Target Market Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Target Market - Coursework Example The advertising target refers to a group of people to which an advertisement would be aimed at. This could be the whole target market or a portion of it. Communications Platform in marketing refers to the tool of delivering the message to the target audience (Armstrong & Porter, 2003). It gives the capability of personalizing and distributing marketing content based on the profile of the target market guided by some rules in business that could be adapted for various scenarios. Once the target market has been identified, available media vehicles should be evaluated based on their capability to deliver an audience that would match the target. Of importance to consider when selecting the media to use include frequency, reach, continuity and gross rating points (Brumfitt, Barnes, Norris & Jones, 2001). In this case, the message should communicate the effectiveness of MaxEmail products and services. It should justify the perceived expensiveness of its products and services by conveying the value offered. The message should also portray the company’s corporate identity as it targets the government and business enterprises. Social media and search engines would be the two most appropriate platforms for communication at MaxEmail. Since MaxEmail delivers services and products that largely depend on the internet, it would be realistic to consider that most of the targeted users access the internet during their daily operations (MaxEmail, 2012). Brumfitt, Barnes, Norris and Jones (2001) observed that social networking has become a popular marketing strategy for most blue chip companies since 90% of internet users would subscribe to these networks. Search engines such as Google.com and Yahoo.com experience massive hits daily and therefore provide a large market for MaxEmail to target. Therefore, as MaxEmail targets users of fax to email and email to fax, particularly those drawn from the government, business

How and how extensivley did German Nationalism grow between 1848-71 Essay

How and how extensivley did German Nationalism grow between 1848-71 - Essay Example 1 Friedrich List is placed among the leading economists of modern times. He strongly rejected the motion of abstract validity of economic doctrines through careful examination of accepted views and rejection of anything without practical value. He opposed the principle of cosmopolitanism in the economic system especially the doctrine of free trade. 2 Though he recognized the importance of the work of Adam Smith and the classical school of economics in assuring industrial and commercial supremacy of England in the first industrial renovation, list deemed that work unsuitable for Germany. He rejected the parallelism imposed by Adam Smith between the economic conduct of the individual and that of a nation and asserted that the special interests of the individual members of the nation would not necessarily lead to the highest good of the nation as a whole.3 Hans Kohn described list as father of German economic nationalism but at the same time as one of the most extreme of Pan-German imperialists. Reasons for his judgment may be in the transformations of German political life from the unsuccessful liberal attempt to unify the Germanies in the revolution of 1848 to the blood and iron policy of Otto Von Bismarck. In the struggle between a steadily intensifying nationalism in the Bismackian power-mold and the weakening German liberalism, list choose the side which world eventually be led by Bismarck.4 List predicted that European communities would think in terms of the creation of larger markets as a stimulus to economic growth and political integration was linked together. As a zealous German patriot, List looked forward to European economic unification eventually under Germany auspices. As stated by Roussakis he was sceptical of the economic viability of other nations in the continent especially in the face of British economic competition. The 1850’s political framework and its qualitative

TATA Steel: UK Case Study

TATA Steel: UK Case Study Nicolson Mustapha Tata steel UK is one of the largest and geographically most diversified steel producers of Europe which is operating in 26 countries and have its commercial offices in around 35 countries around the globe (Tata Steel, 2017). They have been serving different markets such as energy and power, automotive, lifting and excavating, packaging, aerospace, construction etc. with their innovative products. The success of their business lies in their operations being centered on benefiting the society on the whole and making collaborative relationships with customers. The main business values of Tata steel UK include excellence, understanding, responsibility, integrity and unity (Tata Steel, 2017). The proposed strategy for Tata Steel at corporate level is market penetration while the proposed business strategy for penetrating in the market is the hybrid of cost leadership and product differentiation. Tata Steel has the capacity to penetrate into its market because it has a strong brand image and good customer base but due to increasing supply of steel from China and decreased demand, the revenue generated in the last period was a bit less than expected. In a dynamic environment, the foremost priority of a business is to keep an eye on the external environment. So, to cope with the changes taking place in the external environment, Tata Steel has to penetrate the market for increasing its market share. The cost leadership can be achieved by the capacity expansion and employment of new technology. The new technology would be used for differentiating its products from those of its competitors. Tata steel UK is one of the largest and geographically most diversified steel producers of Europe which is operating in 26 countries and have its commercial offices in around 35 countries around the globe (Tata Steel, 2017). They have been serving different markets such as energy and power, automotive, lifting and excavating, packaging, aerospace, construction etc. with their innovative products. The success of their business lies in their operations being centered on benefiting the society on the whole and making collaborative relationships with customers. The main business values of Tata steel UK include excellence, understanding, responsibility, integrity and unity (Tata Steel, 2017). This paper demonstrates the importance of understanding and in-depth knowledge that a firm must have for the formulation of its strategies from time to time. The environment in which the businesses have been operating currently has become dynamic and it is necessary for the businesses to adapt themselves with such environment by continuously updating their strategies to carry out the business (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson, 2003). The previous analysis conducted about Tata Steel suggested that it has strong brand equity and value-chain efficiency due to which it has expanded its operations overseas in the foreign markets. One of the main competitive advantages for Tata Steel UK is that there products are unique and innovative but there are also certain threats for the survival of business i.e. increasing competition, changing economy of UK and the fall in demand from China (Schram, 2015). The first part of this paper discusses different strategic options that are available to Tata Steel UK or to propose a strategy at corporate level, second part deals with formulation of business strategy, while the third part deals with the evaluation of strategy on the basis of suitability, acceptability and feasibility. The main objective of this paper is to see the Tata Steel UK from strategic management perspective. Different models and frameworks from previous academic literature have been used for the purpose of analyzing the industry and proposing a relevant strategy for the selected firm. Strategic options have been defined as the resourceful substitute action-oriented reactions to the major external trends faced by an organization. These options are exercised by taking into consideration the factors, trends, threats and opportunities in the external environment in which an organization is operating. These options are usually taken into consideration for the purpose of increasing the sales and profits of our business (Trigeorgis and Reuer, 2016). The main objective of Tata Steel UK is to become a global benchmark for creating value for the customers and corporate citizenship by offering innovative products and services. Ansoff Matrix Strategic options can be best explained with the help of Ansoff matrix that takes into account existing and new products and markets. There are four strategic options available to a particular firm (Jeyarathnam, 2008). These are explained as follows Selling existing products to existing market which is known as market penetration Developing new products and selling them to existing market which is known as product development Taking existing products to new markets segments which is known as market development Developing new products for newer markets segments also known as diversification The strategic options or Ansoff matrix is presented in the figure as follows Tata steel UK can expand its customer base with the help of market penetration strategy. This strategy is used for the purpose of growing our business. The current market share of Tata Steel UK is 60% sales to the manufacturers of different products in UK while 40% comes from sales to main Europe and 15% outside the Europe. The main products that contribute to the sales revenue of Tata Steel include automotive, construction, packaging, aerospace, and energy and power. The corporate strategy of Tata Steel UK is to become a global benchmark by creating value for the customers at global level. Â   Â   The rationale behind using the market penetration strategy is to sell existing products to existing consumers. According to the SWOT analysis conducted for the Tata Steel Europe and other sources suggest that it is losing the market because of various factors including decreased demand from China, changing economy of Europe, increasing international competition and steel available at cheaper prices. Tata Steel UK can penetrate the market by making its products unique from those of its competitors. It should increase its investments in the projects which helps in differentiation of its products by improving the overall marketing mix and getting closer to customers by forming collaborative relationships. The unique and innovative products as compared to competitors will give Tata Steel UK a competitive edge in gaining the largest market share. This product differentiation requires Tata Steel to develop cutting-edge manufacturing and production technology and to improve their business c ycle to a greater extent to make the products sustainable for the customers as well as for the environment. Tata Steel UK should strive to upgrade their manufacturing and distribution operations because it will help the firm in providing on time products and services to their consumers. An efficient supply chain and closer production plants help in increasing the effectiveness and optimization of services to customers. The presence of competitors cannot threat the existence of Tata Steel unless it is continuously striving to improve its business operations and differentiation of products and services. Overall, in improving the business operations and product differentiation of Tata Steel, it must not compromise the corporate responsibility it owes towards the environment and all its stakeholders (Jha and Arora, 2013). The main point to be considered in the market penetration strategy is the cost-benefit ratio. Market penetration specifically deals with increasing already captured customer base. The fact sheet of Tata Steel UK represents that 25% of Tata sales revenue is generated by automotive industry, 30% by construction, and 10% by packaging. It also exports 80% of its energy and power products to big firms such as Shell, Chevron and Total etc. it also has 10% global market share for the supply of aerospace products (Kelsey, 2016). The main competitive advantage of Tata Steel UK is its brand identity i.e. it is a well-known brand for its quality products, so its customers have loyalty with its products. The factsheet about Tata Steel UK suggested that the demand for its automotive products is increasing in the mainland Europe as well as in other countries because the annual car production rate is increasing at a greater pace. So, this is an opportunity for Tata Steel UK to penetrate the market by using its world-class manufacturing and distribution facilities. The market penetration strategy requires Tata Steel to strengthen its own manufacturing, production and distribution infrastructure to manufacture differentiated products as compared to its competitors. By using this strategy it will be able to increase its sales revenue in the existing market by strengthening the manufacturers of different products across Europe. Own manufacturing and production plants will be helpful for Tata Steel in reducing the cost of manufacturing and achieving the economies of scale. Tata Steel has the capacity and resources to penetrate into its existing market e.g. it has a string brand loyalty, it is producing the products in an environmentally sustainable way, it has its own cutting-edge manufacturing and production plants that only need upgradation. The commitment of Tata Steels towards manufacturing unique and innovative products can help them conquer the market and increase their market share relative to their competitors. After a successful scrutiny of internal factors affecting the business and a thorough scan of external business environment, the next stage is to formulate an ideal strategy for business which is capable of achieving the desired objectives. Business strategy is designed for the purpose of getting to the place where we want to see ourselves. Business strategy requires careful planning and implementation and it also requires a lot of resources that must be used handy to maintain the cost benefit ratio (Teece, 2010). According to a model proposed by McKinsey, it is necessary on the part of organization to have talented staff, an integrated system, proper structure, a unique style, skills, a perfect strategy and shared values to achieve the desired business goals. According to Johnson et. al (2011), strategy clock is a perfect framework that can be used to analyze the customer focus for the prices and differentiation among the products. For Tata Steel UK, it is analyzed that the market penetration strategy could be used for increasing the market share of the company. And it has been already known that it has a strong brand name and also a very good customer base. But the recent statistics of financial times confirmed that the earnings and sales revenue of Tata Steel was not up to the mark and didnt meet the forecasts set earlier (Markets.ft.com, 2017). This requires Tata steel to penetrate into its market with the help of hybrid strategies i.e. cost leadership and product differentiation. Cost leadership is an intensive growth strategy in which the company tends to decrease the cost of its products for the purpose of increasing its sales. Tata Steel UK can exercise the cost leadership strategy either by reducing its costs to increase the profits and charging average industry price for its products or it can increase the market share by reducing the price of its products (Jha and Arora, 2013). For practicing this strategy, a firm must make sure that it will remain number one in terms of low-cost producer and wont be easily attackable by other low cost producers. This requires the firm to have enough capital for making investment in the technology that reduces the overall cost of producing the products, have efficient logistics and being sustainable in terms of its resources and environment. For Tata Steel UK, all of these options are exercisable so they can easily penetrate their existing market with their existing products. One of the main competitive advantages of Tata Steel is capacity expansion i.e. it can expand its capacity of manufacturing and production which will ultimately reduce its cost of producing the products. The quality and sources of raw materials are highly secured from various captive mines which can be used for the enhancement of production capacity. The manufacturing plants of Tata Steel are already located in many countries including USA, Canada, Sweden, Germany, France, and Belgium etc. These plants can be used for the purpose of increasing the global sales revenue and market share of Tata Steel by offering diversified products and services to the customers. Technology and the manpower are two most essential resources that are required for increasing the innovation and uniqueness in products of Tata Steel. The up-to-the-minute technology can be used for producing larger numbers of steel and aluminum products differentiated from its competitors, available in various designs and colors and are sustainable for the community which is using the products. Recently in 2013, Tata Steel made an investment of 250 million pounds to set up two blast furnaces in Port Talbot, 25 million pounds investment at Hot Strip Mill, and 15 million pounds investment in Stockbridge plant in 2015 which will improve the operations of Tata Steel to a greater extent thereby reducing the overall costs of production (Kelsey, 2016). Product differentiation is another strategy through which Tata Steel can penetrate its market. Customers switch products or brands only when they are not satisfied of the quality and prices of the products. A bit of value added to the products and services can increase the customer loyalty and improves the brand image (Anderson and Vincze, 2004). Tata Steel is providing a wide range of its products to the most renowned and big companies around the globe. Tata Steel can increase its market share by offering customized products to its customers e.g. for automotive industry it can provide customized products right from initial design to the fully manufactured vehicle or they can provide effective solutions related to steel in the construction projects. For consumer goods, customers prefer reliability and after sales services and it can also gain a good market share by offering sustainable packaging products to packaging firms. The bottom line is that Tata Steel can use its core competen cies for gaining the market share. A summary of core competencies of Tata Steel is presented in the following table. Core competencies Cost leadership and product differentiation Technology Different manufacturing plants of Tata Steel UK located across the Europe must use the cutting edge technology for the production of high quality and low cost products. Installation of technology helps in the mass production which achieves the economies of scales hence making the firm low cost leader and technology also improve the quality of products by presenting more immaculate outlook and product design to the products. Supply chain management The supply chain of Tata Steel is very sophisticated because it has its own distribution and processing units across the Europe, USA, Middle East and many other parts of the world. This is the competitive edge for Tata Steel because they dont have to make the customers wait longer for the products rather they provide on-time delivery of their products due to their numerous production hubs. Efficient supply chain also helps in making the products differentiated and low cost because there are no additional tariffs and raw material import costs incurred on the products. Quality and customer focus Quality and price of the products are the two essential elements that customers look for in the products. The research and marketing department of Tata Steel continuously tries to analyze the customer preferences for products and tries to invest in the projects which offer the best marketing mix i.e. best price for the products and differentiated products as compared to the customers (Tata Steel, 2017). Based on the core competencies listed in the above table, the competitive advantage of Tata Steel i.e. capacity expansion, and the financial position of Tata Steel UK (SWOT analysis), it is evaluated that Tata Steel can competently reduce the cost of its operations for increasing its revenues and earnings as well as increasing its market share. Moreover, these strategies are also useful for Tata Steel to exist its penetrating market everywhere its operations are in process. Evaluation of strategy is as important as the formulation of strategies because the strategic management process requires a lot of resources for implementation. So, it must be made certain that we are not wasting our resources or using them in a wrongful manner (Atkinson, 2013). Strategic evaluation is carried out in order to know whether the strategy that has been designed will be able to achieve the required objectives or not. Three criteria are used for the purpose of strategy evaluation i.e. suitability, acceptability and feasibility. 1.1. Suitability Suitability refers to the overall objective and rationale of the proposed strategy i.e. whether the strategy proposed will be able to achieve the economies of scale or not or will it acquire the proposed strategic objectives to improve the overall position and outlook of business. For the purpose of measuring the suitability of market penetration for Tata Steel, it is important to analyze the trends and key drivers explained in the assignment 1. Trends: The current trends for the Tata Steel are not good because there is an overall decrease in demand due to cheap supply from China. Another reason is stricter regulation changes on the part of European Union and lower wage laws as well as expensive cost of production in Europe (Islam, 2016). Key drivers: The key drivers that prove to be helpful in boosting the sales revenue of Tata Steel include reduces costs of renewable energy, flexibility in emission regulations placed in by European Union and support provided to UK for numerous steel construction projects to increase the job market for people. So based on the trends in the market and key drivers, it is evaluated that Tata Steel can overcome the cost of production in UK by employing the expatriate labor into its steel industries so that the cost of labor is reduced. The employment of technology in all of its production plants can improve the production rate as well as differentiate its products in terms of quality. The reduced cost of energy i.e. 30% reduction in electricity bills and in gas prices is also a favorable driver for employing the technology in UK plants. Government should also make its regulations flexible so that Tata Steel can invest into steel projects and provide jobs to numerous people. As a result of evaluation, it is suggested that the proposed strategy can work well with Tata Steel because it has enough capacity to expand its operations, have improved infrastructure to add value to its supply chain and have enough competencies to take the market as a cost leader. 1.2. Acceptability Acceptability of strategy relates to the concern with which it meets and exceeds the expectations of its stakeholders. It is obvious that changing the cost of operations and prices of the products also affect the overall revenue of the business which in turn affect the dividend payment to its shareholders, flexibility in regulations involves government and increased production affects the environment (Atkinson, 2013). The key stakeholders of Tata Steel are presented as follows infleuntial stakeholders active particpants Stakeholders that impose The most influential shareholders of Tata Steel are its customers, competitors and the environment in which it is operating. The reduced costs of operations will reduce the prices of products which is beneficial for the customers. Competitors will have tough time imitating the strategy of Tata Steel. For environment, it is certain because Tata steel is producing environmentally sustainable steel. Government and suppliers are the most active participants in the business operations of Tata Steel. It is good that UK has been provided flexibility to invest in steel projects and the supply chain management of Tata Steel is already better and sophisticated and will be enhanced with the help of capacity expansion. The BODs, employees and shareholders of Tata Steel are better off with this strategy because increasing the markets share will eventually increase the market share and profits of the company. Shareholders, employees and BODs are the stakeholders who know the vision and mission of the company so at the end they are confident that market penetration strategy would pay something off to them. The acceptability criteria of strategy evaluation suggests that market penetration strategy will be acceptable to all of the stakeholders of Tata Steel. It can be evaluated in more detail by using the stakeholder matrix of power and interest. The matrix is as follows When the power and interest of stakeholders in an organization is high, it is necessary for them to be both engaged and influential while in case of low power and interest, they only need to monitor the company or keep an eye upon the company. While those stakeholders who impose the company strategy have both high power and high interest in the company. Tata steel UK is safe on all ends because the strategy is acceptable for the customers due to quality and price of products and for shareholders to receive the increased dividends. The most influential stakeholder in case of Tata Steel is environment because the production may impact the environment in an adverse way but it is operating in an environmentally and social sustainable and responsible manner. The strategy of market penetration is meeting the needs and expectations of all stakeholders of Tata Steel UK. 1.3. Feasibility Feasibility means that the strategy is good in terms of resources available to the organizations for its implementation (Atkinson, 2013). It has been studied that the main competitive advantage of Tata Steel is its ability to expand or capital expansion. Different elements have been taken into account for the purpose of checking the feasibility of strategy. The most important enabler affecting the implementation of market penetration is the cost and quality of products. The cost of products can only be reduced when a high cutting-edge technology is employed for the manufacturing and production of products. The RD of Tata Steel continuously strives and works hard to know preferences of customers for newer and innovative steel products. Another important consideration is workforce of Tata Steel. Although the workforce is highly talented and able to boost the revenue generated by Tata Steel, Tata Steel should pay them a handsome amount of salaries to them. They should invest in their workforce to boost their confidence to increase the market share. The financial viability of this strategy is considerably favorable because Tata Steel have enough resource for capacity expansion and reducing the overall costs of operation. Capacity expansion will generate the increased outcome thereby leading to increased market share. The new strategy proposed for Tata Steel is the market penetration using hybrid strategies of cost leadership and product differentiation. The analysis is conducted on the basis of thorough internal and external analysis of Tata Steel and it has been evaluated that the strategy is perfect in terms of its suitability, acceptability and feasibility. Tata Steel should adopt market penetration strategy for the purpose of boosting its market share because it has the capacity to expand its operations by using newer technology, the power of its labor and its efficient supply chain. Tata Steel UK has strong brand image and identity which will be very helpful to penetrate into its current market. It has to reduce the costs of its operations so that the products become a bit cheaper and attracts a new market share. This strategy will be helpful because China has been supplying the steel to the market at much lower price so for its survival and growth, Tata Steel has to adopt cost leadership al ong with product differentiation strategy. Strategy formulation starts with the thorough analysis of internal and external factors affecting the business. The external analysis for Tata steel UK suggested market trends for steel industry and the key drivers that are helpful for boosting the industry. Formulation and implementation of strategy is based upon the environmental analysis of Tata Steel. Market penetration is the best alternative for Tata Steel to increase its market share. It can be done with the help of cost leadership and product differentiation. The cost leadership can be achieved with the help of expansion of business because capacity expansion is the main competitive advantage of Tata Steel. References Anderson, C. and Vincze, J. (2004). Strategic marketing management. 1st ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Atkinson, D. (2013). Dynamic capabilities: implications for marketing strategy formulation and implementation. International Journal of Business Environment, 5(3), p.252. Hitt, M., Ireland, R. and Hoskisson, R. (2003). Strategic management. 4th ed. Australia: Thomson/South-Western. Islam, F. (2016). Understanding The Steel Crisis: 10 Key Points. Sky news. [online] Available at: http://news.sky.com/story/understanding-the-steel-crisis-10-key-points-10223034ÂÂ   [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017]. Jeyarathnam, M. (2008). Strategic management. 1st ed. Mumbai: Himalaya Pub. House. Jha, V. and Arora, S. (2013). Strategic leadership for corporate sustainable development at Tata Steel. International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 7(3), p.283. Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R. and Johnson, G. (2011). Exploring strategy. 10th ed. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Kelsey, C. (2016). The facts and figures about Tata Steel UK. Wales Online. [online] Available at: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/facts-figures-tata-steel-uk-11258131ÂÂ   [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017]. Markets.ft.com. (2017). Tata Steel Ltd, TATASTEEL:NSI forecasts FT.com. [online] Available at: https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/forecasts?s=TATASTEEL:NSIÂÂ   [Accessed 15 Jan. 2017]. Schram, B. (2015). Redcar and Tata Steel: Four reasons why the UK steel industry is struggling to survive. International Business Times. [online] Available at: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/redcar-tata-steel-four-reasons-why-uk-steel-industry-struggling-survive-1524375ÂÂ   [Accessed 14 Jan. 2017]. Tata Steel, (2017). At a glance | Tata Steel in Europe. [online] Tatasteeleurope.com. Available at: http://www.tatasteeleurope.com/en/about%E2%80%93us/at-a-glance [Accessed 14 Jan. 2017]. Tata Steel, (2017). Our values | Tata Steel in Europe. [online] Tatasteeleurope.com. Available at: http://www.tatasteeleurope.com/en/about%E2%80%93us/valuesÂÂ   [Accessed 14 Jan. 2017]. Teece, D. (2010). Business Models, Business Strategy and Innovation. Long Range Planning, 43(2-3), pp.172-194. Trigeorgis, L. and Reuer, J. (2016). Real options theory in strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 38(1), pp.42-63. Multicultural Analysis of Japan: Traditions and Religions Multicultural Analysis of Japan: Traditions and Religions Land of the Rising Sun: Japan Japan is a country filled with old and rich traditional history that cant be found anywhere in the Western world. Japan and America share quite an interesting bond with one another. The bond between them seems to infer that they have most of their trust in each other, but trusting the notorious nation, China, is something that they can both get on terms with. Disagreements between the two powerful nations can form, for example, one being Japans role in regional security. The old nation is located in the continent of Asia, being an chain of islands, it is surrounded by the Sea of Japan ( East) and Pacific Ocean (West). Japan or Nihon as it is said in Japanese, translates to the suns origin. It is also known as, by its nickname Land of the Rising Sun. The old nation consist of a series of islands, which is close to around 6,852 islands. There are also four main islands as well, which include: Hokkaido, Honshu {largest island}, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Although there are no bordering countries since the country is a chain of islands, there are some neighboring countries by Japan, promptly consisting, but not excluding: South Korea, North Korea, China, Taiwan, Russia, and the Philippines. The current size of Japan is around some 145,932 miÂÂ ² and compared to the U.S. which is some 3,536,695 square miles. The country of Japan has the third-largest economy, after the United States and China, in the modern world. The country exports vital goods such as automobiles ( ex. Toyota, Honda, Mazda), computers, and other electronics. etc. Not to mention the fact that Japan natural resources that it exports it ems such as: fish and other seafood, gold, silver, magnesium, oil, Japan greatly depends on foreign/imported natural resources and fuels to keep manufacturing industries functioning and thriving. Some industries in Japan include: shipbuilding, textile, mining, bioindustry, processed foods, and construction. Besides noting Japans economy, the old nation is known for its unique physical features. The geography of the country consists of a mountainous terrain with basins, valleys, plains, and coral reefs; while also having temperate weather and consisting of four seasons. The country has many cultural traditions and holidays throughout the year. Obon, Lantern Festival, ( August 13- 16) is a buddhist festival that is held within the month of August, it that pays tribute to ancestral spirits by lighting lanterns in from of home and on rivers to guild spirits back home and to the underworld. Cultural Day ( November 3rd ) was previously known as the day of commemorating the birthday of the Meiji Emperor, but it was renamed to Culture Day to rejoice the Japanese Constitution as well as peace and freedom. Another holiday is Marine Day (Umi no hi [ July 3rd] ) which commemorates the blessings of the oceans and its significant importance for Japan as a nation. Both Japan and America share unique cultural difference, but their main difference is concerning education, not to mention the fact that recreation among them is quite the same. Similarly Japanese and American elementary schools last for six years. The difference is the in Japan junior high last for thr ee years, while in America it lasts for two. Another distinction is that students in Japanese high schools go to school for three years, while in American high schools students go to school for four years. Japanese and Americans typically do the same thing the same things for fun sports, shopping, hanging out with friends, and using electronics. Meals consumed by the Japanese are mainly homemade meals which may consist of a bowl of rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables, fish, and (or) meat. Religion is a thing that sets Japan apart from most countries. Religions in Japan are Shinto, Taoist, Confucian, Buddhism, and surprisingly Christianity. As far back as historians can date, Shinto was the most popular religion and oldest among the Japanese and even today it is. Buddhism was brought by monks in the 6th century. Both religions have been coexisting with each other in harmony for quite a long time, and most classify themselves as either Shinto or Buddhist, but in some instance both. Christianity on the other hand was introduced to Japan ( 1506- 1552) by a man named Francis Xavier. Although its not the most popular religion in Japan it still is practiced by some individuals. Surprisingly religion doesnt play a major role in the everyday lives of ordinary Japanese citizens. People may visit shrine or temples on New Year and participate in local festivals, all in which hav religious (historical) background. As an island nation, Japan has flourished and bloomed into a well known nation full of old traditional and modern ways of life. One may find that the nation is some like any other nation; a rich and old history, recreation, and important holidays/traditions. The fact that Japan is no bigger than the state of California may surprise foreigners at best and that although its a nation with the tenth highest population, its population is slowly decline every year. Such rural and old historical seem to be present in Japan to this day, hopefully this countrys unique history shall never fade.

The Death of the Net Generation has Been Greatly Exaggerated :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The Death of the Net Generation has Been Greatly Exaggerated America's youngest generation, the "Net Generation", is not destined to become the sex-addicted, morally bankrupt, heroin-overdosing generation that many media types have forecasted it will be. As a member of this "Net Generation", or an N-Gener, I know first hand what the values of my generation are, and I know what the future may hold. It is in this respect that I agree with the author of Growing Up Digital, Don Tapscott. Despite the vast array of negative uses for the Internet, there is an equal upside to this form of communication that gives me great hope and confidence in the Net Generation. Tapscott describes the changing ways that N-Geners think, and he sums them up in three points. N-Geners have a greater acceptance for diversity, are a curious generation, and have great self-reliance and assertiveness. If this is truly the way minds are changing, I'm happy to be a part of it. Since there is no way to tell who people are when they're online, people have to be accepted for who they are. As the author said, "You may be [something] else...like an inanimate object. The fact that you're communicating with a toaster is not important--it's what the toaster has to say" (Tapscott, p. 86). N-Geners learn to think about what a person says oftentimes without knowing who said it, thus eliminating any possible bias. N-Geners' being a curious generation is perhaps easier to understand. The Internet is a completely new and ever-changing world, creating endless possibilities for exploration. This vast world of information has proven inviting to kids, making the new generation a curious one. Self-reliance and assertiveness are other important qualities gained from the Net. There are web sites for all sorts of purposes, from fantasy football to free speech. The latter gives an interesting example of how methods of assertiveness have evolved. These web sites are "the digital equivalent of the 1960s petition" (Tapscott, p. 87). In other words, the ideals haven't changed drastically from 1960 to Y2K, just the methods of expression (and on another level, the ease of expression). Internet-based self-reliance comes from the independent nature of the computer. It is a single console designed for use by a single person. When on the Internet, people decide where to go and what to do entirely on their own, and that idea has been firmly engrained in the minds of N-Geners.

By The Waters Of Babylon Essay

In the short story â€Å"By the Waters of Babylon† by Stephen Vincent Benet the author uses structure to impact the readers understanding of truth by using the literary device Foreshadowing and another literary device situation Irony. â€Å"It is forbidden to cross the Great river and look upon the place that was the place of the gods-This is the most strictly forbidden†. The author gives hints along the story that changes the readers perspective from what seems a long lost broken down civilization full of rituals from ancient time to an understanding that it’s based on the future after an event called â€Å"†¦The Great Burning† occurred. The author creates an impact on the reader by engaging the person on a mindset of an understanding that completely is turned around. â€Å"The North and the West and the South are good hunting ground, but it is forbidden to go east. It is forbidden to go to any of the Dead Places except to search for metal and then he who touches the metal must be a Priest or the son of a Priest†. The author here starts painting a image in the readers mind of a time were people hunted and did rituals a time were you had to find valuables to survive like metal! Creating a connection in the readers mind of ancient civilization. Making a focus on the forbidden places allows the reader to further engage trying to understand what will happen next causing suspense, but also keeping in mind what was being hunted was metal causing the reader to keep curiosity or doubt about the setting. All these choices on the structure of the short story start to impact the reader. â€Å"If the hunters think we do all things by chants and spells, they may believe so-it does not hurt them. I was taught how to read in the old books and how to make the old writings –that was hard and took a long time.† While the author has the reader in a doubt trying to determine the setting after seeing they would hunt for metal the author brings the reader back to the culture of the young man’s life as stated above making the reader start catching hints between the way he was raised as would the people in ancient days but the reality of the setting in the future after metal was invented, this is where we truly see the foreshadowing take effect. This literary device being used in the short story creates a huge impact on the reader showing you how the confusion and  how greatly it engages the reader to find out the truth. What really confirms the setting is when the author illustrates a scene were the sons priest reaches the â€Å"Dead places† or the place of the Gods. â€Å"Nevertheless, it was strange. There was a washing-place but no water—perhaps the gods washed in air. There was a cooking place but no wood, and though there was a machine to cook food, there was no place to fire in it.† Here we can see clearly that the sons priest has reached a city in ruins that civilization is learning what has happened on earth and seeing how the â€Å"gods† that are humans lived. The machine is a stove were they would cook but now with no electricity he expects too see a fire a pit. Hear the author illustrates a sink a place to wash dishes but he’s confused because he sees no water because civilization would use fossils to have water come out to wash .Here the author creates a image clear enough to have the reader understand the foreshadowing. Throughout this short story the author impacts the reader with the structure of his writing. He uses literally devices like foreshadowing, situational irony and imagery. The author creates a confusion having the reader pick up hints along the way to try and decipher where these events are taken place. All these things lead the reader to the truth of the story.

Dharavi Slum

Mumbai has thrived economically in the recent years and now has one of the highest property prices in the world. Despite this the majority of the population live in squatter settlements such as Dharavi. In one square mile of Dharavi there are one million people and many more people arrive to live in the same cramp conditions. The ‘homes’ found in Dharavi are made up of basic materials available to the builder. Buildings on the outskirts appear to be much less permanent than those found the centre. This is because they have been around for many years.The public toilets, most of which are blocked because of poor drainage systems, have to be shared between estimates of 300-500 people each. The biggest problem affecting the drainage systems is during the monsoon seasons, mainly because of flooding. Low access to toilet facilities forces the people to use the local river for urination and defecation. Water is rationed to the whole settlement through 162 taps for 2 hours a day . The poor conditions spread many diseases such as diphtheria, cholera and typhoid. This is not helped by the fact each shack holds 6.2 people. Despite the lack in sanitation, 85% of households own a television set, 75% own a pressure cooker, 56% a gas stove and 21% have a telephone. Also the people themselves are generally happy with their circumstance. The area has a large social atmosphere and many choose to work together and help each other. The area itself is a hub for recycling and production business. 85% of residents have a job in the local area. It is said the settlement generates an annual turnover of $650 million. Plans/Attempts to improve socio-economic conditions.Investment and redevelopment into Dharavi slum is an attractive prospect to the Mayor of Mumbai Sunil Prabhu. The area is also in a prime location for the developers themselves as it is situated just outside Mumbai’s financial district and rich real estate hot spots such as the Bandra-Kurla Complex. For the outside world redevelopment has many positives. Clearing the slum will improve health conditions, living space and make the land the squatters live on legal for the first time. Mumbai will also benefit from removing the unattractive settlement from the city.The $2 billion project to slowly remove the slum has already started. Investors can also already bid for one of the 13 sub sections in the 5 sectors of the slum. The project has a great prospect to improve the already large economy of Mumbai and huge amounts of money will be made in the selling of real estate in the Dharavi slum area. The plan is to also rehabilitate all slum dwellers into flats built in the Dharavi area. These flats will have more space and more basic provisions for the residents. Not only will flats be built but also proper hospitals and schools. The project portfolio has outlined the following benefits:

Brand Audit of Power Root Essay Example

Brand Audit of Power Root Essay Example Brand Audit of Power Root Essay Brand Audit of Power Root Essay Essay Topic: Like Water for Chocolate We Real Cool BMR 3164 BRAND MANAGEMENT ‘POWER ROOT’ No |Name |Student ID |Hp No | |1 |DHEEPAN A/L PRANTHAMAN |1061111669 |017-7648515 | |2 |TEH AI ZEK |1051103950 |016-7628762 | |3 |NURUL AQILAH MOHD NAJRI |1041105941 |013-6286479 | |4 |AZWIN BINTI KHAIRUDDIN |1051101309 |017-2477010 | |5 |ONG LEE YING |1051103227 |012-7640604 | SEMESTER 1 08/09 MULTIMEDIA UNIVERSITY (436821-T) MELAKA CAMPUS, JALAN AYER KEROH LAMA, 75450 MELAKA, MALAYSIA. Tel 606 252 3594 Fax 606 231 8799 Contents  ¦ Brand audit objectives, scope, and approach-2  ¦ Background about the brand (self-analysis)4  ¦ Background about the industries5  ¦ Consumer analysis (trends, motivation, perceptions, needs, segmentation, behavior)7  ¦ Brand inventory  ¦ Elements, current marketing programs, POPs, PODs10-13  ¦ Branding strategies (extensions, sub-brands, etc. 14-16  ¦ Brand portfolio analysis17-19  ¦ Competitors’ brand inventory20  ¦ Strengths and weaknesses-22  ¦ Brand exploratory  ¦ Brand associations24  ¦ Brand positioning analysis25  ¦ Summary of competitor analysis -25 SWOT analysis-26  ¦ Brand equity evaluation29  ¦ Strategic brand management recommendations 30  ¦ Reference31 Brand Audit Objectives To enhance our understanding of the brand audit process. To enhance our understanding of how a successful brand works. To showcase our teamwork. To experience being a brand manager. To study the Power Root brand. Scope In designing our brand audit study, we chose to limit our scope to the local arena. There are several reasons for this. First we feel that the examples in our textbook are mostly international brand to which we have no strong affinity or understanding. Secondly, by choosing a local brand we will have access to more information which will be readily available compared to foreign brands. Finally we feel that it is a better choice to start with something at home to learn about brand audit and it also to show that we are proud of our homegrown brands. These are the reasons as to why we chose Power Root. Our scope of study will cover many aspects of the brand. We will study the background, followed by the brand’s inventory (elements, branding strategies, and marketing strategies), brand associations, perceptions and positioning and we end with some recommendations to enhance the brand. Approach There have to be a way of how to conduct a brand audit. Our approach is this: Format First we came up with a format on the things that needed to be included in the study. As brand audit covers a wide variety of things to discuss and analyze, a proper format is vital in order to ensure the audit progresses smoothly and achieves its objectives. We included important areas such as brand inventory, brand exploratory and we included recommendations on how the brand can be further enhanced. Information Search The group had an intensive information search in order to do a thorough audit. The search was conducted via Internet, library database, newspaper, magazine and television. Group discussion A group discussion was held in order to analyze the Power Root brand. The group discussed various aspects of the brand based on the information gained during the search. Task allocation Task was allocated among team members for report compilation. Background Power Root is a homegrown brand and is a true success story when it comes to Malaysian brands. The story of Power Root began in 1999. This brand was born in Johor and officially launched on 23 July 1999 and since then it has not looked back ever since. Owned by the parent company NatBio Resources Sdn Bhd, Power Root has grown from strength to strength for the past 9 years it had been in existence. Their main and core product strategy is by commercializing the well know aphrodisiac more well known as Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia) and Kacip Fatimah (Labisia Pumilia). These 2 herbs is popular in Malaysia due to wide believe about its ability to give energy and enhance sexual prowess. They are also commonly used for ensuring good health and physical well being. From 2 main products, they have grown and extended into many products by using the same brand name. More information about the brand portfolio of Power Root is in the inventory segment. They first established a branch in Kuala Lumpur in 2001 for the purpose of co-ordinating logistics and also to enhance customer service. Power Root have 2 manufacturing plants, the earliest was established in Johor in 2003 and was followed by another manufacturing plant in Kuala Lumpur. In 2007 Power Root via its holding company Natural Bio Resources Sdn Bhd was listed in the Second Board of Bursa Malaysia. Power Root’s operational objective is ‘Quality, Innovation Sharing’. To stay true to this mantra, they have invested heavily in R D to come up with a line of brand that best signifies quality. They are also committed to bringing these herbs beyond Malaysian shores across the globe to enhance its popularity and bringing benefit to the product in return. All in all Power Root’s is a success today stems from its entrepreneurial spirit, concentration in research and development in improving existing products and commitment in providing consumers variety choices of its high quality products. Background of the Industry When we talk about industry, first we need to identify the elements that constitute the industry. What is the background of the industry that Power Root is operating in. Power Root is geographically located in Malaysia. In terms of the industry, Power Root can be concluded as being in several different segments within the larger beverage industry. They are mainly in the instant coffee drinks segment with the core product being Ali Cafe TongkatAli drinks. This instant coffee segment is a large and very attractive segment. Due to changes in lifestyle, current trend shows that people value speed. This to the extend something as simple as making coffee is required to be simplified which explains the phenomenal growth of instant coffee drinks. Can drinks is another segment they are operating in. Can drinks is a big market with almost all beverage having a can product. People like can drinks for its convenience and cool factor. The cereal market is another industry segment where fierce competition is common. Due to the high consumption nature of breakfast foods, this segment is lucrative to capture. Chocolate drink segment is fast growing. Although not as strong as in US but cocoa based drink trend is catching on in Malaysia. Power Root knows this and hence the release of Cocoa based drink like Pearl Cafe’ Choco. A little background about Tongkat Ali which is being used as the main ingredient not only by Power Root but also by Power Root’s competitors. Tongkat Ali also known as Eurycoma Longifolia Jack is a common herbal shrub usually found along the slopes of hilly terrain of the Malaysian rainforests. This shrub is identified as the ‘Bitter Cures’ because it is really bitter and it also can cure all sorts of ailments and diseases. ‘Pasak Bumi’ or the ‘Earth Fixer’ is also one of them and because of its solid and long winding roots, it got its name and the name is Tongkat Ali. The name is said to be associated with a dashing warrior, the hidden meaning to the name- the spirit of manliness and health. The herb helps to revitalize tired minds and body and soothes a person. In addition, Kacip Fatimah is another common herb found in the rain forests of Malaysia, it contains element of antioxidants and photo estrogen, where these two elements are known to provide goodness and health to both women and men. These 2 herbs together present a multimillion or perhaps a multibillion dollar market to be exploited. With the emerging trends and unfulfilled needs in terms of personal healthcare this industry’s core has a long way to go. The general situation right now in the industry is the intense competition among the manufacturers of such herb based beverage drinks. Since taking the herb in pill or medical form does not interest consumer much, beverage is seen as the next best way to sell such products. Hence many entrants have made the fight hard especially when some competitors purposely copy the entire brand elements of another successful brand. Consumer Analysis Needs There is a real need for energy and herbal based drink in Malaysian market. Hence Power Root is seen as a natural choice because they contain Tongkat Ali and Kacip Fatimah, 2 most well known energy boosting herbs. Because of these two main herbs in their products, customer demands are increasing because they believe that Power Root products can help them in their daily lifestyles in all ways. They believe they will feel re-energized and be more energetic after drinking it. These herbs are indigenous to Malaysia and its properties for promoting physical well-being are highly regarded by Malaysians. There is also a real need for an integrated product that combines energy herbs and a daily beverage of people’ choice be it coffee, tea or cocoa drinks. These needs are however not restricted to local arena alone as there high demands from foreign countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Middle East signifying the universality of the need. Segmentation First and foremost, Power Root as a family brand targets almost everyone in the market. However when it comes to selecting and targeting segments then they become selective. There are several segmentations as practised by Power Root: Race: Power Root has segmented the market into racial segments and it actively targets the Malay market. Its entire branding, marketing and promotional strategies are very much focused on this segment. There are attempts to court other racial segments such as the Chinese segment but it is largely limited. Gender: Usually tongkat ali is targeted towards the male customers whereas Kacip Fatimah is targeted to the female audience. Tongkat Ali is seen as the male aphrodisiac while Kacip Fatimah on the other hand is associated with women. Both herbs can be consumed by both genders considering that there are similar benefits between them but for marketing purposes, they are marketed separately to different segments. Age group: 18 49 Power Root has chosen to target this group age segment. The reason could be that this age group has the purchasing power necessary to buy and consume the products. Besides that as this time period is where they grow up, they will seek energy boosting beverages more than any other age group. The brand also has access to various ways to reach this age group as they are widely exposed to various mediums. Health conscious segment: This segment is hard to measure and to find out considering that it is hard to measure intangible things. Nevertheless this health conscious segment is visible enough to be noticed by Power Root to be targeted aggressively. Behaviour When it comes to behaviour, here the analysis will have to focus on the behaviour of Power Root’s consumers towards the product. Power Root’s consumers are very loyal to the brand especially from the Malay market segment. With a strong positioning, we can actually see that the support is strong from this segment alone. Even when similar products and brands got launched, Power Root remained strong due to the loyalty to the brand. Customers of this brand are enthusiastic about the brand, have high brand awareness, brand recall and brand recognition of Power Root. They support the marketing programs and also love the brand ambassadors which they think relate well with them. Trends In this competitive world, companies must always understand about customers’ trends in order to attract and best serve them. Since customer’s trend keep n changing their taste, the companies must always formulate strategies to satisfy them. Current trend shows that there is a significant shift in consumer’s mindset towards living a healthy lifestyle and taking care of one’s own body. Due to proliferati on of healthy living lifestyle on various mediums such as TV, movies, magazines and others lifestyle trends, more and more people are looking for products that are good for their body. Also due to changing pace of life and hectic, busy lifestyle led by most people on earth today, energy boosting beverages has seen a spike in demand. Motivation Since Power Root has become more and more famous among consumers, so this can be a reason to motivate customer to buy their products. The company had created their own brand image, once consumer want to purchase instant coffee or tea or even energy products, Power Root will become one of their choices. As mentioned before, Power Root are producing few types of instant drink products such as coffee, tea, energy drink and etc. By providing customers with lots of choice, this can be one of the reasons to motivate people to buy it. Beside that, the price of Power Root products can be another point that can motivate customers to purchase it. Most of the consumers are finding out that the prices of Power Root are reasonable compare to other brand. In addition, Power Root Company always is doing promotion in order to attract customer. It is one of the ways to increase the motivation of consumers toward Power Root products. Consumers are always interesting with products promotion, so Power Root sometimes will organize some activity such as competition or products sampling in order to increase the interest of consumers toward their products. Perceptions According to the majority of consumers, when they think of Power Root, naturally energy drinks, stamina and health will come to their mind. Power Root’s current standing is good and hence consumers’ perception towards it is good as well. In most of the consumers’ mind, Power Root products always fulfill customers’ need which is to give energy. Consumers perceive Power Root as a brand that has a variety of products that satisfies many different people. The taste is seen as different and unique to Power Root. Consumers also have a perception that the products has a reasonable price. Brand Inventory Elements Logo Brand Mantra: Quality, Innovation Sharing Slogan: Infinite Energy Brand jingle/Catchphrase: Cut, Cut, Cut Ali Cafe URL: www. powerroot. com. my Packaging: Marketing Programs Power Root has a very sound marketing program in place which explains their success so far. The high sales and high business activity can be attributed to the brand cleverly taking care of its 4 major part that constitutes marketing. Product Power Root invests a lot in RD funding in order to come up with good and delicious products to satisfy the market needs and demands. All their products so far according to the analysis show that all of them have gone through rigorous vetting process before being launched into the market. Each and every product has its own distinctive packaging, clear name, colour and taste. For example, Pearl Cafe serves the women market while Ali Cafe serves the male market. There are also products to cater to market needs for low sugar products such as the non-sugar instant drinks. Place When it comes to place it basically relates more to the distribution network that is responsible to distribute and sell the product. Power Root has a very strong distribution network in place with good connection and working relationship with the wholesaler and retailers. The brand is easily available in all major hypermarkets, supermarkets, mini markets, sundry shop and convenient shops Brand is easily available and has high brand visibility. The good working relationship shows especially when seeing that Power Root always get the strategic and most visible place on the shelves’. Price Power Root have a range of price that is neither very expensive nor very cheap, it is there in the middle affordable for all. The pricing for each product is different but each price reflects the value of the product. |RM (+/-) | |Ali Cafe |14. 50 | |Pearl Cafe |11. 20 | |Can Products |2. 50 | |Oligo Cereals |14. 50 | |Pearl Choco |16. 00 | Promotion They have promotions such as extra packs in the main packets with every purchase. They have free gifts when the customers buy two or more packets. Free gifts may include thing s like umbrella, mugs and so on. Power root sometimes gives out incentives to shopping malls so that hey keep their shelf full of power root products everytime and a merchandiser can keep track of it as well. Sometimes they give out discounts to customers in the form of free coupons such as the one being distributed in TESCO receipts. POP (Points of Parity) A point of Parity is when the attributes of a brand is similar to other brands in the market. Power Root shares these POPs: Same market (Malay majority)-What Power Root is currently targeting and heavily investing in is also pursued and served by other competitors. And these competitors not only come from those with instant coffee background or herbal energy giving beverage but also anyone with the interest of capturing the sales from the Malay market segment. Coffee drink- There are a lot of companies producing coffee products and instant coffee brands are one to many sometimes. Power Root product coffee, others also produce coffee. Instant beverage- The age of convenience has brought us this trend, instant beverages and Power Root’s instant formulas or way of packaging its products are similar to other instant beverage brands. Pricing- The pricing is almost similar to other competitors and there is no large variation among the brands showing that price is something common among them. POD (Points of Difference) Points of Difference is the part that where differentiation takes place and aids positioning process in consumer’s minds. There are 3 main PODs for Power Root: Health and herbal products- Power Root has exploited the health benefits of the herbs and making sure it becomes synonymous with the brand itself. Now whenever someone mentions Tongkat Ali or Eurycoma Longifolia they are quickly reminded of Power Root first before being followed by other products. Unique Pink, Black, Gold Packaging- Power Root’s packaging are distinctive and has their own place in consumer’s mind and heart. The packaging is easily recognizable and differentiated from its competitors. Besides that, there are different colours for each flavour or product. Delicious taste and aroma- Power Root has a distinctive taste and aroma to its products so much so that the moment someone smells it, they will be quickly reminded of the brand showing high brand awareness. The aroma is also strong in nature and can easily fill a room with its sweet smell. Branding Strategies Brands today are no longer like the way it was once before where brands were merely a name assigned to a product. Today consumers respond positively to brands and the more powerful a brand is the greater opportunities that brand will have especially in terms of profit. Power Root is only 9 years old and barely a teenager but in Malaysia they have become one of the number one brands in beverages. And today they are venturing into exporting their products to other countries like Indonesia and to the Middle Eastern Region like Dubai. In getting to where they are today Power Root has made efforts in their branding strategies. Some branding strategies they have applied are using spokespersons, sponsoring events, having road shows around Malaysia, organizing contests through publicity, billboards, advertising and having sub brands or extensions. Power Root has invested in using public figures and celebrities to be their spokespeople. Using a spokesperson is when an organization uses a person to represent the organization. Power Root have employed four very well known Malaysian celebrities in representing their brand who are Rosyam Nor one of Malaysia’s number one leading actors, Adam and Faraf from the very popular reality show â€Å"Akademi Fantasia† and one of Malaysia’s songbirds Nurul. They have been used in promoting Power Root’s products via commercials, road shows, and ads. Another brand strategy used by Power Root is by sponsoring events. Some of the events sponsored by Power Root are the ‘Dance with Nnergy’ competition which is a dance competition during Jomheboh, one of Malaysia’s very popular carnivals handled around the country. Power Root has even sponsored drama series on TV 2 entitled â€Å"Dilemma Wanita†, and â€Å"Rafflesia†. Another event they have sponsored is Smart Kids 2006 (Aerospace Educational Planet). Every event they sponsor is a way for them to publicize their product to the public and create brand awareness. Linking a brand to events helps consumers to build their trust towards a brand and also it portrays a more likeable image for the consumers. Power Root has also organized road shows around Malaysia. Road shows are travelling exhibit as a way to promote a company’s product. In this case, Power Root has gone around Malaysia from Penang to Johor to promote their products and also some of their contest like promoting one of their biggest contests the â€Å"You Can Be a Millionaire† contest. Through road shows Power Root can also build positive rapport with their loyal customers and plus achieve new customers. Power Root has also organized many contests in the past in order to stimulate sales and at the same time build brand loyalty. These contests include the search for gold and prizes under the tab of the can products and the most recently is the ‘Be a Millionaire’ contest. Publicity or public relation is used to promote or protect a company’s image or products. Over the years Power Root have conducted various forms of publicity in promoting their brand. For example in the year 2006 Power Root organized a press and conference and simultaneously officially launched their new Power Root Ambassadors for that year. By organizing this sort of publicity they have created again brand awareness for the public. Another example of their efforts in publicity is through having official events to launch their contests so that consumers especially Power Root loyal customers are aware of their contest which they can participate and maybe have some opportunity in winning grand prizes. Other than that Power Root has also put up billboard along the PLUS highway. They have organized a continuous of 20f x 60f Billboard Campaign along the PLUS highway. The PLUS highway is the main highway to get from North to South of Malaysia and many Malaysian citizens use this highway to get from one destination to another. By putting up billboards along the highway, Power Root has great exposure because many Malaysian citizens use the highway daily. Power Root has also used many forms of advertising to promote their brand. Like mentioned before using billboards and such, Power Root has also used other ways of advertising their product for instance through television commercials, radio commercials and print advertisements. With their ambassadors, they use them in their commercials to promote their brand. Choosing the right form of advertisement is crucial so that Power Root can reach the right customers. Lastly, another form of brand strategy Power Root has adopted is through brand extensions and sub-branding. There are two forms of brand extension which are line extension and category extension. Power Root has adopted both the line extension and category extension. Line extensions use sub-brands to target a new market segment within the same category. For example under the Power Root brand name in the coffee line, they have come up with Ali Cafe targeting male consumers and Pearl Cafe to target female consumers. As for category extension, it is a form of extension by using the parent brand in a different product category. Power Root has used the brands distinctive taste which is tongkat ali and kacip fatimah in another form than instant products like can drinks. Brand portfolio analysis Power root is known for the energy drink they produce which is Alicafe Tongkat ali and automatically the product is the core product for this brand. Power root is mainly associated with tongkat ali gingseng and therefore when it comes to Power root, consumer will think of energy drink or tongkat ali. Power root has come out with many sub brands which are instant cafe and tin product: Instant beverage Alicafe Tongkat Ali instant: premix coffee drink with Tongkat Ali. A wonderful blend of coffee made from Robusta Arabica fine coffee beans, combined with quality creamer from Europe for smoothness and heavenly aroma. Also contains water soluble Tongkat Ali and Gingseng extracts. Alitea tongkat ali instant: Premix tea drink with Tongkat Ali. Also known as â€Å"Power Root teh Tarik Tongkat Ali instant†. Quality red tea mixed with imported skimmed milk and creamer from Europe for a fresh and aromatic flavour. Perl cafe instant: Mildest blend features a smooth and flavourous coffee specially made from the finest Arabca Robusta coffee beans. It is catered mainly for today’s women. Also includes premium quality creamer and chocolate from Europe and contains water soluble Kacip Fatimah extract. Perl choco instant: premix chocolate drink with Kacip Fatimah and Collagen. Made from imported Cocoa, Kacip Fatimah, Collagen, Sugar and Non-Dairy Creamer. Oligo cafe instant: premix coffee with Oligofructose. It is a natural ingredient extract from the chicory root. Oligofructose has many beneficial effects on the human body studied by scientist. The chicory root, where its beneficial effects have been known for a long time, contains large amount of inulin. The chicory root is also one of the most researched food substances by scientists for its nutritional benefits. Oligo cereal instant: cereal drink mixed with B-Glucan and Oigofructose. This product consists of fine blend of oats, cereal, B-Glucan, Oligofructose, sugar and non-dairy creamer. It is rich in amico acids, minerals, vitamins and dietary fibre and fulfills the modern era dietary principles to maintain health diet. Oligo choco instant: formulated from cocoa, DHA/EPA (categoriesed as an Omega- fatty acid, one of the essential fatty acids), sugar and fat-free dairy ingredients, and rich in oleic acid, linoleic acid,stearic acid, palmitic acid, protein, various vitamins, minerals, fibre and flavonoids. Ali cafe no sugar added: a wonderful blend of coffee with no sugar added specially formulated for the health conscious public. It is made from Arabica Robusta fine coffee beans, combined with quality creamer from Europe for smoothness heavenly aroma. It also contains water soluble Tongkat Ali Gingseng extracts. Perl cafe no sugar added: the mildest blend features a smooth and flavourous coffee with no sugar added, specially made from the finest Arabica Robusta coffee beans. It is mainly catered to health conscious female public. It is also includes premium quality creamer and chocolate from Europe and contains water soluble Kacip Fatimah extract. Can products Nnergy carbonated energy drink: a special carbonated energy drink formulated with Caffein, Taurine, and Vitamin B6 B12 that helps the release of sustained energy. Nnergy is slightly sour and coupled with the fizzy sensation, ensure of tickling taste. The energy derived from the drink helps to increase concentration especially for derivers on a long journey, students and busy professionals who require the additional boost in energy. Extra carbonated energy drink: A special carbonated energy drink formulated with Tongkat Ali, Caffeine, Taurine Vitamis B6 B12 that will give you the energy boost reduce fatigue. The great refreshing tast and fizzy sensation makes the drink more refreshing with the additional energy derived. It helps to increase concentration especially for drivers on a long journey, students and busy professionals who require the additional boost in energy. Extra honey tongkat ali: energy drink with Honey and Tongkat Ali extracts. Perl kacip fatimah: Energy drink with Kacip Fatimah extract exclusively for women. Ali cafe tongkat ali: coffee drink with Tongkat Ali extract. Gingseng tongkat ali: energy drink with Tongkat Ali and Gingseng extracts. Honey dates tongkat ali: Honey dates Energy drink with Tongkat Ali extract. Perl cafe cofee drink with kacip fatimah: Coffee drink with Kacip Fatimah extract. Competitor’s brand inventory Any brand has their own competitor’s if they are in the same market, as for Power root their competitors are other brands that produce energy drinks, gingseng and tongkat ali drinks. Jabar root Jabar root is owned by The Al-Jabbar Group, a Bumiputera-owned company that offers herbal based medications. The company aimed to market their product particularly in Brunei, Indonesia and West Asia. Jabar root packaging for their tin product for tongkat ali and kacip fatimah are almost similar with Power root. The only difference is the name of the product which is Puteri Serapat and Jabar root. The company selected Zamarul Hisham and Diana Rafar as their celebrity endorsement. The retail price of a can Jabar Root and Puteri Serapat is RM 2. 50. Nescafe Nescafe is actually official product owned by Nestle and it is a brand of instant coffee. Nescafe produce instant drink and can drink such as Nescafe classic, Nescafe original, Nescafe Gold Range, Nescafe Espresso, Nescafe Premium Range, Nescafe Decaff, Nescafe Cappuccino, Nescafe Frappe, Nescafe 3 in 1 Power root has become the competitor to Nescafe or vice versa. Long jack Long Jack Tongkat Ali is owned by Orang Kampung. Herbal Tea, Kacip Fatimah Capsule, TOngkat Ali Capsule, Resdong Pills, Longjack Capsule, Evergreen Tea, Penambat Pills, Gamat Oil, Liniment, Gamat Jelly, Slimmatee Capsule, Maajun Tongkat Ali, Extract Morinda and De5 are products that Orang Kampung produces. This company also produces can drinks such as Long Jack. CNI Tongkat Ali CNI Enterprise (M) Sdn. Bhd. introduces CNI Tongkat Ali gingseng coffee and CNI cafe in their sub brands. The Groups principal activities are marketing healthcare and consumer products. Other activities include manufacturing, trading and packaging consumer, health and personal care products, operation of food and beverage outlets and investment holding. The Group operates in Malaysia and Singapore. Super power Super launched a new range of ‘Super Power coffee variants with added Tongkat Ali, Gingseng and Misai Kuching in Malaysia on April 2007. Their pre-launch sales for ‘Super Power’ cofeemixes and energy drinks have exceeded expectations. The company will focus to expand their market in Southeast Asia countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Vietnam. Kopi RADIX Kopi RADIX originates from Indonesia and has a large following among the traditionalists and in a more rural setting. Its product comprises mainly of Tongkat Ali herbs with not much variation. Kopi Jantan Produced for the older generation and for those in a rural setting. This is also similar to Kopi RADIX in the sense that they focus more on the power or aphrodisiac part of the product. Strengths and Weaknesses Here in this part the analysis is largely centred on uncovering the brand’s strength and weaknesses. Strengths i. As mentioned, Power Root is getting more and more famous among Malaysian, this can be one of the strengths. It is a well known home grown Malaysian brand that specializing in coffee, cocoa and energy beverage products. The company has grown leaps and bounds since first established in 1999 and currently has 19 products under its wings. Although there are various brands of instant drink products in the market, Power Root with its entrepreneuring spirit, is committed to provide consumers with the ultimate choice of a high quality product. Concentrated efforts in research and development to develop new and improved products have also accelerated its success in the market. The founders started off with an herbal energy drink, while coffee-based products were only introduced in 2003. Power Root, the company that owns Ali Cafe, set up its business in 1999 and was quick to realize that consumer preferences and lifestyles were evolving. As such; the company was able to quickly establish a stable business foundation and thus, creates a very promising future for the company. ii. Besides that, Power Root and its range branded canned and premixed powder drinks has become one of the most successful and recognizable local brands within a short span of 7 years. Power Root’s brands include: Ali Cafe and Perl Cafe –canned coffee and premixed instant coffee powder infused with Tongkat Ali and Kacip Fatimah extracts respectively; Power Root – a range of flavored energy drinks with Tongkat Ali extract; Alitea – premixed instant tea powder with Tongkat Ali extract; Oligo Cafe – premixed instant coffee powder with Oligofructose; and Nnergy – a carbonated energy drink with added vitamins. Power Root’s commitment towards its brand promise is epitomized by its co-sponsorship of the 2006 World Cup live Malaysia telecast and on the local front, the hugely popular Jom Heboh! Since the brand is easily recognizable and most people would have no trouble recalling it from their mind either so it has a strong presence in consumers’ mind and is well positioned. The products generate positive reviews and the company invests heavily in marketing and branding iii. The key of Power Roots brand is the quality level which begins at the material procurement stage, ensuring best technology, while offering fortified nutritional and health benefits that meets the needs of the modern lifestyle consumers. Currently, the company has created three successful brands in the UAE and Middle Eastern markets which have their unique taste and appeal to tea and coffee loving populace here. No doubt therefore Power Roots is the first Malaysian beverage Company that made it big in the UAE  and Middle Eastern Market. In  2006 Power Root acquired, the prestigious GMP, and HACCP certification, giving consumers a better peace of mind. In the UAE, Power Root has aggressively promoted its brand in order to carve out a market share. A huge promotion outlay has also been provided at the ongoing Global Village, at Seef Road and the Night Souk where Power Root stalls are attracting good crowds. Weaknesses i. As we can see there are a lot of strengths for Power Root Company, but there are also some weaknesses that can be found in the company. As mentioned, Power Root, a truly Malaysian success story main target consumer is Malay majority market in this country. With the limitation of the Malay target market, it may cause Power Root lack of visibility among non-Malay market. As we know Malaysia is a country which comprised of Chinese, Malay and India citizens, if the company only limit the scope by only concentrates in Malay market however it will neglect the non-Malay consumers and lose a very good chances to increase their profits. ii. Although Power Root is a well-known company in Malaysia, the brand information is not that easy to find. It is very easy to find the brand’s products but it seems hard when consumers wish to search the information about the brand. Therefore, lack of information regarding brand is another weaknesses of Power Root. Brand Associations Brand Positioning Analysis Positioning refers to the place a brand has in the consumer’s mind. The consumer should be able to recall what the brand is associated with in a flash. The moment they see they should be able to think what Power Root stands for. Power Root’s main positioning strategy seems to focus a lot on the energy drink mantra. They have marketed and branded it so intensively by focusing on the energy giving aspect of their products. So much so that most consumers when asked today will immediately think of energy provider, health drink, stamina provider and some even regard it as a mild aphrodisiac. Summary of Competitor Analysis. In a nutshell, Power Root’s competitors have 1 thing in common, they all focus on the same thing that Power Root target but their approach seems to take a bit of sexual undertone. The competitor’s products are branded as an aphrodisiac for sexual prowess with the focus being centred on Tongkat Ali herb. Tongkat Ali is widely used and is used more than Kacip Fatimah in fact. Power Root’s competitors either become a follower by following the same business methodology and branding strategy or they start of on their own by launching it using their own strategy. The more upscale brands such as Super Power tend to have a more urban approach while the less known brands like Kopi RADIX have a more traditionalistic approach. SWOT analysis Listing of a company’s strengths and weaknesses are a normal part of any attempt at strategic planning for virtually all companies. To be sure the company is headed in the right direction, a competent, thoughtful review and updating of the company’s strengths and weaknesses is a fundamental element of a good strategic planning. Strengths Household name- Power Root is a true Malaysian success story, it has presence in several country and no other companies has such a hold especially in the Malay majority market in this country. International presence- Presence in international markets such as Indonesia, Singapore, Korea and UAE. Product success- Power Root’s products are currently making waves in the market such as Alicafe, Perl Cafe, Alitea and so on. Convenience- Each of these products is ready to drink convenient brand, one just has to add hot water and drink it. Strong distribution network- Power Root has access to most outlets and thus effec tively found the end-users due to a well-developed distribution network nationwide. They have a networking of key dealers, wholesalers, supermarkets, retailers and overseas distributors. Today, we can find the products almost everywhere in 7-Eleven stores, petrol stations, Giant, Tesco, Carrefour, Jusco, just to name a few. Weaknesses Lack of Information- Power Root has limited information on their product and have a weak online presence as well. Packaging sizes- No various choices in packaging of instant cafe. They should produce various size of packaging. For example, providing a smaller package for instant cafe. Over focus on beverage- Power Root focus more on beverage products only. They should expand and explore to another market such as capsule or food but they need to still maintain the product reputation. Lack of presence in non-Malay market- The overfocus on 1 segment means that Power Root may be losing out on opportunities from other market segments as well. No slogan for the brand- Power Root is yet to have a distinctive brand slogan. Opportunities Arrival of new technologies- With the upcoming technologies in the world today businesses can be done online. Power Root can promote their brand via internet as internet advertisement is becoming a more and more popular form of advertisement as it’s cheap yet accessible. Other technologies that can be used is online banners, television, satellite and such Free Trade Agreements (FTA) approvals- In the current issue today Malaysia is moving into efforts of getting the FTA approval. Achieving this approval Power Root can export products to countries like the U. S. Power Root has already made efforts in exporting to countries like Indonesia and Dubai. Having greater opportunities to export in other parts of the world is a plus for the brand and also the country. Unfulfilled customer needs- Power Root has ventured into a market that targets the use of Malaysian herbs into beverages. Not many quality brands out there provide this category of product. Therefore Power Root has the opportunity to intensively market their product to Malaysian consumers and also other neighbouring ASEAN countries who also share the same value of herbs as healthy drinks like Thailand, India and China. Threat Competitors- As mentioned and analyzed above, Power Root faces a lot of competitors in various forms and sizes. Oversaturation of market- The entry of many new players intend on capitalizing on the Tongkat Ali craze means that the market may become too overcrowded and in the process may hurt Power Root strategies. Brand Equity Evaluation â€Å"The differential effect that brand knowledge has on consumer response to the marketing of that brand. â₠¬  Keller, 1993 That is the general definition of a what a brand equity is. Brand equity serves as a platform where companies with brands learn from the past and guide their future plans accordingly. The consumer’s brand knowledge is the most important thing when it comes to building brand equity. Power Root consumers have sufficient knowledge when it comes to the brand itself. They are able to form brand associations fast. When consumers are able to define what are the characteristics associated with Power Root such as the events they are involved in, their brand elements, and their sponsorships and so on it shows that the consumers are able to form fast connection in their mind about Power Root. It also proves that many consumers have been exposed to the brand many times before. Brand knowledge consists of 2 core, brand awareness and brand image. Power Root has a very strong brand awareness among the consumers especially their target market the Malay market. Even those not targeted are sometimes aware of the brand proving the awareness level for the brand. Second is brand image. Power Root has a very strong image in terms of its brand elements such as logo, packaging, colour and so on. Consumers are able to pinpoint which is Power Root fast as they have the correct description in their minds. However brand image needs to be something that is strong and favourable and it does seem like Power Root matches all the criteria of a brand with high brand knowledge among consumers. To evaluate customer based brand equity of Power Root, there are several dimensions to be looked into. Salience Depth of brand awareness- Customers are able to easily recall information and image about Power root Breadth of brand awareness- When it comes to purchasing and consuming Power Root, consumers don’t seem to mind or think twice before buying. They know what they are buying and don’t spend too much time analyzing before buying. Performance- Power Root has performed up to consumer’s expectation so far. What consumers want when they buy the drink is what they get or perhaps even better. It is a value buy for them relative to the price. Imagery- Power Root has portrayed the right image in terms of consumer profile, who they are, where the product should be located, association with strong personalities that best showcase the brand itself and so on. Judgement- In terms of brand quality, Power Root is the front runner. No one invests in R like Power Root in the industry and that explains the high quality since they emphasize a lot on quality. The brand is seen as credible and superior compared to other competitors. Feelings- Consumers love this product and they love how it is being branded. Resonance- This can be seen in how attached some customers become to the brand. They call it their comfort drink and form an attachment to it. They are many consumers who have made this drink as their daily staple proving their loyalty. And judging from the many support Power Root gets to its events and contests, it shows just how the brand has formed an alliance with consumers and resonate well with them. Strategic Brand Management Recommendations There are always room for improvement even if the brand is already very successful. Power Root despite its successes, still has room for improvement. There are 4 recommendations by how Power Root can be further improved. Target Introduce to Non-Malay markets Non-Malay market presents an opportunity for Power Root as their purchasing power is yet to be tapped into. Many are not aware of the product yet and most competitor are very focused on Malay market just like Power Root. Perhaps by diversifying their target, they can enhance their presence in the local market and tighten their stronghold as well. Increase Expand international presence Power Root currently has only expanded to 4 countries, namely Korea, Indonesia, Singapore and UAE. There are many countries where coffee drinking is a craze such as France and US and presents untapped opportunities. Create a slogan Power Root currently has a void to be filled and that is clear, catchy slogan. Being an important brand element, slogan can help improve brand awareness and brand recognition. Enhance online presence The website needs to be more interactive and should be enhanced with more information. Currently it lacks in terms of interactivity and access to interesting informations. Reference 1. www. thestar. com. my 2. www. nst. com. my 3. www. powerroot. com. my 4. www. google. com 5. Strategic Brand Management- Building, Measuring and Managing Brand Equity, Kevin Lane Keller. [pic]

Free Essays on Special Education

Special education began in 1965. The involvement of the federal government in education started in 1965 with the movement of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This act set the stage for reserving federal funds for the education of children in the U.S. public elementary and secondary schools. One year after the passing of the ESEA it was amended to the explicitly provide federal support for educating children with disabilities. The ESEA’s Title VI amendment authorized the use of federal funds to assist states in the start, enlargement and improvement of programs to educate children with disabilities. The Civil Rights Movement and the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark decision in Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954 set the extension of legal rights to an education for children with disabilities and their parents. There are two more important cases that helped produce a strong legal and political support for expanding federal oversight of the education of children with disabilities and they are the Pennsylvania for Retarded Children (PARC) vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1968 and Mills vs. Board of Education of the District of Columbia in 1968. The PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania case was because mentally challenged children were being excluded from public schools; the ruling in this case stopped that. The Mills vs. Board of Education of the District of Columbia case was to let children with less severe disabilities enter public schools as well it was an extension of the PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) was signed into law on November 29, 1975 by President Ford. The law was passed by Congress for these three reasons 1. It ensures that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education. 2. It protects the rights students and their parents. 3. It helps states and localities in their efforts to provide such services. The EAH... Free Essays on Special Education Free Essays on Special Education Special education began in 1965. The involvement of the federal government in education started in 1965 with the movement of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This act set the stage for reserving federal funds for the education of children in the U.S. public elementary and secondary schools. One year after the passing of the ESEA it was amended to the explicitly provide federal support for educating children with disabilities. The ESEA’s Title VI amendment authorized the use of federal funds to assist states in the start, enlargement and improvement of programs to educate children with disabilities. The Civil Rights Movement and the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark decision in Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954 set the extension of legal rights to an education for children with disabilities and their parents. There are two more important cases that helped produce a strong legal and political support for expanding federal oversight of the education of children with disabilities and they are the Pennsylvania for Retarded Children (PARC) vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1968 and Mills vs. Board of Education of the District of Columbia in 1968. The PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania case was because mentally challenged children were being excluded from public schools; the ruling in this case stopped that. The Mills vs. Board of Education of the District of Columbia case was to let children with less severe disabilities enter public schools as well it was an extension of the PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) was signed into law on November 29, 1975 by President Ford. The law was passed by Congress for these three reasons 1. It ensures that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education. 2. It protects the rights students and their parents. 3. It helps states and localities in their efforts to provide such services. The EAH...

1948 by George Orwell

1948 by George Orwell Essay In 1948 Eric Blair, better known as George Orwell, wrote a book with chilling insights into the future, 1984. In that book he describes in detail how the government of Oceania manipulated the truth and regulated feelings and thoughts. An irrational future for society, perhaps not even today in the media there are ways of lying to us and making us think what they want by showing us what they want us to see. In 1984, Thought Police watch the people through telescreens, microphones and helicopters. Many people do not believe this will come true because they do not see it happening. However, it is entirely conceivable that the government could be watching us now. Perhaps, though only on a small scale. Internet surveillance is one of the hottest subjects within this notion, and some people are very good at it. The people watching probably would not go directly into your account, which would be as illegal as entering your private room without a warrant. However, they could easily watch the packets of information running through their systems and rebuild the your private E-mail, or newsgroup transactions, piecing those together can be detrimental to you, as well as legal for the watcher. In order to change the future and the present you do not need to own a time machine. You simply have to control the past. In 1984 the government, or â€Å"The Party,† controlled the past. They were able to destroy all proof that something did or did not happen. The Party† was able to destroy all of the references that something, even a person, ever existed. Although one may remember that person, they could never find proof that it was true. The most alarming part about this is that it is much easier to do it in the world today. Since most information is now kept on disk, and backed up onto even more magnetic media, one could simply destroy all areas where the data said that someone had existed. Talk about a missing person. Our government is taking steps towards this type of Orwellian society all the time. It is hard to believe, but just look at recent legislation. It first started with the advent of the Social Security System. We now are required to receive serial numbers before a certain age so that we can be catalogued for this service, which I might add we will probably never receive. This seemingly innocent indexing of people has turned into a major privacy crisis. Our Social Security number is now used for everything. When one goes to college they use their number there. When you apply for a credit card or any service like this you use this number. We now have problems with people looking up our credit history using this one number. They do not even need our permission. At the time it seemed like a great idea. Which is probably how we will be duped in the future. If it isn’t bad enough that they admit they want to catalogue their citizens, our government basically admits that they need to watch them as well. There was a bill sent through Congress, which would force telecommunication companies to place a chip called the Clipper Chip into all of their products. This chip would allow the government, with two electronic keys, to watch our telecommunication transactions. They also passed an act called Digital Telephony. This bill states that the government will give a certain amount of money to large telecommunication providers (telephone mostly) to rework their networks so that the government’s men can attach themselves and listen to our private conversations. Let me repeat myself here, they are using OUR money to watch us. It is great that they can catch a criminal easier but it is not worth it to loose that freedom and live in fear. READ: The Dream that Became the Demise EssayWhile we in the U. S. are busy at our jobs in the rat race, the government is pulling the wool over our eyes. They are working towards ways to keep us in line. I don’t know if there is a great conspiracy against us. All I know is that we are being taken as suckers, and pretty soon we will have no privacy to think of. We must work to stop the evolution of these and all other destruction of privacy. We cannot allow ourselves to lose what little freedom we have left, and most of all we must always be able to say that 2+2=4 and never have to utter that, we are the dead.