Analysis of 3m Command

Executive Summary 3M Singapore controls many market leading brands in their various markets, such as Post-It ®, Scotch ® Tapes, Scotch-Brite ® and Commandâ„ ¢. In this report, we will be focusing on the brand – Commandâ„ ¢. We aim to address the problem of the erosion of Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitive advantage in its increasingly competitive industry by providing improved/new BTL strategies which Command can undertake. Based on our survey, there are 2 interesting findings which we aim to tackle through our recommendations. The first of which is that consumers could not differentiate Commandâ„ ¢ from 3M. In other words, they viewed Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s products as â€Å"3M hooks† rather than â€Å"Commandâ„ ¢ hooks†. This could lead to a brand dilution of 3M in the long run which is not ideal. The next is that Command’s value proposition of easy and clean removal is not fully understood by consumers. To aid Commandâ„ ¢ in targeting its consumers effectively so as to anchor its footing as the market leader, we aim to address the problem and the misconceptions consumers have. We first investigated the factors behind motivating consumers’ consumption for products in the DIY-Mounting and Fastening Industry, followed by an analysis of the effectiveness of its current BTL strategies. From our results and findings, we have divided Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s consumers into 2 main groups: â€Å"The Innovalist† – Creative individuals who are motivated to purchase based on aesthetics appeal, and â€Å"The Functionalist† – Individuals who are more concerned with durability than other factors. All in all, we aim to help Commandâ„ ¢ differentiate itself from its competitors so as to anchor its position as the market leader. Table of Contents 1. 0 Introduction4 1. 1 Market description4 1. 2 Products review4 1. 3 Competitive environment analysis5 2. 0 The Problem, The Issues, Our Objectives5 2. 1 Issues5 2. 2 Problem6 2. 3 Objectives6 3. 0 Methodology6 4. 0 Results & Findings8 4. 1 Problems8 4. 2 Opportunities9 4. 3 Categorisation of consumers11 4. 4 Effectiveness of current BTL strategies12 4. 4. 1 Primary Space13 4. 4. 2 Secondary space14 4. 2. 3 Print Ads14 4. 2. 4 Promoters15 4. 2. 5 POSM15 5. 0 Recommendations15 5. 1 Primary Space16 5. Secondary Space17 5. 2. 1 â€Å"The Road to Commandâ„ ¢ing Success† Project17 5. 2. 2 â€Å"Is this your room? Start Living! † or â€Å"Tidy Room, Long Living†19 5. 3 Print Ads20 5. 3. 1 â€Å"Visuality Is Key†20 5. 4 Future Plans21 6. 0 Controls & Limitations22 Appendix24 1. 0 Introduction Commandâ„ ¢, one of the brands under 3M’s consumer and office business segment, positions itself as an innovative solution for consumersâ₠¬â„¢ mounting and fastening needs and the gateway through which they are able to transform their space quickly and easily. It has successfully carved a credible name for itself by being true to its brand promise of delivering damage-free, strong hanging solutions which can be removed cleanly and also as an innovative brand through the development of its USP: Stretch Release Technology (USPT). 1. 1 Market description Commandâ„ ¢ is in the mounting and fastening industry. Its target audience is aged 25-45, with a monthly household income above S$4000. The age group comprises of young adults who would most likely be working in their first job and adults who have reached certain milestones in their careers. . 2 Products review Commandâ„ ¢ has a wide range of products under its line, ranging from the general hooks of different sizes to various types of organization products to bathroom accessories. Although products are priced at a premium, it offers consumers damage-free, strong hanging solutions which can be removed cleanly. The main differentiating factor lies in Commandâ„ ¢ Adhesive the revolutio nary USPT that combines a reusable hook with removable, water-resistant adhesive that comes completely off with the pull of a tab and does no damage to the surface in the process. . 3 Competitive Environment Analysis With the rapid advancements in technology, the cost of technology is decreasing steadily, lowering the cost of entry into the industry. Hence, Commandâ„ ¢ face increasingly level of competition from less established brands such as Shunmei, Magic Mounts ® and LEC which positions itself as cheaper alternatives of Commandâ„ ¢ products. These competitors offer consumers products similar to Commandâ„ ¢- able removes cleanly and easily-. Their imitations of Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s USPT and competitive pricing strategies have been eroding Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitive advantage; compromising Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s standing as the market leader. 2. 0 The Problem, The Issues, Our Objectives 2. 1 Issues With the new entrants and less established competitors competing head-on with Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s core competency-positioning themselves the in a similar way as Commandâ„ ¢ but charging at a lower price-, it will erode Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitive advantage and possibly alter consumer’s perception of Commandâ„ ¢. Figure 1 illustrates the current positioning by Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s close competitors. Price Quality Command Competitors Price Quality Command Competitors Figure 1 Consumers' Perception 2. 2 Problem These issues pose a problem to Commandâ„ ¢ if left unresolved – Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s standing as the market leader and the prestige that it enjoys will be eroded. As competitors mimic Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s products, it is imperative to differentiate itself further and convey to consumers about the premium product it offers. 2. 3 Objectives To ensure Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s continued success and position as the market leader, it is crucial to discover consumers’ motivation in purchasing wall mounting and fastening products. We would thus assess the issues and the potential problem which threatens Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s legacy in the industry, and tailored a marketing plan that consists of a range of innovative recommendations to aid Commandâ„ ¢ in differentiating itself and to achieve its 3 goals of informing, raising awareness and increasing adoption rate by its target group. We start by investigating the factors that motivate consumers to purchase wall mounting and fastening products. Then, we analyse the effectiveness of Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s current below-the-line (BTL) strategies, propose changes and recommend new BTL strategies so that we can better target the consumers. These efforts are aimed to help Commandâ„ ¢ secure its position as the market leader, making it consumers’ preferred choice and proclaiming that â€Å"Commandâ„ ¢ is different, Commandâ„ ¢ is better†. 3. 0 Methodology A combination of primary and secondary research is undertaken to understand consumers’ motivation behind purchasing wall mounting and fastening products and assessing the effectiveness of Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s current BTL strategies. Our primary research consists of three parts. Firstly, a survey designed to help us understand the consumers and the factors that motivate or influence them to purchase wall mounting and fastening products. This survey is aimed at Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s target segment of consumers. The survey is conducted via the online platform to 100 consumers using Google docs, an online tool that enables collecting and analyzing data. Secondly, in-store observations of consumers purchasing wall mounting and fastening products is used to substantiate the analysis derived from our survey. The observation last between 30 minutes to 1 hour and took place in three different locations: the central and the heartland. We use a common set of questions to guide us when we are doing these observations, helping us to better understand the processes that consumers go through and identify the motivation consumers have when making their purchase decision. The effectiveness of current BTL strategies can be inferred through observing the influence it has on consumers’ purchase behaviour. Lastly, we did a focused group interview with 2 different groups of consumers; both are couples in the mid 20s. Pair A was a couple who works as an architect and a banker, while Pair B was a couple who are an engineer and an accountant. Our secondary research includes industry reports and literature reviews to assist us in generating a marketing plan tailored to Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s needs. Literature reviews help us to see how current BTL strategies can be improved for it to become more effective. The industry reports will provide us with a better understanding of the recent market conditions and the competitive outlook. 4. 0 Results ; Findings . 1 Problems A) Based on our survey results, we identified that consumers are unable to relate Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s main characteristics to the Commandâ„ ¢ brand. Only 7% thought of Commandâ„ ¢ when â€Å"adhesive strips† and â€Å"removes cleanly† were used to describe a particular brand of hook. A significant percentage (76%) of the respondents felt that the description was on 3M. This shows that consumers are not able to dif ferentiate between 3M and the Commandâ„ ¢ brand. In fact, more than half of this 76% answered that they have never heard of Commandâ„ ¢. While this shows that 3M has been successful in establishing its credibility in the mounting and fastening market, this situation is not ideal. If there are negative reviews on any of 3M’s Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brands, the sales of Commandâ„ ¢ would be affected as well. A good example of successful differentiation would be that of 3M Post-It ®. Consumers see the brand name as â€Å"Post-It ®Ã¢â‚¬  by 3M not â€Å"3M stickers†. B) From our observations done at DIY stores in Singapore, we have also found out that Commandâ„ ¢ shelves are not sufficiently strategically placed to capture consumers’ attention. Commandâ„ ¢ hooks are not the first hooks that consumers see when they step into the store. This is a problem as consumers tend to be more experimental towards low-involvement product, switching between brands, as the costs and risks involved are low. 4. 2 Opportunities From our analysis, we will explore the opportunities Commandâ„ ¢ can tap into. Also, we will attempt to better characterize the characteristics of the 2 groups in order to target them more effectively in our recommendations. Table 1 Consumer's Willingness to purchase Command hooks | Hook users| Non Hook Users| Willing to pay for Commandâ„ ¢| 9 (12%)| 24 (86%)| Not willing to pay| 65 (88%)| 4 (14%)| Our question posed to respondents includes listing out the various attributes of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks and asked respondents to indicate their willingness to purchase such a hook. From the table above, we infer that hook users are not willing to pay a premium price for â€Å"Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  hooks, while non-users are willing to. This is an ideal group for Commandâ„ ¢ to target, with the aim to convince non-hook users to start using hooks, by creating a perceived need for using hooks. Hooks are low-involvement function-based product; people are only motivated to purchase them when there is a need to. Hence, in order to increase usage of Commandâ„ ¢ products, Commandâ„ ¢ would have to introduce to consumers the various ways one can do with hooks, creating a perceived need in consumers to purchase hooks. Non-users of hooks have the misconception that hooks in general would leave stains when removed. When targeting the non-users of hooks, Commandâ„ ¢ would need to address their concerns about hooks leaving ugly stains on the wall or peals the paint off. This shows that convenience is the main attribute consumers consider when they purchase adhesive removable hooks. However, the ideal attributes consumers have in mind for hooks in general are durability and the design of the hooks- both the aesthetic aspect and the shape of the hooks-. This indicates that there is a misalignment between consumer’s ideal hook and that marketed by Commandâ„ ¢. Commandâ„ ¢ could focus on promoting its hooks based on the top 2 attributes consumer’s go for when purchasing hooks, thus positioning itself as consumer’s ideal hook. From the above graph, we identified that most people use hooks in bathrooms and kitchens. Commandâ„ ¢ has focus on conveying to consumers the use of its products in these areas, and it’s substantiated by the display seen in HomeFix at Marina Square elaborated on later. From the graph, a significant number of respondents use hooks in the living room. Commandâ„ ¢ could explore how it can further encourage the greater use of hooks in this area to increase household penetration of its products. Commandâ„ ¢ could also explore the idea of bundling Commandâ„ ¢ hooks with the successful 3M â€Å"Post-It ®Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s† to reach out to office users. In summary, the misconceptions consumers have towards mounting and fastening needs can be translated into problems to address or opportunities for Commandâ„ ¢ to tap into. 4. 3 Categorisation of consumers There are 2 main attributes- design and durability- which consumers look for in their ideal hook and this play a role in motivating their purchase of hooks. Hence, we would divide consumers into 2 main groups: Innovalist and Functionalist. Innovalist: Consumers who are looking for design and creativity when they purchase products. They desire to be different from the rest. They tend to go for products that stand out and they are willing to try new things. This group of consumers will tend to be more price inelastic. Functionalist: Consumers who are concerned about functionality when they purchase products. They are not concerned about design, but more on durability of hooks. For them, hooks are mainly used to hang things and do not serve any other purpose. This group of consumers will tend to be more price elastic. 4. 4 Effectiveness of current BTL strategies BTL strategies serve to complement the above-the-line (ATL) strategies used by Commandâ„ ¢. BTL strategies are designed to target more specifically to the target audience and to get consumers to purchase our product. The BTL strategies play a significantly crucial role in differentiating Commandâ„ ¢ from others. From our primary research, the results obtained shed light on the effectiveness of Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s current BTL strategies. This chart shows that Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s in store advertising is effective, as 74% respondents know about Commandâ„ ¢ through newspapers, magazine and whilst shopping. However, this is not a significant number and more can be done to increase the impact BTL strategies have on the target group. This chart shows that Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s in store advertising is effective, as 74% respondents know about Commandâ„ ¢ through newspapers, magazine and whilst shopping. However, this is not a significant number and more can be done to increase the impact BTL strategies have on the target group. Non-users of hooks are less aware of Commandâ„ ¢ compared to users of hooks. This shows that Commandâ„ ¢ is one of the top brands associated with hooks, but more can be done to increase non-user’s awareness of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks; to establish their presence in non-user’s evoked set. Non-users of hooks are less aware of Commandâ„ ¢ compared to users of hooks. This shows that Commandâ„ ¢ is one of the top brands associated with hooks, but more can be done to increase non-user’s awareness of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks; to establish their presence in non-user’s evoked set. 4. 4. 1 Primary Space For majority of the DIY stores patronized, Commandâ„ ¢ products have a whole shelf space dedicated to it and could easily be distinguished from the rest of the brands. This offers Commandâ„ ¢ a certain level of publicity when shoppers are in the store. When Commandâ„ ¢ products are placed together as a whole it is very striking and distinguishable, attracting shoppers’ attention easily. At the other stores including DIY stores, Commandâ„ ¢ products are placed at the left column, hence may not attract much of consumers’ attention in comparison to products place in the center column. General hooks classified according to different colours and shapes Different sizes: small, medium, big Bathroom accessories, kitchen General hooks classified according to different colours and shapes Different izes: small, medium, big Bathroom accessories, kitchen In stores where a shelf is not fully dedicated to Commandâ„ ¢ products, the brands were divided into the respective rows and organised accordingly in a columns as shown in the figure below. Figure 9 Figure 9 Also Commandâ„ ¢ has made use of temporary cardboard shelves, which are placed near the mounting and fastening section, as seen in HomeFix Compass Point. However, these shelves are tucked at a corner, facing into the store and can only be viewed when one is at the corner where Commandâ„ ¢ hooks are. It is not strategically placed and thus the full potential of the effectiveness of such temporary shelves are not fully maximized, thereby losing the opportunity it have in influencing consumer’s purchase decision. We took into consideration the possible space constraints faced in the store as a possible limitation of its effectiveness. 4. 4. 2 Secondary space It is observed that a more interactive advertising was used in HomeFix at Marina Square – display of a glass cabinet which illustrates how of Commandâ„ ¢ bathroom accessories can be used in the bathroom- . This cabinet is effective as it is prominent, interactive and engaging, teasing consumer out of their boundaries when purchasing a low-involvement product. Shoppers’ attention is attracted and they are more inclined to go closer to the display. Furthermore, it acts as a visual aid, creating imagery in shopper’s mind. Shoppers are encouraged to visualize themselves using Commandâ„ ¢ products at home, leading to them forming a positive bias, as they can clearly picture how Commandâ„ ¢ products can play a part in their life. When they anticipated satisfaction in using the products, the vivid imagery they had earlier would sway consumers’ in their formation of preference, influencing their purchase decision. 4. 2. 3 Print Ads During our primary research, we were not able to find many local print advertisements solely on Commandâ„ ¢. We managed to find an image of 3M’s advertisement on the front page of a â€Å"Today† newspaper and another advertisement, which had â€Å"3M† in huge font, while â€Å"Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  was just a small logo in the bottom right corner. In consistencies in advertisements like these have led to consumers’ confusion and the inability to differentiate between Commandâ„ ¢ hooks and ‘3M hooks’. Our recommendation would be based on overseas print advertisements by Commandâ„ ¢ and the advertisements we found on 3M and Commandâ„ ¢. 4. 2. 4 Promoters We did not notice any promoters when we conduct our primary research. Based on our secondary research, we found pictures of Commandâ„ ¢ promoters. The promoters did not have a noticeable dress code which allows them to be easily identified in the store. Promoters play an important role in creating public interest and increase product demand. They are the source of information shoppers can turn to when in doubt, helping in shopper’s decision making process. We are not able to analyze this aspect of BTL in depth due to the lack of primary research available. 4. 2. 5 POSM The use of the well known local celebrity Bryan Wong has been effective in reaching out to consumers and possibly encouraging them to be more innovative in the area of home decor. This is can be attributed to his influence in the well-received programme, the â€Å"Home Decor Survivor†, which he has co-host for the past 4 seasons. He is known for his creativity and knack for being innovative. His good reputation, and the high level of reliability and credibility he established throughout the seasons, was a convincing factor for consumers who trust his advice and choice. Furthermore, the use of his pictures on Commandâ„ ¢ in-store advertisements has influenced consumers and serves to remind them that Commandâ„ ¢ products are the best in the market. 5. 0 Recommendations These recommendations are specifically designed to target the 2 categories of consumers we have identified earlier. Using the insight gained from our results and findings about the gist of the associative networks- the linkages between the various concepts- consumers have, our recommendations are proposed with the aim to form the linkages which we want consumers to have when Commandâ„ ¢ comes to mind. We propose 3 different BTL strategies that Commandâ„ ¢ can focus on to inform, raise awareness and increase adoption rate. Table 2 Overview of 5 BTL Strategies Consumer/BTL| Primary Space| Secondary Space| POSM| Print Ad| Promoters| â€Å"Innovalist†| â€Å"Strategising Space Allocation†| â€Å"The Road To Commanding Success†| | â€Å"Visuality Is Key†| | â€Å"Functionalist†| | | | | | . 1 Primary Space Commandâ„ ¢ should occupy shelves at eye levels in outlets where it does not occupy the full shelf as research has shown that products placed at the eye levels get the most attention from shoppers though it does not help in improving the evaluation of the b rand (Eric T. Bradlow, J. Wesley Hutchinson, Pierre Chandon & Scott H. Young 2009). In addition, securing a larger shelf space is helpful in â€Å"increasing brand sales even when the price and location of the products remain unchanged† (Eric T. Bradlow, J. Wesley Hutchinson, Pierre Chandon & Scott H. Young 2009). 5. 1. â€Å"Strategizing Space Allocation† Initiative Commandâ„ ¢ should use words or attributes which Functionalists look out for in their purchases and include it in their in-store advertisements in order to capture their attention and spur them to purchase. Furthermore, Commandâ„ ¢ can explore using the temporary displays more efficiently, by strategically placing them in a manner that would attract the most attention from shoppers. Also, the design of posters found at the top of the temporary shelves can be change as consumers are currently unable to associate them with Commandâ„ ¢ when they view the posters from afar. A sample of this poster is attached in the appendix. We propose that Commandâ„ ¢ expand their shelf space, especially utilizing the eye level ranks and to craft and place its temporary shelves strategically within the space constraints faced in stores, in order to enhance its visual appeal and brand recognition among its consumers. 5. 2 Secondary Space 5. 2. 1 â€Å"The Road to Commandâ„ ¢ing Success† Project This is an interactive road show to increase level of brand awareness and engage consumers in understanding Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s range of products and how the USPT works. The road show targets both the Innovalists and the Functionalists through 4 activities at 2 different locations. A brief overview of the project is shown in the table below. Table 3 Overview of â€Å"The Road To Commanding Success† Project â€Å"The Road To Commandâ„ ¢ing Success†| | A| B| Venue| Central: * Outside Ngee Ann City * Inside CityLink| Heartland: * Pasir Ris * Tampines * Bedok| When| January 2011 (Before Chinese New Year); 2 weekends; 11am-9pm| Type| Stationary| Mobile (Moves from 1 location to the next)| Others| Media invited to cover event at different venues| Activities| * â€Å"What can you hang? Contest – Ongoing * â€Å"Come and organize! † Contest – Every hour * â€Å"Sketch your idea! † Contest – Ongoing * Live Advertisement (CityLink only) – Ongoing| 5. 2. 1. 1 â€Å"What can you hang? † Contest Participants will be invited onto stage to give a creative answer on what can be hang on Commandâ„ ¢ ’s hooks. Answers will be projected onto a screen on the stage. Viewers can vote for the idea they find most creative and the top 10 winners of the day will walk away with a Commandâ„ ¢ hamper (a full range of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks) either at the road show or at 3M’s office at Yishun. This aims to engage the consumers by involving them in brainstorming about what Commandâ„ ¢ hooks can offer them. In addition, this contest enables Commandâ„ ¢ to get inspirations for future design and improvements to be made to their products by finding out how consumers wish to use Commandâ„ ¢ products. 5. 2. 1. 2 â€Å"Come and organize! † contest Participants will be given a range of common household items (umbrella, keys, towel etc) and Commandâ„ ¢ hooks. They will be tasked to organize all these using Commandâ„ ¢ hooks within 5 minutes, during that time; they are allowed to make changes to the position of the hooks. Viewers will vote for the most creative organizer who will walk away with a mini Commandâ„ ¢ hamper (3 sets of different types of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks). This activity aims to instill in consumers how they can use Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s hooks and to demonstrate and justify Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s claim that its hooks can be removed easily and cleanly. 5. 2. 1. 3 â€Å"Sketch your idea! † contest Participants are invited to sketch a creative design of a hook and these designs will be updated on Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s website and the voting period would last 1 week following the road show. Voting would be done online and the top 10 winners will receive a Commandâ„ ¢ hamper (a full range of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks). This allow Commandâ„ ¢ to understand what the Innovalists want in terms of the aesthetics of hooks which could be a stepping stone for Commandâ„ ¢ to create hooks with new designs. More elaboration is under Future Plans. 5. 2. 1. 4. Live advertisement Commandâ„ ¢ can use the many glass casings along the walkway of CityLink and hire models to stay in the glass casings and act out their lifestyle through using hooks. For example, the actor dresses up as a student and mounts Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s hooks on the wall, hangs an item, removes the hook and places it at another spot etc. Commandâ„ ¢ can have 3 sets of actors and act out household, office, bathroom scenes which demonstrate how the different types of product can be used in each setting. This would be attention grabbing and interactive, serving to tease consumers about their traditional notion of a road show and at the same time enable them to form a vivid image of how the various Commandâ„ ¢ products can be used conventionally and creatively, creating the perceived need in consumers to purchase hooks. This road show project is effective as it can 1) boost product and brand recognition by 15 times compared to other forms of advertising and 2) achieves a 97% recall rate. 5. 2. 2 â€Å"Is this your room? Start Living! † or â€Å"Tidy Room, Long Living† We propose that Commandâ„ ¢ explore the use of more glass/clear display cabinets similar to that found in HomeFix at Marina Square, bringing the living room environment into the store and showing shoppers how the hooks can be used in the living room. The display would be located in a variety of places, from DIY stores to supermarkets in order to cater to the different consumer profiles who patronize the stores. This would be an effective way to influence shoppers unconsciously and introduce to them how the various Commandâ„ ¢ products can play an important part in the various areas of their homes. The use of the tagline would differ depending on which target consumers Commandâ„ ¢ is targeting. The tagline â€Å"Is this your room? Start Living! † is for Innovalists while â€Å"Tidy Room, Long Living† is for Functionalist. The design of the living room in the display cabinet would be simple, one that encapsulates the essence of a living room. The proposed layout of the display is attached in the appendices. 5. 3 Print Ads 5. 3. 1 â€Å"Visuality Is Key† Instead of using the conventional style of being information oriented, Commandâ„ ¢ should create ads that are more visually appealing by replacing words with graphics. In addition, the choice of words used is critical in distinguishing Commandâ„ ¢ from competitors’ ads. The ads should be structured in a manner that caters to the preferences of our 2 categories of consumers. Specifically words or phrases like â€Å"durable† and â€Å"ability to hold a certain weight† appeals to Functionalists. Innovalist would be attracted to products which appeals to their creativity. Thus, phrases such as â€Å"infinite possibilities† and â€Å"anything; anywhere† appeals to them. Furthermore, the size of the ads should be larger than the current ones and have a high frequency of repetition, for this would increase the level of positive attitude to the brand and the purchase intention (Chanthika Pornpitakpan 2004). However, in order to achieve effectiveness, Commandâ„ ¢ has to vary the ads in order to reinforce its position in consumers’ memory. The ads would be shown approximately every 1-2 months in order to achieve a positive reaction from readers. We have designed different ads to illustrate our point and they are included in the appendix. The location of the various advertisements is shown below. Table 4 Consumer Type| Strategy| â€Å"Innovalist†| Place ads at â€Å"arts centres† eg. Esplanade| â€Å"Functionalist†| Place ads at â€Å"populated places† eg. Bus stops, train stations| 5. 4 Future Plans Our recommendations are designed to educate consumers that Commandâ„ ¢ is superior to its competitors despite their claims to provide the same quality, using the same technology and cheaper offering. To anchor its position as the preferred choice, Commandâ„ ¢ needs to continue developing new innovative products and convey it to consumers in creative means. For the future, we propose that Commandâ„ ¢ introduce its current line of adhesive hooks in an innovative way – having varied shapes and designs and occasion specific designs-. Examples of the shapes Commandâ„ ¢ can explore are shown in the pictures below. Doing so would further differentiate Commandâ„ ¢ from its competitors and boosts its innovative brand image; it also helps to transform the need of buying hooks to a want to buy hooks. Table 4 Examples of Innovatie Hook Designs Pumpkin hooks design for Halloween| Balloon hooks design for Birthdays| â€Å"Ang Bao† hooks design for Chinese New Year| Table 5 Examples of Innovative Hook Designs Table 5 Examples of Innovative Hook Designs 6. 0 Controls & Limitations In the event of a wet weather, the road show may lose some of its attractiveness as shoppers tend to be more reserved in their participation during such situations. The road show would thus not be able to garner the attention it aims to achieve. Singapore being a tropical country, this will be unavoidable as our weather forecast may not be 100% accurate either. The risk could be limited by organizing less road show during the monsoon seasons. In print ads, we are not able to control the environment under which consumers view it. While we may have an advertisement on Commandâ„ ¢, depending on how they peruse the magazine or medium, readers may not be exposed to the ad. Hence, Commandâ„ ¢ might not be able to control the frequency at which one is exposed to its ads. Therefore, print ads will be a long-term rather than a short-term strategy. Commandâ„ ¢ must ensure that they do not waste resources by having aggressive ad campaigns, but stick to an ad every 1-2 months as stated in our recommendation. References 1. Chanthika Pornpitakpan (2004), â€Å"Cross-cultural Differences in the effect of Ad Repetition and Ad Size: Experiments with Americans, Germans and Singaporeans† Journal of Euromarketing 13(2/3), 49-83 2. Company info: http://www. wikinvest. com/stock/3M_Company_(MMM) 3. Creative hook designs: http://wildammo. com/2009/08/07/crazy-and-creative-wall-hooks/; http://freshome. com/2010/05/11/25-of-the-most-creative-wall-hook-designs/ 4. Eric T. Bradlow, J. Wesley Hutchinson, Pierre Chandon & Scott H. Young (2009), â€Å"Does in-store marketing work? Effects of the number and position of shelf facings on brand attention and evaluation at the point of purchase†, Journal of Marketing, 73, 1-17 5. JULIE A. EDELL and RICHARD STAELIN (1983), â€Å"The Information Processing of Pictures in Print Advertisements†, JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 10, 45-61 6. Kuus Oberecker, Lea M. Wakolbinger and Michaela Denk (2009) â€Å"The Effectiveness of Combining Online and Print Advertisements Is the Whole Better than the Individual Parts? †, Journal of Advertising Research, 360-372 7. LEC : http://www. lecinc. co. jp/english/pr/index. tml 8. Magic Mounts : http://www. magicmounts. com/page4. htm 9. Roadshow Information: http://www. roadshowadvertising. com Appendix Figure 11. The entire shelf space dedicated to CommandTM in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 11. The entire shelf space dedicated to CommandTM in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 12. The shelf with competitor’s products in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 12. The shelf with competitor’s products in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 14. Temporary shelf B in HomeFix at Compasss Point, SengKang Figure 14. Temporary shelf B in HomeFix at Compasss Point, SengKang Figure 13. Temporary shelf A in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 13. Temporary shelf A in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 15. The display cabinet seen in HomeFix Marina Square Figure 15. The display cabinet seen in HomeFix Marina Square Figure 16. The 3M advertisement-collaboration with Giant hypermarts- in Today newspaper Figure 16. The 3M advertisement-collaboration with Giant hypermarts- in Today newspaper Figure 17. The advertisement with 3M in huge font and Commandâ„ ¢ in smaller font. Such advertisements may confuse consumers further, especially when a significant number of consumers are not aware of Commandâ„ ¢ Figure 17. The advertisement with 3M in huge font and Commandâ„ ¢ in smaller font. Such advertisements may confuse consumers further, especially when a significant number of consumers are not aware of Commandâ„ ¢ Venues for â€Å"The Road To Commandâ„ ¢ing Success† Project Figure 18. The 3 locations of â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project Figure 18. The 3 locations of â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project Figure 19. The open space area outside Ngee Ann City where â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project will be held Figure 19. The open space area outside Ngee Ann City where â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project will be held | Item| Cost| Miscellaneous| Ngee Ann City Space Rental| $3,900| | CityLink Space Rental| $1,140| | Equipment/Logistics/Transportation| $4,600| â€Å"What can you hang? †| Prizes @ $150/set| $3,000| â€Å"Come and organize! †| Prizes @ $15/set| $300| â€Å"Sketch your idea! †| Prizes @ $150/set| $1,500| Live Advertisement| Labour @ $6/hour| $360| Total| | $14, 800| Table 6. Estimated Cost for the â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project Table 6. Estimated Cost for the â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project Figure 21. Example of proposed print ad A Figure 21. Example of proposed print ad A Figure 20. Example of proposed print ad B Figure 20. Example of proposed print ad B Figure 22. Transportation of road show materials for Heartlands Figure 22. Transportation of road show materials for Heartlands Our Observations The questions we used to guide us in our observations to ensure a certain level of uniformity among all the observations 1. The estimated age of the consumer. 2. Consumer’s actions in the deciding process : * Which products they picked up * What kind of hooks does the shopper intends/ considering to purchase? What did they do with the product picked- flipped it over to read the details etc- * What products were they looking at? * Was the shopper influenced by any BTL strategies used by Commandâ„ ¢? 3. How long the deciding process takes 4. Shop’s staff actions during this process, if any. 5. Observe the BTL strategies employed by Commandâ„ ¢, if any. Observation #1. L ocation: HomeFix Compass Point Date: Done on the 25th September 2010 Time spent: 1 hour Observed an approximately 30 year old Chinese lady. She went to the Commandâ„ ¢ products first and spent a reasonable amount of time there (about 10 minutes). She took up the hooks for kids, which has Walt Disney designs, at the bottom shelf and the general hooks. She walked away to the shelf displaying competitor’s products, took up the metal hook by Sellery which cost $1. 60 and kept on holding onto it while she glance at the other hooks on display. She took up the wooden hook by LEC-which requires glue for installation- and cost $2. 90. It can carry a maximum load of 3kg. She flipped to the back of the packaging to read the instructions and lingered for a while before placing the LEC back. She also took up the concrete hook by Double-G. In the end, she bought the Sellery hook. She missed the temporary display by Command 3M as her back was facing it when she was viewing the products in the shelf dedicated to Command products. No sign of metal hooks by command Observation #2. Location: Selffix D. I. Y Store, Jurong Point Date: Done on 30th September 2010 Time spent: 45 mintues I noticed two customers interested in the mounting and fastening section. The first customer knew exactly what he wanted, picked up a cheap brand costing $1. 50 and left. The hooks he purchased where a small hook that came in a set of three and had a â€Å"peal to stick† sign on it. His product awareness either showed he had strong brand awareness or was a routine buyer of hooks. The second customer was more of a first time buyer. She spent her time comparing brands, reading the information on the packaging and in the end decided to purchase a pair of large hooks. The packaging contained 3 hooks each was worth $2. 50. The consumers’ behaviour indicated that the hooks were for a particular purpose and was after a brand that could support the weight of what she needed to hang. Observation #3. Location: Harbourfront Center Date: 23 September 2010 Time spent: 30 minutes There were a total of 5 customers who purchased hooks during the 30 minutes observation. 1 of them was a female, while the rest were males. They were all wearing office wear and looked in their mid 30s. The males seemed to be in a hurry as they simply came into the store, grabbed a hook and other DIY items before making payment. Out of the 4 males, only one decided to purchase a LEC hook instead of a Commandâ„ ¢ hook. The female customer spent a little more time deciding on her hook purchase. She compared between the large and small sized Commandâ„ ¢ hook. In the end, she decided on the larger one. Survey Questions Q1. Which age range are you in? a) 25-30 b) 31-35 c) 36-40 d) 41-45 Q2. Are you a a) Male? b) Female? Q3. What is the range of your monthly HOUSEHOLD INCOME? a) Less than $4000 b) $4000 – $6000 c) $6001 – $8000 d) $8001 – $10,000 e) More than $10,000 Q4. Do you currently use hooks? a) Yes (Move on the Q5) b) No (Move on to Q8) Q5. What type of hooks do you use and why? (Choose one which best describes your reason) | Design| Durability| Convenience (Ease of removal and setting up)| Re-Usable| Don’t use this hook| Nail-On| | | | | | Adhesive (Removable)| | | | | | Adhesive (Non-removable)| | | | | | Door Hanging| | | | | | Suction| | | | | | Q6. Where do you use the hooks? | Never (Area has NONE)| Sometimes (Area has some hooks)| Always (Area has the most hooks)| Bathroom| | | | Kitchen| | | | Bedroom| | | | Living Room| | | | Office| | | | Q7. What is your ideal hook? (Move on to Q12) | Not Important at all| Somewhat Important| Neutral| Very Important| Extremely Important| Design of hook (Aesthetic)| | | | | | Design of hook (Shape)| | | | | | Ease of Use| | | | | | Re-Usability| | | | | | Durability| | | | | | Brand (Reputation)| | | | | | Price (Affordable Price)| | | | | | Q8. Why don’t you use hooks? a) I make use of other instruments b) It is not part of my lifestyle (Never considered using hooks at all) c) I need to use it, but I have not gone to purchase it d) Others: ____________________________ Q9. Would you be interested in hooks with adhesive strips that can be REMOVED CLEANLY? a) Yes b) No Q10. An ordinary hook which is not easily removable would cost between $2-$3. Would you be willing to pay $4 for a hook with an adhesive strip that removes cleanly? a) Yes b) No Q11. Have you heard of hooks sold by Commandâ„ ¢? ) Yes (Move on to Q18) b) No (Move on to Q21) Q12. Have you heard of hooks sold by Commandâ„ ¢? a) Yes (Move on to Q18) b) No (Move on to Q13) Q13. Do you currently use hooks with adhesive strips? a) Yes (Move on to Q14) b) No (Move on to Q16) Q14. What brand of hooks do you currently use? a) 3M b) Shunmei c) First Choice d) LEC e) Magic Mounts f) Bostik g) IKEA h) Others: _____________ ________ Q15. After removal, rate the extent of damage on the surface. | I do not use this brand| Non-removable| Removes while damaging paint/wallpaper| Removes cleanly| Never tried removing before| 3M| | | | | | Shunmei| | | | | | First Choice| | | | | | LEC| | | | | | Magic Mounts| | | | | | Bostik| | | | | | IKEA| | | | | | Q16. Would you be interested in hooks with adhesive strips that can be REMOVED CLEANLY? a) Yes b) No Q17. An ordinary hook which is not easily removable would cost between $2-$3. Would you be willing to pay $4 for a hook with an adhesive strip that removes cleanly? a) Yes (Move on to Q21) b) No (Move on to Q21) Q18. How did you find out about hooks by Commandâ„ ¢? a) Newspaper b) Magazines c) Friends & Family d) Internet e) Television f) While shopping g) Others: _______________________ Q19. What kind of hooks do you think are sold by Commandâ„ ¢? a) Nail-on b) Adhesive (Removable) c) Adhesive (Non-removable) d) Door hanging (hooks that ledge onto the top of doors) e) Suction f) Others: ___________________ Q20. What other products do you think are sold by Commandâ„ ¢ as well? a) Bathroom accessories b) Door stoppers c) Cord organization d) Computer games e) Furniture f) Others: ___________________ Q21. Which brand of hooks first comes to mind when ADHESIVE STRIPS are mentioned? (Choose one) a) 3M b) Shunmei c) Commandâ„ ¢ d) First Choice e) LEC f) Magic Mounts g) Bostik h) IKEA Q22. Which of the following brands of hooks first come to mind when the description â€Å"REMOVES CLEANLY† is mentioned? (Choose one) a) 3M b) Shunmei c) Commandâ„ ¢ d) First Choice e) LEC f) Magic Mounts g) Bostik h) IKEA Layout Plans for â€Å"The Road To Commanding Success† Project Stage Screen for â€Å"What can you hang? † Contest Wall for â€Å"Come and organise! † Contest Booth for â€Å"Sketch you idea! † Contest Command Products Display Booth Command Products Display Booth Booth for Command Products Booth for Command Products Booth for Command Products Command Staff/ Promoter/ Emcee 25 Meter 30 Meter Stage Screen for â€Å"What can you hang? † Contest Wall for â€Å"Come and organise! † Contest Booth for â€Å"Sketch you idea! † Contest Command Products Display Booth Command Products Display Booth Booth for Command Products Booth for Command Products Booth for Command Products Command Staff/ Promoter/ Emcee 25 Meter 30 Meter Figure 2 General Layout for Central (excluding CityLink) and Heartlands Decorations such as fake flower garlands or drapes Fake Television Set Stereo Set (hung on the wall using CommandTM hooks) Curtains 1-sitter small sofa Pictures /paintings (hung using CommandTM hooks) Table displaying Command Products Table containing Command products and household items for person to set up in the â€Å"room† 2. 5 Meter 7 Meter Decorations such as fake flower garlands or drapes Fake Television Set Stereo Set (hung on the wall using CommandTM hooks) Curtains 1-sitter small sofa Pictures /paintings (hung using CommandTM hooks) Table displaying Command Products Table containing Command products and household items for person to set up in the â€Å"room† 2. 5 Meter 7 Meter Figure 3 General Layout for CityLink 1. 1 metre 1. 1 metre 1. 1 metre 1. 1 metre Figure 4 Layout of Display Cabinet in stores Figure 4 Layout of Display Cabinet in stores Layout plan for Instore Display ——————————————– [ 1 ]. The heartlands in the West and East side of Singapore. The outlets where these observations are done were at Selffix D. I. Y Store, Jurong Point; HomeFix, Sengkang and Harbour Front Centre [ 2 ]. The exact questions we used to guide us in our observations are in the Appendix [ 3 ]. Henceforth, we would refer to this hook as â€Å"Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  hooks, as we would hope to draw insights from respondents’ willingness to purchase hooks exhibiting the listed attributes which Commandâ„ ¢ hooks do. We do understand that in reality, the brand of the hooks may play a role in moderating this purchase intention. [ 4 ]. Advertisements are found in the appendices. [ 5 ]. 80% of consumers are outdoors during this period of time [ 6 ]. The models would include students, housewives and working adults. This is done so as to allow shoppers to be able to relate to them better and visualize how they can use Commandâ„ ¢ products in their lives. [ 7 ]. European Outdoor Advertising Association, Zurich, Switzerland [ 8 ]. Outdoor Advertising Magazine, July 2002

Cardinality and Modality Essay

Cardinality Cardinality indicates the maximum number of times an instance of one entity can be associated with instances in the related entity. Cardinality can have the values of one or many, no more detail than that. It is either one or more than one. On the relationship line, the cardinality is the closest to the entity box. The cardinality symbol in the diagram on the slide is in the red circle. Cardinality is indicated at BOTH ends of the relationship line, so there is a left to right cardinality and a right to left cardinality. Modality Modality indicates the minimum number of times an instance in one entity can be associated with an instance in the related entity. Modality can have the values of zero or one, two or three are not allowed. The modality symbol is located next to the cardinality symbol, on the inside, i.e., NOT next to the entity box. A modality of one is denoted by a straight vertical line and a modality of zero is denoted by a circle. Like cardinality, modality is indicated at both ends of the relationship.

Metropolitan Growth in Canada 1991-2001 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Metropolitan Growth in Canada 1991-2001 - Essay Example In actual sense, Montreal and Toronto alone received 60% of new incomers into the cities’ demographic structures. In the 1991 census, Toronto and Montreal had a cumulative population of approximately 7 million members. In 1996, the population rose by 6.4% to approximately 7.87 million people. Other cities which accommodated more than 1 million people in 1991, 1996 and 2001 census include Calgary and Edmonton, both in the district of Alberta. In addition, Ottawa, which lies at the south eastern district of Quebec, accommodated approximately 1.2 million people. These urban centers comprise of members deriving their ancestral roots from different ethnic backgrounds. Montreal comprised mainly of European and African immigrants while Toronto and Vancouver accommodates majority of Asian immigrants. According to Simmons and Larry (2003), the ethnic difference of a city’s population plays a significant role in determining the key economic activity adopted by citizens. In this c ase, immigrants from Europe have substantial economic strength and financial capabilities compared to African immigrants. In this case, Europeans in Montreal lives in the inner-city neighborhoods with high social status. On the other hand, African immigrants tend to reside on the outskirt characterized with affordable housings and cheap social amenities. With respect to ethnic and social differences, economic activities and educational achievements influence the population level of incomes; hence the observed employment patterns across the society. However, the general increase in Canada’s urban population influences the rate of employment. The changing patterns on Canada’s population seem to exert substantial influence on the nation’s economic and social aspects. According to the bulletin research article, the observed trends within different cities are playing a role in creating new forms of divides within the society. Simmons and Larry (2003) states that some of the notable trends in social and economic aspect of the society include patterns of employment rate as compared to population growth over a period of ten years. Statistics obtained from census results shows different trends in respective cities, all of which falls under the list of 25 most populated metropolitan areas in Canada. According to Simmons and Larry (2003), emerging differences in economic strengths across the population determines the general welfare of Canadians, especially on aspects like health, living styles and housing environment. Continued degradation of economic patterns may lead to worsening of the general health welfare and society’s well-being. On the other hand, improvement of economic activities, which translates to positive changes in employment patterns, leads to a healthy society with decent and affordable housing. In an effort to objectively determine the relationship between population growth and employment rates, we will acknowledge the stati stical element of correlation coefficient. Prior to appraising its application, we will evaluate the actual change in population and corresponding shifts in employment rates among members of the selected urban areas. As an illustration, statistics shows that in a period of five years, Quebec’s city of St John experienced a 1.28% increase in its population. However, the population increase received a corresponding increase in employment rate by approximately 9 percent. On the other han

Reflection on Key Issues in Doing Business in China from a Cross Essay

Reflection on Key Issues in Doing Business in China from a Cross Cultural Perspective. (Russia) - Essay Example Nevertheless, since the collapse of the USSR the two nations significantly improved their relations because they managed to settle the issues of land border by creating cross-border cooperation, controlling illegal migration and setting up vital mechanisms. Background information China and Russia share various similarities but they also have marked differences; for instance, the two countries are large nations because China has a huge population and Russia has the largest territory in the world. The two nations are multi-ethnic and heterogeneous but they are dominated by one group like in China the Han and Russia the ethnic Russians. Currently, the two nations are essential in terms of their economic potential as well as military power; moreover, the two nations are taking pathways toward capitalism. The two nations lack sufficient regulatory environment and have been for many years under the rule of a communist party and in the case of china, the party considers itself above the law . In the two nations, the existing rules and regulations can easily be violated because some written contracts have little value since personal connection along with dyad-based reciprocity prove to be substitutes for reliable institutions. Besides there are differences between China and Russia because China is considered to be a rising superpower while Russia is believed to be struggling to capture the lost glory after being a superpower for more than 50 years. Moreover, the two nations follow different paths toward capitalism with china adopting incremental approach to market reforms while the Russians rapidly replaced central planning system with market-based mechanisms with the aim of developing new market institutions (Buck, Filatotchev, Nolan and Wright, 2000). China has been a renowned success story in implementing reforms and consistent growth because the nation’s annual growth rate in the past two decades exceed 10% and is among the highest in the world. In contrast, Russia changed its position as the second largest economy during the Soviet era to 12 position currently and the country’s GDP growth rate is among the lowest partly because of its stagnated private sector (Wilson, 2004). Over the years, China has come to be recognized as a moderately low risk nation that offers high rates of returns, while Russia risk throughout 1990s was the highest and offered low returns because of privatization of manufacturing firms. Cultural similarities between China and Russia In the Chinese society, family remains the cornerstone with reciprocal obligations being which are not limited to the family and kinship but rather extended to non-kin ties where individuals are expected to help one another fulfil their obligation to family members. In China, individuals tend to prioritize group interests than their own and make decisions that can be detrimental to an individual if the decision is collectively beneficial. However, through my experience collecti vism in china has been misrepresented to be a negotiation for individual interests or well-being, which goes against the assumption that group interests are the best guarantees for an individual. Nevertheless, the Chinese society cultivates strong relations where everyone is responsible for other members within the group. As well, the Russian culture is considered

Social work paper on Walmart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social work paper on Walmart - Essay Example This paper discusses the positive and negative aspects of having a Wal-Mart store in your neighborhood. Wal-Mart become the largest firm the world by utilizing a business strategy that emphasis in supply chain superiority that translated in the firm being able to offer its customer a greater product variety and lower prices. The people in the community benefit as consumer of Wal-Mart because the company provides them savings in essential items for their family such as clothes, food, medicine and household merchandise. In small rural towns a Wal-Mart establishment provides a great advantage for the consumers because in these regions the amount of business activity and alternative buying options are limited, thus having a place where the consumer can purchase everything they need in the same store is tremendous. The families obtain transportation cost savings, a higher supply of products, and save time by choosing the Wal-Mart alternative. The presence of a Wal-Mart has a great impact in the community. These establishments create lots of jobs for people of all ages. These establishments occupy large physical facilities that generate high property taxes and million of dollars of annual sales which boost the tax collections of the towns and cities. The problem with Wal-Mart is that they hurt the retail activity of other business in the community which can not offer the same prices or product variety. The job creation a Wal-Mart offers for a community is offset by the job losses due the closure of small business as a consequence of Wal-Mart moving into the neighborhood. A study perform between 1977-1998 found that for every 100 jobs Wal-Mart creates, 50 retail jobs and 20 wholesale jobs are lost (Renkow, 2005). To add to the problem the community are downgrading the quality of the job creation since most of Wal-Mart job offering is for part-time workers. The

Career Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Career Plan - Essay Example The self-assessment exercise determines my suitability in pursuing the career. This process is crucial because it enhances the best utilization my tangible and intangible resources. I had the blue-print of establishing my business in the supply chain management. The process will enable me to have a clear understanding of the requirements of my vision. The process protects me from skill obsolescence. This notwithstanding, the process of career planning requires a comprehensive career plan framework. Different perceptions regarding career planning exist, but the bottom line is that the plan must be subjected to my strengths and weaknesses, and objectivity. Sometimes career planning is influenced by my parents, tutors and peers. The influence is healthy because new ideas are factored into the decision making process with a career plan. Moreover, the process is influenced by self-efficacy. The objectives of my career are to establish a sole-proprietorship in the supply chain management. The plan will enable me to achieve the best scores in academic contests. The plan also enables me to streamline his activities towards getting the best-paying job in the future. A career plan also enhances the utilization of scarce resources like finance and education. The plan makes me to be focuses and result-oriented. Objectivity enhances creativity and innovativeness among the career planers. My success in life is determined by the career choice adopted. The aspect of success in life is relative given that success implies different things for different people. My self-assessment entails the reflection on my personal strengths and weaknesses. The evaluation enhances better decision making pertaining to career choice. The process entails consideration of my values, tastes and preferences. These are matched with the available learning opportunities. According to Rothwell (2010), the circumstances surrounding me are also

'The Future Of Feminism' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

'The Future Of Feminism' - Essay Example Review Of 'The Future Of Feminism' The reason that this student fully integrates with the information that Kerbera and DeHart presented is due to the fact that the historical record proves that the level of development and individual freedoms that women were able to enjoy immediately after winning the right to vote, as well as several decades into the future, was not nearly to the range or depth that the original movement had hoped for or anticipated. One of the largest causal factors with relation to this was the fact that the women who were tasked with carrying forward this early gender revolution were necessarily constrained by the mores and norms of the time. Rather than being able to definitively demonstrate a level of freedom and choice, these women were oftentimes unwilling or unready to continue the struggle against the high level of patriarchal society that existed within that time. Moreover, with regards to the idea that many women believed that they were in position to choose freely, the reality of the situ ation was that many of the freedoms that this generation of women believed they could engage with were newly one is still seemingly unbelievable. Accordingly, the desire and need to continue to press the revolution forward and demand equal and greater rights was constrained by a level of satisfaction with regards the sacrifices and victories of the past.In such a way, the statement that Douglass and McCarthy make significantly reinforces the traditional understanding of how gender roles were understood by both groups involved in this process of change, consideration, and resistance to revolution. PART II # 3 One of the most interesting dynamics with regards to the way in which feminism has been understood is with respect to the way in which the woman’s role within the workforce has continually morphed and re-evolved as extant needs within the workforce have been noted. The generation of the flappers saw a situation in which women have the right to vote; however, they were not typically expected nor particularly well represented within the workforce of the time. However, even the very small inclusion of women within the workforce of the 1920s saw a dramatic increase with regards to the workforce of the Depression years. Due to the fact that the Great Depression necessarily constrained the entire economy, it forced every able-bodied individual to do their very best as a means of providing for themselves and their families. Such a reality encourage women to enter into the workforce as a means of providing for themselves and lessening the economic hardships that were very much a reality of that time. However, once the depression years and more or less drawn to a close, women were once again pushed out of labor and encouraged to behave in the way that â€Å"proper women† should behave; tending families and focusing upon child rearing as the main goal and reality of their lives. However, before this particular approach could set in, World War II was so on a reality. As a function of this, all unavailable labor was encouraged into the factories and production plants around the nation. This, perhaps more than any other factor, was one of the defining moments in which women were able to finally break free of many of the gender norms of the era. Due to the fact that the war years lasted for over half a decade, the stereotypes and mores of the era were fundamentally changed and rewritten. Yet, once again, after was complete, and the men had returned home from war, women were expected back into the home and to seek raising families as the ultimate object of their desire. Once again, the â€Å"pawns† of the economy were highlighted. In this way, the need of the current era was the ultimate driving force with regards to how women were viewed in what was considered proper at any given time. PART III #6

Organ Donation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Organ Donation - Essay Example Usually, the organs are taken from people who have died, or from brain dead patients. In other instances, close relatives, donate their body parts so that their loved ones can survive (Ebadat et al., 2014). In this speech, an argument is made about the positive nature of organ donation, and the need to educate people. Support for organ donation comes from the chance that a dead person has to make a positive difference for the living. A person, who has died in an accident, can give a second chance to another person. Some diseases such as dialysis require expensive treatments, besides placing the patient through trauma and pain. Organ donation can help to remove such issues. The recipient can perhaps rest more easily, if he knows that the organs will be donated to another person. The donor and his family can find comfort in knowing that though their loved one has passed away, the death is not in vain (Brown et al., 2010). Organ donation requires consent from the donors, either through explicit consent or through presumed consent. Explicit consent is a written and signed consent, given by person or close surviving relatives, allowing the organs to be donated. Presumed consnet is controversial and it assumes that a dead person would be willing to donate the organs. Healthy humans have two kidneys, and it is possible to lead a normal life even with a single kidney. However, many people are averse to this concept, and they refuse to refuse to sign any documents giving explicit consent, and on their death, relatives refuse permission to let the organs to be harvested . There is the fear that the organs would be used by criminals, and by people from other religious and ethnic backgrounds (Moraes et al., 2009). The practice of organ donation has unfortunately become embroiled in controversies through the illegal sale of body parts. Poor people are often enticed with money to donate their organs, and some

About post-classical network period of television (1980s- present) Research Paper

About post-classical network period of television (1980s- present) - Research Paper Example Various themes predicated in the show reveal a drastic shift in the values of families, individuals, also how women empowerment had begun as a struggle back in the era. Furthermore, the effect of social class system on the overall social blanker of the society is also apparent. Therefore, the paper will explore the dimension where Lorelai Gilmore had to go through a hard struggle her entire life for the sake of her brilliant yet angelic daughter Rory Gilmore as a single mom. Also, the paper will explore the educational aspects of the era explicating how the educational system is quite competitive not just in terms of brilliance but also in terms of class struggle. Therefore, the paper will aim at explaining transitions in the society over time by focusing on the two aspects highlighted above. The post classical network period was a period of immense experimentation with comparatively bolder themes. With the advent in technology and industrialization, the social change also followed where people started accepting the liberal mindset. Yet, that doesn’t imply that there was absolutely no resistance. This was one of the reasons why TV shows started focusing on tabooed themes to explain the issues surrounding them. Gilmore Girls revolve around the central theme which narrates the story of a single mother struggling to nurture her daughter and raise her as an empowered individual (Diffrient & Lavery 21). Her daughter, Rory is an extra-ordinary student with a passion for reading and hopes to get into Harvard one day. Lorelei`s status conscious affluent parents didn’t approve of her lifestyle choice to raise her daughter as a single child, thus she left the comforts of her parent`s home and moved to a small-town with a simple life. Though both the mother and the da ughter love their simple lifestyle, yet Lorelei isn`t capable enough to financially support her daughter`s education and thus, she had to reach out to

The social impact of the Second World War Essay Example for Free

The social impact of the Second World War Essay The Second World War had a profound effect on white men who lived in the United States during the 1940s. Many volunteered for overseas military service, and many more joined the army in the nations first peacetime draft, which occurred in 1941 as a precursor to the United Statess future involvement in the war. World War II also, however, had a profound impact on the lives of women and ethnic minorities in the United States. Because white men were the primary candidates of the draft, women and minorities were able to fill job openings that were created when over 1 million Americans went to fight the war. This was not true of Japanese-Americans, however, who were treated with high levels of discrimination and were detained on account of their ancestral background, on the grounds that they were perceived as a threat to national security in the United States. Thus, while the average domestic American woman and ethnic minority benefited from the Second World War, Japanese-Americans were often targets of racial profiling and bigotry, suffering greatly during the war. Until the United States became involved in World War II, women were primarily confined to domestic duties. With the Great Depression affecting the lives of all American families prior to the war, there were not enough jobs for women and men to fill, and thus men received priority when jobs were being filled. Once many men left the United States to fight the war, however, women were able to fill jobs that were now vacant. Women were soon found commonly in industrial positions, as searchlight workers, and nurses in the military. One important political figure during World War II was Rosie the Riveter, who was portrayed as a buff-looking woman who represented female factory workers during this time period. This was an important figure for the United States because it convinced women to apply for jobs that were previously considered â€Å"man’s work†, in order to secure a paycheck and support the nation’s wartime effort. Women idolized the idea of supporting the United States by working for companies that produced war supplies and foodstuffs for the military. This shift in gender roles and social changes in the lives of women was only temporary, however, as the role of women in America returned to that of a housewife after victory in Japan was sealed and the men and women who went to fight the war returned home. Many married women and mothers did continue to work, however, and the percentage of working women in the United States remained at its highest in history. This is a profound social impact that  still affects the role of women in American society today. African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans were also socially impacted by World War II. Both ethnic groups migrated toward large cities in the United States and, like women, took jobs previously denied to them because they were already filled by white males. Once the military draft occurred, however, many vacancies appeared and job openings became prominent, even for African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans. In addition, both ethnic groups had a sizeable representation in the United States’s military troops that fought the Second World War. While many soldiers from these groups were drafted into the military, many more volunteered for Allied service. Whether because they felt obligated to serve out of patriotism, or if they hoped to gain additional civic rights as a reward for military service, the importance of these ethnic groups in the military during World War II is not something that can be neglected. During and after, ethnic minorities African-Americans especially rallied much support for the desegregation movement. The people of the United States soon would no longer be legally allowed to socially isolate people based on their race as they had done in the past. All public buildings would have their â€Å"Whites Only† and â€Å"Colored Only† in favor of equality and social integration of all races. These dramatic social benefits for ethnic minorities of the 1940s and the future were all caused, directly and indirectly, by the Second World War. While women, African-Americans, and Hispanic-Americans may have benefited from the outbreak of the war, Japanese-Americans were subject to much bigotry and were detained in internment camps throughout the time that the United States was involved in the Second World War. President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 approximately 2 months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This order stated that the American government had the right to detain anyone in the United States who could compromise national security during the war. While this affected a few hundred people of German and Italian descent, the order was primarily directed toward Japanese-Americans, of whom over 100,000 were detained for the duration of the United States’s involvement in the war. Even before being incarcerated, Japanese-Americans were the subject of much racism and discrimination among other Americans due solely to their heritage. They were labeled as â€Å"Japs†, a common abbreviation for a Japanese person that became an ethnic slur following the attack on  Pearl Harbor. Other Americans treated Japanese-Americans as inferior beings and treated them similarly to how African-Americans had been treated in recent American history. Thus, Japanese-Americans suffered greatly during the Second World War, in contrast to the benefits that women and other ethnic minorities experienced. While white men were the primary participants in the United States’s World War II effort, of whom hundreds of thousands enlisted in the military or were drafted, the Second World War had profound impacts on women and ethnic minorities as well. Opportunities emerged in job fields that now had vacancies since so many men left to fight the war. In addition, women were able to join the war effort by serving as nurses, and colored men were able to enlist and serve the Allies as soldiers. Japanese-Americans, however, were subject to much bigotry and racism from other Americans and were even detained throughout the course of American involvement in the war. Even though the United States government eventually apologized for its actions toward Japanese-Americans, they suffered greatly during the war and did not benefit socially from the Second World War, as did women and other ethnic minorities.

Brand Image On Fashion Clothing

Brand Image On Fashion Clothing This investigation is done to find out how brand image affects the consumer buying behaviour on clothing with a comparative study between India and U.K customers. Manufactured goods are something that is prepared in a factory; a brand is what that is purchased by a consumer. Merchandise can be imitated by an opponent; a brand is exceptional. Manufactured goods can be promptly out of date; a flourishing brand is eternal (Stephen King, WPP Group, London). Brand value has turn out to be one of the central parts of advertising area. Therefore, companies who comprehend the significance of brand value are capable to distinguish themselves in the markets. Furthermore, realizing how customers react to brands is supportive for companies to plan as well as build advertising activities. In this research both exploratory and performance monitoring research is applied. To attain general information on brand awareness and the concept of shopping centre and reading literature to increase knowledge about the subject, an exploratory research approach is utilized. A hermeneutic approach is used, since the purpose of the research is to recognize if the brand identity consents with the image that the customers have of the brand. The primary data comes from personal interviews with the students from both UK and India. These personal interviews are a good approach since the communication takes place under relaxed circumstances. The questionnaire comprises of both open ended and closed ended questions. Closed questions are selected so as to be able to measure the respondents attitudes and opened questions were used in order to attain a deeper understanding of the respondents actual perception and what they are based upon. The survey is carried out in two colleges: LSBF in UK and Stella Marys in Chennai, India Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 The importance of brand image on fashion clothing Clothing is a kind of need that aids to keep our bodies tepid. Individuals will not be able to survive with a safeguard from clothes in unfavorable circumstances and this denotes how essential clothing is for us. In this day and age, along with the fundamental tasks, clothes can also serve as style things, which can notify how important a human being is, states the position an individual possess and what their individual image is like (OCass, 2000). Therefore, clothing can help out symbolize our individual personality. A clothes shopping is one of the well-liked activity between people from all ages, diverse genders as well as educational backgrounds. Due to the propagation of clothing brands segment, customers have to capture a grave thought during the purchasing procedures. Like stated by Jaworski and Rayport (2003), the buying procedure is split into three levels, i.e. pre-buying, buying and post-buying. All the levels are of equal significance that can change the consumer buying decision. Once customers make a buying decision, they may want to identify their individual requirements, read manufactured goods facts, make a decision on where and which to buy, choose whether to buy once more from the identical seller, deciding on the purchasing methods, exhibit contentment to the merchandise or amenities excellence and finally be truthful to the brand. These stress the difficulty of purchasing procedures along with the prospective influence a brand could enforce in the middle of them. A number of br ands, under the impact of globalization and concentrated efforts from publicity by the media, have turned out to be well-liked not only in their country of origin, but as well in other markets with soaring prospective. Having a well-built and extraordinary brand image could facilitate to institute an individuality in market (Aaker, 1996), 1.2 circumstantial data of India and the UK clothing markets The apparel as well as textile business is one of the top sectors of the Indian market and the major source of overseas exchange incomes for India. This business reports for 4 % of the gross domestic product, (GDP) 20 % of manufacturing productivity, and fairly more than 30 % of export incomes. The apparel as well as textile business hires about 38 million people, making it the major basis of Indian business employment. The UK is a European country with a population of about 60 million. About its GDP development, because of its established financial arrangement, it is following a steady somewhat than destructive GDP growth rate. In totaling, the finance sector and business amenities are the most significant source of GDP (gross domestic products), putting in to almost 30% of the whole domestic goods (Economist.com, 2007). 1.2.1 Indian clothing markets The population of India is 1 billion people, has a vast domestic marketplace. Indias middle class, presently expected at 200 million, is estimated to enlarge to comprise almost  ½ the countrys total population by 2006. Based on the acquiring power equivalence, India is the fourth-largest market in the earth, has the third-largest GDP in the continent of Asia, and is the second-largest economy among the emerging nations. India is as well one of the quickest developing markets of the world. Even though the disposable income of the greater part of the Indian population is low, as the Indian economy develops, more customers will possess bigger optional income for clothing and other procurements after meeting their basic requirements. Source: http://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/PUB3401.pdf 1.2.2 Indians expenditure habits Expenditure habits are dissimilar for people belonging to different sections of society. For instance, people belonging to the middle-class regard basic requirements and education and expenses toward the future of their children as their top main concerns, followed by standard of living commodities. The rich class expends more on luxury merchandise and intercontinental brands. The super rich class expends on ultra luxury merchandise. It is seen that as disposable income increases, people have a preference more for branded goods, shift to processed foods, and the expenses on tobacco, beverages, food and transport and contact also rises. Indians shopping habits of are shifting owing to their growing not reusable income, comparative increase in the younger population, and the change in approaches towards shopping. The stress has altered from cost contemplation to quality, trendiness and design. The yearning to look and feel good is also guiding aspect for consumers while making their buying choices. Rising disposable income is also driving demand for customer durables and dining in restaurants among Indians. Age is also a foremost aspect that influences the spending choices of an individual. For example, people in 20-24 years age group spend more on home appliances/ electronic and movies, whereas people in the 45-48 years age group spend more on holidaying. Source: http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Reports/BREP047.htm 1.2.3 Characteristics of the Indian clothing The textile industry of India is one the biggest and oldest segments in the country and amongst the most significant in the market in terms of productivity, venture and employment. The segment takes up nearly 35 million people and following agriculture, is the second-highest employer in the country. Its significance is emphasized by the fact that it reports for around 4% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), 18% of employment, 14% of industrial production, and 9% of excise collections in the industrial segment, and 16% of the countrys total exports earnings. By means of direct connections to the countryside economy and the agriculture zone, it has been expected that one of each six households in the country relies on this segment, either indirectly or directly, for its source of revenue. A vast pool of skilled and unskilled personnel, cheap labour, low import content, good export potential, and a strong raw material production base are some of the prominent aspects of the textile industry of India. This is a conventional, tough, unshakable industry, enjoying substantial demand in the domestic as well as international markets. (Source: http://www.udel.edu/alex/chapt6.html) 1.2.4 UK clothing market The UK is a European country with population of around 60 million. About its GDP growth, because of its established financial structure, it is following a steady rather than destructive GDP growth rate. In addition, the finance sector and business services are the most significant source of GDP (gross domestic products), contributing to almost 30% of the total domestic products (Economist.com, 2007). The production division, comprising the clothing industry, pales in comparison with the growth of the business segment and even has an indication of recession in the current decades. This can be exposed by the steady decline of hiring rate in the UK clothing business (Jones and Hayes, 2004). 1.2.5 British expenditure habits Expenditure seems more welcome than saving amongst the British people. According to a study performed by Weekes (2004), only around 1/3 rd of female participants and less than half of the male participants convey that they have the saving habits. Amongst the participants, females are more expected to spend on clothes than males, with nearly half of female participants saying that they have no less than one store card and nearly two-thirds of them possess one or two loyalty cards. This might probably clarify why shopping is a gendered action (Dholakia, 1999; South and Spitze, 1994), and rarely, women might even shop for a mans clothing (Dholakia, 1999). Loyalty cards and Store cards are general advertising plans to implore customers faithfulness. Nevertheless, the same study denotes that store cards might not be frequently utilized although exceptional offers are frequently offered to the people who possess cards (Weekes, 2004). This may perhaps be clarified by the information that store cards sometimes have much advanced interest rates than that of the credit cards and personal loans (Mintel, 2002) 1.2.6 Characteristics of the UK clothing market Similar to most of the developed financial system, the UK clothing industry has transferred its production segment to other countries with small labor costs and trained manual labor, leaving only the design centre with tractable designers. Such shift can possibly report for the important fall in employment rate and quantity of production in the clothing segment (Jones, 2003). Nevertheless, this is discovered to obstruct the expansion of British clothing design owing to be short of production amenities (Dagworthy, as cited in Carruthers, 2004). as much as the UK fashion retail sector is apprehensive, there is a tendency for own brand growth, determined markets, tough aggressive activities, a polarized market, short-life-cycle goods, as well as variable customer demand (Marciniak and Bruce, 2004; Siddiqui et al., 2003). As stated by Moore (1995), fashion dealers have a tendency to generate product discrimination in which they can differentiate themselves from their prospective opponents in terms of manufactured goods features like design as well as cost. Even though the UK is besieged with style brands, the market is set apart by goods with small discrimination (Birtwhistle and Freathy, 1998; Moore, 1995). In addition, the selling segment is disjointed, creating of self-governing, Family- possessed businesses also some large scale chain stores, with the later one contributing to the biggest amount of market share (Easey, 2001; Marciniak and Bruce, 2004; Mintel, 2003). In contrast with other retailed segment, the fashion reta iling segment is found to integrate the biggest number of native chains for example next plc (Marciniak and Bruce, 2004). Such fact has motivated the appearance of brand name expansion in the spirited UK clothing market. 1.3 Research Questions Manufactured goods are something that is prepared in a factory; a brand is something that is purchased by a consumer. Merchandise can be imitated by an opponent; a brand is exceptional. Manufactured goods can be promptly out of date; a flourishing brand is eternal (Stephen King, WPP Group, London). Brand value has turn out to be one of the central parts of advertising area. Therefore, companies who comprehend the significance of brand value are capable to distinguish themselves in the markets. Furthermore, realising how customers react to brands is supportive for companies to plan as well as build advertising activities. Does brand image affect the consumer buying behaviour in the clothing sector? 1.4 Aim The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the effect of brand image on consumer purchasing behaviour in clothing, with the comparison between the Indian and British consumers. Having found out the relationship between brand image and consumer purchasing behaviour, marketers and practitioners could devise strategies to increase the sales revenues. Objectives To analyze that brand image has an influence on the consumer buying behaviour of clothing To prove that there are differences in buying behaviour of clothing for consumers in India and the UK To prove that Brand image builds a connection and a tough bond that grows over time. To show that Brand image denotes the excellence of the merchandise, thus giving consumers the contentment of purchasing quality things. To prove that Branding helps in developing a customer commitment. 1.5 Methodology In common, there are two types of research methods that is qualitative and quantitative research. Each one of them includes a range of approaches, which are decided on the kinds of data being gathered. Qualitative semi-structured interviews have been selected as a mean to gather data because they are found to be more suitable for seeking replies in relation to approaches, views and feelings. In addition, the sampling method was enclosed. In the course of data compilation, the mixture of expediency and quota sampling was being employed. In addition, the agenda of interview was argued with an outlook to offering some common ideas about the underlying causes for enquiring such questions. The data composed would be studied using the methods of cross-case and within-case analysis. 1.6 Theoretical framework With a recognized brand name, customers would seem to be more liable to buy the goods in much advanced costs. As far as the similar level of manufactured goods quality is apprehensive, customers would have a preference for purchasing brand-name goods (Bello and Holbrook, 1995). This fact brings out the model of brand equity. According to Aaker (1991), brand equity is mostly obtained from four elements, namely brand loyalty, brand awareness, perceived brand equity plus brand associations. The theoretical framework implemented in this dissertation would be based on the theory of brand equity and the particulars of each element are to be discussed and analyzed later. 1.7 Outline of the dissertation The structure of the dissertation is shown as follows: Chapter 1 is the introductory section, containing the background information of India and the UK clothing industry, the research objectives and the dissertation outline. Chapter 2 will incorporate the review of previous studies, mainly concentrating on clothing industry and consumer buying behavior. It is believed that this chapter could provide readers with general information like theories and issues in relation to consumer buying behavior for clothes so as to make them more understandable in the forthcoming sections. Chapter 3 delineates the research methodology, focusing on the description of research design and justification of data. Chapter 4 is the core of the dissertation in which research findings are presented and discussed. Whether brand image would affect the consumer buying behavior in the clothing sector is shown and also the similarities and differences regarding the circumstances in India and the UK are investigated. Chapter 5 would draw conclusions on the findings from the previous chapters. Implications towards the business environment and research limitations are also included. Recommendations would be made with regard to the limitations so as to provide further directions in the future studies 1.8 SUMMARY This chapter summarized the aims, objectives research questions and the summary of the following chapters. Manufactured goods are something that is prepared in a factory; a brand is something that is purchased by a consumer. Merchandise can be imitated by an opponent; a brand is exceptional. Manufactured goods can be promptly out of date; a flourishing brand is eternal (Stephen King, WPP Group, London). Brand value has turn out to be one of the central parts of advertising area. Therefore, companies who comprehend the significance of brand value are capable to distinguish themselves in the markets. Furthermore, realizing how customers react to brands is supportive for companies to plan as well as build advertising activities. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction Consumer behavior indicates to the behavior in which people obtain, use and organize goods as well as amenities (Blackwell et al., 2001). Due to the explosion of brands in the current years, there are a growing number of studies carried out in the area of consumer buying behavior. Nevertheless, a majority of them focus on a particular nation investigation, despite of the significance of cross-country evaluations which shall motivate inventive thoughts for accepting the fast- shifting customer practice. This research will examine the dissimilarities of British and Indians in purchasing clothes under the effect of brand image. In this chapter, the literatures relating to the functions of brand and brand equity are to be assessed so as to offer a theoretical framework for the abovementioned analysis. Brand presents an essential function for differentiating merchandise and amenities from those of the competitors (Aaker, 1991; Murphy, 1998). The appearance of brand equity inspires the significance of brand in advertising policies and therefore offers helpful approaches for managers and more study (Keller, 2003). (Ref: http://edissertations.nottingham.ac.uk/983/1/07MSClixkkt1.pdf) 2.2 Definitions of brand by different Authors According to the AMA (American Marketing Association) Board of Directors, Marketing is the action, set of organizations, and procedures for creating, interacting, delivering, and exchanging contributions that have worth for consumers, customers, associates, and society at large.(source: www.heidicohen.com) Dr. Philip Kotler defines advertising as the art along with science of producing, delivering as well as exploring importance to satisfy the necessities of a target market at a gain. Marketing identifies unhappy desires and requirements. It explains events along with measures the size of the known marketplace as well as the revenue likely. It spots out which sector the company is capable of serving supreme and it designs and markets the suitable merchandise and amenities. (Source: www.kotlermarketing.com) Marketing is a planned and strategic many-sided process that holds sales as well as consumer service and withholding. Marketing can also become a response loop involving an organization and its consumers and prospects that assists to notify and develop the business going forward. (Rebecca Lieb, 2009). Marketing comprehends your buyers actually well then creating precious goods, services, and facts particularly for them to facilitate resolve their difficulties. (David Meerman Scott 2010) Marketing, when performed properly, is building such an astonishing experience around your brand or manufactured goods that individuals with no other association to it want to inform their friends about how astonishing it is, and the series starts again. (Peter Shankman 2010) A brand is nothing but an appearance of the consumers trustworthiness and faith. (Phil Dusenberry 2006) In the publics eye, a brand is a guarantee. It is a pledge that the service carrying that brand will survive up to its name, and execute. (Harry Beckwith 1997) Brand works in two ways: It works in the manner we characteristically think, as drawing buyers with the brands hidden promise of quality. But the brand also works at the stage of the second key pool of forecast: potential workers. Since you are more than your brand; you are the people who symbolize it, supervise it, and perform its promises and the more forceful your brand, the more effortlessly you can employ that outstanding talent you require to carry on to convey outstanding results. (Harry Beckwith 2000) Simply acknowledged, a brand is an identifiable place, person, or thing. Our job as marketers is to build brands that are separate and different from related products or services presented by competitors. Its all about discrimination. (Steve Cone 2011) If you want to make a flourishing brand, you have to comprehend difference. You have to look for chances to build new groups by difference of existing groups. And after that you have to become the first brand in this rising new group. (Al Laura Ries, 2004) A Killer Brand survives when an individual develops an inconsistent amount of achievement in its group for the reason that of a forceful and distinguished anticipation that comes to be connected with its name. (Frank Lane 2007) Brand refers to the set of aspects that occur in a consumers mind when that individual hears your name or views your logo. (Bill Chiaravalle, 2006) A brand is a term, name, symbol, plan or every additional aspect that recognizes one retailers merchandise or amenities as different from those of new retailers. (Dibb et al (1997) Bennett (1988)) 2.3 The significant roles of brand Brand is a term in each customers intellect (Mooij, 1998) plus it is distinguished by a visible symbol or term which shall make a distinction between the services and products from the opponents (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1998). In accumulation to a particular brand name, a brand is furthermore composed of goods, wrapping, advertising, endorsement, and also its general appearance (Murphy, 1998). From the customers point of view, brand is a sponsor of dependability as well as quality in customer goods (Roman et al., 2005). Further to this, customers would be fond of to purchase plus make use of brand-name goods with a vision to emphasize their individuality in unusual circumstances backgrounds (Aaker, 1999; Fennis and Pruyn, 2006). These days, customers possess a broad variety of option to select from when they go into a mall. It is established that customers sentiments are one of the most important elements which have an effect on their purchasing behavior (Berry, 2000). According to a study performed by Free ride Media LLC (1998) on shopping practices, nearly 1/4th of the participants are to be expected to impulse -purchase accessories plus clothes. When choosing which goods to buy, customers have their favorites, which are urbanized in harmony with their insights in the direction of the brand. Victorious branding possibly will formulate customers conscious of the existence of the brand plus as a result could amplify the possibility of purchasing the companys goods along with amenities (Doyle, 1999). 2.4 The distinctiveness of victorious brands A brand can be a never-ending and beneficial quality on condition that it is preserved in a good mode that can carry on fulfilling customers requirements (Batchelor, 1998; Murphy, 1998). Even though doing well brands can be completely dissimilar in environment, they share a bit in general, for example well-priced goods plus constant quality (Murphy, 1998). As citied by Levitt (1983), there are four fundamentals for creating a victorious brand, namely augmented brand, tangible product, potential brand, and basic brand. Tangible product refers to the goods which meet up the essential requirements of the consumers. Basic brand, on the other hand, considers the wrapping of the tangible product in order to draw the notice from the prospective clientele. The brand can be extra increased with the provision of trustworthiness, effectual after-sales services and the same. Lastly plus most significantly, a prospective brand is recognized through stimulating consumer favorite and reliability. By doing so, the picture of the brand could be well inspired in the consumers brain. (Ref: http://edissertations.nottingham.ac.uk/983/1/07MSClixkkt1.pdf) The following are the several features adding to the victory of brands which are recognized; A characteristic merchandise / amenity Experience Acceptable skill is the most important element of brand values. If the feature of knowledge worsens, or if the brand is exceeded by better discounts from opponents, then its place shall be damaged. initial -Mover benefit Being foremost into the marketplace does not essentially fetch victory, but it creates the job effortless. It is very easy to confine a division of the customers mind and manufacture a customer base, when the brand has no opponents to equal its place. exclusive spotting model If the brand is not the leader, it should have an exclusive spotting model a section plan, importance scheme or amplified brand, which will append the importance as well as differentiate it from opposition. Tough interactions Programme A victorious brand needs a successful retailing, promotional or advertising operation, which will commune the brands survival, its purpose along with emotional significance, activate test and strengthen promise to it. Exclusive of creating consciousness, understanding and intent to purchase the brand is insignificant. instance and constancy Customarily, brands were not manufactured swiftly. It frequently obtains years to increase the augmented values, and create a faithful association. (Ref: http://www.scribd.com/doc/2631025/36/characteristics-of-successful-brands) 2.5 The value of brands to customers According to Jean-Noel Kapferer (1992), brands carry out quite a lot of roles that put in value as well as consumer advantages: expediency: To accumulate moment as well as energy via indistinguishable re-buying and faithfulness moral: contentment related to the dependable action of the brand in its association with society assurance: To be certain of discovering the similar quality no issue where or when you purchase the manufactured goods or amenities permanence: contentment brought about through acquaintance as well as closeness with the brand that you have been using for many decades self-indulgent: contentment related to the charisma of the brand, to its symbol, to its interaction Optimization: To be sure of buying the best product in the category, the best performer for a particular purpose recognition: To be evidently seen, to formulate sense of the propose, to rapidly recognize required goods Characterization: To have confirmation of your personality or the image that you show to others 2.6 The significance Of Brands To Companies Brands build worth for companies, in the subsequent methods: Brand influence: The brand manager gains From two major influence results: Higher volume leads to economies of scale in development, production and marketing; Premium pricing increases revenue. Brands, market share and profits: characteristically a brand manager acquires twice the market share of the brand which is in second position, and the brand which is in second position twice the share of the third position. The brand leader is the most profitable and all beyond number two are unprofitable The importance of Niche Brands: controlling a niche market is generally extra advantageous than being fifth in a huge marketplace. The Brand obstacle: Brand mangers generally have the economic power to fend off rivals. Prospective opponents are generally unwilling to penetrate the market if present brands please consumers. In accumulation, brand managers can expand their authority in the market. Possibilities for development: The manufactured goods life cycle relates to goods, not brands. Companies can preserve a brand while altering the fundamental manufactured goods to report for new knowledge, trend or existing market circumstances. The brand can also be utilized to enter new marketplace. Brand reliability and values: well-built brands are more eye-catching to sponsors. Brand reliability also diminishes advertising costs and makes sure companies to overrule irregular issues (e.g. Johnson Johnson with Tylenol). Encouraging shareholders: businesses with well-built brands magnetize good recruits. They also are inclined to bring out society as well as government support. (Ref: http://www.scribd.com/doc/2631025/36/characteristics-of-successful-brands) 2.7 Brand equity The name brand equity denotes to organized qualities as well as accountabilities linked with a brand, consisting of its name as well as logo, which possibly will force advantageous or disadvantageous results on the values taking place from the goods or amenities (Aaker, 1991; Yasin et al., 2007). And Keller (1998) spots out that brand equity denotes the elite advertising results forced on the brand. Relating to the affirmative part of brand equity, it occurs when customers are eager to give more for the similar stage of excellence just for the reason that of the magnetism of the name connected to the manufactured goods (Bello and Holbrook, 1995). Nonetheless, brand equity may possibly be damaged if it is not correctly handled. For example, underprivileged merchandise quality and consumer amenities can unfavorably influence the brand image, providing ascend to a decrease in retailing quantity. One of the typical instances concerning brand as a type of equity is the obligation of rules to shelter logical possessions (Murphy, 1998). In countries with entrenched officially permitted scheme, the importance of brands has been acknowledged to both the customers and manufacturers. In order to combat plagiarism, many countries have established rules to guard rights, trademarks, and plans in addition to copyright. In accumulation, brand is also deal able merchandise by means of quantifiable fiscal worth (Murphy, 1998). It is not rare to discover some recognizable brands scheduled on the stock markets in which they could be purchased or traded. Brands like Vodafone, Marks and Spencer, HSBC, Sainsbury and Tesco are all listed on the FTSE 100 index (London Stock Exchange, 2007). It is discovered that the instability of stock market could have an effect on customers buying mood, not to talk about the growth or turns down of retail sales (Blackwell, 2002). This is supported by the truth that brand equity relies on the number of people with usual acquisition (Aaker, 1996). The aforementioned instances stress the standards of brand equity for both customers and the company. For the customers, brand equity can offer them with data about the brand which powers their self-assurance throughout the buying procedures. There is a soaring tendency for customers with high-quality insights to purchase from the similar shop again than those with poor insights. Past