important for the study. It has been noted that non-empirical research analysis suggests a significant amount of varying interpretations of the information obtained from secondary resources. A strong sense of intellectual inquiry is essential in this type of research because the process of acquiring knowledge is accomplished through valid critical and analytical interpretations of the research material (MacNealy, 1998). In fact, it is important to emphasise on the reinterpretation of consolidated information on the issues of iconicity and hubris within the new framework presented in this study. Thus, critical reflection is part of non-empirical research analysis, which is demonstrated in the present research. There is a solid focus on propositions for theory relating to the iconic dimensions of modern buildings across the world (Yanow and Schwartz-Shea, 2006). The development of a particular approach to the present study is a well-structured process that starts with the identification of a focal issue, in pa rticular the exploration of iconicity and hubris including their impact on the perception of emblematic buildings created by Starchitects. Once the first step outlined in the research approach is completed, it is important to move into a direction of identifying key forces contributing to a better interpretation of the research problem. The researcher is expected to postulate such driving forces as well as to present the factors that have been considered the most significant for the completion of the research (Deleeuw et al., 2010). In addition, it is anticipated that systemic logic should be used to present critically the major arguments obtained from secondary resources. The final step of the presented research approach is to submit the entire research to critical consideration (Yanow and Schwartz-Shea, 2006). It can be concluded that the acquisition of non-empirical knowledge can facilitate the process of obtaining relevant information, which would further expand the research to a new stage in the sense of providing an adequate answer and explanation to the research question. Chapter 4: Research Findings & Discussion and Analysis of Findings The main research findings obtained from the critical evaluation of secondary resources are grouped in different subsections of this chapter in order to focus on emerging aspects relating to iconicity and hubris in a more direct manner.Economical and Political Instances/ Cases of FailureA significant research finding demonstrated in this study is that of the impact of creating iconic buildings on the economy. Specific cases indicating hubris refer to Calatrava and Valencia, as Valencia has been recognised as a city of arts and sciences. Starchitects’ sense of hubris is evident in these cases and comes to show that architecture has entered a new mode of development. Although praised by some and rejected by others, the emblematic buildings created by Starchitects imply a substantial amount of efforts invested in presenting the philosophy of iconicity in architecture (Glendinning, 2012). According to Martin (2013), the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao serves as a releva nt example of how iconicity has been used as a substantial indicator to measure the direct impact on the economy. It can be suggested that the creation of iconic buildings around the world, such as in locations in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Albania and Brazil, has raised the question of the perceived economic effect of similar activities (Reutskaja and Nueno, 2009). The dimension of commercialisation cannot be disregarded, as the sole motivating factor behind the so-called iconicity and hubris can be found in the idea of generating substantial profits from architectural tourism, which is dominated by emblematic building. Another essential aspect can be also indicated in terms of considering Starchitects’ intention to fill vast spaces, but this tends to create a negative effect among some individuals. According to researchers, the hostage of international mega events is one of the most powerful tools that a city can use for show-casting of resources and development, as well as the development of architectural identities that have come to be defined within the industry as ‘destination images’ (Reutskaja and Nueno, 2009). In this context, specific contemporary events have come to be synonymous with commercial rivalry between cities as well as the transnational environment, as different regions struggle to attract more investors and consumer spending. In light of this, with the increase in pressure for the cities to expand their entrepreneurial stance as they aim at increasing their attraction to mobile capital, the cities have to make considerations on their investments. It would be less economical for them to carry out development if they are not going to realise monetary gain after the renovations. Strong competition is existent within most of today’s cities-th e competition being amongst the city investors themselves as well with other cities that may wish to host different events and expositions that are aimed at increasing the economic wellbeing of the region. For this reason, the completion of iconic buildings by Starchitects has increased from the regional and local scenes, stemming into international and global scales and requiring the integration of the political, social and infrastructural frontiers (Glendinning, 2012). Accordingly, the growth of the cities has generated the needs for the incorporation of all the elements that define a developing civilisation, allowing them to seek out identity in the infrastructural resources that are found within them and their capability to communicate with others and represent themselves in international entrepreneurial matters (Martin, 2013). While the development of the architectural landmarks creates the possibility of increasing the tourism attraction to the sites, expositions and events ar e necessary to highlight and showcase these developments thus creating a means of investment for the local authorities and foreign investors. For the most part, the mere presence of a beautiful square or a religious monument within a city cannot be enough for the modern city. In order to gain recognition as a modern city of the 21st century, a large portfolio of architectural development projects is necessary so increase the output, aesthetics and general appeal of the city to the outside world, as it is illustrated in the case of iconic buildings (Glendinning, 2012). The portfolio includes various strategies that are used by the local development councils in increasing the architectural resources found within the premises as well as the input by multinational organisations within this development in lieu of the rules that are used by Starchitects. As growth is experienced in today’s cities, individuals can witness how similar design implementations are used in different cities, with transformations of the existent architectures aiding in the provision of superiority and identity (Marshall, 2000). The last two decad es have seen the rise of the ‘megacity’ phenomenon, with small scale and often ‘off the grid’ cities being uplifted to city stardom through the regeneration of existent architectures and the inclusion of socio-cultural events around the creation of these resources. As global cities develop, cultural and communal events have been moved to these venues creating a sense of appreciation for their existence and a need for their improvement. Another finding that emerged from the research is that iconic buildings are perceived as a powerful tool to redefine the economical and political image of cities and countries in which they are constructed (Reutskaja and Nueno, 2009). The economic impact of these buildings has been extensively considered in order to present adequate conclusions about the state of regional economies. It cannot be denied that the presence of many iconic buildings in different locations across the world has improved the economic well-being of residents. Based on the results obtained from conducting non-empirical research, it can be argued that there are both cases of economical and political successes and failures associated with the construction of iconic buildings. This finding is confirmed in a research by Reutskaja and Nueno (2009) who provide evidence of the positive impact on employment in the region due to the emergence of iconic buildings and the essential element of hubris attached to them. The construction of such buildings is directly linked with the creation of a substantial number of jobs in different countries as well as greater contribution to the local government budgets in terms of taxes and duties. Another positive economic impact is related to additional employment in manufacturing processes for organisations that are responsible for the construction of iconic buildings. However, the negative economic effects of the erection of emblematic buildings should not be ignored (Rybczynski, 2008). For instance, a significant economic drawback is associated with the higher fees that are usually charged by Starchitects, indicating their egocentric factors of motivation used in the construction of similar buildings. A consideration of the challenges of cost estimations and over-budgeting should be considered in order to determine the precise economical and political impact of iconic buildings.Social & Ethical Instances/ Cases of FailureThe representation of iconic building s has been also linked with specific social and ethical implications. There are extensive examples that indicate hubris of the involved Starchitects. These are Zaha Hadid’s Qatar Stadium and Patrik Schumacher’s rant at 2014 architecture biennale. It appears that the mentioned buildings carry out the ‘pride’ of their creators in terms of involved efforts to make a lasting impression on the public. Moreover, it has been discovered that the aspect of public alienation is among the main factors contributing to the increasing social and ethical instances of failed iconic buildings. Starchitects have been identified as losing their appeal because they have consistently adhered to the philosophy of constructing architectural buildings of excess (Glendinning, 2012). As a result, it frequently appears that architectural design of certain buildings around the world is dominated by excessive elements, which create an irrelevant perception among people. The present st udy also indicated that architecture is in a new era of development in the sense of focussing on the possibilities that technology has to offer. Yet, this raises the question whether such modern architecture succeeds in serving the needs of humanity (Kent, 2010). The answer to this question is complex considering the multiple effects created by the specific line or mode of architecture followed by Starchitects. However, it can be stated that architecture apparently emerges as an art that cannot be avoided by any means. An ethical instance of failed iconic buildings is related to the morality and controversy of such pieces of modern architecture. For example, Patrik Schumacher was accused of being motivated by an aspect identified as ‘misguided political correctness’. It has been argued that architects should try their best not to confuse architecture and art. A relevant finding revealed in this context is that architecture is actually found in charge of the specific form of the built environment (Glendinning, 2012). It is important to emphasise that one of the major duties of architects in contemporary society is to deliver a strong aspect of social justice. However, it should be indicated that Starchitects’ works have raised a series of ethical and moral concerns (Martin, 2013). In Qatar, migrant workers died at a stadium which is currently under construction, as this intensifies social anxiety and fear relating to the purpose and means utilised by Starchitects in their egocent ric representations found in modern buildings. It has been claimed that architects are not responsible for the death of these migrant workers, but the question of the moral and ethical parameters of such iconic buildings still remains persistent in the minds of individuals.Environmental and Evolutionary Instances/ Cases of Failure & Evolutionary PerspectivesThe issue of discussing Starchitects’ hubris reflects in numerous examples, such as Lloyds building and Calatrava & Valencia. The main aspect that was revealed in the study from an environmental perspective is that of the creation of defective masterpieces of architecture. It can be argued that such architectural creations have been resulted of the over-ambition of Starchitects (Glendinning, 2012). The example of Lloyd’s of London as anticipating leaving its iconic headquarters clearly illustrates the assumption of environmental failure. In fact, it has been indicated that the major problem with this building is its exposure to the elements making it an extremely costly structure (Martin, 2013). Cases of failure like this one point out that the technological advances of modern architecture have outpaced the simple ability of Starchitects to adeptly utilise them. The failure of emblematic buildings to meet strict functional requirements is indicative of their inappropriate environmental impact. Another example of a failed iconic building, as seen through the environmental lens, is seen at Calatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences complex in Valencia. Only eight years after the completion of this project, certain parts of the construction started falling off. Such an instance of architectural failure confirms major findings outlined in the literature review section regarding the failures of contemporary iconic buildings (Reutskaja and Nueno, 2009; Romaniuk, 2010). The research findings indicated that both architects and developers are extensively focussed on erecting icons, but the results frequently turn out in a negative direction. The ambitions of Starchitects seemed to have contributed to the emergence of inappropriately maintained pieces of architecture in modernity (Romaniuk, 2010). In this sense, it can be argued that the architectural fabric is completely disregarded by Starchitects. Yet, a main problem created with iconic buildings is that they often produce one-lined response, which has become rather problematic for the entire functioning of the cities where these buildings are situated. Assessing the environmental impact of iconic buildings is a complex process relating to the interrelations of factors such as place, function and history (Rybczynski, 2008). Based on the research findings outlined in this study, it is important to state that iconic buildings have completely changed their status in the sense that people more and more start abandoning the idea of iconicity attached to similar pieces of modern architecture. The negative environmental impact of emblematic buildings cannot be ignored in the discussion of the ambitions of Starchitects and how those ambitions reflect in the buildings constructed by them. Changing the status of Starchitects’ buildings from iconic to extraordinary one is indicative of the way the public has altered its perceptions regarding the contributions of modern-day architects. Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations This paper explored the implications of iconicity and hubris relating to architectural pieces created by Starchitects. Numerous aspects associated with this issue have been thoroughly investigated to include different perspectives and instances of hubris, such as economical and political instances of failure, social and ethical instances as well as environmental instances of how the concept of iconicity in modern architecture has been unsuccessful. It has been concluded that these architectural creations are merely economically and socially disruptive egocentric representations of the irrelevant ambitions manifested by Starchitects. The study illustrated how these emblematic constructions built by Starchitects have presented main failures with long-term social and ethical implications (Glendinning, 2012). As a result, it was demonstrated that the creations of Starchitects cannot be perceived anymore as iconic, as the aspect of iconicity has been simply replaced by so-called extraordi nary dimensions of perceiving similar buildings (Martin, 2013). The research method used in this study referred to the framework of non-empirical research analysis, which has been found suitable to meet the study’s main aim and objectives. This type of method allowed for greater flexibility in exploring specific concepts related to the impact of iconicity and hubris on the development of modern architecture (Sudjic, 2005). Moreover, the study identified that architecture has entered into a new stage of development with both positive and negative aspects that should be discussed thoroughly to understand the specific impact of Starchitects’ ambitions (Glendinning, 2012). However, certain limitations can be identified for the present study. The major limitation refers to the use of non-empirical research method. Instead, the researcher could have utilised empirical research method that could have contributed to achieving greater credibility and reliability of research findings (MacNealy, 1998). Another limitation relates to the specific literature that has been selected for obtaining results. Broader literature could have been used to cover the main arguments illustrated in the study (Yanow and Schwartz-Shea, 2010). In terms of recommendations, it is essential to note that the explored subject is quite complex and thus requires the implementation of multiple perspectives to understanding the wide array of impacts relating to the architectural works of Starchitects. Thus, it is recommended to conduct an in-depth primary research involving modern architects from different countries, as they can provide insightful suggestions regarding the development of a modern era in architecture (Glendinning, 2012). This recommendation also indicates a solid focus on including suggestions for future research in the field in order to bring the topic of iconicity and hubris of architectural buildings to new horizons of research exploration (Martin, 2013). A potential subject that may be investigated in a future research refers to people’s opinion on the impact of iconic buildings for the long-term development of their cities. References Deleeuw, J., Meijer, E. and Goldstein, H., eds. (2010). Handbook of Multilevel Analysis. Santa Monica, CA: Springer. Glendinning, M. (2012). Architecture’s Evil EmpireThe Triumph and Tragedy of Global Modernism. London: Reaktion Books. Jacobs, J. (1961). The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House. Kent, F. (2010). Toward an Architecture of Place: Moving beyond Iconic to Extraordinary. Project for Public Spaces [online]. Available at: http://www.pps.org/reference/toward-an-architecture-of-place-moving-beyond-iconic-to-extraordinary/ [Accessed on: 18 Oct. 2014]. King, A. D. (1990). ‘Architecture, Capital and the Globalization of Culture’. Theory, Culture and Society, vol. 7, pp. 397-411. MacNealy, M. S. (1998). Strategies for Empirical Research in Writing. London: Longman. Marshall, R. (2000). Emerging Urbanity: Global Urban Projects in the Asia Pacific Rim. London: Spon Press. Martin, J. (2013). The Bilbao Effect: If You Build It, Will They ComeThe Economist [online]. Available at: http://www.economist.com/node/21591708/comments [Accessed on: 18 Oct. 2014]. Reutskaja, E. and Nueno, J. L. (2009). ‘Starchitects, Emblematic Buildings and Their Effects on Urban Economics’. IESE Business School, University of Navarra, pp. 1-20. Romaniuk, O. (2010). Failure of Iconic Architecture. Living Space [online]. Available at: http://www.livingspace360.com/index.php/failure-of-iconic-architecture-12484/ [Accessed on: 18 Oct. 2014]. Rybczynski, W. (2008). When Buildings Try Too Hard. The Wall Street Journal [online]. Available at: http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB122731149503149341 [Accessed on: 18 Oct. 2014]. Specht, J. (2014). Architectural Tourism: Building for Urban Travel Destinations. Wiesbaden: Gabler. Sudjic, D. (2005). Can We Still Believe in Iconic BuildingsProspect Magazine [online]. Available at: http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ [Accessed on: 18 Oct. 2014]. Yanow, D. and Schwartz-Shea, P., eds. (2006). Interpretation and Method: Empirical Research Methods and the Interpretive Turn. New York: M. E. Sharpe.

Explain the crime of genocide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Explain the crime of genocide - Essay Example The word was however first used in the context of crime in judgment of cases starting with the Justice Case. Initially genocide was considered as a sub-category of crime as it included intentional killing of groups of human beings, destruction or extermination of the groups of individuals. Considering the perspective of the Genocide Convention of 1948, the understanding of the crime of genocide had become significantly narrower than what is crime considered as against humanity (Aydin n.d.). Genocide has been distinctly distinguished as a crime from the other crimes that occur against humanity. The key difference of genocide with other crimes lies in the deliberate intention to kill or eliminate sections of human beings from the society by killing. Such intent to destroy includes the intention to eliminate national, religious, or ethnic groups of people. As these acts represent crimes against humanity, hence genocide is also sometimes considered as a sub-category of crimes against hum anity (Aydin n.d.). Aim of the Study: The aim of the present study is to focus and understand the crime of genocide, considering cases where such acts have taken place, and studying the existing laws and legislations against such acts of crime against humanity. ... Literature Review: The Origins: Although the term genocide has been given to the act of the killing groups and masses of people over the recent years, studies reveal that the origins of such an act can be dated back to millions of years ago. However the historical records that are available about the genocide in earlier times are not dependable for the purpose of research. In the early times, genocides were acted upon not only to remove certain sections of people, or ethnic groups from the society, but also to exploit few of such members of the group being eliminated. Males were the mostly killed ones including smaller children (The Origins of Genocide n.d.). Ancient wars represent cases of genocides of selective people considering the gender of the people and killing them in masses. Examples of such acts of genocides during the ancient times include the destructions caused by the Assyrian Empire during the first millennium of the BCE. The destruction of Melos by the Athens also pres ented gendercidal rampage during the time of the Peloponnesian War. The first genocide that was recorded by Ben Kiernan was the siege of the Roman and ultimate destruction of Carthage at the end of the Third Punic War. However there has been significant debate on these issues and also on the designation set for the first genocide that as recorded (The Origins of Genocide n.d.). The Crime of Genocide: UN Convention: The term genocide has been derived from a combination of two individual terms – ‘genos’ which is a Greek word meaning a group or a tribe, and ‘cide’ representing the Latin word meaning killing. This term was first used in the year 1944 when Lemkin used it in his written book to explain the policies of extermination practiced by the Third Reich and its associates.

ART Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ART - Essay Example Three old ladies were depicted in the oil painting among them two looked really dynamic; one painter, a model, and a portrait which being drawn. The model and the painter looked very real whereas, the portrait of the lady indeed had all features of a comparatively beautiful painting. The notable thing was that the emotional vigor reflected on the faces of the model and the lady in the painting was really difficult for me to understand. The picture also contained the essential furniture and fittings of the interior of a house. The painter in the painting seemed calm and contented as if she was reflecting on the beauty of her work. In fact, I did not like any other paintings because I could not comprehend what many of them meant. The Core New art space is a place I would suggest everyone to visit. Numerous pictures are well arranged there with detailed information on each one. We can purchase them at affordable prices and can get corporate or supporting membership to support the progra m of Core. The gallery is an excellent place for a person to learn many things about art. Each picture displayed holds every detail including the painter, materials used, date etc. As mentioned above, I chose this picture for its unusual appeal and the idea presented in it.

Psychological Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Psychological Research Methods - Essay Example The groups will be tested before and after the therapeutic period using a health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) questionnaire designed specifically for this inquiry. The scores of the two groups will be compared and analyzed to determine if, as expected, the experimental group demonstrates a statistically significant improvement in motor impulsivity behavior. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition affecting three to ten percent of school-age children, primarily boys, and up to five percent of adults (Wender, 2000, p. 4). Although there are differing opinions on how to specifically define the condition, as well as the appropriate methods for sorting it out from other associated behavioral disorders, most practitioners agree that if a certain set of behaviors (distraction, fidgeting, excessive talking, etc.) are present in sufficient quantity and severity, the diagnosis is correct (Atkinson & Hornby, 2002, pp. 46-47). The scope of this research will not be to determine the actual presence of ADHD; it will rely on the diagnosis of medical professionals to form the study group. This approach is in line with established protocols, where "regardless of the treatment approach, the diagnosis of ADHD and other co-morbidities first must be established through a standard medical evaluation" (Baumgaertel, 1999, p. 977). This research will, however, seek to test whether a specific alternative treatment (music therapy), when used in conjunction with traditional pharmacological therapy, can attenuate motor impulsivity. The focus of treatment for ADHD is to "decrease symptoms, enhance functionality, and improve well-being for the child and his or her close contacts" (Klassen, et al., 2004, p. 541). The primary methodology for accomplishing this control is the use of pharmacological agents, and it is common knowledge that drugs such as Ritalin are often employed to attenuate the symptoms. In response to a perceived over-prescribing of such medicines by doctors, there has been a rise in alternative therapies that seek to attenuate ADHD behavior through non-pharmacological means; the majority of which are designed to be used in conjunction with medication. For example, a recent study sought to determine if yoga could be used as an alternative method and, although no "strong support" was found, the authors nevertheless concluded that "yoga may have merit as a complementary treatment for boys with ADHD already stabilized on medication" (Jensen & Kenny, 2004, p. 205). It has been suggested that of all the alternative treatments proposed, music may have the best impact, particularly with situational performance in cognitive tasks (Baumgaertel, 1999, p. 980). Others, however, have found that "there is little in the music therapy literature about [treatment] for ADHD," but cite survey results that music therapists are employing a number of different methods in treating children with ADHD (Jackson, 2003, 302). One study has directly addressed the issue of music therapy on the level of motor impulsivity, with mixed results. While "no statistical difference was found between the impact of the contrasting approaches as

How can the challenges for business start-ups in China be overcome Essay

How can the challenges for business start-ups in China be overcome - Essay Example It is evident from the study that there are many challenges that start up businesses would face in China which include complexities within the political, economic, social cultural and technological factors of the business environment in this country. The complexity theory in the practice of business management demonstrates that chaos within the business environment that challenges entrepreneurs especially for starting businesses. To ensure that a start up business grows and thrives in the China, entrepreneurs must put in consideration all the challenging factors in decision making. According to Alexandru and Gabriela, entrepreneurs who plan to venture into doing business in China should be aware of the challenges which are likely to be faced in the Chinese society and their implication on the success of the business venture. Lowe & Marriott add that the social factor and the culture of the Chinese people is a very strong force in determining the performance of a business especially v entures by foreign investors. The political factors in addition to economic environment are apparent determinants of the success of a business within this country. China is one of the leading technological innovators in the world and modern technology and computer applications and systems are being applied in business functions within the country and therefore the technology factor is most likely to influence the success of a business venture in the country as explained by. ... 43). The challenges that starting business in China are many and therefore entrepreneurs should be prepared head on if their businesses are to grow. The complexity theory describes a business startup as one which is faced with chaos and many external factors which are determinants of the survival of a business investment. CRITICAL EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION Cultural and Language Barriers Bergsten (2008) asserts that there are cultural and language barriers which would be very challenging to entrepreneurs wishing to start business in this country. Foreigners who plan to start business in China will certainly have difficulties during business negotiations due to language barrier (Chen & Miller, 2011). It would be appropriate therefore for entrepreneurs who start businesses in China to learn basic Chinese which would be adequate for business communications. Additionally, starting up a business in China will mean that the entrepreneurs leans basic social communication skill s so that the relationship with local employees or business partners would be enhanced. Chandra & Chao (2011, p. 55) say that the Chinese culture is very old and complex and may challenge entrepreneurs who plan to start business in this society. The culture of the Chinese will influence the ability of an entrepreneur of building business relationships. Therefore, entrepreneurs should learn about the Chinese culture to ensure that they do not violate it which would impact negatively on the business as demonstrated by Isenberg (2008, p. 107). The complexities of language and culture affect issues such as greetings, gender roles, leadership and business management which are congruent

Alvin Ailey's Polotics in the Art of Dance Research Paper

Alvin Ailey's Polotics in the Art of Dance - Research Paper Example Ailey was most popular as one of the first few African Americans who dared revolutionize their dance styles, which ultimately led to his contribution to modern American dance. It is in this respect though that he was able to subtly express for the first time his political convictions. At the height of his success as a choreographer, when he was recognized no longer just for his art but also for how he used it to advance his political cause, Ailey was awarded the Spingarn Medal. Renowned composer-conductor Leonard DePaur, his presentation of the award, mentioned that Ailey â€Å"would confound and confuse America's critics by refusing to conform to their pre-conceptions of what a black choreographer must be† (NAACP 1977, p. 100). With this distinction, it is clear that Ailey had been able to infuse his politics in the development of his choreography and in the performance of his dance. Through his art, he was able to challenge stereotyping that was brought about by racism and b igotry. This paper seeks to explain the bases why Ailey incorporated his political activism into the art form that he specializes in and how this has contributed to America’s struggle against racism. I. ... Aside from the treatment that they receive from the whites because of their race, Ailey and his mother also suffered due to their constant lack of income. Ailey’s family was basically working class and his mother picked cotton and occasionally did domestic chores for the more affluent white families (Cardwell 2006, p.38). This childhood of want and inequality had influenced the development of Ailey’s political views early on. However, it took time before this actually was brought out into the open through his choreography. Prompted by his keen interest in dance, Ailey went to undergo formal training in dance with the tutelage of Lester Horton, who was recognized then as the principal promoter of the modern dance in Los Angeles. In the 1940’s, it was in Los Angeles and New York only that African Americans could train alongside with the whites. It was also during this period that Ailey was able to come across other African America dance artists who trained under Ho rton. When Horton died though, Ailey took over the company. As a result, he achieved a freer hand in determining the styles and contents of every dance production that the company came up with. During these particular times though, it was clear that Ailey was more concerned with the rapid development of his artistic talents in dance, as well as the continuous improvement of his dancer’s talents. However, by 1958, when the struggle for the civil rights of African Americans reached its peak, Ailey also began to show his political inclinations. The most glaring examples of these are Blue Suite and Revelations, which â€Å"focused on the experience of African Americans† (Foulkes 2002, p. 180). Both dance productions highlighted the uniqueness of the

Ethical Criteria and its relationship with business negotiation Essay

Ethical Criteria and its relationship with business negotiation - Essay Example The main ethical criteria in businesses are utilitarian, universalism, categorical imperative, justice views, individualism, and social justice relativism and their relation to business negations. One of the ethical criteria is the Utilitarian criterion in which a business executive makes decisions solely based on the outcomes and consequences. Many businesses use the criterion to make decisions in the provision of the greatest good and for the greatest number. The criterion ensures that the decisions made create efficiency for the organization as it struggles to achieve its goals (Ferrell & Gresham, 1985). The method also aims at increasing the productivity of the business resulting in high profits of the company or the business enterprise. When a business executive maximizes profits, he can support his action that the decision he made as for the good of the organization. The use of Unitarianism leads to productivity and efficiency in an organization but can make the executive ignore the rights of some stakeholders especially the minority group making them feel unaccepted. The users of the criterion feel that they need to protect the organizations interest and the shareholde rs. Businesses require the stakeholders to hold negotiations especially when making important decisions. The criterion does not allow free negotiations and discussions by the company’s stakeholders as a single individual makes the decision for the benefit of the company. The choice of the action to be taken is determined by the largest number of stakeholders supporting it. The categorical Imperative involves the universal practice such that everyone is allowed to practice the proposed action. Kant developed the criterion and individuals wishing to use the criterion or the test should know that they would need to adopt the morality of the action. The morality of the action is the key to the adoption of the test, and

Developing an Innovation Strategy for a Healthy Lifestyle at the Essay

Developing an Innovation Strategy for a Healthy Lifestyle at the Co-operative Food Group - Essay Example Innovation entails coming up with new ideas and implementing them into new process, service, and product, resulting in the dynamic growth of the organization or national economy and increase employment opportunities. Innovation is not a one-time process, but it is a long and cumulative process that requires the organization to engage in decision-making processes that range from generation of new ideas to implementing them (Child, Gakkai, Kagono, and Urabe 3). Fuglsang (6) states that the definition of innovation comprises of two aspects: innovation and creativity, exploitation and exploration, or selection and variation. In other words, innovation is viewed as comprising of two integrated processes. New suitable inventions or ideas have to be discovered in a creative manner. The interaction between those two processes is very vital for the success of the innovation (Fuglsang 6). Blue Ocean The proposed innovation strategy for adoption by CF captures the blue ocean innovation concept as well as low cost strategy with regard to operations ambitions. In the blue ocean innovation approach proposed by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, competition as a market force threatening smooth operations, CF will find it advisable to explore new product and market profiles without the traditional limitations of competition (Kim and Mauborgne 3). Overcoming the completion limitation, referred to as red ocean, will facilitate CF accessing unlimited opportunities in new markets. Coupling this approach to the low cost leadership strategy, the blue ocean innovation will ensure that the operations at CF remain sustainable, particularly in the financial constrained operations space experienced today in Europe. Four main areas of the innovative strategy will be encompassed in the model as enumerated below. The proposed model below enumerates the approach that Cooperative Food needs to embrace in order to highlight healthy products brand image, eliminate competition and reduce operation costs. Critical Analysis In view of the major players that CF has, different approaches may prove effective to deal with specific competitive threats posed by each of the competing sides. The identification of the major competitive threats is perhaps important in the enumeration and quantification of the competitive input required at CF. some of the main market players likely to pose competitive threats to CF include ASDA, TESCO, Morrisons, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. ASDA presents a particular market competition threat by its popular consumer involvement strategy referred to as ‘Chosen by You’ category of products which enter on the company’s menu through recommendation by the customers (Cooperative Food 6). With respect to capturing customer demands, the magnitude of this competitive threat illustrates the success levels likely to be attained by CF if a more customer caring and customer response approach formulate marketing concepts adopted. As an illustr ation of the ASDA wrought competition expected in 2012, over 1,000 such customer requested additions will enter into the competitive aspect. CF must therefore adopt more

The Mysterious Marisa Coulter Essay Example for Free

The Mysterious Marisa Coulter Essay Phillip Pullman’s â€Å"His Dark Materials† introduces a new twist on the old villainess character to the world of fiction. Mrs. Marisa Coulter is an almost purely evil character. Despite her charming and persuasive demeanor, Mrs. Coulter is the greediest, most power-hungry character in the trilogy. In Pullman’s world, every human has a daemon—a visible version of the soul that takes on an animal form. Mrs. Coulter’s daemon, a vicious little golden monkey, reflects its owner’s personality. Only a few seconds, and the monkey had overmastered him: with one fierce black paw around his throat and his black paws gripping the polecat’s lower limbs, he took one of Pantalaimon’s ears in his other paw and pulled as if he intended to tear it off. Not angrily, either, but with a cold curious force that was horrifying to see and even worse to feel. † (Pullman, 65) Just as the monkey, in book three, enjoys torturing and killing bats in the cave in which Mrs. Coulter keeps Lyra, Mrs. Coulter enjoys toying with people before she kills them. She shows no remorse after tearing people to pieces or torturing them to death. Mrs. Coulter, according to Lord Asriel, wanted to be involved in the religious hierarchy. However, being female, this was denied her. Mrs. Coulter is very intelligent and clever, but usually works for her own ends. She is manipulative and a very convincing liar. Every act of kindness or consideration is for her benefit only. Mrs. Coulter’s daemon attacks Lyra’s daemon in an attempt to subdue Lyra into doing her bidding. Immediately following this act Pullman writes, â€Å"‘What do you think of the flowers, dear? ’ said Mrs. Coulter as sweetly as if nothing had happened† (65). She has no sense of compassion and will do almost anything to reach her goals. She is not sympathetic or sentimental, and does not particularly care how her actions affect other people. She has tortured, killed, and torn children in half all for the sake of raising herself higher. From a young age she craved power, first attempting to obtain it through marrying a wealthy politician, Edward Coulter. When her husband was killed by her lover Lord Asriel she was left with almost nothing and decided to try to get power through the Church. She decided to experiment with Dust, a new kind of elementary particle that the Church knew about, but would not experiment with because it was a feared subject. Mrs. Coulter realized that daring to do what others will not, is an extremely useful tool for gaining power. After conducting several successful experiments in the North that severed children from their daemons, and stopped Dust from gathering around them, she became one of the Churchs most powerful agents. Of all the characters in Golden Compass, Mrs. Marisa Coulter is the most morally ambiguous. Marisa Coulter has one daughter. Lyra, the protagonist of the trilogy is the product of an affair between Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel while Mrs. Coulter was still married to Edward Coulter. When Mr. Coulter found out his wife was having an affair he chased the baby Lyra and her nurse into a cottage where Lord Asriel came in and killed him. â€Å"There is no Mr. Coulter, by the way: she is a widow. Her husband died very sadly in an accident some years ago; so you might bear that in mind before you ask. † (53) In the months that followed, when Lyras future life was being worked out Mrs. Coulter turned her back. She wanted to distance herself as far away from her daughter and the affair as she could because it would disgrace her and ruin her chances at becoming high in society. It is assumed that she has had many lovers since then, including Lord Boreal. Mrs. Coulter’s relationship with Lord Asriel, Lyra’s father, adds another dimension to her character. The struggle between Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel drives much of the trilogy’s narrative. Though Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel battle for control of their daughter, Lyra’s existence suggests that a powerful attraction once existed, and possibly still exists, between them. It becomes apparent that Mrs. Coulter is in cahoots with the General Oblation Board, who as the Gobblers has been kidnapping children to be sent off to Bolvangar. â€Å"’Really? Is she involved with the Oblation Board? ’ ‘My dear, she is the Oblation Board. It’s entirely her own project –‘† (67) There, the kidnapped children are separated by a process called Intercision from their daemons, something like being subjected to the Dementors kiss. Mrs. Coulter captures the children by manipulating them. She gives them food, tells them her exciting stories of adventures, and generally gives warm hospitality. The children feel comfortable with her, and so they are shipped to Bolvangar before they realize what has happened. The children describe her as angelic. But, despite her cruelty, Mrs. Coulter has a soft spot for Lyra. She rescues Lyra from intercision at Bolvanger, she looks after Lyra in the cave in the Himalayas, and she fights desperately with Father MacPhail to make sure that his bomb doesn’t kill Lyra. In the end, she gives her own life to drag Metatron into the abyss so that Lyra can accomplish her goal. Mrs. Coulter’s transformation is inspired by Lyra, who evokes extraordinary love from most people she encounters. So it could be stated that Lyra melted Mrs. Coulter’s cold icy heart, not only teaching her compassion, but maybe a smidge of humility as well.

Vigilant and vigilante

Vigilant and vigilante Civil policing arrangements aim at restoring justice within the society through the use of social justice structures. Capehart and Milovanovic suggest that the restoration of justice requires the reliability of the social structures and institutions within the society to operate efficiently and autonomously (2007). Further from relying on the social justice systems to punish offenders, members of the society are often asked to become vigilant. However, this has resulted into the sprouting of vigilante groups within the society that take upon themselves to deliver justice. Being vigilant refers to being extra careful about ones safety within their immediate environment. This will require the adoption of some safety practices such as walking with a flash light at night or getting home early. By being vigilant, individuals aim at shielding themselves from falling into any imminent danger within their immediate environment. On the other hand, a vigilante is a group composed of individuals that enforce the law on their own accord. Vigilantes seek justice in their self-developed style that is often quite different from the civil laws. Secondly, by being vigilant, an individual does not bestow any powers to punish upon themselves but rather seek to view their immediate environment with more clarity. Vigilantes bestow powers upon themselves by prescribing to other members on the modes of punishment within the society whereby lack of proper social structures could negatively impact on the society. Lastly, vigilantes are a response to a security deficit issue within the society. This deficit results into the unity among the societys members to bridge the justice gap. However, being vigilant is an individual response in an effort to boost ones safety (Capeheart Milovanovic 2007). References Capeheart, L Milovanovic, D 2007, Social Justice: Theories, Iss. Mvmts, Rutgers UP, Michigan.

Overpopulation of the Earth Essay -- Environment Environmental Polluti

Overpopulation of the Earth The little animatronic children at Disney World were right, it is â€Å"a small world after all†; maybe even too small. At the beginning of the present century there were approximately 1.7 billion people in the world(Southwick pg.159). Today, there are nearly 6 billion people in the world. The world’s population has more than tripled in the span of a hundred years. Given that the earth’s population is constantly on the rise and seeing as how our natural resources are gradually being depleted, we must ask ourselves: what is to become of us and what is to become of our environment? In order to understand this question we must first have a thorough understanding of whether or not there is a population crisis. Having understood this, we must then look at the consequences, if any, of the aforementioned population dilemma. Finally, it is imperative to see whether the governments of the world have appreciated this situation as a crisis and whether or not they have acte d. I) Population Crisis? Population concerns began in 1798 when Thomas Robert Malthus, an Anglican clergyman, wrote an essay entitled An Essay on The Principle of Population (Malthus). The essay focused on the relationship that he believed existed between population growth and human subsistence levels (by ‘subsistence’, Malthus meant anything from food to jobs to land). Malthus argued that the earth’s population expanded ‘geometrically’ while â€Å"’subsistence increases only at an arithmetic ration’†(Malthus). This meant that at some point human beings would experience a scarcity of land, food and jobs, leading to â€Å"human misery and catastrophe† (Southwick pg. 159). This time of misery is described as a time where the poorest classes in societ... ...ally emphasize sexual education and contraceptive distribution), other governments have offered economic incentives to limit family size, governments like China have tried to coerce their people to limit family size and so on. Some of these responses have been more effective than others. Personally, I would argue that the emphasis should be on sexual education and distribution of contraceptives. Sources: Dolan, Edwin G., Ch. 5 from "TANSTAAFL: The Economic Strategy for Environmental Crisis" 1974, pp. 55-72. Hern, Dr. Warren. "Why Are There So Many of Us?" http://www.drhern.com/fulltext/why/paper.html Malthus, Thomas Robert. An Essay on The Principle of Population http://arts-sciences.cua.edu/econ/faculty/aguirre/resenv.htm#1.%20MalthTheory Southwick, Charles H., Ch. 15 from "Global Ecology in Human Perspective" Oxford Univ. Press, 1996, pp. 159-182.

The two peaces of poetry I have studied by Seamus Heaney include Essay

The two peaces of poetry I have studied by Seamus Heaney include Follower and The Early Purges. Heaney's poems both relate back to his younger, adolescent life. In the poem 'Early purges', he describes young kittens being drowned on the farm. His maturity is shown when he says with perception, "And now, when shrill pups are prodded to drown, I just shrug, ' Bloody pups' ". But we are shown that he is still careless now, as well in a casual way by saying "I just shrug". He is also unsympathetic, and justifies his actions like Dan. He is now older, looking back and changed. The language used by Heaney also expresses the fact that little was thought of these so-called nuisances. He says they are 'slung' and Dan Taggart describes them as 'scraggy wee shits'. This shows how unsympathetic he was and how the kittens needn't be cared about. Seamus Heaney also tries to describe the habitual drowning of small kittens. Again, he tries to use language to appeal more and give us a better personal picture of events. For instance, when describing the kittens, just after their death, he quite brightly says, 'Like wet gloves they bobbed and shone till he sluiced them out on the dunghill, glossy and dead'. Glossy and dead are two contrasting words - 'glossy' is a healthy appearance, but its only because the water drowned the kittens, where the word 'death' comes in. Heaney goes on to say 'watching the three sogged remains turn mealy and crisp as old summer dung'. This is very imagery language, and maybe quite disturbing, although I think it adds more atmosphere to the poem, because summer is supposed to be happy and fresh, whereas dung isn't. And 'turn mealy and crisp', which gives the impression that he tried to pr... ...side with Heaney. The arguments put up by Dan Taggart, such as "Sure isn't it better for them now?" are seen to be realistic later on in the poem when Heaney says, "It makes sense". The images which he uses, however, encourage us to sympathise with him, such as "Suddenly frightened, for days I sadly hung round the yard" where we picture a small boy frightened at the power of adults over the poor helpless animals. This poem again, like "Follower" shows that life in the country can be very difficult, especially if you have to kill small animals, but if you work hard, then the farm will run better. Both poems have main themes, and they are very similar to eachother. It is all about the hard work involved in running a farm, the relationship between the father and son, and the expectation that profession and skills will be carried on throughout the family.

Of Power and Piety: An Inquisition into The Roman Catholic Church Essa

Religion is thought to provide comfort to the innermost part of a human: the soul. However, what happens when religion seeks to overstep its rightful boundaries and attempts to control humans from the outside, rather than uplift them from within. Such is the fault of the largest religious organization on Earth: The Roman Catholic Church. Throughout history, the Catholic Church has been among the most infamous of faith-groups due to its apparent conquest for absolute dominance over the minds, bodies, and souls of humanity. The Roman Catholic Church has and continues to play a negative role in the world with respect to the fields of science, politics, and culture, undermining the quality of life for adherents and infidels alike. The Church has and continues to impede humanity’s quest for knowledge and prosperity through its repression of science. As well, it has been involved in among the most infamous events throughout history. Finally, the Church has made its blatant that it s eeks to turn back the hands of time worth respect to progressive social change through tis preaching of its archaic attitudes on contemporary social issues. The Roman Catholic Church has throughout history, impeded scientific discovery, which thereby impaired humanity’s progress towards better understanding of and prospering in the world. Being the most â€Å"catholic† of the world’s faiths, the church has wielded an uncanny grip over the hearts and minds of a large portion of the human race; this was its source of power. To ensure that this power would never be lost, the church had to appeal to all faculties of the human condition, including those of wondering and reason. To this end, the church only tolerated explanations of the workings of the universe that w... ...578d3124b4%40sessionmgr11&bdata=Jmxhbmc9ZW4tY2Emc2l0ZT1wb3YtY2Fu# db=p3h&AN=1639206 Robinson, B.A. "The role of the Roman Catholic Church in the Shoah (Nazi Holocaust)." religious tolerance.org. Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/vat_hol12.htm "The Decline of the Church Authority.†. Albalagh Retrieved from http://www.albalagh.net/kids/history/church_decline.shtml Dickson White, Andrew. "A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom." University of Michigan Center for the Study of Complex Systems. Retrieved from http://cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/White/ Hawkes, Charles, and Jennifer Watt. What Makes us Human. Images of society: introduction to anthropology, psychology, and sociology. Toronto. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2001. Pg39.

Washington Mutual Bank: Case for Consumer Rights

McKell v. Washington Mutual Bank (2006) is a case for consumer rights highlighting the prerogative of the consumers to ‘buy at the right price.’   In this case, the consumers were not buying goods and services.   Rather, the market consisted of real property; and one of the stakeholders – Washington Mutual, Inc. – was overstating the prices of â€Å"underwriting, tax services, and wire transfer fees in conjunction with home loans.† [1]   Washington Mutual Bank had overcharged the buyers for these services – alleged the plaintiffs (few of the buyers) – when the actual prices that the bank had paid to service providers for the self same services were less. The defendants (Washington Mutual) were simply making a profit on the services they had bought off different providers and selling to other members of society that needed them at the time.   Is this kind of profit making unlawful? – From the viewpoint of consumers, it may very well be unlawful, seeing that all consumers want to pay the ‘best prices.’   However, if the consumers were to stop using the services of Washington Mutual Bank, they would possibly have to visit various service providers for underwriting, tax services, and wire transfers, and still come to the defendants for home loans. In the integrative business of Washington Mutual, everything is taken care of.   In view of this, it was decided by a trial court in California that the complaint made by the plaintiffs must be dismissed on the grounds that there had been no written agreement between the parties to state that Washington Mutual, Inc. cannot charge in excess of the prices that it pays to the service providers.   The case went into appeal.   It is going to continue being considered; in fact, the California Court of Appeal has agreed with a part of the plaintiff’s complaint and agreed to review this consumer case further.[2] The main reason why the McKell v. Washington Mutual Bank case has still not been shut is that consumers feel deceived when they are told that they are being charged simply the prices of the services bought, when in fact the sellers have overcharged.   Although profit making is not considered illegal, in this case the consumers feel cheated because they had been informed by Washington Mutual that they were being charged the prices of certain services that cost a certain amount. As it turned out, the prices charged included a huge markup, while the consumers continued to believe that they were paying the ‘right prices.’   The plaintiffs failed to produce all necessary documents to support their allegations.   Nevertheless, the fact that Washington Mutual had failed to mention to the consumers that a service fee was being added for the services in question – has landed the bank in hot water.   Moreover, by charging a price that is higher than the market price, the bank is responsible for going against â€Å"Congress’s stated intent to protect consumers from unnecessarily high settlement charges.†[3]   Indeed, this is the strongest argument to keep the McKell v. Washington Mutual case going in the near future. Washington Mutual Bank may be charged with near-monopolistic practices in the coming days, although it has not been determined whether the bank’s competitors are charging markups that are vastly dissimilar.   Assuming that the competitors of the bank are charging much less than Washington Mutual, the justice system may very well decide that Washington Mutual must pay the legal charges of unfair competition. Seeing that both federal and state laws demur near-monopolistic practices, that is, charging prices that are much higher than those at the market equilibrium – the Californian courts may eventually end up with a strong hand protecting the interests of the consumer and charging Washington Mutual Bank much more than it charged its consumers through allegedly â€Å"unfair† practices.[4] Works Cited McKell v. Washington Mutual: IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, SECOND APPELLATE COURT, DIVISION ONE. 2006. 4 June 2007. . McKell v. Washington Mutual-Class Action Defense Cases: Defense Motion To Dismiss Class Action Improperly Granted As To Breach of Contract And UCL Claims Based On Federal RESPA Violations California Court Holds. Class Action Defense Blog. 2007. 4 June 2007 . [1] â€Å"McKell v. Washington Mutual-Class Action Defense Cases: Defense Motion To Dismiss Class Action Improperly Granted As To Breach of Contract And UCL Claims Based On Federal RESPA Violations California Court Holds,† Class Action Defense Blog, 2007, 4 June 2007 . [2] â€Å"McKell v. Washington Mutual: IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, SECOND APPELLATE COURT, DIVISION ONE,† 2006, 4 June 2007, . [3] â€Å"McKell v. Washington Mutual-Class Action Defense Cases.† [4] Ibid.

Sales and Distribution Management

BRAND BUILDING STRETEGY OF AIRTEL A brand is a name or trademark connected with a product or producer. Brands have become increasingly important components of culture and the economy, now being described as â€Å"cultural accessories and personal philosophies†. Brand strategy is much more than visual identity. While a beautiful logo, catchy color scheme, and clever tagline are all elements of a brand strategy, they are merely supporting elements. Behind Nike's â€Å"Swoosh† and AIRTEL's â€Å"AIRTEL† are all the elements of a brand strategy, the activities the companies engaged in to give target buyers a reason to buy their product or service and not a competitor's. While the visual identity may elicit a response, it does not cause the response—the elements of brand strategy do. Elements of Brand Strategy To build a powerful brand, companies need to have all the elements of brand strategy in place. There are many elements of brand strategy. †¢ Brand strategy includes targeting †¢ Positioning is an element of brand strategy Product or service configuration and pricing †¢ Marketing communications (e. g. , advertising and direct marketing) †¢ Media allocation, an important part of brand strategy †¢ Customer service is included in brand strategy What’s in a Brand? Sometimes it’s easier to understand what something is by first understanding what it is not. A brand is not a name. It’s not a logo. It’s not a product, service or business. Others have described it as a promise, an expectation and, ultimately, an experience that a person—a customer, patient, guest, visitor, physician, or employee—has with your product or service. Mission, vision, values, strategic plan, and brand strategy: Where do they connect? Most organizations’ brands are inspired by their mission, vision and values statements. The organization’s strategic plan will drive the long-term vision for what the organization will do, and the brand strategy should help the organization define why and how they will accomplish those goals. The real differentiator comes when you discover what makes your brand unique, giving it a market advantage. Consider Nike. The brand is not the â€Å"swoosh. † That’s a logo. The brand is not â€Å"Just do it. † That’s a slogan. Their brand strategy—what makes them number one in sports apparel—is an attitude: Give the consumer the freedom to just do the sport. So, when the Nike strategic (business) plan called for a diversification strategy into athletic equipment, such as golf balls, the brand strategy guided Nike to understand why that strategy was appropriate and how it had the potential to strengthen the brand AIRTEL: It's All About the Brand |Bharti Airtel  [pic] | |Telecom giant Bharti Airtel is the flagship company of Bharti Enterprises. The Bharti Group has a diverse business portfolio and has | |created global brands in the telecommunication sector. Bharti has recently forayed into retail business as Bharti Retail Pvt. Ltd. | |under a MoU with Wal-Mart for the cash & carry business. It has successfully launched an international venture with EL Rothschild | |Group to export fresh agri products exclusively to markets in Europe and USA and has launched Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company Ltd | |under a joint venture with AXA, world leader in financial protection and wealth management. |Airtel comes to you from Bharti Airtel Limited, India’s largest integrated and the first private telecom services provider with a | |footprint in all the 23 telecom circles. Bharti Airtel since its inception has been at the forefront of technology and has steered | |the course of the telecom sector in the country with its world class products and services. The businesses at Bharti Airtel have been| |structured into three individual strategic business units (SBU’s) – Mobile Services, Airtel Telemedia Services & Enterprise Services. |The mobile business provides mobile & fixed wireless services using GSM technology across 23 telecom circles while the Airtel | |Telemedia Services business offers broadband & telephone services in 95 cities and has recently launched India's best Direct-to-Home | |(DTH) service, Airtel digital TV. The Enterprise services provide end-to-end telecom solutions to corporate customers and national & | |international long distance services to carriers. All these services are provided under the Airtel brand. | The Name – Airtel was born free, a force unleashed into the market with a relentless and unwavering determination to succeed. A spirit charged with energy, creativity and a team driven â€Å"to seize the day† with an ambition to become the most globally admired telecom service. Airtel, in just ten years of operations, rose to the pinnacle to achievement and continues to lead. As India's leading telecommunications company Airtel brand has played the role as a major catalyst in India's reforms, contributing to its economic resurgence. Today we touch peoples lives with our Mobile services, Telemedia services, to connecting India's leading 1000+ corporate. We also connect Indians living in USA, UK and Canada with our call home service. | |Our Vision & promise   | | | | | |By 2010 Airtel will be the most admired brand in India: | |Loved by more customers | |Targeted by top talent | |Benchmarked by more businesses | |â€Å"We at Airtel always think in fresh and innovative ways about the needs of our customers and how we want them to feel. We deliver what | |we promise and go out of our way to delight the customer with a little bit more† | The Logo – The Airtel logo is a specially drawn woodmark. It incorporates two solid, red rectangular forms whose counter-form creates an open doorway. The title case lettering with its capital ‘A’ reinforces our leadership position. Thered dot cues in our focus on innovation. Our logo is a reflection of our identity – a confident symbol of a brandthat is always ahead of the rest , always ‘In-touch’ and on customer’s side. . The airtel logo is a strong, contemporary and confident symbol for a brand that is always ahed of the rest. The image style –it incorporates two solid ,red rectangular forms whose counter form creats an open doorway. Te airtel typo graphical style – the title case lettering with its capital â€Å"A† was deliberatiely choose to reinforce the brands leadership position. The red dot on the letter form â€Å"I† cues airtel’s focus on innovation. the words express yourself are very much part of the brand identity. The airtels color palette – the lettering is grey so that the pure black of airtel is visually on harmed The Slogan – â€Å"Nigahhein nigahon ko milakar to dekho, Naye logo se rista bana kar to dekho†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With this the focus have shifted to vibrating the innermost core of a viewer’s heart. The ad is made up of five snippets, each one displaying the importance of reaching out the others. In this Ad, there is the range of situations/relationships covered, from two little girls in the first one to an aged couple in the next one to the young lovers and then to student-teacher pair. Best part about the AD is that it never shows anyone using a cell phone!! This is definitely one of the best Ads of recent times. It certainly makes you believe in the line- â€Å"Aasman simat jaayega tumhara aaghosh mein, chahat ki baahen phalli kart ho dekho†. AIRTELS's Branding Strategy Brand Architecture: Bharti is working on a complex three-layered branding architecture — to: †¢Create specific brands for each service, Build sub-brands within each of these services and †¢Use Bharti as the mother brand providing the group its corporate identity as well as defining its goal to become a national builder of telecoms infrastructure. †¢ This is also called umbrella bra nding by Airtel Also the brand airyel follows co- branding in which it is being tied up with nokia, google and also i-phone 3g to cater the need of its increasing customer’s efficientely. †¢ nokia, ———[pic] †¢ google ——–[pic] †¢ i-phone——-[pic] †¢ Integrated Telecom Company 1. Wireless Services a. 2G/3G b. Rural Market 2. Telemedia Services a. Fixed Line b. Broadband c. DTH 3. Enterprise Services †¢ Carrier †¢ Corporate 4. Passive Infrastructure †¢ Bharti Infratel †¢ Indus Tower AIRTEL (Cellular Operations) BHARTI TOUCHTEL (Basic Service Operations) INDIA ONE (National Long Distance) AirTel – The flagship brand for cellular operations all across the country. Touchtel – The brand earmarked for basic service operations. India One – The brand for national long distance (NLD) telephony Though the costs of creating new brands are heavy but the group wants to create â€Å"distinct independent brands toAddress different customers and profiles†. SEGMENTATION- On the bais of gepography –divided Indian market in telecom circles –subdivided states into category –A,B and C TARGETING- †¢ Earlier elite class above age group of 25 years †¢ Corporate people ad bsiness man Again targeted youth by introducing â€Å"YOUTOPIA† plan †¢ Targeted women and senior citizens by introducing postpaid plans POSITIONING- â€Å"we position airtel as a aspirational and life style brand , in way that trivalised the price in the mind of the consumer . it was pitched not merely as a mobile service , but as something that gave him a badge value†. By Henmant sachdev. CMO â€Å"power to keep in touch ‘ year 1995-98 Significance-The tag line â€Å"power to keep in touch† used in the brand promise was designed to make the user feel â€Å"in control†¦ powerful† positioned premium category aimed at elite ckass of society perception of aspirational and ife style brand. REASON FOR CHANGE- now cellular service operators could drop their prces ad target new customer segments . as the category developed with pricess going down sharply , airtel bean talking to wider spectrum of potential users. this gives he birth to the new tag line Bharti is working on a complex three-layered branding architecture — to: †¢ Create specific brands for each service, †¢ Build sub-brands within each of these services and Use Bharti as the mother brand providing the group its corporate identity as well as defining its goal to become a national builder of telecoms infrastructure REPOSITIONING-(TOUCH TOMORROW) YEAR1999-2001 SIGNIFICANCE Airtel started talking to new segments by positively positioning and establishing itself as a brand that improved the quality of life. -New look and feel of the brand tagline indicated the core values of the brand i. e. leadership, performance and dynamism. REASON FOR CHANGE -Airtel started to look from a regional level to pla n India position -rediffusion DY, which is the ad agency that took charge of revamping Airtel’s brand image thought. To become an Indian leader, Airtel needs to change in it’s tagline. FURTHER REPOSITIONING-LIVE EVERY MOMENT YEAR2002-2003 SIGNIFICANCE -This was the first time A R Rehman had agreed to work for any brand, anywhere in the world. The music from the commercial became the most downloaded ringtone it the history of telecommunications. Tagline denots that each and every person in India live every moment(emotions, feelings etc. ) of the life with Airtel. REASONS FOR CHANGE -Rediffusion DY, which is the ad agency that took charge of revamping Airtel’s brand image again changed the tagline to give better tagline to Airtel which catches some emotional appeal. FURTHER REPOSITIONING-EXPRESS YOURSELF Year2003-2008 SIGNIFICANCE -‘Express yourself’ was successfully launched taking the ownership of the entire space of communication and strengthening the emotional bond Airtel enjoys with it’s customers. -The masterminds behind the ‘express yourself’ campaign are the joint vice-presidents:Mr. Prasant Godbole and Zarwan Patel. Airtel is a market leader in the cellular network and they wanted to very fresh and contemporary idea to build a brand image which their customers could identify. BRAND AMBASSADORS OF AIRTEL SHAHRUKH KHAN——–[pic] SACHIN TENDULKAR—–[pic] A R REHMAN—————[pic] SAIF AND KAREENA——-[pic] VIDYA BALAN AND MADHAVAN– [pic][pic] To understand the brand strategy, let’s first look at the brand building exercise associated with AirTel — a brand that had to be repositioned recently to address new needs in the market. When the brand was launched seven years ago, cellular telephony wasn’t a mass market by any means. For the average consumer, owning a cellular phone was expensive as tariff rates (at Rs 8 a minute) as well as instrument prices were steep — sometimes as much as buying a second-hand car. Bharti could have addressed the customer by rationally explaining to him the economic advantage of using a mobile phone. But Sachdev says that such a strategy would not have worked for the simple reason that the value from using the phone at the time was not commensurate with the cost. â€Å"Instead of the value-proposition model, we decided to address the sensory benefit it gave to the customer as the main selling tack. The idea was to become a badge value brand,† he explains. So the AirTel â€Å"leadership series† campaign was launched showing successful men with their laptops and in their deluxe cars using the mobile phone. In simple terms, it meant Airtel was positione aspirational brand that was meant for leaders, for customers who stood out in a crowd. Did it work? Repeated surveys following the launch showed that there were three core benefits that were clearly associated with the brand — leadership, dynamism and performance. These were valuable qualities, but they only took AirTel far enough to establish its presence in the market. As tariffs started dropping, it became necessary for AirTel to appeal to a wider audience. And the various brand-tracking exercises showed that despite all these good things, there was no emotional dimension to the brand — it was perceived as cold, distant and efficient. Sachdev and his team realized that in a business in which customer relationships were the core this could be a major weakness. The reason? With tariffs identical to competitor Reliance Infocomm. and roughly the same level of service and schemes, it had now become important for Bharti to â€Å"humanize† AirTel and use that relationship as a major differentiation. The brand had become something like Lufthansa — cold and efficient. What they needed was to become Singapore Airlines, efficient but also human. A change in tack was important because this was a time when the cellular market was changing. The leadership series was okay when you were wooing the creme de la creme of society. Once you reached them you had to expand the market so there was need to address to new customers. By that time, Bharti was already the leading cellular subscriber in Delhi with a base of 3. 77 lakh (it now has 1. 2 million customers). And with tariffs becoming more affordable — as cell companies started cutting prices — it was time to expand the market. How could Bharti leverage this leadership position down the value chain? Surveys showed that the concept of leadership in the customer’s minds was also changing. Leadership did not mean directing subordinates to execute orders but to work along with a team to achieve common objectives — it was, again, a relationship game that needed to be reflected in the AirTel brand. Also, a survey showed that 50 per cent of the new customers choose a mobile phone brand mostly through word-of-mouth endorsements from friends, family or colleagues. Thus, existing customers were an important tool for market expansion and Bharti now focused on building closer relationships with them. That is precisely what the brand tried to achieve through its new positioning under the AirTel â€Å"Touch Tomorrow† brand campaign. This set of campaigns portrayed mobile users surrounded by caring family members. Says Sachdev: â€Å"The new campaign and positioning was designed to highlight the relationship angle and make the brand softer and more sensitive. † As it looks to expand its cellular services nationwide —to eight new circles apart from the seven in which it already operates — Bharti is now realizing that there are new compulsions to rework the AirTel brand, and a new exercise is being launched to this effect. Right now, the company is unwilling to discuss the new positioning in detail. But broadly, the focus is on positioning AirTel as a power brand with numerous regional sub-brands reflecting customer needs in various parts of the country. If AirTel is becoming more humane and more sensitive as a brand, Bharti has also understood that one common brand for all cellular operations might not always work in urban markets that are now getting increasingly saturated. To bring in new customers, the company decided that it needed to segment the market. One such experiment, launched last year, is Youtopia, a brand aimed at the youth in the 14 to 19 age bracket and for those who are â€Å"young at heart†. With its earlier positioning, AirTel was perceived as a brand for the well-heeled older customer; there was nothing for younger people. With Youtopia, AirTel hoped to reverse that. In order to deliver the concept, AirTel offered rock bottom tariff rates (25 paise for 30 seconds) at night to Youtopia customers — a time when they make the maximum number of calls. It also set up merchandising exercises around the scheme — like a special portal for young people to buy things or bid for goods. The company is now looking at offering other services at affordable prices to this segment which include music downloads on the mobile and bundling SMS rates with normal calls to make it cheaper for young people to use. The other experiment that Bharti has worked on is to go in for product segmentation through the Tango brand name. The brand was created to offer mobile users Internet-interface services or what is known as WAP (Wireless Application Protocol). The idea was to bring Internet and mobile in perfect harmony. The name was chosen from the popular movie title It Takes Two To Tango: basically, you need the two services to tango to offer customers a new choice†, says Sachdev. This, however, had less to do with the branding exercise as with inefficiency of service (accusingly slow download speeds) and the limited utility of WAP services. Subsequently, the ads were withdrawn, but the company re-iterated that the branding exercise could be revived because Tango will be the brand to offer GPRS services — or permanent Internet connectivity on the mobile phone — which AirTel is expected to launch soon. The Magic: Perhaps the more ambitious experiment has been with Magic — the pre-paid card. The idea was to make the brand affordable, accessible and, most importantly, feasible as a means of expanding the market even faster. PHASE I – Magic was aimed at bringing in infrequent users of a mobile phone into the market and assure him that he would have to pay only if he made a call. Such a customer used the phone sparingly — mostly for emergencies — and was not willing to pick up a normal mobile connection with its relatively high rentals (pre-paid cards do not include rental charges). To achieve its objectives Bharti did three things. .One, the product was made available at prices ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 3,000 with no strings attached and was simple to operate. Two, the product was made accessible and distributed through small stores, telephone booths and even kirana shops so that the offering was well within arms reach †¢Third, to make the product more â€Å"approachable† to the customer, the company came with vernacular ad campaigns like à ¢â‚¬Å"Magic Daalo Se Hello† which appealed to local sensibilities. This apart, the company roped in Karisma Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan for a major ad campaign all across Delhi, a ruse that saw the number of subscribers go up from 5. 47 lakh to 12 lakh today, overtaking Essar’s branded pre-paid card Speed, which was launched much ahead of Magic. The company is now re-working its Magic strategy even further. Earlier, the branding strategy was aimed at roping in only interested customers — that is, customers who were already inclined to opt for mobile services. But now, with basic service providers having been allowed limited mobility at far cheaper rates, mobile service providers could find themselves under threat again. That is why the new exercise is aimed at co-opting non-adopters. While the exact strategy is under wraps, insiders say the new branding strategy would be aimed at offering them value which they had not perceived would be available from using a pre-paid card. PHASE II – Bharti used AirTel Magic to build a strong value proposition and accelerate market expansion through India’s first national pre-paid card TV brand campaign ? First time ever in India – any pre-paid card brand goes on TV A combination of the film genre exposed through the TV medium designed to connect with the masses of India ? Youth based – romance driven strategy platform makes the value proposition of AirTel Magic – ‘Mumkin Hai’ come alive ? All elements – user imagery, context, tone & language created to connect the category to the lives of the SEC B & SEC C segment – the middle class non-mobile user. ? AirTel Magic positions itself on the platform of being excellent for emergency situations – increasing productivity as a part of everyday life. ? Sharukh Khan makes ‘everything in life possible’ while romancing pretty Kareena Kapoor with AirTel Magic, India’s leading pre-paid mobile card. AirTel today unveiled its strategy for market expansion with the launch of its new AirTel Magic pre-paid card brand campaign – ‘Magic hai to Mumkin hai’. The strategy is targeted at the non-user segment defined as young adults, 15-30 years of age; in the Sec B & C segment is aimed at accelerating market expansion. The value proposition is centered around a person’s desire to make all his / her dreams, ambitions & aspirations instantly possible. The new campaign for AirTel Magic is all about empowering millions of Indians to be on top of their lives. The brand is positioned to be relevant to the mass-market who want to make all their dreams, hopes & desires come alive†¦ instantly. (At just Rs. 00/- per month AirTel Magic is so easy to buy. ) Improving productivity, letting you befriend the world and opening up new horizons. It gives you the freedom to control your life in a way never possible before. Indeed, anything that you think is possible is possib le with AirTel Magic. The new brand slogan ‘Magic hai to Mumkin hai’ has been specially created to capture this effectively. This strategy is designed to help us talk to this segment directly in the tone, manner & language of the masses. The â€Å"Mumkin hai value proposition will help us expand the market and gain a higher percentage of market shares in the process. The brand ambassadors Shahrukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor embody this ‘can do’ or â€Å"Mumkin Hai† spirit (infact that is the reason they were selected as brand ambassadors). Sharukh rose from a TV actor to become India’s top film star and national heartthrob. Kareena’s success is due to her ‘attitude’, talent, hard work and the sheer ability to make a mark in such a short time. Both these stars have said ‘Mumkin hai’ and made it happen for themselves. The genre of this new strategy & campaign is Hindi cinema led. This genre connects millions across India. The spirit of romance, dancing†¦ the Indian cinema, well known to most as Bollywood, holds millions of Indians together as one. The new TV campaign of AirTel Magic crafted in the Hindi film idiom, magnifies the empowering optimism of â€Å"Mumkin Hai†, in the endearing situation of a boy-girl romance. Where Sharukh Khan, sets his eyes on Kareena Kapoor and wins her love with the help of AirTel Magic. (Poignantly conveying that special feeling we all get when a dream is made possible and a victory of the heart is won). The strategy & new brand campaign is targeted at the large untapped base of intending mobile customers from Sec A, B & C. The estimated addressable market of such customers in the next two years is around 25 million in AirTel’s 16 states. The new strategy aims at correcting the perception that the mobile category is useful mainly for ‘business’ or ‘work’ related scenarios. The new strategy, brand positioning & brand slogan is an outcome of an extensive nationwide research and is an integral part of AirTel Magic’s new multi-media campaign. The campaign has been created by Percept Advertising. PHASE-III – Bharti used AirTel Magic to build a strong value proposition and accelerate market expansion through India’s first national pre-paid card TV brand campaign †¢ First time ever in India – any pre-paid card brand gives such freedom to recharge any value †¢ A combination of the film genre exposed through the TV medium designed to connect with the masses of India †¢ Youth based – romance driven strategy platform makes the value proposition of AirTel Magic – ‘Aisi azaadi aur kahan? † come alive Sharukh Khan makes ‘everything in life possible’ AirTel today unveiled its strategy for market expansion with the launch of it’s new AirTel Magic pre-paid card brand campaign †“ ‘Magic hai to Mumkin hai’. . The value proposition is centered around a person’s desire to make all his / her dreams, ambitions & aspirations instantly possible. The new campaign for AirTel Magic is all about empowering millions of Indians to be on top of their lives. The brand is positioned to be relevant to the mass-market who want to make all their dreams, hopes & desires come alive†¦ instantly . At a amount of your choice you can recharge your account with available validity time . Improving productivity, letting you befriend the world and opening up new horizons. It gives you the freedom to control your life in a way never possible before. Indeed, anything that you think is possible is possible with AirTel Magic. The new brand slogan ‘Aisi azadi aur kahanhas been specially created to capture this effectively. Other Brand Building Initiatives to create loyalty:- The main idea is to stay ahead of competition for at least six months. Working on the above game plan Bharti is constantly coming up with newer product offerings for the customers. The focus, of course, is to offer better quality of service. To make the service simpler for customers using roaming facilities, Airtel has devised common numbers for subscribers across the country for services like customer care, food services and cinema amongst others. †¢ It will also launch a unified billing system across circles so, customers moving from one place to another do not have to close and then again open new accounts at another place. †¢ To assist customer care personnel to deal with subscriber queries, a storehouse of 40,000 frequently asked questions and their answers have been stored on the computers. †¢ Bharti expects that most of its new customers (one estimate is that it would be 60 to 70 per cent of the total new subscriber base) would come from the pre-paid card segment. So, they must be given value-added products and services which competitors don’t provide. †¢ Bharti, for the first time for a cellular operator, has decided to offer roaming services even to its pre-paid customers, but the facility would be limited to the region in which they buy the card. To ensure that customers don’t migrate to other competing services (which is known as churn and ranges from 10 to 15 per cent of the customer base every month), the company is also working on a loyalty program. This will offer subscribers tangible cash benefits depending upon their usage of the phone. The loyalty program will not be only for a ‘badge value’, it will provide real benefits to customers. The idea is to create an Airtel community. †¢ Another key area which Bharti is concentrating its attention upon is a new roaming service launched in Delhi under which calls of a roaming subscriber who is visiting the city will be routed directly to his mobile inste ad of traveling via his home network. †¢ The company also offers multi-media messaging systems under which customers having a specialized phone with a in- built camera can take pictures and e-mail it to friends or store it in the phone. The cost per picture is between Rs 5 to Rs 7. Bharti is also aware that it has to make owning a ready-to-use cellular service much easier than it is today. A key area is to increase the number of activation centers. Earlier Bharti had 250 Airtel Connect stores which were exclusive outlets (for its services) and about 250 Airtel Points which were kiosks in larger shops. Now activation can be done by all of them, and not only by Connect outlets, all within 15 to 20 minutes. In comparison, the competition takes two to four hours. †¢ Pre- paid cards are really catching up with the mobile phone users and it is actually helping the market to increase. First, they are easier to obtain and convenient to use. Unlike post- paid, one need not pay security deposits for picking up a pre- paid card. It is often available even with paanwalas. As befits a fast-moving consumer service, the game is now moving beyond price to expanding distribution reach and servicing a well-spread-out clientele with technology and strategic alliances. Bharti is focusing on two factors to make pre-paid cards more attractive. Keeping the entry cost low for consumers and making recharging more convenience. †¢ Bharti is in the process of launching a new system in alliance with Mumbai-based company Venture Infotech which will enable a pre-paid card user to renew his subscription by just swiping a card. The system will not only save users the hassle of going out and buying a card every time it expires but also enable mobile companies to reduce the cost of printing and distributing cards. †¢ Bharti Televentures has tied up with ‘Waiter on wheels,' a company delivering food at home, to reach its Magic pre-paid cards to subscribers' doorsteps. The company is also joining hands with local grocery shops which will enable users to recharge their cards by just making a phone call to the shop. †¢ Apart from improving the convenience of recharging, mobile operators are beefing up their distribution channels. The company is constantly innovating to enhance the value proposition for its pre-paid service. They are leveraging technology to expand their distribution network and deliver round-the-clock recharge options to its MOTS (Mobile On the Spot) subscribers. Bharti Cellular has also launched a special service, CareTouch, for high-value, corporate customers, providing them with instant, single-point access for any assistance they require. Customers can dial 777 and enjoy a slew of services, which includes easier payment of bills, service on priority basis, and value-added services without any additional paper work. Bharti Cellular is offering a range of services without going through an interactive voice recorder ensuring that they save time. Dedicated ‘CareTouch’ executives are expected to assist customers with any service on priority basis. Besides the regular proactive reminder calls for bill payment, customers can also call CareTouch for bill payments at free of cost. †¢AirTel presented MTV Inbox; the first ‘on-air’ SMS based interactive music dedication show exclusively for AirTel and AirTel Magic customers. Highly interactive VJ based show with real-time feedback mechanism. Both brands joined hands to target the high growth youth segment. BRAND RECALL- for brand recall airtel used so many promotional strategies as celebraty endorsement ? also goes for promotional activites like hoardings, billboards,sponser many events ? along with this amny corporate social activity being carried out by airtel ? signature tune as given by A. R Rehman being the most successf ul tool of Airtel in creating brand recall; Bharti’s View on its Branding strategy:- First, brand building efforts in today’s context have to be seen in a more holistic manner. Delivering value on a sustained basis is perhaps the most potent key to build a brand that lasts. Unflinching orientation to customer needs is the second key success factor. Customers (be it for industrial products or consumer goods and services) across the world are more informed and, at the same time, becoming more individualistic in their needs and far more demanding with the passage of time. Pro-active tracking of shifts in consumer behavior, anticipating redefined or emerging customer needs, and then reacting in â€Å"real- time† are essential to attract and retain customer loyalty — a key element of creating brand equity in the present situation. Customizing the product (and communication of its benefit) to meet the specific needs of various consumer/customer sub-segments is the third element in creating brand appreciation. As far as allocation of time and financial resources are concerned, too many companies mistakenly allocate a disproportionate amount on mere advertising and promotion. This is not to say that advertising and promotion are less relevant. On the contrary, with more choices and higher media clutter, businesses need to budget for an increasingly higher spend on their brand promotion but this has to be undertaken in tandem with enterprise-wide â€Å"reengineering† of the business philosophy and core design, production, and delivery operations for the product itself. The positive spin to this argument is that by first addressing the fundamentals, the enterprise itself becomes more competitive. This can be the beginning of a virtuous cycle wherein brand equity continues to increase as the enterprise sustains delivery of an appropriate product or service at an ever increasing value. It is, however, crucial to note that in the years to come, not only will the cost of building a regional or a national (or an international) brand will continue to rise but also the time taken to do so will be longer and will need sustained and focused efforts. Brand value:- â€Å"The brand Airtel is our most valuable asset after our people. We have built it with a lot of passion,† says Bharti Airtel CEO and Joint Managing Director Manoj Kohli. Airtel is all about trust, innovation and ownership bundled with an emotional connection. I can think of very few brands in the whole world which straddle so many categories and talk to so many different economic groups. † Tata, Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group and Airtel have been identified as the top three most valuable brands in India by 4PsBusiness  and Marketing magazine in its annual ranking released here Friday. And according to icmr survey Airtel is regarded as the second trusted and valued service provided brand after LIC. Brand personality: AIRTEL- |Airtel: Leadership, power†¦ feelings? | |Airtel has a branding strategy that focuses on the emotions and lifestyle of consumers. The Airtel’s brand personality is about lifestyle; | |innovation; passion; hopes, dreams and aspirations; and power-to-the-people through technology. The Airtel brand personality is it is also| |customer centric and a elite class product and most reliable on the basis of is good network service and customer centric approach and | |shows its leadership — be it in network, innovations, offerings or services | |   | |â€Å"In a service industry like telecom, people live a brand 24X7. It’s all about experience; and for Airtel ‘brand=customer experience’,† says| |Rajan Mittal, joint managing director, Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd. |   | |That’s now, but when mobile telephony began in India a decade ago, the brand was all about aspiration. That’s understandable: a handset | |cost about Rs 45,000 — the price of a second-hand Fiat — and call charges hovered around Rs 16 a minute. | |   | |Naturally, the personality of the brand airtel is ike | |: elite class and innovative product/service provider | |Used by professionals | |successful entrepreneurs. |Leader | | | | | |â€Å"We positioned Airtel as an aspirational and lifestyle brand, in a way that trivialised the price in the mind of the consumer. It was | |pitched not merely as a mobile service, but as something that gave him a badge value,† recalls Hemant Sachdev, chief marketing officer | |(mobility) and director, Bharti Tele-Ventures. | |   | |   | |The way to the future, though, seems to be through product innovations such as easy charge (recharging prepaid connection through SMS), | |hello tunes, the Blackberry option, stock tickers and M-cheques (mobile credit cards). |   | | | BRAND ASSOSIATION- The Airtel brand positioned it as a customer centric and a elite class product and most reliable on the basis of is good network service and customer centric approach and shows its leadership — be it in network, innovati ons, offerings or services Airtel associates it self with the customers both on functional and emotional values.. these can be jotted down as follows †¢ elite class and innovative product/service provider †¢ it shows the personality of a leader †¢ reliable network and customized service †¢ innovative product †¢ leading the market †¢ trusted and beneficial BRAND loyalty- |Bharti airtel Offers so manY programs to create brand loyalty which is the basic success of airtel .. some schemes such as | |Bharati Airtel offers two points on every Rs 100 on the member’s monthly billing or recharge. | |   | |The company is also considering bringing credit cards, loans and liabilities services under this program. | |   | | | †¢ PRE-PAID users of Airtel can look forward to some free talk time each time they recharge their card. The company is going to launch a new customer loyalty programme across the country for the pre-paid customers called Recharge Reward. †¢ This loyalty programme, which is supposed to be the first of its kind for pre-paid users, would be based on the number as well as the value of recharges the customers opt for. †¢ Speaking to  Business Line, Mr Ramesh K. Narain, Chief Officer – Sales & Marketing, Bharti Mobinet Ltd, said the company for the first time is specially focusing on the pre-paid segment. â€Å"We are looking at pre-paid as a recruitment category and through this loyalty programme we hope to not only increase our customer-base but also in the long run convert them into post-paid users. † Conclusion