Difference Between Television And Television Show

1. If you had to reach a customer segment of â€Å"tweens† (kids between 8 and 13), which medium would you choose? What about for men in their 30s? Men in their 60s? In which medium would you advertise if you ran one of your city’s performing arts centers? Different age groups require different mediums for the marketers to reach these segments. The first segment is â€Å"tweens†. Today the tweens age group watches more television than any other age group. At that age they do not understand the main difference between watching the television show and the commercials that are being aired in between segments of the show. This segment can be reached through television that will relay into asking their parents to but these products. The kids in this segment will see the products and nag their parents to purchase them. Over time the parents give in and purchase some of these products. The second segment is men in their 30s. This segment is the generation that is on the computer the most. The best way for marketers to reach this segment is through email. In the reading it states that, â€Å"35 to 44-year-olds were the most likely to prefer email - 78%† (Burstein, 2015). Majority of the men in this segment have jobs and some requ ire them to have an email address. Most of the email systems do not organize the incoming emails in work and advertising categories. If the man is interested in a product and has made a purchase online, many times they are required to include an email address in theirShow MoreRelatedSimilarities and Differences between the American Television Shows American Idol and X-Factor1269 Words   |  5 Pageswithin the confines of their shows. Consumers, particularly those geared towards drama, love to see this upward mobility concept in action. Both shows do a great job articulating this concept in a manner that is engaging and though provoking. However, American Idol and X-Factor have distinct differences that make them unique in their application of this concept. Through this document I aim to juxtapose the different shows in regards to their similarities and differences. Similarity: AspirationalRead More Children And Television Essay1678 Words   |  7 Pagesstrangers enter the home everyday...through the television. Television is in 98% of North American homes and the average Canadian child watches four hours of television every day. Most parents do not realize that their children are watching violence-ridden television programs and that by the age of 18 the average North American child will have viewed over 200,000 acts of television violence. Children should not be allowed to watch violent television programs because children are easily desensitizedRead MoreNew Style of Televisuality713 Words   |  3 Pagesstyle of television. John Caldwell termed this new style televisuality. Televisuality presents a type of television that flaunts style rather than just using it to communicate ideas and content (Caldwell, 5). There is more value placed in the excessive style of television programs. Through televisuality, many shows have come to establish sign ature production styles that set them apart from other programming on the air. Changes in the television industry brought about this new style of television. ChangesRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Television1511 Words   |  7 Pagesis defined as television programs in which real people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative.(Dictionary) As we all know, in today s world we are presented with numerous Reality TV Show such as Keeping up With the Kardashians, Basket wives and The Real Housewives of Miami. These shows give a false message to their viewers of what is reality and what is purely entertainment. Many reality programs create an artificial environment for the show that is meantRead MoreImportant Points Of Racial Representation From Review Of Literature926 Words   |  4 Pagesraces (other than whites) have restricted positions on television †¢ White’s dominate over minorities when they appear on screen- Minorities shadow behind White culture †¢ When shown on TV, people of color are in the background and are shown in stereotypical characters †¢ Whites viewed as ideal audiences, hence television shows with Whites as main leads †¢ African American celebrities are athletes that appear in only sporting advertisement †¢ Television and advertisements seem to ignore or â€Å"deflect† racialRead MoreThe Negative Effects of Television on Children in Society Essay1308 Words   |  6 PagesAn estimated one billion television sets have been sold in North America, and on average, children watch 28 hours per week. The effect of television creates negative development in children. Television is one of the biggest contributions to the growing amount of obese children in North America. The amount of glorified violence in today’s society can be attributed to children watching high rated television shows. Many young children are involved in promiscuous behaviour. This might be a result ofRead MoreJohn Romanos Coming Home to Television: A Review1229 Words   |  5 Pagesmasses in popular television in Coming Home to Television. The essay addresses the differences between what is considered highbrow versus what is considered lowbrow art and creative expression, especially in the realm of l iterature. Ironically, Romano writes about television from a scholarly perspective. He is only somewhat sarcastic when Romano notes that the transition from academia to television script writing was a step down. Walter Karp does not address the differences between writing for schoolRead MoreThe Media And Television Influences People s View Of Reality1489 Words   |  6 PagesThe theory that suggests the media and television influences people’s view of reality. George Gerbner and Larry Gross and a few other associates developed cultivation theory in 1976. â€Å"Cultivation Theory postulates that as individuals are exposed to more of a certain kind of television programs, each exposure plants sees that grow into a perspective that is largely influenced by the themes presented in the programs,† (Gerbner p.15). There are different assumptions regarding the Cultivation TheoryRead MoreGender Expression Is An Area Of Research That Is Gaining1351 Words   |  6 Pagesand has been for quite some time. On the other hand, television has been a heavily consumed source of media with extensive research. By combining these two topics, it then becomes important to examine gender expression in television programs. Is there a correlation between heavy consumption of television programs with only cis-gendered characters and gender expression among teenagers ages thirteen to seventeen? Paying attention to how television programs display gender can help to identify why teenagersRead MoreThe Effects of Television Violence on Children Essay1338 Words   |  6 PagesThesis Statement: Unsupervised children who watch violence on television exhibit violence in their everyday lives and develop into aggressive adults. â€Å"Research shows that television violence increases levels of aggression, fear, and desensitization among some who consume it† (Hamilton). This quotation by James Hamilton briefly summarizes the potentially negative effects of television on young minds. A child’s favorite television show can keep a child occupied while the mother prepares dinner

How an Outside Influence Acts as a Powerful Force Free Essays

Within ‘Othello’ Iago appears cunning, the confidence he has allows him to act as an outside force manipulating the relationship between Othello and Desdemona. The interpretations of the outside influence are questionable throughout the three texts. The issue in ‘The Great Gatsby’ of whether Jay Gatsby corrupts Daisy and Tom Buchanan’s marriage because he loves her or whether she is a material desire; and whether Jed’s mental state or Joe’s rationality in ‘Enduring Love’ is to blame for the corruption between the contemporary couple, Joe and Clarissa. We will write a custom essay sample on How an Outside Influence Acts as a Powerful Force or any similar topic only for you Order Now Iago’s ability to observe allows him to gain control of Othello and seek revenge. Whether this is for the goodness of his community or due to jealousy is unknown. However, through language, form and structure it is clear that a gradual decay in both love and morals takes place. Iago’s performance creates the impression that he is a heartless character as no true friendship, love or morals are shown. â€Å"I am not what I am†, he is a devious onlooker who aims to destruct happiness, yet the reason for this remains uncertain. Iago can be classified as an outside force due to his dishonesty and cruel intentions, which often only the audience is aware of due to his mysterious actions. Beware my lord of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster†. The audience is positioned to understand that William Shakespeare is presenting irony as Iago is warning others of jealousy, when perhaps he is tied down by his own. Utilising personification also foreshadows the cruel intention Iago has to damage the contentment in Othello’s life. A clever choice of wo rds allows Iago to deliver the impression that he is a loyal and honest man. Throughout the play he sets the stage to ensure Othello and Desdemona’s relationship becomes corrupt, denying himself of any responsibility. This contrasts to Jed Parry in ‘Enduring Love’. Lead by his belief in God, a strong emotional attachment is made with Joe, one which Jed is persistently honest about. With the belief that God â€Å"has sent me to you† Jed ignores Joe’s resistance and does not seek revenge, instead rejection brings him closer to Joe. This categorises Jed as a contemporary villain, as he goes against traditional values of a villain. Perhaps, due to Iago conforming to the conventional idea of a Shakespearian villain, the reader may classify him as a more effective outside. He places himself outside of situations; he observes, manipulates and watches Othello crumble. Whereas Enduring Love presents a contemporary villain who moves beyond traditional expectations of causing unhappiness; bitterness is replaced with calm tones, â€Å"Love has given me new eyes, I see with such clarity, in such detail†. Jed’s bizarre approach arguably challenges the reader more than Iago’s evasive behaviour. Written in 1603, ‘Othello’ touched upon a major issue in Europe of this time period; the intermingling of Muslim religion and culture with the West. Ironically, Othello is sent to protect the Venetians from the influence of Muslim Turks even though he is ‘the Moor’. Iago uses the issue of Othello’s race to present him as a misfit; â€Å"Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, or else the devil will make a grandsire of you†. Shakespeare plays on 16th century beliefs through the symbolism of the â€Å"devil†. It was thought that often the devil took the shape and form of a black man. Insensitive words corrupt Othello’s reputation of â€Å"valiant†. Othello has determination, loyalty and commitment towards his â€Å"gentle Desdemona†. This causes him to resist 16th century attitudes tawards race. â€Å"Let him do his spite†¦I love thee gentle Desdemona†. Repelling obstacles is key to achieving an idyllic relationship. Jay Gatsby is similar to Othello, not in race, but due to issues of social class. Jay Gatsby represents the ‘new’ rich from West Egg, he lacks social connections so he flaunts his wealth. This is an issue F. Scott Fitzgerald mocks throughout, as this novel presents a social commentary upon the corrupt state of materialism in the 1920’s. Fitzgerald uses many references to time throughout the novel. Fitzgerald delivers the message that everything in this lifestyle is temporary– emotions, actions, parties, or feelings, because they are all fuelled through material objects. | Nick Carraway, the narrator describes Jay Gatsby as, â€Å"running down like an over-wound clock†. The simile signifies both Gatsby’s consuming desire to stop time and his inability to do so. This may be the reason why he is selfish in pursuing Daisy as he has no respect for Tom, who lives in East Egg, a place for the established upper class. How to cite How an Outside Influence Acts as a Powerful Force, Essay examples

Eom Draft free essay sample

Although many practices such as resale and consignment of clothing are not widely known in Singapore, they are possible practices that could be adapted and promoted in our culture as an alternative to recycling clothing, making it relevant to our project. The concept of the consignment boutique is for shoppers to â€Å"wear the outfit once, bring it in, get money back and continue their shopping habit†. This encourages the idea of reuse of clothing but keeps the clothing in a fixed circuit, being recycled in the same boutique. Instead, these shops can expand their networks or probably work together with other resale shops and reach out to more buyers and sellers, providing them with a bigger variety as well. Although when reselling it to the different boutiques, varying offers may be made by different boutique owners. These boutiques may standardize the prices to offer according to the number of days from which it was purchased, which will be recorded in a computer system assessable to the owners in the network. We will write a custom essay sample on Eom Draft or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The article claims that â€Å"people don’t have a stigma against buying used clothes anymore† but I disagree. In Singapore, many second-hand clothing stalls are not popularly purchased from, due to the social stigma that used clothes are old, unwanted and unhygienic which is usually reflected through how the shops are usually disorganized, unlike those mentioned in the article where ‘the racks aren’t overcrowded’ and the store has a ‘boutique feel’ which appeals to the target demographic. Thrift shops in Singapore could be mirrored to have organized racks for different clothing articles and trends and could hire youth volunteers who would communicate better with the shoppers. This would increase the appeal for used clothing and possibly change the perspective on used clothing. In a consignment, the owners are able to ‘chose what [they] want’ to purchase. This may be unreflective of what the rest of the consumers want. Also, when they are willing to purchase it, the seller may be unhappy with the price of the offer. Therefore, instead of having the retailer as the middle-man, events where people can swap or sell their clothing would be more effective as buyers are able to chose what they want while sellers can name their own prices according to their perceived value for it or allow others to bargain for cheaper prices. The article states that consumers want good deals and are ‘growing tired of mass produced clothing’ therefore resale shops targets the ‘vintage aspect’ to set themselves apart. I agree with this statement as mass produced clothing are widely seen around the market and loses its originality and one-of-a-kind concept which customers define unique. Consumers would be willing to pay slightly more if the article of clothing is not commonly or easily found. Furthermore, the vintage aspect suites current clothing trends and would appeal to the target group of teenagers well. There is also a small number of male shoppers visiting or purchasing from consignment and resale boutiques, possibly because resale boutiques may not appeal to the male demographic widely, as they may come across as more female-centric and may not be as widely known. As the article mentions that the location affects the target demographic, these boutiques can be relocated or expanded to places in the urban areas which have many other male clothing outlets in order to boost its image as a boutique for male clothing as well and attract more male shoppers.

Marketing Management - Nike Case Study free essay sample

NIKE maintains traditional and non-traditional distribution channels in more than 100 countries targeting its primary market regions: United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas (not including the United States). NIKE utilizes over 20,000 retailers, NIKE factory stores, NIKE stores, NikeTowns, Cole Haan stores, and internet-based websites to sell various sports and leisure products. They dominate sales in the athletic footwear industry with a 33% global market share. They have also been able to attain this premier position through quality production, innovative products, and aggressive marketing. (NIKE 2012) NIKE is now ready to take it to the next level. Over the decades, NIKE has positioned themselves with optional strengths and opportunities, enabling them to enter new market ventures. NIKE has solid brand equity, economies of scale, aggressive marking strategies, and the existing infrastructure to manufacture and distribute. Leveraging these strengths, NIKE will enter a nd dominate the sports drink industry in 2013 with a new product called, â€Å"NIKE Refuel†. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Management Nike Case Study or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This new energy sports drink will target NIKE’s existing natural target market segments. Currently, there are not a lot of competitors who offer energy sports drinks as a premium product. Not to mention the other value propositions of nutrimental, low calorie, great tasting, and made with all natural and quality ingredients. This new sports drink will also enable NIKE to continue to promote their changes in their outlook on social responsibilities and more importantly, improve the bottom line revenue for the company. NIKE Company Description Nike, pronounced NI-KEY, is technically the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. She sat at the side of Zeus, the ruler of the Olympic pantheon, in Olympus. A mystical presence, symbolizing victorious encounters, Nike presided over historys earliest battlefields. A Greek would say, When we go to battle and win, we say it is Nike. Synonymous with honored conquest, NIKE is the twentieth century footwear that lifts the worlds greatest athletes to new levels of mastery and achievement. NIKE’s co-founder Bill Bowerman made an important observation many years ago in 1972; he was defining how he viewed the endless possibilities for human potential in sports. He set the tone and direction for a young company called NIKE, and today those same words inspire a new generation of NIKE employees. Today, NIKE is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing and selling of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services. They are also a seller of athletic footwear and athletic apparel worldwide. The Company sells its products to retail accounts, through NIKE-owned retail stores and Internet sales, and through a mix of independent distributors and licensees, in approximately 190 countries around the world (NIKE 2012). The Company focuses its product offerings in seven key categories: Running, Basketball, Football (Soccer), Mens Training, Womens Training, NIKE Sportswear (its sports-inspired products) and Action Sports. It also markets products designed for kids, as well as for other athletic and recreational uses, such as baseball, cricket, golf, lacrosse, outdoor activities, football (American), tennis, volleyball, walking and wrestling. NIKEs athletic footwear products are designed primarily for specific athletic use. It also markets footwear designed for baseball, cheerleading, football, golf, lacrosse, outdoor activities, skateboarding, tennis, volleyball, walking, wrestling, and other athletic and recreational uses. The Company sells sports apparel and accessories, as well as athletic bags and accessory items. It also markets apparel with licensed college and professional team, and league logos. NIKE’s goal is to carry on Bowerman’s legacy of innovative thinking, whether to develop products that help athletes of every level of ability reach their potential, or to create business opportunities that set NIKE apart from the competition and provide value for the shareholders. They and the people they hired have evolved and have grown the company from NIKE, a U. S. -based footwear distributor, to a global marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and equipment that is unrivaled in the world. Along the way, NIKE has established a strong Brand Portfolio with several wholly-owned subsidiaries including Cole Haan, Converse Inc. Hurley International LLC, NIKE Golf, and Umbro Ltd. NIKE’s world headquarters is located near Beaverton, Oregon, a suburb of Portland. So while the Pacific Northwest is the birthplace to NIKE, today the athletic giant operates in more than 190 countries around the globe. Through their suppliers, shippers, retailers and other service providers , NIKE directly or indirectly employs nearly one million people. That includes more than 35,000 NIKE employees across six continents, each of whom make their own contribution to fulfill NIKE’s mission statement: to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. Some of NIKE’s recent successes includes in launch of NIKE+ and NIKEplus. com. This has lead to their opportunity in widening their market by entry into the Digital Sport market. It’s not just about creating the most popular sports gadgets. But rather building more of a personal relationship with the customers. This is part of NIKE’s strategy; to connect and build tighter relationships with the customer, building and enabling online communities for them, and most importantly, allowing NIKE to follow their customers and enter the digital realm. The reason for this shift is simple; NIKE was to go where the customer is. NIKE’s Mission statement Original: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *†If you have a body, you are an athlete. † – Bill Bowerman â€Å" Updated: To bring inspiration, innovation, and endurance to every athlete* in the world. *†If you have a body, you are an athlete. † – Bill Bowerman â€Å" NIKE is updating the mission statement to be in better strategic alignment with their mission for all of NIKE’s product offerings. NIKE will soon debut a new energizing all natural sports drink to the mainstream market, known as NIKE Refuel, which will be presented later in more detail. NIKE’s Vision To  carry on his (Bill Bowerman) legacy of innovative thinking, whether  to develop products that help athletes of every level of ability reach their potential or to create business opportunities that set NIKE apart from the competition and provide value for our shareholders. (NIKE 2012) NIKE Goals NIKE recently announced a series of business targets for 2012 that more deeply integrate corporate responsibility goals into the company’s long-term growth and innovation business strategies. The targets set benchmarks to improve labor conditions in contract factories, create a climate neutral company, drive sustainable product design and innovation, and unleash potential by giving youth greater access to the benefits of sport. â€Å"We see corporate responsibility as a catalyst for growth and innovation† said Mark Parker, NIKE’s President and CEO. â€Å"It is an integral part of how we can use the power of our brand, the energy and passion of our people, and the scale of our business to create meaningful change.    The corporate responsibility business targets set by NIKE include: Improve labor conditions by eliminating excessive overtime in NIKE brand contract factories by 2012. Excessive overtime is one of the most serious ongoing labor compliance issues the company and the industry face. NIKE’s priority continues to be improving conditions for the almost 800,000 contract factory workers who make the company’s products. Make all NIKE bran d facilities, retail and business travel climate neutral by 2012. NIKE has exceeded its reduction targets for CO2 emissions over the last two years through the World Wildlife Fund’s Climate Savers program. The company also eliminated fluorinated gases (F-gases) across all NIKE brand products following 14 years of research and development in the company’s NIKE Air cushioning system. Design all NIKE brand footwear (more than 225 million pairs per year) to meet baseline targets by 2012 for waste reduction in product design and packaging, elimination of volatile organic compounds and increased use of environmentally preferred materials. All NIKE brand apparel is targeted to meet baseline standards by 2015, and equipment by 2020. NIKE is designing sustainable innovation solutions into its products that the company anticipates will create benefits throughout its supply chain and support achievement of its targets. Invest in community-based initiatives that use the power of sport to unleash potential and improve the lives of youth. Over the past two years, NIKE has invested $100 million in community-based sport initiatives. The company is targeting a minimum investment of $315 million through 2011. Deliver a new product to market that will compliment and widen NIKE’s current product offering, help improve bottom-line revenues, while brining positive brand recognition amongst new and existing consumer markets. To meet this goal, NIKE will bring to market a new non-carbonated, energizing and all natural sport drink branded as â€Å"NIKE Refuel†. It will be released in 2013, and will be used to advertise and reinforce NIKE’s more recent focus and attention on fair trade practices and ethical working conditions. NIKE’s new â€Å"Refuel† beverage will also be advertised alongside and in harmony with existing NIKE footwear, appeal, equipment, accessories and services. NIKE Core Competency NIKE’s core competencies include their ability to be research and development innovative, maintain strong and influential marketing and brand recognition, and lastly globalization. NIKE recognizes that innovation is most important to staying competitive and in the game. This is also complimentary to their core philosophy with their employees, which is to inspire and challenge their employees on a daily basis. This fosters and promotes a company culture of innovative thinking. Employees at NIKE are encouraged to be curious and open to new ideas, wherever their source. NIKE knows they need to evolve quickly, viewing change as a key source of innovation. This attitude can also easily be observed in the wide range of products that NIKE offers its consumers. It is another example of the company’s use of emergent strategy to good effect. NIKE is a globally known brand. The Swoosh logo is instantly recognizable around the world, just like the Disneyland Magical Castle. NIKE sees this as the symbol of its global leadership. NIKE has successfully built a strong foundation of a brand promise and value proposition. There were some recent changes thanks to Steve Jobs that has now made NIKE marketing independent on the handful of superstars to move merchandise. Instead, they have moved into the Digital Sport market. This platform allows NIKE to have more of a personal relationship with its customers. It also is able to help track trends to better understand the customer’s behaviors and patterns to forecast future firm initiatives. Lastly is NIKE’s ability to penetrate and be a leader in the global market. Not only have they been able to expand the manufacturing into other countries, but they are also recognized and sought out by customers in other countries. NIKE Sustainable Competitive Edge NIKE notes that an important part of a competitive edge is its Sustainability. â€Å"Sustainable Business at NIKE, Inc. It’s not just about getting better at what they do – addressing impacts throughout our supply chain – it’s about striving for the best, creating value for the business and innovating for a better world. (NIKE 2012) Some of NIKE’s key success factors include their distinctive marketing activities, extensive research and development effort to design premium athletic products, and the way they differentiate their product and manufacture it. Stellar performances in some or all of these areas create a lot of value for their customer. SWOT Analysis Strengths Global br and recognition. One of the greatest things about the NIKE is that everyone knows it. Anyone can go anywhere in the world with the NIKE symbol and most people would recognize the brand. Its famous ‘Swoosh’ is instantly recognizable, and Phil Knight, founder and CEO, even has it tattooed on his ankle. This company also has strong international presence and sales their product worldwide. Based on recent analysis from Google Finance, NIKE sells its products throughout the US and in over 190 countries around the world. Fortune 500 ranks them as #135 of America’s largest corporations list as of the May 2011 analysis. NIKE also has market capital of over $43 billion, a well established corporation. NIKE was even rated #41 out of the â€Å"Top 100 Brand Corporations Worldwide† (Rankings 2012). Dealing with competition. NIKE is a very professionally competitive organization. Phil Knight is often quoted as saying that â€Å"Business is war without bullets. † NIKE has a healthy dislike of its competitors. At the Atlanta Olympics, Reebok went to the expense of sponsoring the games. NIKE did not. However NIKE sponsored the top athletes and gained valuable coverage. Operations and distributions. NIKE has ownership of no physical factories so production can be moved to a more cost effective location when necessary. It does not tie up cash in buildings and manufacturing workers. This makes a very lean organization. NIKE is strong at research and development, as is evidenced by its evolving and innovative product range. They then manufacture wherever they can produce a high quality product at the lowest possible price. If prices rise, and products can be made more cheaply elsewhere (to the same or better specification), NIKE moves their production. NIKE distribution within the U. S. alone includes around 18,000 retail accounts, and outside the U. S. there are around 30,000 international retail outlets that sell NIKE products (Watts 2009). NIKE also operates a â€Å"futures† program, wherein retailers can order up to six months in advance. Strong marketing campaign. NIKE is great at expanding their product. The company that started out making just sneakers now makes items from sports equipment to apparel. They always have the hottest celebrity athletes in all sports promoting their product. NIKE definitely knows how to expand well into the athletic market. This goes to show that NIKE is strong at research and development, as is evidenced by its evolving and innovative product range. NIKE’s latest strategy has now enabled them to penetrate more market share with less focus on expensive mass media advertising, and more focused on engaging at the customer level through social media and digital marketing. Weaknesses Price. The retail sector is very price sensitive. In general, NIKE’s products are considered to be of higher quality and as a result have higher prices relative to competitors. While the prices are realistic given the nature of the products offered, at times the consumer may not agree. This presents a weakness. There is much potential in the lower price point for the current market, in addition to new product development in a lower price point market which will be further explored in this plan. Global operations and work environment. NIKE’s facilities are located throughout Asia and South America. The production facilities are located close to raw materials and cheap labor sources. Facilities abroad have attracted bad publicity in recent years. Though NIKE states the facilities comply with local labor standards, generally, they have not met U. S. standards. In 1996 NIKE was exposed for child labor in Pakistan. This led to lots of bad publicity which hurt the company in sales. NIKE has had several years of battling this bad reputation and negative criticism by the anti-globalization groups. â€Å"During the last three years, NIKE has continued to treat the sweatshop issue as a public relations inconvenience rather than as a serious human rights matter,† said Leila Salazar, corporate accountability director for Global Exchange. This continues to be an area of challenge for NIKE as they are the constant focal point for negative criticism by anti-globalization groups (â€Å"Bloomberg† 2004). Product Sector Limitations. Profits are largely dependent on the footwear product while other branded products are not as strong. Most of NIKE’s income is still heavily dependent upon its share of the footwear market. This may leave it vulnerable if for any reason its market share erodes. Opportunities Product development offers NIKE many opportunities. The brand is fiercely defended by its owners whom truly believe that NIKE is not a fashion brand however consumers that wear NIKE product do not always buy it to participate in sport. In youth culture especially, NIKE is a fashion brand. This creates its own opportunities. One great opportunity for the NIKE Company is to promote their brand as fashion forward, as well as athletic wear. This is something that NIKE as a company has been deterring from so that they may be taken seriously in the athletic field. However there are more consumers who see NIKE this way and wear their sneakers for that purpose instead of just athletic wear. Market expansion. There is also the opportunity to develop new products and new markets. NIKE will expand their brand into the sports drink, energy, and health nutrition industry, through the new â€Å"NIKE Refuel† line. Men’s Health magazine author, Laura Roberson commented that â€Å"Energy drink sales have more than doubled in the past 5 years† (Robertson 2012). There is a definite opportunity for NIKE to enter this new market industry, using their established brand to quickly and successfully launch this new beverage product. There is also potential in other industries that can be explored, developed, and also complimentary, such as sport wear, jewelry, and sunglasses. Social responsibility and fair trade practices. Reducing controversy surrounding NIKE’s trade and production practices continues to be an area for opportunity. In response to accusations by consumer groups over unfair labor practices, NIKE has developed a Corporate Responsibility Policy that discusses how they will improve working conditions for international employees. They are also stepping into the line of economy boosting projects that will encourage recycling. NIKE is striving to be a leader and set a responsible corporate example for other businesses to follow. (â€Å"NIKE† 2012) Threats Competition. This includes threats from their competitors with lower costs products. NIKE is about the highest priced athletic brand which puts them at risk for losing many of their customers. Also, competitors are becoming more aggressive and creating high quality products, thus taking from the profits of NIKE. The market for sports shoes and garments is very competitive. Competitors are developing alternative brands that may take away NIKE’s market share. Market Saturation. In terms of market saturation, many of the key manufacturers in this industry have been around for many years. Consumers may be scanning the market for new and different footwear and apparel products. The industry has reached a level of maturity. While style and technology in athletic apparel and footwear has reached a leveling-off point, the important aspect now is for companies to differentiate their existing lines. Responding to consumer activists groups. Not responding to these consumer activist groups poses a threat to NIKE. The negative publicity that NIKE has received thus far has lowered its image to that of being an ethical company. Such publicity has the potential to ruin any company permanently. By disregarding the voice of concerned citizens, NIKE is disregarding their customers, one of their most important stakeholders. Currency exchange. NIKE is exposed to the international nature of trade. It buys and sells in different currencies and so costs and margins are not stable over long periods of time. Such an exposure could mean that NIKE may be manufacturing and/or selling at a loss. This is an issue that faces all global brands. Operating business internationally opens them to the possibilities of currency value fluctuations that can lead to losses. Economic factors. The U. S. economy and the economy around the world continues struggle, which means continued cutbacks in consumer spending. Consumers are becoming savvier and may lean towards discounted items. Managing the financial conditions in the economy today is remains a threat (Bartash 2012). Industry Analysis It is noted there is an increasing number of businesses catering to the recent rise of a new target market: the health-conscious consumer. At NIKE, the goal has always been to give consumers what they want now, as well as to anticipate their future needs, and to thus tailor a strategy to accommodate those needs. NIKE has recognized an unfilled market potential in the non-carbonated energizing sports drink arena, thus developing an entirely new product category. The branding strategy is to enter the market by carving a new niche sports, energy, and health nutrition industry. The objective is to educate consumers about the new drink, as well as to make a profit and gain new market share in the industry. NIKE hopes that by being market leaders, their name will become synonymous with the new drink category, and will aid in them sustaining a competitive advantage over the copy-cats that are sure to flock the market after the new products’ introduction and subsequent success. Competitor Analysis Nike is the world’s largest sports company, 30% bigger than nearest rivals Adidas. Digital marketing has valuable in maintaining this market position for NIKE. Scott Cendrowski  has scribed an insightful article on CNN parchment exploring how the legendary brand blew up its single-slogan approach and drafted a new playbook for the digital era. Cendrowski 2012) When analyzing Nike’s competitors in the sports, energy, and health nutrition industry, the goal is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of current and future companies. Although Gatorade is the largest company in the industry with a strong brand image, maintaining that against its competitors is vital to their com pany. Effective marketing is critical for Gatorade because this is where the majority of their profits generate from. The main competitors in the sports, energy, and health nutrition industry are The Coca-Cola Company, Energy Brands Inc. nd Red Bull GmbH. PowerAde is owned by the Coca-Cola Company. The target market for PowerAde is essentially the same market for Gatorade. Perhaps one of PowerAde’s biggest strengths is that it is owned by Coca-Cola which is the world’s largest beverage distributor. Although the products seem to be alike, they are different in content. PowerAde contains less sodium for hydration and more sugar than Gatorade. PowerAde justifies this by saying their product has a better taste because of the extra sugar. This helps PowerAde establish where they stand in the market. Another rising competitor that shares the market is Energy Brands Inc. , which is also known as Glaceau. Glaceau is a subsidiary of the Coca Cola Company which brands consist of Vitamin Water, Vitamin Energy and Smart Water. All of these water enhanced products pose a threat to competitors in the sports drink industry. These beverages are different in content containing numerous vitamins, minerals and natural caffeine. A main advantage of Glaceau is focusing on innovating new formulas with new nutrients that are backed by scientific and clinical trials. The company aims to connect with its consumers by adding different commentary to each of their products. From an operational standpoint Glaceau strives to compete with their competitors with a strong distribution output. Glaceau considers their distributors as partners rather than customers (Landi 2007). The final competitor that will be analyzed will be Red Bull GmbH. Red Bull is the world’s leading energy drink and although is somewhat different than sports drinks, still poses threats in the soft drink manufacturing industry. As of today Red Bull holds a 40% share of the market for energy drinks, dominating the fastest-growing segment of the industry (Google Finance 2012). Although the company is privately held, it has annual sales that are around a billion cans. The company is able to do this by their well-targeted marketing campaign which puts heavyweight on the expansion of their brand image. To increase the consumer brand awareness they use attractive slogans which differentiates them from competitors (â€Å"Red Bull† 2004). Company Analysis Upon careful analysis of NIKE’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, NIKE will focus on developing strategies that would strengthen marketing, distribution, and the management of the new non-carbonated energizing sports drink. Marketing NIKE will develop marketing strategies that would further push its products to its diverse target market and capitalize on existing markets. The marketing approach will focus on the existing customers, in addition to new focused marketing to children, their parents, and women. This will be accomplished through NIKE sponsorships promoting the new drink, in addition to internet and social media marketing. Internet users and their usage have continuously increased due to advancements in technology. NIKE will be more aggressive in advertising through the internet and social sites (both exclusive and external networks) to promote this new product. They will continue to invest more time and effort into Twitter and Facebook; continuing to cultivate social communities excited about sports, enabling NIKE consumers who feel compelled to share them across numerous platforms. NIKE will also place a new priority on the quality of online advertising; making video commercials that provide enough value, through entertainment or education. This would also cater to the target markets of each division especially to the emerging fashion scene to pair up with NIKE apparel customers. The internet marketing strategy also aligns with NIKE’s strategic objectives to follow the customer. Jesse Stollak, Nike’s Global Digital Brand and Innovation Director, recently commented, â€Å"We began to aggressively grow our communities across all categories, using the most relevant social network in each country. To date, NIKE has active communities around the world engaged with nearly 50 million consumers. † The new energy drink will leverage the existing successful platforms as well as the developed Nike+ campaigns, and market heavily in this existing market space. This will also help keep the new product launch marketing expenses at a minimum. The sponsorship of new kid-friendly programs will be initiated to widen the customer base of the target market of kids-adolescent like after school programs and summer/winter programs. Hurley in summer skateboarding, surfing lessons, and snowboarding lessons in winter, Impact Golf Technologies in golf lessons, and other such subsidiaries in soccer, basketball, baseball, and other programs). Target children and youth to make them lifelong NIKE followers and also influence the buying patterns of the parents. In additional to the targeting the active youth, NIKE will also sponsor women empowerment programs to widen the customer base of active wome n since NIKE is currently concentrating on women. Distribution Strengthen distribution in regions where NIKE is currently losing sales, these include footwear in the U. S. Region; and footwear, apparel, and equipment in Americas region. Along with these, a strategy of penetrating emerging markets in developing countries (e. g China) is also to be implemented. Easy access to NIKE products would result in higher sales and revenues. Build more specialty stores or consignment with other existing local specialty stores catering to specific sporting needs like Stoked, Inc. for skating/wakeboarding/snowboarding, Surfworld Co. or surfing and other water sports, Golfer’s Choice for golf, etc. Providing for different sports needs increases NIKE’s followers and also putting the sports drinks in all of these existing customer retails stores. Give a more aggressive take on online stores and allow consignments with other existing specialty stores in this industry like www. skateboard. com and www. ccs. com for skating (Hurley), and www. iloveyog a. com for yoga and other women dominated activities, etc. Going into e-commerce can increase sales because of increasing internet users. Management Continue to strengthen NIKE office relations by offering after office programs and family social gatherings for the employees (picnics, out of towns, etc) to develop network and good relations among employees. NIKE is committed to maintaining closer observance within manufacturing managements (sweatshops) especially within foreign manufacturing locations. Frequently review the employees’ code of conduct and quickly respond to any change needed by the evolving company culture. This is to ensure that the company is following ethical standards to avoid controversies. This will be important to announce these programs to the public and promote the positive changes NIKE has in their work environments around the world and NIKE’s commitment to ethical and social responsibility. Deliver a quicker response to emerging social, economic, legal and environment issues. This is to be able to be flexible to issues or problems and adapt to an environment that the company cannot control. Customer Analysis Once, aimed more or less exclusively toward the athletic audience, sports drinks are now being targeted at mainstream markets as more and more consumers look to incorporate sporting activities into their lives. Meanwhile, the sports drinks category is becoming increasingly diverse as a result of constant product innovation by suppliers. Sports drinks, once targeted solely at athletes wishing to enhance performance and hydration, are breaking away from their traditional mold. New hybrid drinks, with added functionality, are now being launched to meet the demands of increasingly health and fitness-conscious consumers. Originally, sports drinks comprised of three categories: the hypotonic, isotonic and hypertonic. All of these feature water, electrolytes, and varying levels of arbohydrate (sugar). The hypotonic is a low-level carbohydrate drink which quenches thirst and provides fluid, but not much energy; an example is Lucozade Active, drunk to replace fluids while training. The isotonic drink, with its small amount (usually less than 8%) of carbohydrate is said to fuel muscles; it should be drunk before, during and after exercise. The hypertonic is a high-level carbohydrate drink which repla ces lost energy rather than lost fluid, and is ideal for heavy workouts. However, the sports drink category is now more fragmented. According to the research company, Innova Database, between 2002 and 2006 some 1,608 new global sports drink launches were recorded, peaking in 2005 when 550 new sports drinks entered the world arena, a surge which Natalie Tremellen, insights manager at Innova, attributes to the growth in sports waters on the market. (Farr 2008). Marketing Product Focus NIKE will come to market in 2013 with a new non-carbonated energizing sports drink. This NIKE energizing sports drink will become one of the most sought out sports drinks in the industry. This new product will have the NIKE branding, known for the highest quality and international recognition. This will help launch the product into market, easily and measurably hitting NIKE’s natural and existing target markets. The strategy is to excite the market with mass advertising, stimulating the demand, and then saturate the market with the NIKE energizing sports drinks. Other new and innovative product types can be rolled to market at a later date using this new product line, including the introduction of carbonated beverages or energizing edibles which can be later expanded into. NIKE’s new energizing sports drink will be a premium product, using quality ingredients and packaged in a way that is unique and appealing to the consumer. This energizing sports drink will also be categorized as a healthier choice for the consumer. Both lower in overall calorie content, in addition to the all natural ingredients and energy boosting vitamins. The target market for NIKE’s sports drink includes NIKE’s existing markets segmented for their footwear and appeal. To be more specific, this includes the active, and the ‘getting active’ men and women, primarily in the ages 16-30. Consumers who purchase more heath conscious beverage items would also be in NIKE’s new market. Because NIKE is everywhere, they will also focus advertising in a multiethnic approach to promoting the product around the world. NIKE will target a profit margin on this new product at 60%. It is forecasted that the new product line with have an ROI in less than 2 years, and trend into positive revenue earning position within a short period of time. Target Market Digital marketing has made NIKE’s existing customer target market easily accessible and relatively low cost to market to, as they are already NIKE consumers and part of their social network. NIKE’s ideal target customer profile for this product includes athletes of all ages and at all skill levels, and those that would normally choose non-carbonated beverages or drinks such as ice tea or still water to recharge after a workout, competition, or just to enjoy for the added energy benefits. This target market would not only include the target age ranges of 16 to 30, but NIKE would also seek out the younger consumer of kids in the ages of 7 to 15 years old who enjoy playing sports and drink something before, during, or afterwards. The second market segment, are women from 17 to 35 years old who care about the calories in their drink, and also who want all the vitamins necessary in a drink for their kids. Lastly, NIKE would introduce a multiethnic approach to promoting the product since NIKE sports drink will be an international product. Thus, ethnic infusion in advertising will be important. Each of these identified market segments are looking for some kind of non-carbonated sports drink or something to provide an energy booster. Most active or athletic individuals lead a healthier lifestyle, so the â€Å"all natural and low calorie content† would be a great way to diversify the product from other competitors, essentially making NIKE sports drinks the healthier choice for a better quality of living. NIKE is already a leader in the sports industry, the need for replenishing energy and hydration builds a natural and complimentary opportunity to enter the sports drink market. Points of Difference NIKE’s energizing sports drink will be differentiated in the overall market because of its established brand equity, use of high quality ingredients to make the beverage (including fair trade practices), in addition to the clever and attractive packaging. One of NIKE’s strengths creates an automatic competitive advantage and edge to enter this new market because it has already established such strong brand recognition and customer loyalty, both nationally and internationally. The distribution to all market channels for this product will be a logistical dream for this new line since the distribution infrastructure already exists, and is proven to be successful. This new product will be strategically scheduled into the delivery cycles. Only selective and premium all natural ingredients will be used to make the NIKE energizing sports drinks. NIKE will capitalize on the growing health trends in society and will focus some of the advertizing toward the all natural quality ingredients. In addition, the Fair Trade certifications will be proudly displayed and advertised on every bottle label. One of NIKE’s most important promotional strategies is the packaging. Studies have shown that over 70 percent of purchasing decisions are made in the store. This means, you need to have packaging that can sell itself to the consumer when they are debating if they want to purchase the item or not. It takes a customer about 2. 6 seconds to make a purchasing decision between two different types of packaging. (BKS. com 2010) NIKE’s package must immediately convince the customers to purchase the energy drink the moment they see it. NIKE will need to identify a fitting way to bottle the drink and create a catchy advertising label and name so that it will bring the consumer to want to select the new NIKE drink over all others. Positioning NIKE will place the new energizing sports drink throughout the US and Europe to start; then, later expand the new product into the other 190 countries around the world in which NIKE products are already sold. NIKE’s an established company and has strong international presence and has existing profitable product sales worldwide. This easy access to NIKE’s existing target markets would result in higher sales and revenues for the new product very quickly out the gates, as this new product line and NIKE’s existing product lines are complementary to each other. NIKE would also place this product in stores that are more specialty type sports stores, as well as in gas stations, grocery stores, corner markets, and other retail stores where existing competitor products are sold. Digital sport marketing platforms has already allowed NIKE to build more of a personal relationship with the customers. Nike+ will help introduce this new sports drink directly to the end consumer with consistency and frequently. Nike+ will continue to encourage building and enabling online communities for customers to discuss the product and offer feedback, ideas, suggestions for enhancement on the new product line or future product developments. This stays in line with NIKE’s recent strategic changes to follow their customers and track trends in the digital realm. Of course, pull and push type methods of marketing strategies will be advertised as banners and pops throughout the digital communities. Marketing Program In brining this premium energy sports drink to market, NIKE will focus on these three strategies: Price. NIKE has an excellent quality product at a reasonably competitive price. The total cost of competitor’s product is priced between $1. 29 and 2. 39 depending on the size and the store. NIKE will set their price at the higher end. NIKE will later (post 2013 new product debut) introduce to market the value pack; selling packs of six and twelve for the quantity value savings. An important part to advertising along with price is highlighting that NIKE will manufacture this new product within Fair Trade qualified standards. NIKE has had several years of battling this bad reputation with a lot of negative criticism by the anti-globalization groups. This would be a good opportunity to help change perceptions about NIKE, as NIKE is changing and wants to ensure ethical practices are practiced within their offshore manufacturing facilities. Placement. The costumer will find this product pretty much everywhere. Existing NIKE retail accounts will carry this beverage, including the NIKE-owned retail stores, internet sales, and through a mix of independent distributors and licensees, in over 190 countries around the world. Locations could range from grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies and supermarkets to hospitals, online, and in vending machines. Promotion. Digital marketing will be a key component in this area. Leveraging the Nike+ website will be an inexpensive and efficient way to launch promotional coupons and advertising banners. This can be accomplished in various social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and others. Also having interactive ads in magazines and sending coupons over the mail in the Sunday newspaper or through online sources. NIKE will distribute product samples at big sporting event or events that NIKE sponsors where their target market will be in attendance. NIKE will also start to include the NIKE energizing sports drink within their footware and apparel commercials and vice versa. Financial Data and Projections References NIKE, Inc. official website. (2012). Using Web Sources in Writing. Retrieved from http://help-us. NIKE. com/app/answers/detail/a_id/113/~/what-is-NIKEs-mission-statement%3F Cendrowski S. , (2012, February 13). NIKE’s new marketing mojo. Fortune Magazine. Retrieved from http://management. fortune. cnn. com/2012/02/13/NIKE-digital-marketing/ Tyler, J. , (2011). Using Web Sources in Writing. Retrieved from http://www. articlesnatch. com/Article/NIKE-s-Core-Values-And-Business/1287651 Google Finance, (2012, July 29). Using Web Sources in Writing. Retrieved from: http://www. google. com/finance? q=NIKE# Robertson, L. , (2012, March 19). Guzzling energy drinks but more tired than ever? Men’s Health. Retrieved from http://www. msnbc. msn. om/id/46764607/ns/health-mens_health/t/guzzling-energy-drinks-more-tired-ever/ Leftfoot, S. L. , (2012, February 13). Nike’s New Marketing Strategy — The Shift to Digital. Fortune Magazine Article. Using Web Sources in Writing. Retrieved from: http://www. nikeblog. com/2012/02/13/nikes-new-marketing-strategy-the-shift-to-digital-fortune-mag-article Watts, J. , (2009, July 22). What Makes Nike Strong and Weak. Using Web Sources in Writ ing. Retrieved from: http://voices. yahoo. com/swot-analysis-NIKE-company-3843094. html Online Extra. (2004, September 19). Nike’s New Game Plan for Sweatshops. Bloomberg BusinessWeek Magazine. Using Web Sources in Writing. Retrieved from: Using Web Sources in Writing. Retrieved from: Bartash, J. , (2012, August 2). U. S. Hiring in July likely to be a lackluster. The Wall Street Journal. Using Web Sources in Writing. Retrieved from: http://www. marketwatch. com/story/us-hiring-in-july-likely-to-be-lackluster-2012-08-02 Landi, H. , (2012, November 20). The Rise of glaceau. Beverage World 126. 4 2007, 22-26. Business Source Complete. EBSCO. Red bull GmbH SWOT

International Business in Emerging Economies

International Business in Emerging Economies Introduction Business environment is becoming competitive due to globalization caused by technological inventions. Firms have come to realize that in order to become competitive in the market they need to go beyond the local markets. This is one fact that management of Haier is well aware of and is planning on how to expand the market share for its refrigerators. There is need to enter into the emerging markets with this product.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on International Business in Emerging Economies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the most attractive destinations for this product is in South Africa (Pitt 2001, p. 58). This is not only because of the large size of the country, but also because of the massive growth of its economy. South Africa is one of the emerging economies, and the average purchasing power of the people of this country is relatively high as compared to other neighboring countries in the region. The emergence of the middle class in South Africa means that Haier refrigerators can easily find a huge market in this country. This is especially so in the major cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg. However, this firm can only succeed in this market if it understands the external environmental forces that will affect its operations while in this country. The management should also be aware of the internal strengths and weaknesses in order to devise ways of managing the external market forces. This research will analyze the South African market environment. External Business Environment of South Africa Cultural, political, economic, and legal aspects of a country make up the external environment of a business. External business environment is very important because it will always determine success or failure of a firm. A business unit cannot survive in a hostile business environment. According to Cooper (2009, p. 78), external business environment always dictates g rowth and development of a business. In order to understand business environment of South Africa, PESTEL analysis will be important. This economic analysis tool will help us understand South Africa as a business region, and its viability in supporting growth and development of this firm. PESTEL Analysis of South African Business Environment Political Aspects South Africa is one of the leading democracies in this region. This country became a republic in 1994 from the Dutch. The president is the head of state and government. Politically, South Africa has a very stable government. The country has experienced a long period of political stability that has made it conducive for business. It has a very stable government that is supportive of business operations.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Coulter (2009, p. 89), the political environment of South Africa has been very supportive of business operations. This scholar says that the political class has created a clear distinction between politics and business environments. The transitions from one regime to another have been very peaceful, and none has ever had a serious negative effect on the business fraternity since its independence. Economic Aspects As was stated above, South Africa has the largest economy in Africa based on Gross Domestic Product. Although the GDP is always very important when analyzing the attractiveness of a country in sustaining a business, the most important factor is always the wealth held by individual citizens. This country is one of the wealthiest nations in Africa in average household wealth. This means that its citizens have strong purchasing power. This makes the country a very attractive market for firms interested in venturing into it. The report by Davida (2008, p. 78) also shows that this country is rated favorably in purchasing power parity by GDP in this region. This means that wealth of the nation is fairly spread. This increases the purchasing power of the country. South Africans do appreciate the need to save, but they also spend a good part of their income. It is important though, to understand the fact that this country has also been experiencing economic recession that has been affecting the world from time to time. The country was affected by the 2009 economic recession that hit the United States and other regions of the world. The South African government came up with various policies immediately the 2008/2009 economic recession ended. The government has endeavored to ensure that the economy of the country do not experience difficulties it faced. The Socio-Cultural Environment South Africa has one of the richest socio-cultural environments in the world. Devellis (2001, p. 69) says that South Africa has a very rich cultural heritage that makes it stand out among many other countries. The socio-cultural environment of this country is diversified. This is because this country has people from all over the world. The people of South Africa cherish equality, and women have equal economic strength just as men. In this country, this firm should not segment the market based on gender. The country has been known for its ideals and declarations of rights of women. Based on religion, this country has several believers who are from different religions. The leading religion is Christianity. However, there are Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and Pagans among other African religions. All these religions have been co-existing peacefully and without any form of friction.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on International Business in Emerging Economies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, each group has its own beliefs that make them unique in the market (Letavec 2006, p. 57). For instance, Muslims do not eat pork. Although their population is not very h igh in this country, they have an impact in the market. The management of Haier must therefore, be careful when segmenting the market. According to Clark (2000, p. 650), there is a unique character that makes the South African market different from others. The South Africans generally love leisure. They also like attractive products that symbolize love for life and for others. This is the reason why it is one of the leading markets for flowers in Africa. The country is also very sensitive when it comes to issues about colors. They have cultural beliefs about some specific colors. Each color has a specific attachment, and is therefore, suitable for different occasions. The Management of Haier must take a keen consideration when choosing colors for its products. This society is also very careful about diction. Every word has a special meaning. As a marketer of Haier, one would need to be very careful with the choice of word used during the promotional campaigns (Nagarajan 2005, p. 29) . Any wrong usage of word may cost a firm its market share. The technological environment in this country is very dynamic. Technological inventions and innovations, especially in the field of communication have been the main challenge and strength of various firms at the same time. While some firms are left with nightmares of trying to guess what their competitors in the market are going to come up with overnight, some have used this technology to emerge as the leaders in the market. Technological changes are so unpredictable and firms are struggling to come terms with these changes. The dynamism of technology in this sector has forced some firms out of the market. Legal Aspects According to Goolnik (2006, p. 56), no firm can operate in an industry that has no clear laws and regulations to help in general governance. Laws and regulations are always enacted to help define the relationship between a firm and the government, a firm and the public, and a firm with other firms. This law should be clear on various operational issues in order to ensure that operations of one firm do not affect that of another firm. Some governments always enact laws that may motivate growth of one industry, while impeding the growth of another country. Other laws may also be enacted to discourage foreign firms from investing in the country.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The government of South Africa has enacted laws that liberalize the economy. The laws have encouraged growth of the private sector through public-private partnership (Kanda 2011, p. 84). Legally, most firms have not faced major challenges. The laws that govern trade in South Africa have been very favorable to most firms. However, some firms have faced serious litigation cases for failure to follow some of the industry rules and regulations. Of importance to note is that this country is largely a Christian state. Most of the laws of this land are based on the morals and beliefs of Christianity. For this reason therefore, some businesses practices are not allowed in this country (Binder 2007, p. 84). Failure to follow the industry and national laws and regulation may not only lead to serious fines imposed by the government on the firm, but even a total closure of the firm. Haier should be aware of this. The government has clearly defined how firms should relate amongst themselves. Suc h issues as advertisements are closely regulated, with various agencies keenly monitoring content of the adverts. This is specifically so due to two main reasons. The first reason is to ensure that an advert for company A does not have a direct negative effect on products for company B. This is to create a healthy competitive environment where firms have respect for one another. Another reason for this regulation is viewers of the adverts who are below the age of majority. A standard language should be used when advertising in order to ensure that children’s mind is not polluted with contents meant for adults. However, given the nature of the product Haier is taking to this market, it may not face any serious challenge from this perspective of the law (Murch 2004, p. 48). The management of Haier only needs to understand how it needs to relate to the government, the public and other firms in this country. There are some environmental concerns that have legal implications. Sout h Africa is one of the emerging economies in the world. There are environmental agencies that have come out strongly to defend nature from any form of pollution. When operating in this country, the management of Haier should be aware of the laws that are enacted to protect the environment (Barker 2003, p. 89). Contravening these laws may result in litigation against the firm. This can cause serious financial consequences. Internal analysis of Haier Using SWOT Model SWOT analysis is always a very important tool that helps in determining the internal ability and weaknesses of the firm, and the opportunities and threats that are available in the external environment. This analysis will help in understanding this firm, and in knowing some of the factors that have propelled it to its current position in the market. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Company Haier Company has some special abilities that can be considered its main strength in the market. The ability of this firm to develop a variety of refrigerators of different sizes and for different purposes has earned it a massive ability to target various market segments. To help it succeed in this industry, this firm has come up with a quality control unit in all its subsidiaries in order to ensure that it delivers quality products to the customer (Chiou Droge 2006, p. 620). Ability to deliver quality service to the customer has made it develop a special niche in the market making its products popular across the world. The firm is also one of the first firms that embraced value chain management. Through this, the firm has been able to continue satisfying its customers at a reasonable cost. The ability of this firm to adopt the emerging technologies has been considered as strength by other firms. Haier refrigerator is one of its recent products that demonstrates the capacity of this firm to deliver special satisfaction to its customers by bringing products that are a little beyond the expectations of the market. D espite the above strengths for this firm, it has some weaknesses that have impeded its growth to a given degree. One of the main concerns that this firm has not addressed properly is the issue of the emerging technologies. LG and Samsung have successfully maintained their lead as the top manufacturers and distributors of refrigerators (Chaudhuri Holbrook 2001, 89). The main reason for this was the inability of this firm to adapt to the emerging technologies within the right time. Another thorny issue for this firm has been on environmental management. The components of the products of this firm are known to be very dangerous to the environment. Components of old refrigerators pose a serious threat to the environment. This firm has been criticized, alongside other firms, to be leading in the pollution of the environment. This firm is yet to come up with a clear structure on how it can manage environmental pollution caused by its wastes around the globe (Bruning 2002, p. 41). The fir m has claimed that it has been engaging in corporate social responsibility. However, this has not been enough to make the public believe its commitment to a cleaner environment. Opportunities and Threats In every industry, there are always opportunities and threats that a firm may come across in the external environment. Various opportunities exist for Haier in its operations in the South African market. One of the opportunities that this firm has had is an expansive and unexploited market in the third world countries. Most of the electronics firms have focused their effort on building a large base of loyal customers in the leading economies like the United States and the European markets (Andrzej Buchaman 2007, p. 98). This firm has managed to tap into the emerging markets in African and parts of Asia. The stable economic growth in the emerging economies means that there is increased opportunity for this firm to increase its sales in such countries as the South African markets and the neighboring regions. This growth of economy means that the consumers will always have enough to spend on luxurious goods such as the expensive Haier refrigerators. The market has developed an interesting trend where this firm is competing with Samsung for the market share of the refrigerators. The market has been experiencing a stiff competition between Haier refrigerators and Samsung refrigerators (Sirkin Jackson, 2005, p. 18). Although this may be considered as a threat, this competition has offered the two firms an opportunity to acquire a special niche in the industry, outsmarting some of the former industry giant like Sanyo. The emergent of an economically empowered youth around the world is also another opportunity that this firm has been able to exploit. In the IT industry, the main target market is the youth. With an economically empowered youth, this firm can generate many benefits through increased sales. There are threats that exist in this industry that is worth no ting. Technology is probably the main threat that this firm faces in this industry. Haier has used technology to reach its current position. It has managed to adapt to the emerging technologies at a gradual rate (Doladi 2007, p 218). However, it is a frightening trying to figure out what some of the competitors can do with this same technology. Any slowness in managing the emerging technologies can pose a serious threat to this firm. Another biggest threat that this firm faces is the stiff competition posed by rival firms. This industry is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Any slight mistake by the firm may result in a situation where its market share is taken over by other rival firms. Market Entry Mode According to Bird (2007, p. 221), it is important for a firm to have a clear strategy that it intends to use when getting into a new market. Haier should understand that the market forces in its home country are different from the forces in South Africa. It should find the best way through which it can get into the South African market with as minimal challenges as possible (McCarthy 2010, p. 36). One of the modes of entry can be direct market entry into this market. In this strategy, the firm will need to register with the relevant authorities is South Africa and start its operations in this country as an independent firm. Another alternative is to find exclusive distributers of its products in the market. In this approach, it will only need to coordinate with these distributers and supply them with its products. The distributers will be responsible for sale of the refrigerators in the South African Market. Alternatively, this firm can get into partnership with a South African firm in the electronic industry. With this partner, this firm can introduce its refrigerators into this country. Given the nature of this product and the level of market competition, direct market entry mode would be the most appropriate. The Organizational Strategy f or the Entry Direct market entry Strategy is appropriate because it would enable Haier to deal with the competition posed by competitors in a direct manner. To do this, the management of Haier should develop organizational strategy for this entry. The first step should be analysis of the market prior to the entry. This will enable the firm to understand what is needed in this market. After the survey, the management should form a team that will be responsible for managing this market (Bardes 2008, p. 187). This team should only include top managers because it would be appropriate to have host country nationals for other positions. The team should then develop market entry strategy that would help create a positive image of this firm in the market. This team must develop appropriate market proposition that would give it an advantage over its competitors. This may include positioning itself as an electronic firm that is environment friendly, besides being conscious of environmental fo rces. Human Resource Management Strategy According to Banutu (2004, p. 145), it is very important for the management of a firm to come up with an appropriate human resource management strategy when entering a new market. There are four options that Haier can use when staffing its new plant in South Africa. The first option may be to use parent country nationals, which would mean that it would come with employees from China. The second option is to have host country nationals meaning that it will hire South Africans at this new plant. The third option is to use third country national, which means that it will hire employees from other countries other than China and South Africa. The last option, which is the most appropriate, is to have a mix of the three strategies (Kousholt 2007, p. 37). Haier will employ top management from any other country, while junior employees would come from South Africa. Employing South Africans will help this firm in marketing because these employees alrea dy have an understanding of the market environment. These employees should be kept constantly motivated to ensure that they give out their best. Environmental Issues and Corporate Social Responsibility When the management has successfully made an entry into this new market, it would need to develop a positive relationship with the public. Gaining favorable public image would require this firm to engage in various activities that would endear it to the public. Corporate social responsibility offers a firm an opportunity to work with the public for the betterment of the public other than to generate profits for the firm (Baekdal 2006, p. 54). Given that the society has become very sensitive on issues concerning the environment, the management of Haier should consider engaging in activities focused on protecting the environment. This may include planting of trees, getting rid of electronic and plastic wastes from the environment or such other similar activities. This will help give a n ew positive image for this firm in the market. Conclusion It is apparent from the discussion above that Haier can make a successful entry into the South African market with its refrigerators. South Africa is one of the emerging economies in the world and it is one of the most attractive markets for this firm. However, Haier needs to understand the external environmental forces it may face when operating in this country. It needs to understand socio-cultural environment, political and economic factors of this country that may affect its operations. This firm may also need to understand its internal strengths and weaknesses that may affect its operations in this country. Direct market entry into the South African market is the most appropriate approach for this firm, and most of its employees, especially the mid-level managers and junior employees should be South Africans. Participation in corporate social responsibility will give this firm a good image in this new market. List of Ref erence Andrzej, A Buchaman, A 2007, Organizational Behavior, Prentice Hall, London. Baekdal, T 2006, â€Å"Handle change management projects more effectively,† Change Management Handbook, vol. 1, no. 27, pp. 7-57. Banutu, M 2004, The Emerging Markets in Asia and Africa, Journal of American Academy of Business, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 143-151. Bardes, R 2008, Effects of Social Loafing on Organization, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 180-197. Barker, F 2003, The South African labour market, Van Schaik, Pretoria. Binder, J 2007, Global project management: communication, collaboration and management across borders, Journal of Marketing Management, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 21-110. Bird, A 2007, Team structure and success as related to cohesiveness and leadership, Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 103, no. 2, pp. 217-223. Bruning, S 2002, Relationship building as a retention strategy: linking relationship attitudes and satisfaction evaluations to behavioral outcomes, Public Relations Review, vol. 28. No. 1, pp. 39-48. Chaudhuri, A Holbrook, M 2001, The chain of effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand performance: the role of brand loyalty, Journal of Marketing, vol. 65, no. 2, pp. 81-93. Chiou, J Droge, C 2006, Service quality, trust, specific asset investment, and expertise: Direct and indirect effects in a satisfaction-loyalty framework, Journal of the Academy of Marketing science, vol. 34, no. 4, p. 613-27. Clark, C 2000, Differences between public relations and corporate social responsibility: an analysis, Public Relations Review, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 363-80. Cooper, R 2009, Portfolio management for new products, Perseus, Cambridge. Coulter, M 2009, Strategic Management in Action, Pearson Higher Education, New York. Davida, F 2008, Strategic Management: Concepts, Pearson Higher Education, New York. Devellis, R 2001, Scale Development: Theories and Application, Sage, Newbury Park. Doladi, A 2007, Achieving suc cess with group, Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 103, no. 2, pp. 217-223. Goolnik, G 2006, â€Å"Effective Change Management Strategies†, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE, vol. 7, no. 1, pp 10-78. Kanda, A 2011, Project management: A life cycle approach, PHI Learning Private Limited, New Delhi. Kousholt, B 2007, Project management: Theory and practice, Nyt Teknisk Forlag, New York. Letavec, C 2006, The program management office: establishing, managing and growing the value of a PMO, Ross Publishers, Florida. McCarthy, C 2010, â€Å"Ways of Managing Social Loafing within a Firm,† Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, vol. 1, no. 39, pp 20-41. Murch, R 2004, Project management: Best practices for IT professionals, Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River. Nagarajan, K 2005, Project management, New Age International, New Delhi. Pitt, L 2001, South African marketing cases for decision makers, Juta, Lansdowne. Sirkin, H Jackson, A 2005, à ¢â‚¬Å"The Hard Side of Change Management†, Harvard Business Review, vol. 3, no. 4, pp 1-18.

Zero and Its Synonyms

Zero and Its Synonyms Zero and Its Synonyms Zero and Its Synonyms By Mark Nichol The word zero has a small but distinctive set of synonyms, which are listed in this post. Zero is the word for the symbol 0, representing the absence of magnitude or quantity and the value between positive and negative numbers. The word also represents the lowest point or the starting point for measurement or, as in the phrase â€Å"ground zero,† a point of impact or origin. In addition, it refers to absence or impartiality, or to the lowest possible score on a test, and as slang it describes a worthless person or one with little or no discernible charm or personality. The word ultimately derives, like many arithmetical and scientific terms, from Arabic, in this case sifr, which means â€Å"zero† or â€Å"empty† and is also the source of the synonym cipher. Meanwhile, cipher itself, while also occasionally expressing the numerical symbol, describes a nonentity, with the connotation that a person so identified has no influence or no distinguishing characteristics, as in a reference to someone mysteriously vague. This sense of mystery extends to the sense for cipher of a method of encoding information, or a coded message itself. A cipher may also be a combination of letters used symbolically, similar to a monogram. Aught and naught, discussed in more detail in this post, are also synonyms of zero (as is nought, a variant of the latter word), but briefly, aught is employed usually when referring to the first decade of a century (in which the tens place of any given year is represented by a zero) or to a zero used in decimal measurement. Naught, however, is used in the sense of â€Å"nothing.† Nothing itself, as might be guessed, literally means â€Å"no thing† and stems from Old English. In addition to pertaining to a lack of quantity, nothing alludes to nonexistence and is used, like zero, to suggest that someone is worthless. However, it also, in plural form, refers to playful remarks, especially, as part of â€Å"sweet nothings,† in a romantic context. It is also employed, though rarely, as an adjective or adverb. Nil, a contraction of the Latin word nihil (the root of nihilism, the word for a philosophy of renunciation of traditional ideas or morals), is ultimately from nihilum, literally â€Å"not (even) a trifle,† and generally alludes to a comparison, such as a sports score or to the distinction, or lack thereof, between two like objects, or to (a lack of) probability; one’s chances of achieving an impossible result, for example, are said to be nil. Zilch and zip, both of obscure origin, are slang synonyms for zero. The letter o and the word oh are also, because of the resemblance of the letter to the symbol for zero, used informally in speech and rarely in writing to refer to the symbol, as is â€Å"goose egg,† from the similarity in shape between that object and the symbol. (On a related note, the use of love to indicate a zero score in tennis is said to originate in the phrase l’oeuf, French for â€Å"the egg,† though this etymology is disputed.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?Expanded and Extended20 Ways to Cry

The Film Miss Presentation and Mistreated Women Essay

The Film Miss Presentation and Mistreated Women - Essay Example In addition to this, only 16% of women are writers, directors, producers, cinematographers and editors. Patriarchy has unfortunately caused a poor representation of women in society. In this paper, I will analyze the power of the media and its influence on the role of women. The paper further dwells upon the effects of the negative image of women, created by media, which affects their position in society. The media has been continuously using women to its benefits, meeting the needs of the male audience. This has eventually had a negative effect on women and their representation and position in the world. This is because you can’t be what you can’t see. ‘The media is the message and the messenger’. These were the opening remarks in Pat Mitchell’s documentary. He is the president and CEO of the Paley Center for Media. Jackson Katz, the author of The Macho Paradox, argues that people learn much more from the media than from any other source. On the other hand, Jim Steyer the CEO of Common Sense Media argues that the media is delivering the content that is shaping our society. Even though 51% of the US population is women, only in very rare cases anyone of them achieves elite positions. The media is one of the key factors which are to blame for this. It makes and delivers the news and for this reason, most of the information we get from it is a result of the trends liked by the media. It has portrayed the males as dominant over the females. Patriarchy is evident and the female identity has been blurred. Nude pictures of attractive women are used all the time in magazines, movies and even on calendars and billboards on the streets. This all objectifies women and makes them a lifeless thing of desire and lust. The director of this film emphasizes that despite the high percentage of women in the US, only 17 of them are members of Congress. Since 1979, the first election of a woman to the  congress took place in 2010. This fact proves the evidence of patriarchy.

Considering the Consequences and the Importance of Character Research Paper

Considering the Consequences and the Importance of Character - Research Paper Example The right of seeing an attorney tops the list since the connection between law and justice abound (Banks, 2011). The consequences of missing out on this basic right, or its violation, leads to missing out on the basic process of arrest. This violation of basic rights, in most cases, lead to release of criminals as a consequence of skipping basic steps in making arrests leading to severe injustices to the affected. In the case of neglecting the reading of Miranda rights to the arrested persons, society queries the ability of the police force to protect society. The skipping of this basic ritual puts pressure on the police force since their capacity comes under scrutiny. As an alternative channel, citizen review presents a better option for society to tackle the situation (Banks, 2011). Citizen review processes promote accountability in the police force. They enhance the basic entry level requirements into the force, thereby affecting the recruitment process. Through engagements, the citizens give feedback to the police force. As such, they affect the training procedures by giving out information required to modify training procedures (Gross, 2007). As such, the citizenry take responsibility in ensuring that they get the qualified police force they deserve. The engagement of citizens in review meetings promotes the raising of awareness of the force on the needs of the society (Gross, 2007). Further, the proactive processes involved in the identification of issues arising from the community, as far as criminal activities get concerned, prepares the police force to prepare adequately in the task of tackling arising issues. In the event of issues arising on the ability of officers to carry out their duties in proper fashion, citizen reviews need to participate in making necessary rectifications. In these instances, both the affected and innocent, officers develop caution in carrying out their prescribed duties. This limits the carrying

Cultural Tourism Development Essay Example for Free

Cultural Tourism Development Essay With its modern sky line and quality infrastructure, it is difficult to believe that Dubai in the United Arab Emirates was once a small town of Bedouin traders. Exotic animals used to inhabit the grounds occupied by the present-day Nad al Sheba racetrack Contemporary Dubai has been built beyond reasonable expectations, more so from the stigma which befell a post-Gulf War Arabia. High-technology and high-fashion shops are now as commonplace as the gold souks. Modern Dubai is an eclectic mix of old and new, ancient and modern. Tourism, cultural tourism particularly, is considered one of the fastest-growing industries globally; with fierce competition being its natural corollary. Dubai is viewed as one of the prime tourist destinations, giving the country a distinct vantage in the arena. Dubai’s relative advantages pertinent to tourism are manifold. First, tourism is a rapidly-growing, huge industry; it is, therefore, a crucial sector that Dubai can take advantage of. Dubai is aptly capable in meeting global standards, being in itself, a set of visions. Dubai’s global position, as predicted, will be that of an â€Å"internationally-recognized hub and destination of choice for cultural tourism†. Dubai’s 2010 vision reiterates this notion, stating a threefold agenda for its long-term goal of becoming an international tourist hub: (1) creating a quality environment conducive to immigration and investment inflows, necessary for enticing a technologically-knowledgeable/skilled human capital base, (2) launching a policy of arts and culture developments, with the creation of an arts center in Dubai, (3) initiating an annual program of cultural activities (e. g. expositions, concerts, visiting artist performances) to mark its reputation as a modern society. Second, tourism is a highly-unpredictable industry, with trends and factors influential of tourist influx. Factors that positively affect tourism are disposable income increase, transportation cost decrease, tourism package cost decrease, and political stability presence. Travel distance has become an irrelevant tourism factor. Third, competition has spurred creative marketing strategies on the part of tourism providers. They have started providing leisure and business packages in greater variety, higher quality, and more competitive pricing scheme- thereby boosting the market demand for tourism. With the current trends in tourism at work, the demand being on the favorable side, it is projected that the $ 3. 3 trillion global tourism industry will grow at a 6. 8 % annual rate for the next 10 years. Fourth, the tourism industry is challenged by a body of better-informed and discriminating clientele. Tourism providers, therefore, need to package destinations in a detail-specific and compelling manner, categorized on the basis of market segmentation, in order to lure prospective tourists. The package destinations can also aim at a wider range of tourists for particular destinations in order to satisfy the market demand. In view of these trends, Dubai must adhere to the aforementioned steps to be able to take advantage of the tourism sector to its fullest. Dubai must maintain research-based equilibrium values per tourist segment, from where tourism providers can base tourist package offers from. The move is expected to optimize Dubai’s gain from possible tourism-generated revenues. It must also continue upgrading its support services in order to be able to service the increasing flock of tourists, broaden the basis of their motivation for tourism, and eventually, draw more tourists into visiting. A study of tourism’s framework is a requisite for understanding it. According to the Singaporean Board of Tourism website, the tourism landscape is composed of two sections: motivating attraction and supporting services. Motivating attractions include business tourism, cruise events, honeymoons, and especially, cultural tourism. Supporting services, however, include IT Communication systems, travel agencies, hotels, entertainment management companies, and computer reservation systems. Cultural activities, in addition, are part of a broader tourism framework; by building on both Motivating Attractions and Supporting Services, Dubai will be able to attract tourists and encourage repeat visits. Cultural Tourism Cultural tourism is the type of tourism intent on an exploration of and education on the culture of a particular state. The motivating attraction components of cultural tourism are cultural/historical heritage, performing arts (theatre), visual arts and music. The CulturalHistorical Heritage component includes parks sightseeing, tours, cultural events, festivals and fairs. Performing Arts (Theatre) includes musicals, operas, ballet and dance exhibitions, and dramatic and classical performances. The Visual Arts component includes museums, painting galleries, craft exhibits, and film and photography showcases. Music, however, includes symphonies, orchestras and concerts. Supporting Services for cultural tourism comprise of marketing organizations to promote the Arts and Dubai’s position as a ‘center for the arts’ in the region, operational organizations to collaborate with performing arts talents and IT specialists for marketing, state-of-the-art venues like auditoriums, screening rooms, seminar rooms and staging arenas, and the technology that allows for world-class performances and shows. This US-based data on cultural tourism illustrates some key characteristics of the tourism demography (regular/cultural tourists), with important implications on the possible benefits from cultural tourism. Research suggests that promoting cultural tourism in Dubai will attract an extremely valuable clientele that will be willing to spend more ($ 174 average difference) and lengthen the duration of their visit (4% difference). Cultural tourism promotion, research also suggests, increases the likelihood of drawing clients with more advanced ages (48 vs. 46 average, 3% difference in retired tourists demography) and educational backgrounds (3% difference in graduate degree-holding status). Hosting such a demography is a boost for promoting Dubai as the ‘image leader’ in the region, an immense contribution to the knowledge economy. The National Assembly of State Arts agencies website asserts that some economic and cultural trends has had a huge impact on cultural tourism statistics. First, there has been a general rise in affluence and education level trends. Second, the United Arab Emirates has bore witness to cultural diversity; with expatriates now accounting for more than 75% of the UAE population. Third, an increase in the economic role and education of women had women typically setting up vacation plans. Fourth, a lesser time for leisure which is a mark of modern society increased the demand for and placed emphasis on shorter and value-added trips. Lastly, there has been an intensified influence of technology in every domain; an increased awareness of cultural issues therefore effected in tourists demanding a greater variety of cultural activities. These trends imply favorable growth prospects for cultural tourism in Dubai. Analyzing Dubai’s situation, it is evident that the current cultural tourism landscape is insufficient. Cultural Tourism Activities in Dubai are on a small-scale, fragmented, and uncoordinated way, and bereft of independent quality check and strategic guidance. The Dubai Explorer 2002 has it that the only activities/establishments which garnered a medium rating on the concentration graph were Dubais six (6) parks (Creekside Park, Mushrif Park, Rashidiya Park, Safa Park, Al Mamzar Beach and Jumeira Beach Park). The Performing Arts Division (comprising of nine (9) groups and clubs), the Visual Arts Sector (composed of four (4) galleries) and Falconry Division’s three (3) centers were noted as having the lowest concentrations. Dubai, however, is not deficient in Venues for Musical and Theatrical Performances which include: seven (7) venues for Classical Concerts (e. g. Crowne Plaza Hotel), six (6) venues for Theatrical Performances (e. g. a 500-seat Community Theater built in 2002 near Nad Al Sheba) and fifteen (15) venues for Dance/Pop Concert Events. These numbers are suggestive of the budding need for appropriate staging facilities and equipment; the demand for performance venues having been predicted. Comparing the aforementioned figures to a cultural tourism-investing country’s infrastructure statistics will reveal some startling differences. The data has it that Dubai has 80% the GDP/capita of Hong Kong but pales in comparison with regard to cultural infrastructure- with only 15% the number of museums and 0% the number of theaters and arenas. Based on these ratios, Dubai should have at least 10 museums and 5 theaters in order to parallel Hongkong’s status as a tourism spot. The Cultural Tourism Industry Group and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies websites specify the apparent quality and tourism potential of museums, art galleries, concert halls, historic sites, and national and state parks as main considerations influencing cultural tourists. The organization of cultural events, festivals and fairs is a consideration too. With an understandably hectic itinerary, the logistics scheme and accompanying amenities also count. Some of these features have already been instituted/organized in Dubai such as national and state parks, cultural events, festivals and fairs. These institutions/affairs are considered highly-competitive and very manageable. On the other hand, theaters, concert halls and archeological sites are basically non-existent. The construction of theaters and concert halls are reasonable, achievable objectives as exemplified by the construction of a 500-seat Community Theater (built in 2002 near Nad Al Sheba). The contrary holds for establishing archeological sites, a challenging feat. The creation of and investment in organizational networks in Dubai that promote cultural activities will beget ample dedication which will enable cultural organizations to fund, foster and implement innovative ideas crucial to the development of cultural activities. In addition, the implementation of high-impact activities will command the highest visibility and draw a significant number of tourists. Those projects are intent on Cultural Tourism which is currently unavailable in Dubai. Cultural Tourism necessitates the creation of a dedicated oversight committee within the DTCM structure to: (1) coordinate with the private sector regarding the development of projects, (2) fund and foster the development of different project concepts, and (3) assist in projects implementation to foster the development of cultural activities. Possible High-Impact Projects Cultural Tourism necessitates an identification of viable high-impact activities for implementation. Possible projects include: (1) the construction of a culture complex (Barbican or Lincoln Center model-based), (2) the construction of an opera house (London’s Royal Albert Hall-modeled), (3) erection of a major performing arts venue (in joint effort with the private sector’s Community Theater project currently underway), (4) the erection of a concert hall (in partnership with Moscow for purposes of production and guidance), (5) the initiation of a desert arena, (6) hosting cultural events and activities, and (7) erection of art cinema houses for Indie Films (NYC’s Angelica Theater-based). Moreover, there is an apparent need for an amendment in Dubai’s existing laws on private ownership to further the development of cultural tourism in this region. In a 1999 DTCM survey, as posted in the HK Leisure and Cultural Services Department website, a majority of the respondents specified the scarcity of peculiar activities and sightings in Dubai. The respondents criticized the offered cultural activities as being small-scale, fragmented and uncoordinated. These survey results support the need for improvements in cultural tourism infrastructure, developments in ongoing cultural activities, and initiation of high-impact projects. The DTCM, with its current organizational setup, is ill-equipped for a full development of cultural services. A labor force comparison between the DTCM and the HK LC Services Department yielded startling results; the HK LC Services Department has 26 times more employees. There is an immense need to foster a dedicated organization, in charge of coordinating the development of cultural activities in the region. The organizational setup will be based on the Hong Kong model where its primary role would be to act as the central node of cultural activities in the region. Other organizational responsibilities include: (1) promotion of cultural performances, (2) provision of support to festival organizers and private companies, and (3) offer of audience-aimed educational programs, and (4) overall logistical operations (e. g. venues and ticketing). Conclusion It is evident that the dearth of cultural facilities and cultural activities has brought Dubai to a tourism disadvantage. Cultural facilities/activities have been described, aptly or otherwise, as being small-scale, quality control-bereft, and seemingly uncoordinated with other cultural tourism authorities. Established institutions, however, such as the Dubai Museum, Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding, and the Dubai Natural History Group have potentially important roles in boosting Dubai’s cultural tourism prospects. Currently, there is an insufficient government emphasis in Cultural Tourism, although an AED 10M Dubai Community Theatre project which is currently underway is definitely a step in the right direction. An expedient cultural tourism infrastructure will facilitate Dubai’s agenda of drawing a desirable demographic, generating ample revenues from increased expenses and lengthened travel duration on tourists’ part, and according Dubai the status of an ‘image leader’ in the world. Furthermore, it is expected to heighten students’ thespic awareness and enthusiasm, sufficient encouragements for the scholarly and professional pursuit of the Arts. An overall improvement in the quality of life is expected with the creation of an inculturated tourism experience; creative arts specialists and cultural promotion companies will then be drawn to Dubai. Implications The magnitude of Dubai’s long-term agenda has various implications for the government and support systems, and marketing and production logistics. For one, a high degree of government support is entailed, more so that the need to institute a governmental agency for cultural promotion purposes presents itself. Secondly, creating partnerships with relevant local and overseas organizations is required for the promotion and improvement of Dubai’s Art and Culture. Third, the creation of specialized umbrella organizations, like a National Heritage Board or an Arts Council, is a significant assistance to the government for a more focused management. Fourth, the government has to support, subsidize and grant incentives to private sector initiatives in support of Dubai’s cultural tourism agenda (e. g. museum foundation, arts organizations). Lastly, there is a need for the government to set guidelines and policies directed on an effective management of cultural facilities, heritage conservation and tourist education. Support services have their own share of responsibilities. First, the management of major facilities, such as stadiums and performance venues, will ensure organizers a constant facility access and facility maintenance. Second, there is a need for the implementation of an accessible and automated ticketing system, possibly with the use of the Internet, to ensure a widespread distribution and expediency. Third, the endowment of financial support to festivals, events organizers, museums’ administration and arts organizations can be a tourism marketing tool. Lastly, the Internet is an effective marketing instrument with a global domain; therefore, creating websites and publishing electronic newsletters on cultural tourism is an information dissemination option. Dubai’s cultural tourism agenda has peculiar implications for marketing and production logistics. First, ticket pricing has to be reasonable and demand-based; with discount offerings for senior citizens, students and children, and price markdowns on special occasions and for promotional means. Second, an effective marketing strategy is key to succeeding in this arena; to participate and organize sales missions, trade and tourism fairs, consumer fairs and other promotional events is therefore necessary. Third, cultural organizers have to be responsible for audience-briefing on cultural themes in order to help the audience appreciate different cultural performances. Lastly, an educated domain is a boost to cultural tourism; therefore, the provision of educational programs addressed to students (lectures, workshops, seminars and symposia) and the encouragement of learning institutions to participate in cultural activities will significantly bolster Dubai’s tourism agenda. Dubai’s vision has crucial implications for production logistics too. First, affairs organizers have a wide array of production options ranging from traditional repertoires to avant-garde creative performances. Organizers have a corollary responsibility of heeding consumer demand and garnering independent ideas; providing a means for the submission of independent project proposals is therefore requisite. Second, it is the organizers’ privilege and responsibility to provide performance opportunities to both established and upcoming local artists and groups. Third, there is an organizer responsibility for a performance venue planning and management, with a corollary need for the constant enhancement and upgrading of performance facilities. Lastly, production organizers have to establish and be of support to local professional artists groups like philharmonic societies, dance companies and orchestras. With a competent strategy and ample guidance, Dubai’s 2010 Vision of Cultural Tourism need not be an impossibility!