Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Titanic History

As the Titanic sped across the North Atlantic on Sunday 14th April, 1912, it picked up a series of messages from other ships in the area warning about ice. Captain Smith was firm in hid belief that his ship was in no danger, and was urged on by Bruce Ismay the ship's owner, to prove the vessel's speed and reliability by setting to New York earlier than expected. â€Å"Full speed ahead,† remained the instruction, and although the captain steered the ship 25.7 km (16 miles) to the south before turning towards New York, no other notice was taken of the increasingly detailed reports about ice ahead. Where did these reports of icebergs ahead come from? From other ships by the use of wireless radio. The use of wireless on board a ship was still a novelty at the time of the Titanic's maiden voyage. Two radio operators were employed by Marconi rather then White Star Liner. Their names were Jack Phillips and Harold Bride. Radio operators spent their time dealing with personal messages and did not need to be on 24 hour duty. As the Titanic steamed westwards towards the ice it received nine messages – by telegraph and signal lamp – warning of danger ahead. Although not all of these messages reached the bridge the message from the German steamer Amerika sent about 4 hours before the Titanic hit the ice berg, was passed to Captain Smith in person. The night of 14th April was clear and bitterly cold. As a routine precaution, the lookout men up in the crow's-nest were warned to watch out for icebergs. Because it was such a clear night everyone thought there would be plenty of time to avoid any obstacle in the sea. But large ships at full speed do not turn quickly or easily, and when lookout Fredrick Fleet spotted an iceberg, at about 11:40 pm, it was too late to avoid a collision. As the ship approached Fredrick realised that the iceberg was considerably bigger than what he first saw. The titanic struck the iceberg at a glancing blow on the starboard side (right) of its hull and damaged appeared only slight. The iceberg was supposedly 30 meters over the deck but did little damage to the upper decks. However, below the waterline, and out of sight of the crew on the bridge, the iceberg punched a series of gashes and holes along 76 meters of the hull. The ship had 42 watertight bulkheads, but only 12 at the very bottom of the ship, could be closed electrically from the bridge. The rest had to be closed by hand. Some were left open, and others reopened to make it easier for the water pumps. Should a collision occur, the theory was that the ship would still float with two compartment flooded, or even with all four of the smaller bow compartments flooded. However, the bulkheads only reached three meters above the waterline allowing water to slop over from one compartment to another, thereby defeating the purpose of the bulkheads. At 12:05 am, 25 minutes after the collision, Captain Smith realised the extent of the damage to the Titanic and gave the order to abandon ship. For the next two hours total confusion reigned. There had been no lifeboat drill since leaving Southampton, and neither passengers nor crew knew where to go or what to do in the circumstances. Many felt it was safer to remain on deck than to be lowered into the freezing Atlantic aboard a lifeboat. Tragically, not one officer realized the lifeboats could be lowered fully laden. Had they done so a total of 1,178 people could have been saved rather than 706. As the lifeboats slid down the side of the Titanic, a flurry of activity took place on deck. The radio operators sent out distress signals. Officers on the bridge flashed messages by Morse signal lamps and fired rockets high into the sky to attract the attention of any passing ships. Yet despite all these actions, it was hard for many people to believe that this vast liner was capable of sinking. In order to attract any nearby ships, Fourth Officer Boxhall fired the fired of about eight powerful rocket signals at 12:45 am. Each signal sent up at five minute intervals was launched from the bridge and soared 240 meters into the air before exploding into a shower of light. As the Titanic slipped lower and lower into the water those left on board when the last of the lifeboats had departed were either gripped by a sense of panic or resign to their fate. As the ship plunged deeper into the sea, the stern rose up into the air, causing a tidal wave of passengers to fall of deck, some into the wreckage, others into the icy sea. The Titanic met it's horrific ending. It was Captain Smith's fault It was the shipbuilder's fault It was Bruce Ismay's fault It was Thomas Andrew's fault Why did the Titanic Sink? â€Å"We have struck iceberg †¦ sinking fast †¦ come to our assistance.† The ship was doomed and it was slowly sliding into its watery grave. But why did the largest, most advanced ship of the century sink? Recommendations on how a disaster could be avoided in the future. * That the provision of lifeboat and raft accommodation on board such ships should be based on the number of persons intended to be carried in the ship and not upon tonnage. * That all boats should be fitted with a protective, continuous fender, to lessen the risk of damage when being lowered in a seaway. * That in cases where the deck hands are not sufficient to man the boats enough other members of the crew should be men trained in boat work to make up the deficiency. These men should be required to pass a test in boat work. * That the men who are to man the boats should have more frequent drills. That in all ships a boat drill, a fire drill and a watertight door drill should be held as soon as possible after leaving the original port of departure and at convenient intervals of not less than once a week during the voyage. Such drills to be recorded in the official log. * That every man taking a look-out in such ships should undergo a site test at reasonable intervals. * That all such ships there should be an installation of wireless telegraphy, and that such installation should be worked with a sufficient number of trained operators to secure a continuous service by night and day

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Hcl marketing stratergies

Later there was limited choice for mostly products and companies didn't have to put much efforts to sale their product. But today's scenario is totally different. Consumers have choice because of availability of varieties and options. We can say today's consumer is the king of market. So it is important to know his buying behavior and try to fulfill his demand. Company's aim should be customer delight not costumer satisfaction. The purpose of this dissertation project is to know the marketing strategies which HOC Manifestoes Ltd. Sees to become the market leader in the field of Personal Computers and Different marketing strategies adopted by HOC to compete with others. HOC Manifestoes how much is fulfilling the customer needs and try to sale the maximum of personal computer This dissertation report making was really good learning period for me. I got opportunity to know the theoretical knowledge related to marketing strategies. This dissertation report is part of course of PAGE progr am, which is set by CACTI, and it is necessary for every student to under go for dissertation project.This project report is also made for submission to Institute of Management Education, Sahib's. Sustains including in this report are research methodology, analysis of activities, conclusion and bearing from this project Bibliography is also given in last to know from where information has been taken to complete this project. I hope this project will serve the purpose. IT HARDWARE INDUSTRY: AN INTRODUCTION The Indian IT industry is, undoubtedly, a shining Jewel in the country crown. The achievements of our IT companies have earned us the respect of the most developed nations of the world.The skills, ingenuity, dedication and drive of our young IT professionals is acknowledged worldwide. Today, there will hardly be a company of any stature anywhere in the globe where Indian IT professionals are not making a stellar contribution. However, most of the growth in IT has been in the softwa re services and support segment. I do believe that if we are going to continue our thrust and growth in the IT industry, it is imperative that we develop a robust hardware industry and emerge as an important destination for high end product development.While software development has been the more visible face of our IT industry, we cannot deny the fact that ultimately it is ‘hardware' that runs the ‘software'. While ‘hardware' is of no use without software, the converse is also equally true. The development of a vibrant ‘hardware' industry in India has been lagging behind on account of various factors. The underlying fact is simple. Unless companies are able to manufacture products that can compete with the world's best in quality and unless they manufacture in volumes that make them cost efficient and globally competitive, they will not survive.A major bottleneck in the development of the ‘hardware' industry has been the lack of a strong local componen t industry. It is my humble suggestion that the government, both at national and state levels do everything in their power to promote such industries so that by the end of this decade, we can have a strong and world-class component industry. Sure, we have a long way to go to catch up with Taiwan or China or even Malaysia, but I believe with the right encouragement we can develop a strong ‘hardware' industry. I must make a point here about the viability of ‘hardware' as an industry in India.It is a myth that the ‘hardware' business is not profitable. This point of view has been largely perpetrated on account of the large number of players who made half hearted or weak attempts to enter this business. To be a success in the hardware business requires both vision and grit. I often give the example of my own company D-Link (India) which, starting out as a small manufacturer of modems has grown to become a RSI. Billion company with a product range that extends from mode ms to routers. But success has not come easy.We have made massive investments in both plant and people and have spared no effort in getting the best of equipment and talent. More importantly, we have set up a strong R&D backbone to support our manufacturing. Which brings me to the next point: the importance of R&D? Technology in the IT space changes very rapidly. Technological obsolescence is not just a ‘click'- it has thrown strong companies out of business. In this scenario, the importance of R&D can hardly be overemphasized. It is vital that those who venture onto ‘hardware' industry are seized of this fact.Only through strong R&D can manufacturers ensure continuous product improvements and keep their offerings truly ‘state-of-the-art'. Over a period of time, with a strong R&D base, Indian companies can look forward to developing innovative products and own Intellectual Property Rights (par's) on such products. I dream of the day, and I believe it's not too far away, when technology for products developed by Indian companies would be licensed to global manufacturers as well as innovative products manufactured by Indian companies would be available worldwide.The state of our hardware industry and R&D infrastructure is quite the same as that of the software industry a couple of decades ago. Visionaries like Unmannerly and Skim Preemie have shown that we have the potential to achieve global stature in a business. Extending our sights a little further, we have seen how a Armband or Dry. Redder have got recognition for Indian R&D in the Pharmacy industry. There is no reason, therefore, why we can't develop a strong R base in the IT industry as well.The development of a strong hardware industry base would also go a long way in increasing the IT penetration in our country, which is still very low. I do believe that we have all the elements to become a significant player in both IT hardware as well as R. As IT penetration increases, as organizatio ns across the country network, as we build more robust IT backbones in various spheres of our activity, we will need more and more hardware. Rather than be totally dependent on imports, we need to have a thriving component and hardware industry backed by strong R.Along with our strength in software services, it will provide another cornerstone towards India truly becoming a global IT superpower. India a Global IT Super Power The Indian computer hardware industry has growing at a rate of over 30 per cent annually for the past few years and this pace is expected to be maintained until 2005. As the first table above shows, domestic manufacture has been increasing, but so also have imports. The locally manufactured computers cater to low-end applications while the imported computers continue to facilitate CAD, CAM, CASE, multi-media, and other high-end applications.Indian computer hardware and peripherals industry segments are dominated by U. S. Joint ventures and suppliers. IBM in coll aboration with Tats, Hewlett Packard in association with HOC Limited, Digital Equipment Corporation with Hindsight Group, Silicon Graphics with Tats, Oust to mention four major Joint ventures) manufacture computer hardware for the domestic and export markets. Compact, Silicon Graphics, and Dell have opened offices to sell their computers in India. Sun Microsystems and Apple distribute their products through Wiper Information Technology Limited.Most business firms in India have not computerized. Many of those who have, still use outdated products such as dot-matrix printers instead of laser and ink-Jet printers. As more and more international companies set up office in India, the demand for hardware will increase. The growing awareness of the case to shed fat in the public sector will call for more automated operations; this too will generate demand for computers. The prospects for both exports to, and investment in, this sector are excellent.IT hardware manufacturing in India is a c lassic case of the chicken and egg syndrome. Should we wait for the market to grow to high volumes that Justify creating a manufacturing base in India, or should we Just kick-start manufacturing so that prices then come down and thereby create volumes? The debate has raged on long enough and no consensus seems to be emerging. Rather, things took a turn for the worse with recent years witnessing a perceptible decline in manufacturing activity.Therefore, when a recent MATT study, conducted Jointly with Big Five firm Ernst & Young, concluded that the Indian hardware industry had the potential to reach a size of $62 billion by 2010, it not only raised many an eyebrow, but derisive laughter from skeptics. Sample some salient conclusions of the study which paint a rosy future for India Hardware Inc: By 2010, the Indian hardware industry has the potential to grow to twelve times its existing market size, with the domestic market counting for $37 billion and exports accounting for another $ 37 billion.The study has identified major export opportunities in the areas of innovative new devices, contract manufacturing and design services. The study says that component exports offers an opportunity worth $5 billion, while that of design and related services in embedded systems and wireless telecommunication services can bring in another $7 billion by 2010. Further, ambitious projections have been made in the area of contract manufacturing, which represents a $11 billion opportunity if India succeeds in capturing a share of only 2. Percent of the global pie by 2010. Though the rosy projections look good on paper, is this growth really possible?Skeptics deride the study as an attempt by the hardware industry to copy its software counterpart, which has been tom-timing Mascot and Muckiness's projection of $87 billion in software revenues by 2008. MATT officials are however quite upbeat. Says Avian Deckhands, president of MATT, â€Å"There are four key steps which we need to ta ke to make India a manufacturing-friendly country. Firstly, market India as a hardware destination and build a brand akin to software. Making India manufacturing-friendly through improvements in infrastructure and logistics should follow this.We should also emphasis on design and innovation through the development of Indian solutions for Indian needs. All these initiatives need to be backed up by the government with adequate funds. † The bright side For a country whose economy is so heavily dependent on agriculture, a vibrant hardware industry has the potential to generate three million Jobs, especially for Indians who come from economically underprivileged sections, who aren't very highly educated. So, in the words of Deckhands, the hardware industry can be some sort of a panacea for Indian's unemployment problem.Also, with the size of the contract manufacturing industry expected to be over $500 billion by the year 2010, Indian firms could grab a significant chunk of the pie in a manner pretty similar to Indian's emergence as a key player in the global BOP stakes. And, with a potentially huge market in embedded systems emerging, Indian firms with the right mix of hardware and software can be big players here. For the record, of all the high-end processors produced in the world, only 6 percent are used in PC's and the remaining 94 percent are used in entertainment electronics, non-PC devices, communication products and embedded electronics.The hardware revolution is also essential for the continued high growth of the software industry. As Vine Meta, director of MATT, puts it: â€Å"India can lose out on the software advantage it has already built up, and the future potential, if it does not concentrate on the hardware front. For example, the estimated domestic hardware requirement by 2008 to meet the software target of $87 billion is $160 million. † And now the problems But before India Inc. Can go into ballistic mode on the hardware front, there are lots of serious issues that need to be addressed.Issues like lack of local availability of input raw material, ever changing government policies, inconsistent sales tax structures in different states, high interest rates, customs duties on capital goods, poor infrastructure, inordinately long and variable transit times all add to uncertainty, delays and increased costs. Something that hardware manufacturers dread. Explains Mango Church, country manager-manufacturing, IBM India, â€Å"Everyone in India cribs about duty, but even China has a similar duty structure.The main reason why companies prefer to locate their manufacturing operations in China is because customs processing in China is much faster. Here, even after a manufacturer's raw material arrives at a port it might take another month or so before the goods reach his factory. In the fast changing world of technology, that's virtually suicidal for companies into hardware manufacturing. Besides, labor laws in China are al so very flexible. In India, laments Raja Sara, chairman and managing director of Zenith Computers, there are a lot of restrictions for the hardware industry. The software industry has grown in leaps and bounds simply because there have been no restrictions. On the other hand, even if I do manufacture in an SEE in India, I Anton sell my products in the domestic market. The government says everything should be exported. But it should realism that the industry will always flock to an area where there are least restrictions. † The government can also take a cue from the fact that if the industry is allowed to grow to three times the size it currently is today, it can earn more tax from its revenues.The manufacturing industry in India also suffers from a lack of proper environmental standards. With environmental concerns mainly ignored or casually overlooked by Indian corporate, Macs desist from setting p manufacturing bases here since there is no compliance with ISO 14000 standard s, which deal with environmental issues. On the design front too, there are lots of opportunities left to be explored. Design exports are a $7 billion opportunity in areas like embedded systems and wireless telecommunications.While Indian firms do some work on hardware design exports, many unfortunately show this as software exports to avoid tax. Fact is, some experts say a robust design sector could play a huge role in bringing down PC prices too a significant reason why PC penetration remains low in India. For example, on a CPU that costs $150, the material cost is not even $4. Adds Deckhands, â€Å"If we can get a design, like say a PI, made either by ourselves or if we can get the government to buy out a design and start manufacturing here, this would bring costs down substantially in PC's. The silver lining The Indian hardware industry could learn a thing or two from the Taiwanese hardware industry, where companies started off as component assemblers some years ago. Today, the same firms are world leaders, and in fact outsource their manufacturing designs to other countries. A majority of Taiwanese firms are now original manufacturers of chippies. Another instance that could inspire companies to set up local manufacturing bases is the example of D-Link. D-Link is one of the very few hardware companies in India that does local manufacturing.Recently, the company tied up with Taiwan-based Gigabyte Technology to manufacture and market motherboards locally. D-Link will manufacture approximately 30,000 motherboards per month. Besides giving D-link a key advantage in terms of technology, it also means utilization of D-Links manufacturing facilities. The cost savings per motherboard when manufactured here works out to be approximately $5. Hence, if illume are huge, it does makes sense to outsource contract manufacturing to India.And for skeptics who doubt the quality of Indian products, Ram Augural, managing director, Wiper peripherals has a ready answer, †Å"Doubting Thomas who keep on questioning the quality of Indian products should know that Legend computers, the largest maker of PC's in China, buys network interface cards from India. † Going forward, if the government and the hardware industry proactively decide to work together and solve issues rather than have one hand clamoring for duty concessions, and the other avoiding issues, the Indian hardware industry could finitely go the software way-as MATT and Ernst & Young have said.The only question to ask is whether the government and the industry are up to it. Around the world, enterprise IT spend has been on the decline. The economic downturn coupled with inconsiderate or unplanned spending on IT in the last decade, has contributed to all this. So what is the scenario in India? As per last year's survey (IS 2002-?June issue of Network Magazine), Close had committed to spend an average of RSI 554 Lack on IT-related investments. This spending was more or less equal to what t hey had spent in the previous year (2001-2002). So, did Indian enterprises spend that amount?As per this year's survey, the average amount spent on IT was only RSI 468 Lack. This implies there has indeed been a decline in IT spending. Close did not fully utilize the amount they had budgeted for IT related projects. The largest spenders in 2002-03 were BIFFS, Telecoms/ IT/TIES, and Gobo. /US. The average amounts spent were RSI 1109 Lakes, RSI. 954 Lack, and RSI 649 Lack respectively. All other industry verticals show modest spends. Technology is a key component for BIFFS and Telecoms/let/lets verticals. This explains why spending on IT is high in these sectors.Also, nationalized banks have been spending substantial amounts on computerizing. Us have traditionally been big spenders, given the need to link distant locations. And with various state governments and quasi-government institutions pushing initiatives like e-governance, technology has been of high-priority here too. So, which were the technology verticals that received a maximum chunk of the shrunken IT budget? 68 percent Close said they invested in Bandwidth/connectivity last year. 64 percent in Enterprise hardware procurement, and 48 percent in Enterprise packaged software.Security comes fourth with 47 percent having invested in this area. More or less ? We were keen to find out the number of Close who had spent more than the amount budgeted. Nearly 60 percent said they had spent the exact amount budgeted for IT in 2002-03. 20 percent said they had spent less, while only 1 5 percent claimed to have spent more than the amount budgeted. A majority of those who had spent less than the amount budgeted are from large-sized companies (turnover exceeding RSI. 500 scores). Nearly 22 percent large-sized companies spend less on IT.The reason Enid this is obvious: Most of the large-sized companies already have sizable investments in IT when it comes to automating back-end and front-end processes. In this particu lar case, the reasoning was to build a buffer within the IT budget, to provision for any last minute or unforeseen procurement/maintenance costs that may arise. Even in the case of leading IT spenders like BIFFS, Telecoms/ IT/TIES, Gobo. / Us, more than one-fifth of companies have spent less than the amount budgeted, indicating a slowdown in IT spending.On the rise again The IT spend in 2003-04 is on the rise again, albeit slowly. This year companies plan to spend on an average RSI 493 Lack, indicating a 5 percent increase in IT spending. The major spenders are again the BIFFS, Telecoms/ IT/TIES, and Gobo. / US verticals. The BIFFS vertical is registering significant spends; their average budget has climbed from RSI 1109 Lack in 2003-04, to RSI 1310 Lack in 2004-05. In Telecoms/let/lets and Gobo. / US, both major spenders last year, the allotted budget is same when compared with last year.In almost all other verticals, companies are registering a small increase in the budget allotte d for IT. In terms of turnover, IT spending in medium-sized impasse is expected to grow by 20 percent, while in large organizations the IT budget may actually shrink by 11 percent. What technology? This brings us to our next question: Which technologies are companies investing in? The top areas of IT spend, in terms of technologies, are: Bandwidth/connectivity (57 percent plan to invest), Enterprise hardware (55 percent), Storage (46 percent), and Security (46 percent).Both Storage and Security are clearly gaining prominence in the BIFFS sector where information security and availability is critical. The Indian IT and Electronics market in 2003-04 was worth SIS$ 20. 3 billion of which SIS$ 12. 7 billion consisted of software. Electronics and IT hardware production stood at SIS$ 7. 93 billion. Some 3,500 units are engaged in electronics production manufacturing goods as diverse as TV tubes, test and measuring instruments, medical electronics equipment, analytical and special applicat ion instruments, process control equipment, power electronics equipment, office equipment, components etc.Market researcher DC estimates that the market-value estimate over next 3 years for hardware products is RSI. 75,OHO scores. The Indian electronics and hardware industry as been lagging behind the impressive performance of the software sector. Most of the hardware requirements of the burgeoning software and telecoms sectors are met by imports which are about 25%. The Ministry of Information Technology, Gobo. Of India has estimated that the total requirement of hardware and components by 2008 would be in range of SIS$ 160 billion and the investment required in the manufacturing facilities would be US$ 16 billion.MASCOT, the leading IT industry body estimates that to achieve a software export target of SIS$ 87 billion in 2008, the hardware requirement would be US$ 50 billion. By far the most comprehensive study was carried out by Ernst & Young in association with MATT, the hardwar e industry body in 2002. It estimates that given the right incentives, Indian's electronic hardware industry has the potential to reach SIS$ 62 billion by 2010, twelve times its existing size with the domestic market accounting for SIS$ 37 billion and exports of SIS$ 25 billion.The major export opportunities would be in the area of innovative new products, contract manufacturing and design services. This shows that there are large opportunities for Indian companies to increase their strength and grave these opportunities for future growth. HOC Manifestoes Ltd is one of those companies which are working to increase their network and making innovative new products. HOC Manifestoes Ltd. Is currently engaged in selling manufactured hardware (like PC's, servers, monitors and peripherals) and traded hardware (like notebooks, peripherals) to institutional clients as well as retail channel partners.Besides, it offers hardware support services to existing clients through annual maintenance c ontracts, net work consulting and facilities management. In 2003-04, He's total hardware turnover was RSI. 12. 97 billion, higher by around 24% veer the corresponding fugue for 2002-03. Of this, manufactured hardware constituted 60%, traded hardware 32% and hardware support services 9%. The company's reported operating margins in 2003-04 (including six months of OH, telecommunication and software businesses) increased to 6. 7% from 5. 9% in 2001-02, primarily because of better margins in hardware.While average material costs declined in 2003-04, the company was able to retain a part of the margins in its product realizations. Better margins in hardware resulted in the return on capital employed (RACE) from hardware increasing from 1 1. 9% in 2002-03 to 25. % in 2003-04. In the domestic home PC organized sector, HOC Manifestoes is the market leader. Other players include Zenith Computers, MM, Sun Microsystems, Wiper, Hewlett Packard. Assembled personal computers have a large presence in the domestic home PC market, accounting for a chunk of the total sales.The overall market for desktop personal computers registered a 28. 2 percent growth during calendar year 2004 as compared to the previous year. What is significant is that branded PC's continue to make impressive gains against the gray market. According to DC, the share of branded PC's grew from 36. Percent in 2004 to 49. 2 percent in 2005, registering an impressive growth rate of 74. 3 percent. Interestingly, the gray market remained flat, registering a growth of 2. 2 percent, while the total desktop PC market registered a growth of 28. 2 percent.According to DC, the recent re-surfacing of finance-based purchase options had an accelerating effect on the consumer desktop market, which is already witnessing a consistent drop in end-user prices for both the branded and unbranded PC segments. Among the vendors, HOC Manifestoes emerged as the market leader with a share of 13. 7 percent. The company registered a 9 1. Percent growth during 2004 as compared to the previous year. HP followed HOC with a market share of 1 1. 9 percent. HP too grew at a blistering pace registering a growth rate of 73. 03 percent.IBM is in the third place with a market share of 6. 2 percent. DC is not the only research firm confirming the signs of robust growth. Gardner, in a recent report, states that the Indian desktop market grew by 31. 5 percent in 2005. Says Viand Nair, Analyst, Computing Systems, Gardner India, â€Å"Peaking business confidence based on strong economic growth catcalled PC purchases in both consumer and corporate segments throughout 2005. † While every research firm has given different figures, one thing is common-the PC market is booming at double-digit growth rates.MATT (Manufacturers Association of Information Technology) estimates that the desktop PC market grossed 17. 1 lakes units in the first half of fiscal 2004-05, registering a growth of 37 percent over the same period of the pr evious fiscal. With the Indian economy booming, MATT estimates that PC sales will touch the 40 lakes mark in fiscal 2004-05. The buoyancy in PC sales can be attributed to increased consumption by traditional industry verticals such as telecoms, banking, financial services and insurance, BOP, manufacturing and government.Consumption also increased in non-traditional sectors such as education, retail outlets and self-employed professionals. In future, He's hardware sales to the institutional segment are likely to remain stable, with sustained hardware spending by all the verticals, especially the banking and financial services sector. Besides, in retail hardware sales, a continued reduction of price points, facilitated in part by the recent reduction in excise duties on PC's,

Impact of Television on Presidential Elections

Impact of Television on Presidential Elections The Impact of Television on Presidential Elections: The aim of this paper is to look at the relationship between the mass media, specifically television, and presidential elections. This paper will focus on the function of television in presidential elections through three main areas: exit polls, presidential debates, and spots. The focus is on television for three reasons. First, television reaches more voters than any other medium. Second, television attracts the greatest part of presidential campaign budgets.Third, television provides the candidates a good opportunity to contact the people directly. A second main theme of this paper is the role of television in presidential elections in terms of representative democracy in the United States. Researchers tend to hold one of three views about television's influence on voters. Some believe that television affects voters in the short run, for example in an election campaign. Another group of researchers believes that television has a great influence on voters over time and that television's impact on voters is a continuous process from one campaign to the next.Others stand between the two views or combine both. In the last three decades, polls became an important instrument for the media, especially television networks, to determine who wins and who loses the election. Caprini conducted a study about the impact of the early prediction of a winner in the 1980 presidential race by the television networks. He observed that, shortly after 8 p. m. Eastern standard time, NBC announced that, according to its analysis of exit poll data, Ronald Reagan was to be the next president of the United States (Caprini, 1984, p. 866).That early call was controversial because the polls in many states were still open at the time and, in some of the western states, would remain open for several hours. Caprini ended his study with the following conclusion:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Voting for the Republican candidate was completely unaffected by the early call, with precall and postcall districts varying from their normal patterns in exactly the same amount and direction. The Democratic vote, however, declined 3. 1 percent more in the postcall districts than in the precall districts (p. 874). This result suggests that the NBC prediction did have an impact on the election.Additionally, this result supports the impact of the media on political behavior. Some experts argue that rates of voting in the western states are not affected by early projections. Strom and Epstein argue that the decline in western states' turnouts is not a result of the early projections by the networks but is the result of a complicated combination of factors, none of which is related to information received on election day (Epstein and Strom, 1981, pp. 479-489). This argument denies the influence of polls on the voting turnout in the first place, and it denies the impact of media on political behav ior.Other researchers look at the issue of exit polls from a legal perspective. Floyd Abrams, a First Amendment lawyer, supports the constitutional rights of the media and says their exercising of their rights should not be restricted, even if that influences the voters:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once it becomes a legal issue, even people who believe that projections are harmful, or that exit polls are sometimes misused, should unite and say that the law should not be used to stop people from exercising their constitutional rights even if we happen to disagree with the way that they are using them (Abrams, 1985, p. 8). These different viewpoints represent two sides, the public and the media. Few researchers believe that exit polls have no effect on voting behavior. The majority of researchers believe that exit polls and early projections of the presidential elections do influence voters, but they disagree to what extent. The most persuasive reason to include televised debates in presiden tial campaigns is that voters want them.Voters find something in televised debates that confirms their previously held support for a candidate or helps them to decide whom to support. So television debates are now part of the political landscape. However, one expert has written that, even after the Bush-Dukakis debate, thus making four campaigns in a row to include debates, he would not predict continuation: â€Å"there are too many points at which disagreement might scuttle the whole plan† (Mickelson, 1989, p. 164).Stephen Hess in his book, The Presidential Campaign, observes that:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While some contend that televised debates of 1960 and 1976 elected John Kennedy and Jimmy Carter, those elections were so close that any single factor – including debates – could have been said to have made the difference (Hess, 1988, p. 76). Debates give people an opportunity to learn about those who will be president. This is probably the most positive thing to come out of the televised debates. People build their images about the candidates through their stands on the issues. For the 1960 ebates, Katz and Feldman reviewed studies:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As far as issues are concerned, the debates seem to have (a) made some issues more salient rather than others (the issues made salient, of course, may or may not have been the most important ones); (b) caused some people to learn where the candidates stand (including the stand of the opposition candidate); (c) effected very few changes of opinions on issues; and (d) focused more on presentation and personality than on issues (Katz and Feldman, 1962, pp. 173-223). This conclusion shows the importance of â€Å"psychological factors† in voting.As technology develops, researchers try to determine its impact on voting behavior. Technicians use advanced techniques during the presidential debates to get the viewers' attention. The most impressive effect of the presidential debates is its im pact on voters compared to that of other televised political communication in presidential campaigns. In a 1983 study of 2,530 voting-age Americans, ABC News and the John F. Kennedy School of Government noted that voters and non-voters agree that debates are more helpful in deciding whom to vote for than either television news reports or the candidate's own television ads (Kraus, 1988, p. 28). So it is obvious that such debates will have some impact on the outcome of the elections. Presidential debates are controlled by the candidates in several ways: the decision about whether to participate, the approval of areas of discussion, and the refusal to debate without panelists (p. 142). The 1988 debates were actually just joint appearances by Bush and Dukakis answering reporters' questions in two-minute and one-minute segments (Mickelson, 1989, p. 164). The year 1952 witnessed the emergence of the televised spot commercial in politics.The spot is a very short ad designed to convey a spe cific point or image without going into depth on issues or providing much detail. Since that time, spot commercials have been a main part of presidential campaigns. Joe McGinniss, an expert on campaigns, noticed the importance of the political ads:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not surprising then, that politicians and advertising men should have discovered one another. And, once they recognized that the citizen did not so much vote for a candidate as make a psychological purchase of him, not surprising that they began to work together (McGinniss, 1969, p. 27).The goals of spots are converting the voters and keeping the committed in line. Also, spots can encourage the voters to go out and vote on the basis of their commitments (Diamond and Bates, 1984, p. 352). These goals are related to the short-term influences of television on voting behavior because spots appear in the last weeks of the campaign. They could make a difference in the outcome of the presidential election. The goals ar e also related to the long-term influences of television on voting behavior because young voters today have been raised with television and they perceive the political process through the media.The evidence supports the idea that spots, more than anything else, could make a difference in the outcome of the presidential elections. Sidney Kraus makes this point in the book, Televised Presidential Debates:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It came as a surprise to almost everyone in the broadcasting industry to find a major study of the 1972 presidential race (conducted by two political scientists) concluding that voters learned more about Richard Nixon and George McGovern from political spots than they did from the combined nightly newscasts of the networks† (Kraus, 1988, p. 17).Kathleen Jamieson agrees: . . . political advertising is now the major means by which candidates for presidency communicate their messages to voters . . . Unsurprisingly, the spot add is the most used and the most vi ewed of the available forms of advertising (Jamieson, 1984, p. 446). On the other hand, others argue that spots are not providing the voters good information about the candidates. Theodore Lowi supports that position:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since the brief commercials are built on impressions rather than logic, â€Å"instant replay† benefits the sender, not the receiver (Lowi, 1985, p. 4). Others describe these spots as selling candidates like any other product. These experts ask whether presidential campaigns should be run on marketing principles or political tactics, whether the best candidate or the most telegenic performer wins, whether money can buy enough media to buy elections (Lowi, 1985, p. 65). The emergence of spots has been particularly upsetting to those who believe that political campaigns should inform the voters, not manipulate the opinions of the voters.The growing role of television in the presidential elections and its effects on the public gives rise to an i mportant question: Is this phenomenon healthy for democracy in the United States? Television became an important factor in the election process for several reasons: the decline of political parties, which had been the most important factor; (Wattenberg, 1986, p. 108) developing technology, which provided new opportunities for political television, like spots and debates; and, as a consequence of the decline of political parties, decreasing voter turnout in presidential elections since 1960.For example, only 53. 3 percent of the eligible citizens voted in 1984, the lowest since 1948. This is the same period during which the amount of money spent on televised political advertising tripled (in constant dollars) (Diamond, 1984, p. 352). Experts disagree about how television should function in a democratic society. Proponents see television as part of political socialization, and they believe that voters have profited from the presidential debates and political ads. Proponents do, howeve r, suggest particular improvements in presidential debates.Kraus suggests the following:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Campaign Act of 1971 provides a tax check off to help finance campaigns in presidential general elections, and since the public want presidential debates those who receive funds should debate. Candidates may refuse to debate, but they would not receive public funds (Kraus, 1988, p. 154). Others defend television from a legal perspective. Floyd Abrams defends exit polls as follows:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once it becomes legal issue, even people who believe that projections are harmful . . . should write and say that the law should not be used to stop people from exercising their constitutional rights (Abrams, 1985, p. 8). Opponents look at television as a harmful factor in the democratic process of electing a president. According to one expert, â€Å"The promise [of] television . . . has collapsed in an era dominated by packaged campaigns and avoidance of issues (Mickelson, 19 89, p. 167). Others see the media as the main cause of the decline of political parties, which were supposed to be intermediary between the government and the people in a representative democracy, and they believe the decline of the parties will increase the gap between the government and the people. Also, they see the media as a part of the political elite in the United States.Edward Greenberg noticed this point:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most importantly, the mass media are themselves parts of gigantic corporate empires and, while a few among them may experience an occasional episode of â€Å"muckraking† these media are firmly, in the long run, entrenched in the camp of the powerful (Greenberg, 1986, p. 22). Regulations are necessary to control some of the bad effects of the media, particularly television. Exit polls could be regulated so that East Coast poll results are not announced until the last poll on the West Coast closes. Participation in presidential debates should be r equired of candidates who want to receive campaign funds.Spots should have more regulations than the previous two areas because the candidates use spots to attack each other. For example, in the 1988 elections, George Bush had one spot in which he rode a yacht through Boston Harbor to show that Michael Dukakis is not an environmentalist and which appeared many times during the last days of the campaign (Mickelson, 1989, p. 162). The public got the impression that Dukakis is not concerned about the environment. Spots should be based on facts. This paper demonstrates that the mass media, particularly television, have a great effect on presidential elections.Analyzing exit polls, presidential debates, and spots shows that television does affect the voters and the voting turnout in the United States. Scholars agree on the effects of television on presidential races; however, they disagree on the extent to which television has affected voting behavior and the voters. Television emphasize d the decline of political parties in the last four decades. Although some experts believe television in presidential elections is healthy, others believe it is harmful to democracy, increasing the gap between the government and the people.The negative effects of political television on democracy can be eliminated through regulations. Such regulations could permit political television without its dangers. References Abrams, Floyd. (1985, Spring). Press practices, polling restrictions, public opinion and first amendment guarantees. Public Opinion Quarterly 49 (1): pp. 15-18. Caprini, Michael X. Delli. (1984, August). Scooping the voters? The consequences of the networks' early call of the 1980 Presidential race. Journal of Politics 46: pp. 866-85. Diamond, Edwin, and Stephen Bates. (1984). The Spot. Massachusetts: MIT Press. Epstein, Laurily R. , and Gerald Strorn. October 1981). Election night projections and west coast turn out. American Politics Quarterly 9 (4): pp. 479-91. Greenb erg, S. Edward. (1986). The American political system: A radical approach. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. Hess, Stephen. (1988). The Presidential campaign. Washington D. C. : The Brookings Institute. Jamieson, Kathleen Hall. (1984). Packaging the Presidency: A history and criticism of Presidential campaign advertising. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Katz, Elihu, and Jacob J. Feldman. (1962). The debates in the light of research: A survey of surveys. In The Great Debates, ed. Sidney Kraus.Bloomington: Indiana University Press, pp. 173-223. Kraus, Sidney. (1988). Televised Presidential debates, and public policy. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Lowi, Theodore J. (1985). The personal President: Power invested promise unfulfilled. Ithaca, New York: Cornell   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Press. Mcginniss, Joe. (1969). The selling of the President 1968. New York: Trident Press. Mickelson, Sig. (1989). From whistle stop to sound bite: Four decades of politics and television. New York: Praeger. Wattenberg, Martin P. (1986). The decline of American political parties 1952-1984. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Impact of Television on Presidential Elections Impact of Television on Presidential Elections The Impact of Television on Presidential Elections: The aim of this paper is to look at the relationship between the mass media, specifically television, and presidential elections. This paper will focus on the function of television in presidential elections through three main areas: exit polls, presidential debates, and spots. The focus is on television for three reasons. First, television reaches more voters than any other medium. Second, television attracts the greatest part of presidential campaign budgets.Third, television provides the candidates a good opportunity to contact the people directly. A second main theme of this paper is the role of television in presidential elections in terms of representative democracy in the United States. Researchers tend to hold one of three views about television's influence on voters. Some believe that television affects voters in the short run, for example in an election campaign. Another group of researchers believes that television has a great influence on voters over time and that television's impact on voters is a continuous process from one campaign to the next.Others stand between the two views or combine both. In the last three decades, polls became an important instrument for the media, especially television networks, to determine who wins and who loses the election. Caprini conducted a study about the impact of the early prediction of a winner in the 1980 presidential race by the television networks. He observed that, shortly after 8 p. m. Eastern standard time, NBC announced that, according to its analysis of exit poll data, Ronald Reagan was to be the next president of the United States (Caprini, 1984, p. 866).That early call was controversial because the polls in many states were still open at the time and, in some of the western states, would remain open for several hours. Caprini ended his study with the following conclusion:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Voting for the Republican candidate was completely unaffected by the early call, with precall and postcall districts varying from their normal patterns in exactly the same amount and direction. The Democratic vote, however, declined 3. 1 percent more in the postcall districts than in the precall districts (p. 874). This result suggests that the NBC prediction did have an impact on the election.Additionally, this result supports the impact of the media on political behavior. Some experts argue that rates of voting in the western states are not affected by early projections. Strom and Epstein argue that the decline in western states' turnouts is not a result of the early projections by the networks but is the result of a complicated combination of factors, none of which is related to information received on election day (Epstein and Strom, 1981, pp. 479-489). This argument denies the influence of polls on the voting turnout in the first place, and it denies the impact of media on political behav ior.Other researchers look at the issue of exit polls from a legal perspective. Floyd Abrams, a First Amendment lawyer, supports the constitutional rights of the media and says their exercising of their rights should not be restricted, even if that influences the voters:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once it becomes a legal issue, even people who believe that projections are harmful, or that exit polls are sometimes misused, should unite and say that the law should not be used to stop people from exercising their constitutional rights even if we happen to disagree with the way that they are using them (Abrams, 1985, p. 8). These different viewpoints represent two sides, the public and the media. Few researchers believe that exit polls have no effect on voting behavior. The majority of researchers believe that exit polls and early projections of the presidential elections do influence voters, but they disagree to what extent. The most persuasive reason to include televised debates in presiden tial campaigns is that voters want them.Voters find something in televised debates that confirms their previously held support for a candidate or helps them to decide whom to support. So television debates are now part of the political landscape. However, one expert has written that, even after the Bush-Dukakis debate, thus making four campaigns in a row to include debates, he would not predict continuation: â€Å"there are too many points at which disagreement might scuttle the whole plan† (Mickelson, 1989, p. 164).Stephen Hess in his book, The Presidential Campaign, observes that:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While some contend that televised debates of 1960 and 1976 elected John Kennedy and Jimmy Carter, those elections were so close that any single factor – including debates – could have been said to have made the difference (Hess, 1988, p. 76). Debates give people an opportunity to learn about those who will be president. This is probably the most positive thing to come out of the televised debates. People build their images about the candidates through their stands on the issues. For the 1960 ebates, Katz and Feldman reviewed studies:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As far as issues are concerned, the debates seem to have (a) made some issues more salient rather than others (the issues made salient, of course, may or may not have been the most important ones); (b) caused some people to learn where the candidates stand (including the stand of the opposition candidate); (c) effected very few changes of opinions on issues; and (d) focused more on presentation and personality than on issues (Katz and Feldman, 1962, pp. 173-223). This conclusion shows the importance of â€Å"psychological factors† in voting.As technology develops, researchers try to determine its impact on voting behavior. Technicians use advanced techniques during the presidential debates to get the viewers' attention. The most impressive effect of the presidential debates is its im pact on voters compared to that of other televised political communication in presidential campaigns. In a 1983 study of 2,530 voting-age Americans, ABC News and the John F. Kennedy School of Government noted that voters and non-voters agree that debates are more helpful in deciding whom to vote for than either television news reports or the candidate's own television ads (Kraus, 1988, p. 28). So it is obvious that such debates will have some impact on the outcome of the elections. Presidential debates are controlled by the candidates in several ways: the decision about whether to participate, the approval of areas of discussion, and the refusal to debate without panelists (p. 142). The 1988 debates were actually just joint appearances by Bush and Dukakis answering reporters' questions in two-minute and one-minute segments (Mickelson, 1989, p. 164). The year 1952 witnessed the emergence of the televised spot commercial in politics.The spot is a very short ad designed to convey a spe cific point or image without going into depth on issues or providing much detail. Since that time, spot commercials have been a main part of presidential campaigns. Joe McGinniss, an expert on campaigns, noticed the importance of the political ads:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not surprising then, that politicians and advertising men should have discovered one another. And, once they recognized that the citizen did not so much vote for a candidate as make a psychological purchase of him, not surprising that they began to work together (McGinniss, 1969, p. 27).The goals of spots are converting the voters and keeping the committed in line. Also, spots can encourage the voters to go out and vote on the basis of their commitments (Diamond and Bates, 1984, p. 352). These goals are related to the short-term influences of television on voting behavior because spots appear in the last weeks of the campaign. They could make a difference in the outcome of the presidential election. The goals ar e also related to the long-term influences of television on voting behavior because young voters today have been raised with television and they perceive the political process through the media.The evidence supports the idea that spots, more than anything else, could make a difference in the outcome of the presidential elections. Sidney Kraus makes this point in the book, Televised Presidential Debates:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It came as a surprise to almost everyone in the broadcasting industry to find a major study of the 1972 presidential race (conducted by two political scientists) concluding that voters learned more about Richard Nixon and George McGovern from political spots than they did from the combined nightly newscasts of the networks† (Kraus, 1988, p. 17).Kathleen Jamieson agrees: . . . political advertising is now the major means by which candidates for presidency communicate their messages to voters . . . Unsurprisingly, the spot add is the most used and the most vi ewed of the available forms of advertising (Jamieson, 1984, p. 446). On the other hand, others argue that spots are not providing the voters good information about the candidates. Theodore Lowi supports that position:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since the brief commercials are built on impressions rather than logic, â€Å"instant replay† benefits the sender, not the receiver (Lowi, 1985, p. 4). Others describe these spots as selling candidates like any other product. These experts ask whether presidential campaigns should be run on marketing principles or political tactics, whether the best candidate or the most telegenic performer wins, whether money can buy enough media to buy elections (Lowi, 1985, p. 65). The emergence of spots has been particularly upsetting to those who believe that political campaigns should inform the voters, not manipulate the opinions of the voters.The growing role of television in the presidential elections and its effects on the public gives rise to an i mportant question: Is this phenomenon healthy for democracy in the United States? Television became an important factor in the election process for several reasons: the decline of political parties, which had been the most important factor; (Wattenberg, 1986, p. 108) developing technology, which provided new opportunities for political television, like spots and debates; and, as a consequence of the decline of political parties, decreasing voter turnout in presidential elections since 1960.For example, only 53. 3 percent of the eligible citizens voted in 1984, the lowest since 1948. This is the same period during which the amount of money spent on televised political advertising tripled (in constant dollars) (Diamond, 1984, p. 352). Experts disagree about how television should function in a democratic society. Proponents see television as part of political socialization, and they believe that voters have profited from the presidential debates and political ads. Proponents do, howeve r, suggest particular improvements in presidential debates.Kraus suggests the following:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Campaign Act of 1971 provides a tax check off to help finance campaigns in presidential general elections, and since the public want presidential debates those who receive funds should debate. Candidates may refuse to debate, but they would not receive public funds (Kraus, 1988, p. 154). Others defend television from a legal perspective. Floyd Abrams defends exit polls as follows:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once it becomes legal issue, even people who believe that projections are harmful . . . should write and say that the law should not be used to stop people from exercising their constitutional rights (Abrams, 1985, p. 8). Opponents look at television as a harmful factor in the democratic process of electing a president. According to one expert, â€Å"The promise [of] television . . . has collapsed in an era dominated by packaged campaigns and avoidance of issues (Mickelson, 19 89, p. 167). Others see the media as the main cause of the decline of political parties, which were supposed to be intermediary between the government and the people in a representative democracy, and they believe the decline of the parties will increase the gap between the government and the people. Also, they see the media as a part of the political elite in the United States.Edward Greenberg noticed this point:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most importantly, the mass media are themselves parts of gigantic corporate empires and, while a few among them may experience an occasional episode of â€Å"muckraking† these media are firmly, in the long run, entrenched in the camp of the powerful (Greenberg, 1986, p. 22). Regulations are necessary to control some of the bad effects of the media, particularly television. Exit polls could be regulated so that East Coast poll results are not announced until the last poll on the West Coast closes. Participation in presidential debates should be r equired of candidates who want to receive campaign funds.Spots should have more regulations than the previous two areas because the candidates use spots to attack each other. For example, in the 1988 elections, George Bush had one spot in which he rode a yacht through Boston Harbor to show that Michael Dukakis is not an environmentalist and which appeared many times during the last days of the campaign (Mickelson, 1989, p. 162). The public got the impression that Dukakis is not concerned about the environment. Spots should be based on facts. This paper demonstrates that the mass media, particularly television, have a great effect on presidential elections.Analyzing exit polls, presidential debates, and spots shows that television does affect the voters and the voting turnout in the United States. Scholars agree on the effects of television on presidential races; however, they disagree on the extent to which television has affected voting behavior and the voters. Television emphasize d the decline of political parties in the last four decades. Although some experts believe television in presidential elections is healthy, others believe it is harmful to democracy, increasing the gap between the government and the people.The negative effects of political television on democracy can be eliminated through regulations. Such regulations could permit political television without its dangers. References Abrams, Floyd. (1985, Spring). Press practices, polling restrictions, public opinion and first amendment guarantees. Public Opinion Quarterly 49 (1): pp. 15-18. Caprini, Michael X. Delli. (1984, August). Scooping the voters? The consequences of the networks' early call of the 1980 Presidential race. Journal of Politics 46: pp. 866-85. Diamond, Edwin, and Stephen Bates. (1984). The Spot. Massachusetts: MIT Press. Epstein, Laurily R. , and Gerald Strorn. October 1981). Election night projections and west coast turn out. American Politics Quarterly 9 (4): pp. 479-91. Greenb erg, S. Edward. (1986). The American political system: A radical approach. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. Hess, Stephen. (1988). The Presidential campaign. Washington D. C. : The Brookings Institute. Jamieson, Kathleen Hall. (1984). Packaging the Presidency: A history and criticism of Presidential campaign advertising. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Katz, Elihu, and Jacob J. Feldman. (1962). The debates in the light of research: A survey of surveys. In The Great Debates, ed. Sidney Kraus.Bloomington: Indiana University Press, pp. 173-223. Kraus, Sidney. (1988). Televised Presidential debates, and public policy. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Lowi, Theodore J. (1985). The personal President: Power invested promise unfulfilled. Ithaca, New York: Cornell   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Press. Mcginniss, Joe. (1969). The selling of the President 1968. New York: Trident Press. Mickelson, Sig. (1989). From whistle stop to sound bite: Four decades of politics and television. New York: Praeger. Wattenberg, Martin P. (1986). The decline of American political parties 1952-1984. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Large Animals Rescue Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Large Animals Rescue - Research Paper Example yday tasks ensured that their safety and well-being was a priority for humans, which led to the development of large animals rescue procedures from an early age. For example, the first equine ambulance in Massachusetts in 1876 was complete with a crude sling. Today, animals no longer play the part in our lives that they used to. Once one of the most pivotal parts of our work life, the American culture has now categorized them as mere companions. Although still a food source, they no longer hold a central role in our day. This decline led to decreased developments in rescue programs. One of the clearest indications would be the shutting down of Harvard University’s veterinary hospital. They were deemed unnecessary as cars were more readily available. However, that does not mean that animals still do not have some degree of dependence on humans. Even today, situations can arise where human assistance is crucial and today’s methods enable us to carry out a rescue with less risk and more efficiency. Due to the developments in technology, we can shift or even lift the animals. Before these developments, an owner who found himself in a predicament where their horse or other animal required human assistance, like if it was stuck in mud, would be forced to seek out help from friends and neighbors alike in order to get the horse out. Back then, the tools of choice being ropes, winches or tractors, there were chances of injury or even the death to the owner and the animal especially without the training that was required to carry out the rescue. However, such events, though not a common occurrence, are still a possibility today. On the other hand, many owners are more likely to call the police with the conjecture that the authorities will be able to handle the situation effectively. An informal survey by Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue of law and fire service personnel by the authors uncovered that only a meager 5% have basic knowledge about the handling of

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Early Childhood Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Early Childhood Education - Essay Example This paper outlines that according to Pavlov, â€Å"an unconditioned stimulus elicits and unconditional response†. This means that the fact that the sticker tactic was a planned stimulus and was not unconditional, that is why it failed. Alternatively, we can also assume that the reason verbal reprimand by Regan’s teachers failed because the stimulus was not effective enough. Regan did not respond to the sticker strategy because the stimulus was not durable enough to prove beneficial in this context. Regan is one of those kids, who need to develop the sense of pride within them, and this could only be achieved by involving Pavlov’s behaviorism theory, which says that for conditioning a kid’s behavior, strong and unconditional stimuli is more effective. If the sticker strategy was used in another way, like the teachers should have made various stickers symbolizing properly done, not good behavior, or very bad attitude, Regan might have felt more inclined tow ards the right attitude that would garner her well-done sticker. By allowing her to choose the sticker according to her performance, instead of providing her the same sticker every day might have done the trick. To understand the psychological tendency of children is the keystone towards conditioning their behaviors at an early stage. According to Darla Miller, to replace misbehavior with the desired behavior, the focus should be on what the child should do rather than what the child should not do. By redirecting his or her attention to other activities and emphasizing on their effectiveness may prove beneficial in this regard. Just like in the case of Regan, the pinching habit was minimized only Regan realized that Emily was having a problem at painting, so it became an issue of integral importance for her to help Emily out, and her focus shifted from pinching to painting.  

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Labor Relations in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Labor Relations in Education - Essay Example Because the workers in the labor force are employed by other people, they are called employees. Not included are the self-employed--those who make their living from the fees they receive from their clients or patients. In the early days of industry most business and industrial organizations were run and managed by the people who owned them. As organizations grew larger, corporations were formed. A corporation is an organization in which a group of persons is permitted by law to act as one person. A corporation is permitted to sell shares of stock--representing ownership--in a business. In this way, many people outside an organization may actually own it. As corporations grow, it becomes necessary to hire people to manage them. These people work for salary, but their responsibilities are very much like those of the owner-manager. Their job is to represent the owner in running the business. They belong to management. Management, then, is the group of individuals within an organization that is responsible for setting goals and directing the production of goods or services. This group includes managers who are also owners of the company, as well as managers who are employed by the company. The owner or president and the top officials clearly belong to management, as do managers who represent the owner or those who run the organization. Agreement and Disagreement between Labor and Management Labor and management agree in some areas and disagree in others. Both have a common interest in a healthy economy. Both wish to see the economy grow, so that more goods and services are bought. This in turn means that more jobs are provided, bringing increased wages and salaries to the workers and increased profits to the owners. In an industry or business firm, labor and management have a common interest in producing goods or services that will sell. This means that they must be able to compete in quality, quantity, and price. (Lavan & Martin, 2008) Labor Unions A labor union is an organization of employees whose purpose is to bargain with an employer or a group of employers over pay and working conditions. Historically unions are traceable to the guilds of the Middle Ages, which operated chiefly to establish quality standards for products and prices that were "just "in the sense that they enabled master workmen to support their families at customary levels while also providing training for apprentices. Their English origins are closely linked to the "de-skilling" effects of the technology of the Industrial Revolution on workers, which altered the traditional hierarchy of skills and their associated wage levels. Nevertheless, it was not until the founding of the Trades Union Congress in 1868 and the subsequent passage of the Trade Union Act that the English labor movement flourished. By the late 1800s, British unions allied with socialists to establish the Independent Labor party (later the Labor party). (Carlton, 2007) Collective Bargaining Collective Bargaining, between employers and unions establishes formal rules governing work and conditions of employment. The term applies to negotiations about wages, hours, conditions of work, and fringe benefits, and

Friday, July 26, 2019

How DSLR cinematography is affecting the aesthetics of motion picture Research Proposal - 1

How DSLR cinematography is affecting the aesthetics of motion picture for cinema - Research Proposal Example This is in line with the research as I will be studying the effect of one of the technologies (DSLR) in cinema aesthetics. In the research, I will review the aesthetics contained in Reverie by Vincent Laforet, which was shot using DSLR cameras. This is one of the movies that utilized DSLRs for film making instead of the conventional photography. To test this, I will shoot a short movie made of a collection of four scenes using three different media: film stock, digital camera (RAW), and DSLR (compressed). Each camera will produce four scenes under similar lighting and in the same environment. This will enable me compare the scenes and analyze the differences in their aesthetics. The comparison will involve the similarities and differences and their significance in aesthetic quality. I will also look at the limitations encountered and the ways of overcoming these limitations during production and post-production. The conclusion of the research will be a short film that will combine sequences filmed using different media. The production of this film will utilize pro-consumer software, which will be essent ial for proving that independent filmmakers can utilize DSLRs when making movies. This will also prove that DSLR is a professional film making tool and can help filmmakers become professionals. The major part of the film will be shot using DSLR and will be combined with scenes from a film stock camera. This will be necessary for showing that the DSLR has improved the quality of movies. Davis, E. Interview. Indiewire (2011) [Viewed 29 January, 2013]. Available from:

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Analysing enterprise operations(individual case study report) Essay - 1

Analysing enterprise operations(individual case study report) - Essay Example This report analyses the flow of operations or processes using flow chart of an individual that is planning to go for vacations to Athens from Birmingham. In addition to this, the report identifies the key issues that could influence the trip of the individual as well as identifying bottlenecks that could influence the process. At the end of the report, recommendations have been given. This report is used to show how flow chart can be helpful in every day to day operations and decisions that an individual makes. As the report has been prepared using a case of an individual going for vacations from Birmingham to Athens therefore the main aims and objectives of the report are: Issues in any processes can halt the speed and successful accomplishment of that process. Therefore identification of key issues is important to make sure that the objective is achieved. The key issues that have been identified are: There are certain processes in different things whatever an individual or any organisation do which can pause the overall process and until this process or step is not solved, the operations cannot continue. These steps or blockages are called the ‘Bottlenecks’ (Schonberger, & Knod, 1991). The bottlenecks can stop or halt the process or operations and therefore it is important for anyone using flow chart to identify bottlenecks and try to reduce the impact of these bottlenecks so that the flow of the operations is fine. Bottlenecks are basically the blockages that can hurt the flow and therefore can increase the overall time of the operations than estimated (Schemenner, 1984). Bottlenecks in the process of vacation to Athens are finding the right time to go for vacations as this could halt the overall process. For instance, if the individual is an employee then he would need to get the approval of the employer for holidays and then finalise the dates of the trip. Similarly, other bottleneck of the process is of

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Japanese American Internment during WWII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Japanese American Internment during WWII - Essay Example The attack destroyed two battleships, one hundred and forty nine airplanes and sunk four other battleships. The damage caused to Pearl Harbor brought about fresh resentment to the existing bias towards Japanese immigrants. Within hours of air strikes at Pearl Harbor, FBI representatives checked through Japanese American communities in Oregon, Hawaii, Washington and California and arrested community leaders, Christian ministers, Buddhist reverends, teachers of Japanese culture, language or martial arts, businessmen and people with famous political ideas. The arrests included Japanese Americans with sympathetic relations to Japan. Thousands of Japanese Americans were rounded up, interrogated and shipped to detention camps according to the orders of the Justice Department to Bismarck, Santa Fe, Crystal City and Missoula. Some Japanese Americans disappeared for years. With the entry of United States into the Second World War, anti Japanese reactions strengthened through a number of hyste rical stories of sabotage, propaganda and news related to American battlefield fatalities. Banks serving only the Japanese were closed down and the U.S. Treasury froze the bank accounts of all born in Japan (Inada & California Historical Society p.xi). Apparently, to safeguard individuals of Japanese ancestry from arrest and suspicion, a mandatory curfew was set up initially on Japanese aliens and later on Japanese American citizens and it was mandatory to carry identification. The Army pressurized the Department of Justice and the FBI to perform unannounced searches and seize contraband products in enemy alien homes with specific emphasis to weapons, cameras and radio transmitters that could be utilized to signal Japanese ships floating offshore. After ten weeks of the Second World War, in February 1942, the Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Franklin Roosevelt. The order authorized to exclude people of Japanese descent; both aliens and

Erich Korngold Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Erich Korngold - Essay Example Carroll calls him "a remarkable child prodigy composer" and supports this with a quote by Strauss. On the other hand, Palmer does not go overboard with words and maintains balanced critique; he writes of Korngold as continuing "to compose prolifically, and with great success," throughout his teens, and later remarks that his works like Die Kathrin received "less critical acclaim and failed to gain a foothold in the repertory." Thus Palmer's article is quite succinct in praise. While Palmer ends his article with a comment on Korngold's strong points and deficiencies, Carroll end the article on a highly charged note of positive praise, raising Korngold's stature to a "once forgotten classic composer" now regaining his popularity posthumously. An interesting revelation in comparison is that Palmer seems to have almost paraphrased Carroll's words; "and have ensured the renewed and growing interest"as in Carroll's own words it appears as "after decades of neglect, a gradual reawakening of interest.increasingly popular." Now turning to the third article appeared in New Grove's Dictionary of music and musician Carroll seems to have re-written most of the parts of this article from his earlier version. Added to that, he seems to have bettered his chronological references to the works and achievements of Korngold. Also, Carroll's assessment of Korngold's compositions for Hollywood is rather detailed in technicalities. One would strongly fee... Added to that, he seems to have bettered his chronological references to the works and achievements of Korngold. Also, Carroll's assessment of Korngold's compositions for Hollywood is rather detailed in technicalities. As is obvious in Carroll's earlier articles on Korngold, the critic has high praise for the musician and hails him as a composer of "lush" style and praises his music as having "vibrant sensuousness." One would strongly feel that Carroll's intention is to ensure that Korngold is glorified and added to the cannon of world renowned classical composers, while Palmer restrains from overtures of high-flying praise. Palmer's article is more "academic" in nature as the references are acceptable. Though both critics have categories of similarity, like noting Korngold's landmark achievements and his gradual fame, in Hollywood, Palmer does seem more truthful in his article while Carroll's use of positive and superlative adjectives make him seem as being an international cannonizer lobbying for Korngold's position. Conclusion: Based on the representation by Palmer and Carroll in their articles, it is trustworthy to believe Palmer who has tried to represent Korngold's work in words the way a painter paints a picture of nature, the way he sees it, where as Carroll has tried to add some flavor to his

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Dealing with an Irritable Child Using the Behaviorist Theory Essay

Dealing with an Irritable Child Using the Behaviorist Theory - Essay Example Hence, Behaviorism is also sometimes called the Stimulus-Response or S-R Theory. Since learning is developed to become a reflex action, Behaviorism largely works under the mechanics of Classical Conditioning. Classical conditioning has fundamental requirements in order to be effective. The first of these is contiguity, which refers to the degree of association between the reinforcer and the behavior that is being aimed at (Klein, 2011). Contiguity plays an important role in conditioning because it is what connects the stimulus and the consequent response that is hoped to achieve (Gordon & Browne, 2010). Next, conditioning will be effective only if there is sufficient frequency at which the behavior is being drawn out. The required response will only become automatic upon application of stimulus if S-R bonds have been established many times before (Klein, 2011). Finally, the required behavior will be achieved by classical conditioning if the proper reinforcement is applied. Reinforcem ent is the mechanism used to increase the chances that the response that preceded it will occur again (Klein, 2011). There are different kinds of reinforcements in terms of their desirability. First, positive reinforcement is a pleasant stimulus that aims to strengthen a response if it is given after the response occurs. For example, offering a child candy for taking out the trash is positive reinforcement. On the other hand, negative reinforcement is the removal of an undesirable stimulus after a response (Gordon & Browne, 2010). For example, excusing a child from household chores because of good grades in school demonstrates a negative reinforcement. Both positive and negative reinforcements fortifies or reinforces the response that preceded the reinforcement. Unlike reinforcements, a punishment decreases the occurrence of a response because of the introduction of an undesirable stimulus following the response (Klein, 2011). It should be noted that the Behaviorist Theory needs to satisfy certain assumptions and implications. Proponents of the Behaviorist Learning Theory believe that human begin as a blank slate, one that needs to be filled with programmed responses to certain stimuli (Gordon & Browne, 2010). In addition, behaviorists have modeled a strongly deterministic theory of learning. However, one should keep in mind that while behaviorist strategies may apply without failure on animals, animal behavior is still very much different from human behavior in terms of thoughts, ideas, emotions, and feelings (O' Boyle, 2006). II. Proponents of the Behaviorist Theory The different proponents of Behaviorist Theory include B. F. Skinner, Ivan Pavlov, and John B. Watson. B. F. Skinner was the most significant contributor to the Behaviorist Theory. He fashioned quantitative and scientific experiments that would prove the premises of Behaviorism (Taylor, 2008). His vast research on operant conditioning is still being widely used today and is considered as a main a uthority in the field. Ivan Pavlov is most notable in the Behaviorist circle for his conditioning experiments. One of his experiments included ringing a bell and accompanying the ringing bell with food powder which made a dog salivate (Lefrancois, 2011). Later on, even without the food powder, the dog would salivate upon hearing the bell ring. John

Monday, July 22, 2019

Accounting as a Language Essay Example for Free

Accounting as a Language Essay Accounting is often referred to as the language of business. It is a special-purpose tool for communication about the financial statements and the performance of a company. This can happen through written, natural language by selecting words from a standard vocabulary combining them in meaningful ways. These words are then organised into financial reports according to relatively flexible rules of presentation. Accounting dates back to 1494 when Luca Pacioli published a book called Summa de Arithmetic. It Around the 15th century, accounting records were found amongst ruins of ancient Babylon, Assyria and Sumeria. It is suggested that people relied on accounting methods to record the growth of crops and herds. During the Roman Empire, accounting was quantified and listed as a public expenditure which included grants of land and religious offerings. Money to army veterans was also given. Current Issues affecting Accounting as a language The decline of the U. S dollar is a perfect example of an issue that affects accounting as a language. The objective of accounting theory is to provide a basis for the prediction and to explain accounting behaviour and its events. This theory assumes that a stable monetary unit is present. See more: Social process essay Further decline in the purchasing power of the dollar has affected all realities and its associated languages. Events like this play a vital role as to whether a new language of bookkeeping needs to be implemented. Accounting language must develop theories which are rational. There may be instances where a procedure does not appear to be reasonable. An example of this can be seen with the determination of joint product and by-product costs. The reason why this raises doubts is because it is difficult to allocate costs in a way that accurate costs can be obtained. In addition to accounting language theories being rational is its usefulness. Theories and conclusions are constantly being tested to measure the usefulness of the research provided. According to Harold G Avery, many systems have been neglected as it was not useful in expressing the relevant information to management. It is safe to say that no language will receive acceptance if it cannot be used to an advantage, as this information is relied upon to make sound business judgements and needs to be readily available. So how is this information translated to the users? Ac as a language- Financial data is used to communicate the financial positions of a entity and then translates this to its various users. It is pertinent that in order to evaluate the financial results of the entity, it is necessary that the financial statements of that particular company with either its financial results of the industry or the past results. Ratio analysis is used to determine the status of the company’s ability to pay its short and long term debts. It can also analyze to determine the company liquidity and debts levels, these indicators are critical in determining the business ability to continue operations into the future. IAS 1 prescribes the basis for presentation of general purpose financial statements intended to meet the needs of users who are not in a position to require an entity to prepare reports tailored to their particular information needs. IAS 1 does not specifically apply to the form, structure, and content of an interim financial report but many of the overall considerations as the need for fair presentation and consistency. Globally accounting is recognized as the tool for communicating the financial statements and performance. Without a clear structure for accounting language, businesses and users alike would suffer economically as the financial statements would not be fair and true, which would be costly to us all. Accounting data is used to produce financial statements which depict a picture of entities profitability. This information enables accounting to translate this ‘foreign language’ into one that is understood by its users. This purpose of this translation is to aide sound business decisions. Users who benefit from this can be shareholders, management, government, financial institutions and prospective investors.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Michael Kors vs Guccio Gucci

Michael Kors vs Guccio Gucci American vs. Foreign Designer Michael Korsvs. Guccio Gucci Showroom Headquarters: Showroom Headquarters: 11 W 42nd St. New York, NY 10018 Via Mecenate, 79, 20138 Milano, Italy Written by: Irene Vastardis Table of Contents: Their Importance 4 Michael Kors Importance . 4 Guccis Importance 4 Background of Designers .. 5 Michael Kors Early Life 5 Launching His Career 5 His Accomplishments .6 Guccio Guccis Early Life ..6 Launching His Career . 7 The Aftermath .. 8 Market Segments .8 Michael Kors Target Market .8 Guccis Target Market .8 Their Unique Designs. 10 Michael Kors Designs ..10 Guccis Designs .11 Promoting Their Products ..13 Michael Kors Licensing Products ..13 Michael Kors Advertising Methods 14 Guccis Advertising Methods ..14 Similarities and Differences 15 Michael Kors and Guccis Similarities .. 15 Michael Kors and Guccis Differences .. 16 Appendix 17 References .19 Their Importance: Michael Kors Importance: Michael Kors is one of the last American Designers that has not looked overseas for style inspiration. He often asks himself first, Where is she wearing that? before designing a garment (Michael Kors Strategic Marketing Plan, 2014). His main focus is on wearable pieces that is still considered luxury yet affordable. He maintains a huge public relation being on Project Runway for so many years and his ad campaigns are as slick as those of high-end brands such as Prada. I believe he is an important designer because of how unique he is. He makes women feel as though they can be beautiful, elegant, and sexy without spending thousands of dollars. He allows women to afford luxury items without the need of going all out. Most importantly, what he designs, can either be worn casually or professionally. I love that because it can be worn absolutely anywhere. A consumer who would buy Michael Kors products could never be too overdressed or underdressed going out somewhere, whether it be a date, a business meeting, or a night out with the girls. Michael Kors is also a huge philanthropist and truly cares about everyone. He believes in the right for every woman and man to feel high-class, important, beautiful, and sexy despite anyones personal income. Guccis Importance: Guccio Gucci is important because his brand lives on for almost a century and is more popular than ever. Gucci has always said the difference between style and fashion is quality (Global Branding Gucci, 2013). His compassion for the business allowed it to grow into a success. He started his company at the age of 40 after he was inspired with luggage bags working as an elevator attendant. He has created unique designs that have been featured in the New Yorks Museum of Modern Art. He is a legend in the eyes of so many amazing designers. His children were able to take over the business and keep it alive. His children had a huge responsibility to take over his fathers business they were able to make it grow into the empire it is today. I can understand how his children felt and how difficult it was because me and my siblings look after my fathers business. It could easily be destroyed in minutes if you dont have the proper guidance. Thats what makes Gucci so special. It was never lost, b ecause his children kept the business alive and more booming than ever. Guccis slogan is quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten (Global Branding Gucci, 2013). Guccio Guccis legacy will always be remembered and live on because he will never be forgotten as one of the greatest luxury Italian designers of all time. Background of Designers: Michael Kors Early life: Michael Kors started off early in the fashion world. Being only a toddler in Long Island, New York, he started to model appearing on Lucky Charms cereal and toilet paper ads. He was born August 9, 1959, being the same day as my grandmothers birthday, he was also a baby boomer (Michael Kors, 2016). He was lucky to be born in an era filled with more privileges after the end of World War II. He was in love with shopping and collected all of the monthly Vogue magazines to keep up with the latest trends. He went to the Fashion Institute of Technology, but dropped out after only two semesters. After he dropped out, he started designing clothes for small Manhattan boutiques at the age of 19 (Michael Kors, 2016). Something in which I can relate to because it is exactly what I am doing now as a job, only, Im still in school. Launching His Career: When his mother remarried businessman Bill Kors, she allowed Michael to design her wedding dress. In 1978, Kors worked for Lothars, a French boutique, where he discovered his first idea to design his own fashion collection (Studenetske, n.d.). Michael Kors Womans Collection was first launched in 1981 (Michael Kors, 2016). He convinced Anna Wintour, editor of New York magazine at the time, to take a look at his collection. He later picked up designers such as Barbara Walters and earned awards for his designs. Michael Kors business was not always successful though because his company ended up going bankrupt in 1990 (Know Your Fashion Designers: 10 Facts About Michael Kors, 2011). He then launched KORS Michael Kors for a lower price line for a younger audience. In 1997, he maintained a job as the creative director of Celine, a French fashion house, and remained in that position for six years (Know Your Fashion Designers: 10 Facts About Michael Kors, 2011). He continued being the creativ e director and expanding his brand, coming out with menswear, accessories and perfumes. His Accomplishments: He then became a judge on Project Runway in 2004 and retired from it in 2012. He won multiple awards including CFDA Womens Fashion Designer of the Year (1999), the CFDA Mens Fashion Designer of the Year (2003), the ACE Accessory Designer of the Year (2006), and the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award (2010) (Studenetske, n.d.). In August of 2011, after gay marriage became legal in New York, he married his partner, Lance LaPere, at 57 years old, who is now the vice president of Michael Kors Womens Design. Guccio Guccis Early Life: Guccio Gucci founded Gucci in 1921 in Florence, Italy, when he was 40 years old (Global Branding Gucci, 2013). He had four sons that had joined the firm. He was an Italian businessman and fashion designer as well as the founder of the fashion house of Gucci. His wifes name is Aida Calvelli and had six children. As a teenager, Guccio Gucci was a lift boy at the Savoy Hotel in London (Family Fued: The Guccis, 2015). He was inspired by the elegant upper class guests and inspires luggage companies such as HJ Cave Sons, he returned to Florence making travel bags and accessories. In the 1920s, he started out selling leather bags to horsemen. He progressed to making luxury luggage. In 1921, he founded the House of Gucci in Florence as a small family-owned leather saddlery shop (Family Fued: The Guccis, 2015). The business picked up because of the immense profit and new luxuries coming out in the roaring 20s. Launching His Career: In 1938, Gucci opened his first shop on the Via Condotti in Rome, specializing in leather goods (History and Background of Gucci, n.d.). He luckily built a reputation for quality, hireling skilled craftsmen to work in his shop. This was the basis and the foundation of how the house of Gucci was founded. In the 1930s, Gucci became inspired by horseracing. This was a favorite pastime during the 30s (History and Background of Gucci, n.d.). Therefore, he started designing the hardware for his leather goods to resemble horse bits and stirrups. In 1932, he created the GUCCI Loafer Shoe with a gilded horse bit. They are only footwear on display in the New Yorks museum of modern art. In 1947, Gucci introduced The Bamboo Bag, the first iconic bag. It was a saddle bag that featured bamboo handles and the ultimate classic. During the 1950s, the trademark red striped webbing was introduced (Gucci Guide Information, n.d.). It was taken from the original form place on a saddle girth. This became a n emblem much like the leather moccasin with the leather bit (Gucci Guide Information, n.d.). This is famously known worldwide. Its unique creation made it possible for everyone to fall in love, including myself, with his new collection. His creation included products such as luggage, ties, shoes, and the famous handbags sporting the bamboo handle. In 1951, Gucci opened his store in Milan and two years, the company expanded overseas with the Manhattan store. The Aftermath: After Guccis death in 1953, his son Aldo, along with his brothers, took over and helped promote the company internationally (Family Fued: The Guccis, 2015). They were opening open boutiques in the most favored fashion markets such as London, Paris, and New York. The 1960s brought increased fame to the Gucci empire and this was when Gucci was booming. Every Hollywood star was wardrobe in Gucci. Grace Kelly, Peter Sellers, and Audrey Hepburn made the name Gucci synonymous with chic (History and Background of Gucci, n.d.) Although there was success in the business, the family took some downfalls. Brother Maritssio Gucci, took the business over from his founding brother who in turn sold it to an Arab concern in the 1980s. In the early 90s, Guccis image was tarnished when knockoffs appeared everywhere. In order to restore the companys luxury image, the company appointed American Designer Tom Ford as the artistic director in 1994 and kept the position until 2005. As of 2016, Alessandro Mic hele took over the reigns as creative director from Frida Gianninis position. He incorporates a lot of Greek mythology in his designs. Since then, it has become a popular name we all know and love today. Market Segments: Michael Korss Target Market: Michael Kors target market is for womens leather goods and accessories while it showcases fewer items in clothing. They have obtained 521 stores globally (Michael Kors Strategic Marketing Plan, 2014). They first started off selling in high-end department stores such a as Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. However, 82% of their demographic are females and 36% of the demographic are aged between 26-35 (Michael Kors Strategic Marketing Plan, 2014). Their social status is for the middle class and a lifestyle that is already established. Those who have an adequately paying job and money to spend. Because it is more attainable prices, the result of their audience is younger because it is affordable, although older women shop his collection as well. Personally, I love the fact that its affordable and own many different pieces from his bags, to wallets, shoes, and phone cases. The lifestyle is young, fashionable, and to be in-style. Guccis Target Market: Gucci focuses on middle and high class income. Their market is more of a higher social status, whether its a marries couple sharing joint income or a bachelor/bachelorette with a well-paying occupation. Their target age group is 26-40 years old although some do manage to purchase the Gucci brand in their early 20s (Gucci Guilty Advertising Marketing Campaign, 2015). Their lifestyle is most typically for the wealthy, independent New York business woman/man. Personally owning some of Guccis products such as their bags, shoes, belts, and even luggage, gives me a sense of importance. It gives me a sense of feeling like I am with those who are fashion forward and I have what they have in the introductory stages. Their target markets personality is for those who have a personality of excitement. Competence and sophistication and embrace it through this Italian brand. Those who want to reach the status quo, are fashion conscious, and are socialites (Gucci Guilty Advertising Marketing Camp aign, 2015). Their look goes for the woman to look bold, sexy, glamourous, trendy, classy and confident. Knowing I can afford and appreciate the brand as much as I do, gives me the feeling of being that so-called fashionista and having good taste for what I buy. Their Unique Designs: Michael Kors Designs: All of the Michael Kors handbags are made in China and manufactures by Sitoy Group Holdings LTD (Michael Kors Strategic Marketing Plan, 2014). Michael Kors has discovered his niche in the industry with creating a combination of casual, street wear, athletics wear, and evening wear. He has made it so that it can appeal to almost everyone. Instead of other designers who focus solely on evening and business wear, Michael Kors took his collection in a different direction. He mostly uses leather as his best fabric to create these wonderful handbags in his Michael Kors Studio and Michael Michael Kors collections. Michael Kors is best known for his repeated logo on all of his accessories. He designs his bags with honeycomb MK logo print (See Figure 1-1). The known leather handbag with the pebbled leather satchel has been a staple in his designs (See Figure 1-2). Even Michele Obama popularized Michael Kors even more wearing his black shift dress in his Spring 2009 collected as her first portrait as first lady (See Figure 1-3). Even his other collection, Michael Micha el Kors has a similar saffiano leather design as his original collection, Michael Kors (See Figure 1-4). Figure 1-1 Figure 1-2 Figure 1-3 Figure 1-4 Guccis Designs: All the merchandise for Gucci is made in Italy. Gucci is best known of course for their leather goods. Now however, they have a line of perfumes, cosmetics, shoes, and eyeglasses, belts, luggage, jewelry, watches, and bags. They now have over 380 directly operated stores worldwide (Global Branding Gucci, 2013). Ready to wear the flora was a scarf which was called a Flouard created for Grace Kelly in 1966, was created for the Monaco princess (See Figure 2-1). The pattern was completely made out of silk and is still being used today in a variety of colors. Jackie Kennedy helped by being photographed with the Gucci shoulder strap which became known as the Jackie O Bag (Global Branding Gucci, 2013). Audrey Hepburn was the woman who helped brand Gucci to become successful (See Figure 2-2). They crafted durable woven canvas and a leather trim to make the luxurious symbol of the original GG pattern. The horse bit/icon design, which is one of my favorites, was seen on handbags, leather goods , and clothing, but was first introduced in 1953 on a pair of loafers (See Figure 2-3). I love the loafer look because I believe it is a staple for every man. The sophistication and class that shoe brings as they walk into work speaks volumes. The fashion conscious man can see that it is simply a must have in their closet. The Bamboo top handle was released in 1947 (See Figure 2-4). It was re-released in 2000, making it more modern and refined. The bag is now composed of 140 separate pieces made in Gucci Florentine workshops. Figure 2-1 Figure 2-2 Figure 2-3 Figure 2-4 Promoting Their Products: Michael Kors Licensing Products: Michael Kors has a lot of licensed products that he advertises through different companies. He has licensed watches and jewelry that has been licensed exclusively to Fossil. His watches came out in 2004 and his jewelry came out in 2010 (Michael Kors Strategic Marketing Plan, 2014). They are both sold in Michael Kors retail stores, wholesale customers, and select watch retailers. The watches sell from anywhere to $150 to $500. The jewelry includes bracelets, necklaces, rings, and earrings and sells between $45 and $375 (Michael Kors Strategic Marketing Plan, 2014). I personally love his jewelry, especially the watches. His watches are timeless and gives a sense of pure luxury as you put it on. The encrusted crystals and gold face and band truly gives it its endless look. He also has licensed eye wear that is exclusive to Marchon ever since January in 2004. The collection is focused on status eye wear (Michael Kors Strategic Marketing Plan, 2014). He sells them in Michael Kors retail s tores, wholesale customers, select sunglass retailers, and prescription eye wear providers. The retail price is from anywhere in between $85 to $285. He works with Estee Lauder with his fragrance and beauty ever since May of 2003. In 2013, his tag line was Sporty Sexy Glam, which is still continuing to be their standard of set style (Michael Kors Strategic Marketing Plan, 2014). They are sold in retail stores, wholesale customers, and select fragrance retailers. The price range is typically around $20 to $115. His handbags and small leather goods range from $500 to $6,000, while his footwear is anywhere from $500 to $1,300. His womens apparel, which is his smallest category, ranges from $400 to $4,000 (Michael Kors Strategic Marketing Plan, 2014). Michael Kors Advertising Methods: The way Kors advertises is through his ads always about boarding a private jet or hanging around on a yacht in the French Riviera. His ads are usually in magazines such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, and Vanity Fair(Michael Kors Strategic Marketing Plan, 2014). They promote in these magazines for the fashion-conscious women out there to create their own personal style. He advertises in these magazines because of the similar interest medium to attract the magazine and the customer target market. The luxury at an attainable price is the strength of the brand. He also sells his products at department stores such as Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Macys, Lord Taylors, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and many others. North America is the largest Michael Kors geographical market but is also expanding in Europe and Asia (Segmenting and Targeting Market, 1970). For those who may not be able to reach the store, a consumer may always purchase them on his website. Guccis Advertising Methods: The attitude towards Guccis advertisements is the sense of defiance of a young and social demographic. Women see it as a sense of elegance and beauty and men see it as a cool brand. Gucci advertises in magazines such as GQ, Vogue, Mens Health, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Glamour, and many others (Gucci Guilty Advertising Marketing Campaign, 2015). They advertise big on Facebook and Twitter as well as other social media sites. They even have their own geo-filters on Snapchat that can be activated while stepping into any Gucci boutique. Their retailer engineers are Amazon, Selfridges, and Harrods. They have public transportation billboard advertisements and digital advertisements too. There is also TV commercial advertising for the brand. I typically always see commercials based around their perfumes, especially the most popular Gucci Guilty. They always having an aesthetically pleasing actor and actress using sensory marketing to attract their customers. Consumers can buy Gucci products a cross the globe including the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Switzerland (Gucci Guilty Advertising Marketing Campaign, 2015). Gucci products are sold at any Gucci retail stores and other department stores such as Macys, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, and many others. If consumers are unable to reach the store, they are always able to order off the Gucci website and get the merchandise delivered to their home with more convenience. Similarities and Differences: Michael Kors and Guccis Similarities: Some similarities these two designers have is their niche in luxury leather handbags. They both started off selling leather goods and expanded their realm into making apparel, cosmetics, eyewear, shows, and fragrances. Their logo is both the first and last initial of their names. They both create an elegant and chic look to their brand and are intended for the business working man/woman. Neither of them had a college degree but both started on their own because of their true love for luxury goods. Their way of marketing is through retail stores, department stores, and online. They advertise through social media and magazines as well. Michael Kors and Guccis Differences: One main difference about Gucci and Michael Kors is the price range of their products. Gucci sells handbags anywhere from $395 to $29,000, while Michael Kors sells them anywhere from $98 to $3,000. All of Guccis products are made in Italy while Michael Kors is typically made in China or Vietnam. Michael Kors gets his inspiration from American designs while Gucci was inspired through his daily pastime in Italy. Gucci then created more designs through watching the trends of fashion around the world. Guccio Gucci was inspired through fashion by being an elevator assistant. He started designing by the age of 40 with his niche being leather because he loved watching horseracing. Michael Kors knew he wanted to be a designer from a young age. He started modeling by the age of 9 and worked his way to design his own womens collection by the age of 21. Michael Kors is a younger demographic and aims more towards a comfortable lifestyle Guccis demographic is a little bit more sophisticated and h as more of a lavished lifestyle. Either way, I am in love with both of these brands. They are the majority of my wardrobe and my accessories that are very well known designers. I love how they can be so different and similar at the same time. Michael Kors is known for bringing in a younger demographic, while also bringing and older demographic as well, but for Gucci to also lure in those who are younger with his timeless designs shows just how brilliant they truly are. Appendix Alas, M. and Piggott, M. (1966). Flora Pattern [Picture]. Retrieved by http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2267265/Charlotte-Casiraghi-poses-new-Gucci-campaign-wearing-iconic-Flora-scarf-grandmother-Grace-Kelly-Sixties.html Daly, D. (2010). Jackie O [Picture]. Retrieved by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v4YNGDlRNM. Elizabeth, L. (2015). The Honeycomb Print [Picture]. Retrieved by https://workinglook.com/2015/09/23/how-to-find-the-real-markdowns-at-michael-kors-outlets/ Hill, M. (n.d.) Gucci Logo [Picture]. Retrieved by https://clipartfest.com/download/8d406f591e87e0e8b1209d2a12c990e5e8ba246f.html Gucci. (2016). Bamboo Classic Leather Top Handle [Picture]. Retrieved by https://www.gucci.com/int/en/pr/women/handbags/womens-top-handles/bamboo-classic-leather-top-handle-p-409398ARU0N1000 Gucci. (2016). Floras Scarf [Picture]. Retreived by https://www.gucci.com/us/en/pr/women/womens-accessories/womens-silks-scarves/womens-scarves/flora-silk-printed-scarf-p-0227963G0019000 Gucci. (2016). Leather Horsebit Loafers [Picture]. 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