Lemon Lovin’ Life Essay

Introduction The company, Lemon Lovin’ Life, is a lemonade stand that is in the beverage business. Being that it is a popular drink and the low cost of starting a lemonade business, there is competition making it quite competitive in the market. This report outlines the company’s branding strategy, identification of possible new locations, promotional plans, and employee training opportunities. Branding Strategy To create a branding strategy for Lemon Lovin’ Life it will also consists of the marketing mix, namely, product, place, and promotion. Lemon Lovin’ Life has a reasonable size and will be priced competitively. It will be known for its healthy, natural, delicious, and well-known taste. A focus of the drink is to get it to be appreciated not only during the summer months, but rather, the whole year round. Highlighting its health benefits with increase consumer’s interest into the product. If this investment is success, Lemon Lovin’ Life could expand by adding a twist to the lemonade drinks. For instance, a lemonade drink can have a combination of lemon and strawberry, lemon and pineapple but always focusing on lemon as the main flavor. Ideally the lemonade stand will be placed in front of the owner’s house perhaps near a tree for shade. Attracting more consumers, being that they won’t have to stand under the blazing sun. For marketing purposes, flyers and posters will be distributed in various strategic places in the neighborhood along with calling friends and family. Creating a page on Facebook, a Twitter account, and Instagram, among others, will also heavily use social media sites. Opportunities for New Locations Lemon Lovin’ Life’s goal is to reach as many customers as possible in order to address the changing lifestyle choices that mainly aim to have healthy living. The new locations must consider that the target market has access to the lemonade whenever they’d like. This strategy will already tap a number of customers ranging from children, mothers buying for their families, health buffs, and young people who can already make their own purchases (Bovee & Thill, 2013, p. 346). Promotion Plans Usually local residents support new business ventures and Lemon Lovin’ Life has $10,000 to spend for advertising. Considering the product theme various marketing vehicles will be utilized to communicate the message, image, and presence of the business. Bovee & Thill (2013) asserted that there are different ways to promote products, including the use of print media (magazines, local newspapers and student publications) (p. 382), broadcast media (local TV shows, radio programs), hotel guides (Chamber of Commerce newsletters, brochures, flyers), direct mail (subscriber lists, inserts in newspapers, office mail delivery) (p. 374), social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) (p. 382), and others (attendance in charity events, sponsorships, press conferences) (p. 382). Employee Training In hope that the company shall grow, it will be necessary to hire more people in order to help run the lemonade stand. It is also important for the company to invest in training the staff to continue to offer quality lemonade. To do this, the company should always check whether employees are engaged, satisfied, committed, and rooted (Bovee & Thill, 2013, p. 220). Providing employees with job security through a strong salary is the first step. Secondly, provide employees with health insurance and retirement plans that can be extended to their families. Finally, the company must ensure that employees have a clear career path, especially for those who have leadership qualities to allow them to have the feeling that what they are doing is â€Å"worthwhile and satisfying in itself† (Bovee & Thill, 2013, p. 223). When these needs are met, employees are will actually view the job in a different manner. Their attitude toward working there will be a positive one. Conclusion Starting a company is not only about having the money and hiring employees. There are other aspects that should be considered, including the viability of the product, the target market, demographical considerations, the location, and marketing the product. References Bovee, C. L., & Thill, J. V. (2013). Business in action. (6th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Is College Worth It? Essay

I think we all can agree that getting an education is a vital process that is crucial for being successful in our society, but does getting a college education guarantee one’s success? I know, with the cost of a college degree rising 1,120% within the past 30 years, many of us do not want to wait and find out ourselves. Although getting a college education may not guarantee one’s success in the job market, one thing that comes with a college education is almost certain; thousands of dollars in debt. 2 out of every 5 loan borrowers are delinquent at some point within the first 5 years of repayment according to the Institute for Higher Education Policy. This shows that almost 50% of people who take out loans are having some sort of trouble repaying it. With an accumulative amount of 1. 2 trillion dollars in debt that students get themselves into a year, I am not surprised. This brings up the question: Is College worth it? A College education is an investment all on its own, but will your investment pay off? â€Å"The question is whether or not you will get your return on the investment in actual financial capital or human capital or emotional capital or social capital†, according to Professor Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University (Coleman Korva). Getting a college education does not guarantee you any financial success by any means. In the 2011-12 academic year, the average net cost for a full-time student at an in-state public university was about $15,000 for tuition, fees, room, board, books and incidental expenses, according to the College Board (Clark Kim), and an out of state college is nearly three time that amount. At the same time, only 27 percent of college grads have a job related to their major right out of college (Plumer Brad). Even though only 27 percent of college grads got a job related to their major right out of college, 62 percent of U. S. college graduates had a job that required a college degree right out of college (Plumer Brad). That is a better number, but there is still 38 percent that either doesn’t have a job, or has a job that doesn’t require a degree. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to end up flipping burgers when I’m done with college. Part of making College a worthwhile investment is picking the right major. The right major can lead to a whole lot of available jobs. I know that we all have different dreams and want to pursue them, but we got to face the facts; some majors aren’t doing so hot right now in the job market. Based on high initial unemployment rates and low initial median earnings of full-time, full-year workers, artistic majors are horrible right now. Recent college graduates of from ages 22 to 26 can expect an unemployment rate of 10. 5 percent, well above the national average (Goudreau Jenna). Those who do manage to snag a job are met with only a median salary of just $28,000. Due to a high unemployment rate and low median salary, most art majors will not be getting much in return for attending college. That is just one of many majors that aren’t doing well too. Other majors that aren’t worth the investment include Sociology, Psychology and Nutrition. Engineering on the other hand is one hot ticket right now in the job market. The top major for achieving a high salary is engineering (Still Daniel). Out of all the engineering majors, petroleum engineering tops out with a salary of $90,000 right out of college. Aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, and electrical engineering are not too far behind either. Engineering in General seems to be the way to go if you want your investment to pay off. Other worthwhile majors include Computers, Mathematics, and Pharmaceutical sciences. These majors are what makes going to college a worthwhile investment. The current job market is looking for jobs relating to these majors. Even though a job isn’t guaranteed after college, it would still be a good investment. Now we all know that college is a good investment if you make it be, but is there really a difference between someone who has a college education and someone who has a high school education or lower? â€Å"It’s a tough job market for college graduates, but far worse for those without a college education,† says Anthony P. Carnevale co-author of the study conducted at Georgetown University’s Center of Education and the Work Force. During the Great Recession in 2007, Millions of jobs vanished from the job market, but students with bachelors degrees who had jobs did not decline (International Business, Times). At the same time, the 55 percent of high school graduates who did have jobs even before the recession, fell to 47 percent after it (Perez-Pena Richard). As if people without a college education didn’t have it hard enough already. Now the amount of jobs that require a college education is on the rise, while people without a college education are being left in the dust. On average, people with a college education make much more than someone with a high school diploma too. The average income of a high school graduate is around $28,700. Compared to the average income of someone with a bachelor’s degree being $53,800. In a lifetime, someone with a high school education, on average, would accumulate $940,000 dollars of income while someone with a bachelor’s degree makes almost twice that amount at $1. 8 million dollars. This is because employers generally think that people with a college education are smarter than one with a high school education. Making the ones with a college education more prone to learning new skills a job requires. This is why you see a lot of high school graduates and people who never went to any school working at fast food restaurants. The job market is a really important factor when considering if college is worth it, but one has to consider the amount of debt one will accumulate afterwards. With nearly 20 million Americans attending college each year, (Chronicle of Higher Education) two-thirds of them end up graduating with some sort of debt (Denhart Chris). How much debt you may ask? The amount of debt that college students have accumulated by the time they graduate exceeds the 1. 2 trillion dollar mark (Denhart Chris). This makes student loans the second highest form of consumer debt, behind mortgage loans. This can really discourage someone from going to college. It can especially discourage someone from going back to college after dropping out because, most likely, the individual would be in some sort of debt already. Also, one does not want to go to college just to be in debt afterwards with no steady source of income. Attending college is becoming more and more vital with each passing year. A lot more jobs are beginning to look for more people with a college education. The question one needs to ask themselves though would be, â€Å"Is College worth it? † Without a doubt college is expensive. The majority of college graduates end up going into some sort of debt when they graduate. It is up to the student that is attending college though to determine if it is worth it for them or not. They need to ask themselves, â€Å"Will I be making my money back. † It is up to them to choose a major that is doing really well in the current job market. I know we all have different interests and goals, but if one wants a higher chance of being successful they would choose a major that is doing well. They also need to consider the fact that it is getting harder and harder to get a good job that doesn’t require a college education. People with a college education generally make much more too. I’m sure nobody wants to be working at their local McDonalds after they spent so much money going to four years of college. So invest in college, pick a good major, and get a good education because soon a college education will be in high demand and you will be on the top of the list. Work Cited Clark, Kim. â€Å"How Much Does College Actually Cost? † CNNMoney. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. Features, Forbes Special. â€Å"How The $1. 2 Trillion College Debt Crisis Is Crippling Students, Parents And The Economy. † Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 07 Aug. 2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. Goudreau, Jenna. â€Å"The 10 Worst College Majors. † Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. International Business, Times. â€Å"6 Charts On Why College Is Worth Its Cost. † International Business Times 17 Aug. 2012: Regional Business News. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Kittle, Cameron. â€Å"Degrees of debt: UNH grad says college degree was worth it, but debt burden looms large. † Telegraph, The (Nashua, NH) 14 Aug. 2012: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. KORVA, COLEMAN. â€Å"Is A College Education Worth The Debt?. † Tell Me More (NPR) (n. d. ): Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. PEREZ-PENA, RICHARD. â€Å"Benefits of College Degree in Recession Are Outlined. † NY Times. N. p. , 9 Jan. 2013. Web. Plumer, Brad. â€Å"Only 27 Percent of College Grads Have a Job Related to Their Major. † WonkBlog. N. p. , n. d. Web. Weissman, Jordan. â€Å"How Bad Is the Job Market For College Grads? Your Definitive Guide. † The Atlantic. N. p. , 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

Is beauty best? Highs versus normally attractive models in advertising Essay

Abstract (Summary) Several studies investigating the positive effects of including highly attractive models (HAMs) in advertising have failed to unilaterally support their use. A study explores the differential effects of pairing highly versus normally attractive models with different types of attractiveness-relevant products. Contrary to past research, the results suggest that HAMs are not the most effective choice for all categories of attractiveness-relevant products. The research also explores the method by which the match between model attractiveness and product type influences advertising effectiveness. Results suggest that a match between a model and a product improves ad effectiveness not necessarily through the elicitation of product arguments from model appearance, but instead by heightening perceptions of the model’s expertise about the product.  » Jump to indexing (document details) Full Text (7266 words) Copyright American Academy of Advertising Spring 2001 [Headnote] Several studies investigating the positive effects of including highly attractive models (HAMs) in advertising have failed to unilaterally support their use. This paper explores the differential effects of pairing highly versus normally attractive models with different types of attractiveness-relevant products. Contrary to past research (Kahle and Homer 1985; Kamins 1990), the results suggest that HAMS are not the most effective choice for all categories of attractiveness-relevant products. This research also explores the method by which the match between model attractiveness and product type influences advertising effectiveness. Results suggest that a match between a model and a product improves ad effectiveness not necessarily through the elicitation of product arguments from model appearance, but instead by heightening perceptions of the model’s expertise about the product. The inconsistent support for the use of highly attractive models (HAMs) in advertising has led one group of researchers to state that â€Å"physical attractiveness seems to have been granted greater influence than can be supported empirically† (Caballero, Lumpkin, and Madden 1989, p. 21). To better understand these inconsistencies, researchers have explored the importance of a convergence between the product and the message communicated by a model’s image, that is, a model-product type match-up (e. g. , Baker and Churchill 1977; Caballero and Solomon 1984; Joseph 1982; Kahle and Homer 1985; Kamins 1990; Park and Young 1986; Peterson and Kerin 1977). Although prior research has argued that HAMs are most effectively matched with attractiveness-relevant products (e. g., Kahle and Homer 1985; Kamins 1990; Peterson and Kerin 1977), the mixed results from HAM-attractiveness-relevant product match-ups may be because there are different types of attractiveness-relevant products (Bloch and Richins 1992) that may not all be appropriate for use with highly attractive people. Furthermore, much of the past model-product type match-up research has tended to compare HAMs with unattractive models (e. g. , Caballero and Solomon 1984; Kahle and Homer 1985; Kamins 1990) instead of considering more realistic, normally attractive models (NAMs) as counterpoints. The sparse use of unattractive people in advertising (Caballero and Solomon 1984) and the greater usage of NAMs suggest comparing HAMs with NAMs is more ecologically valid. The purpose of the present research is two-fold. First, the different attractiveness-relevant product types (Bloch and Richins 1992) are incorporated into the model-product type match-up literature, and the types of attractiveness-relevant products that are most effectively paired with HAMs or NAMs are delineated. Because beautiful people may be perceived as having better lives that are free of the problems of normal people (Dion, Berscheid, and Walster 1972; Kanner 1994), advertisements for problem-solving attractiveness-relevant products may be more effective if the models are normal looking. Second, this research attempts to determine whether model-product type match-ups influence ad effectiveness either directly, through the elicitation of product arguments from the picture, or indirectly, through his or her perceived credibility. Previous research has explored the effect of model-product type match-up on perceptions of model credibility (Kamins 1990; Maddux and Rogers 1980), product evaluations, purchase intentions, or other measures of ad effectiveness (Caballero, Lumpkin, and Madden 1989; Kahle and Homer 1985; Kamins 1990). However, the relationship between spokesperson credibility and ad effectiveness (i. e. , product evaluations, purchase intentions) has not been explored under match-up conditions. Literature Review Highly Versus Normally Attractive Models The appearances of HAMs are both idealized and unrealistic and have been called â€Å"haunting images of perfection† (Richins 1991, p. 71). The elements of HAM beauty include a beautiful facial appearance (Richins 1991), as well as thinness (Striegel-Moore, Silberstein, and Rodin 1986). Contrary to these icons of flawlessness, â€Å"normal† attractiveness is defined here as a more average or moderate weight, height, and facial beauty, that is, more representative of a â€Å"real† woman. Normally attractive models are considered attractive but not beautiful in the idealized manner of HAMs. An important difference between HAMs and NAMs is in the attributions made about each. Highly attractive models tend to be associated with the â€Å"what is beautiful is good† stereotype, in that beautiful people are believed to have more positive life outcomes (e. g. , more successful careers, better marriages) and not suffer from the problems of â€Å"normal† people (Dion, Berscheid, and Walster 1972; Kanner 1994; Walster et al. 1966). Whereas NAMs are considered to be somewhat attractive, they are perceived to be normal people to whom these more positive life outcomes are not attributed. Problem-Solving Versus Enhancing Products Attractiveness-relevant product types are introduced into the match-up literature to delineate not only those that are best paired with HAMs, but also those that may be best paired with NAMs. A major distinction that can be drawn between types of attractiveness-relevant products is whether the product is associated with a potentially problematic area of life and appearance (Bloch and Richins 1992). One group of attractiveness-relevant products (called problem-solving products) serves to fix or hide beauty liabilities or flaws such as acne or dandruff. Other products (called enhancing products) serve more aesthetic purposes by enhancing beauty (e. g. , jewelry, lipstick, perfume) instead of masking defects. Enhancing products either may be inherently beautiful (e. g. , jewelry) or may enhance beauty through their application to the user (e. g. , lipstick). Regardless of their method of enhancing beauty though, the use of enhancing products is not catalyzed by the existence of a beauty problem. A product’s classification depends on whether the product-related body attribute is perceived positively or negatively (e. g. , a consumer may use mascara either to thicken puny eyelashes or to enhance beautiful eyes). Advantages of Normally Attractive Models? Prior research suggests that the match-up between product type and model beauty may be more important than the models attractiveness alone and that a NAM may sometimes be more effective. Kahle and Homer (1985) demonstrate that a â€Å"well-matched† celebrity endorser for an attractiveness-relevant product should be physically attractive (versus unattractive) to convey information about the quality and benefits of that product. Kamins (1990) findings also indicate that physically attractive (versus unattractive) celebrities are best matched with attractiveness-relevant (versus irrelevant) products. Although these findings do not take into account the advantages of NAMs or recognize the important distinctions between different kinds of attractiveness-relevant product types, both Kahle and Homer (1985) and Kamins (1990) support the importance of matching spokesperson image with product characteristics. Similarly, Baker and Churchill (1977) find that when the product is related to romance (e. g., perfume), men had higher purchase intentions when the female model was attractive. However, when the product was unrelated to romance (e. g. , coffee), male subjects indicated greater purchase intent if the model was less attractive. In a study by Caballero and Solomon (1984), more tissues were purchased when they were paired with an unattractive (versus attractive) model. Although the authors proposed that this response was due to the unusual (for advertising) and perhaps more noticeable nature of the model, an alternative explanation may be that an unattractive appearance may be more convergent with sickness. Consumers may not perceive the HAM as suffering from such mundane problems as an illness that requires tissues, whereas the less attractive model’s more realistic appearance may have made her a more credible spokesperson. HAM Versus NAM Match- Ups Some of the research investigating model-product type match-ups has assessed match-up effectiveness by measuring spokesperson credibility (Kamins 1990; Maddux and Rogers 1980). Two components of spokesperson credibility typically recognized are source expertise and trustworthiness. Expertise refers to the perceived ability of a source to make valid claims, whereas trustworthiness pertains to the believed willingness of the spokesperson to make those claims (Hovland, Janis, and Kelley 1953; Ohanian 1990). Model Attractiveness and Trustworthiness. There is evidence to suggest that NAMs may be perceived as more trustworthy than HAMs because of consumers’ perceived similarity between themselves and the NAMs. Deshpande and Stayman (1994) demonstrate that enhanced identification and similarity with a source can increase perceptions of source trustworthiness. If a woman perceives herself to be physically more similar to a NAM, a greater perceived attitudinal similarity between the receiver and the source may drive the receiver to like the source more (O’Keefe 1990; see also Berscheid 1985; Byrne 1969). A greater liking for the source may influence source trustworthiness positively (e. g. , O’Keefe 1990; Simons, Berkowitz, and Moyer 1970), which may in turn influence the consumer to like and trust the source more. Therefore, H1: NAMs are perceived to be more trustworthy than HAMs. There is no hypothesized relationship or interaction between product type and model condition on trustworthiness. Trustworthiness pertains to a personality trait of the endorser, regardless of the endorsed product. Model Attractiveness-Product Type Match-Up and Model Expertise. Models may be more credible if they either have some physical characteristic that is associated with a product schema or demonstrate some characteristic that indicates that the product has accomplished what it claims, which thus suggests expertise based on experience (Lynch and Schuler 1994). Stemming from their attributions about beautiful people, consumers may believe that HAMs know more about the presentation and elements of a beautiful image, including the kinds of products used to enhance beauty. In addition, HAMs may be perceived as having more experience accentuating beautiful features or surrounding themselves with aesthetic things. Thus, H2: HAMs are perceived to have greater source expertise for enhancing products than are NAMs. Highly attractive models may not be perceived as having the problems that purportedly are solved by problem-solving products (e.g. , Dion, Berscheid, and Walster 1972; Kanner 1994) and therefore are believed to have little expertise using such products. Alternatively, consumers may be more likely to believe that a NAM has struggled with and, as evidenced in the ad, â€Å"conquered† the problem using the advertised product. Therefore, NAMs may be more congruous with the schema associated with enhancing products (Lynch and Schuler 1994). H3: NAMs are perceived to have greater source expertise for problem-solving products than are HAMs. Model Attractiveness-Product Type Match-Up and Product Evaluations. If a viewer can convert the visual imagery of an endorser into product information, the model’s image may serve as an argument for product efficacy (Bloch and Richins 1992; Downs and Harrison 1985; Kahle and Homer 1985; Lynch and Schuler 1994; see also Rossiter and Percy 1980). There is general evidence that product arguments may be elicited from pictures (e. g. , Mitchell and Olson 1981) and that, in high involvement situations, pictures containing product-relevant information can strengthen product beliefs and result in more positive product attitudes than can pictures that only influence affect (Miniard et al.1991). If a viewer believes that a model possesses some physical characteristic that indicates the model has improved his or her appearance with the product, then the viewer may believe that the product was responsible for that improvement (Lynch and Schuler 1994). The pairing of an enhancing product and a HAM may serve to reinforce the argument for product quality and efficacy for enhancing beauty by demonstrating the enhancer’s ability to highlight beautiful features (Petty and Cacioppo 1980). This stronger argument for product quality may enhance ad efficacy by improving evaluations of the product and heightening product purchase intentions (Caballero, Lumpkin, and Madden 1989; Kahle and Homer 1985; Kamins 1990). Therefore, 114: Ads for enhancing products that include HAMs will be more effective than those that include NAMs. Specifically, we expect that ads for enhancing products that include HAMs will result in greater product evaluations and higher purchase intentions than will those ads containing NAMs. With regard to problem-solving products, it might initially appear that a HAM could serve as a more positive argument for a product’s effectiveness. The more beautiful appearance of the HAM (versus NAM) might make the product appear as if it is more effective in heightening the user’s beauty. However, for the efficacy of problem-solving products to be assessed from the model’s photo, the viewer must first believe that the model had a beauty problem prior to product use. Because HAMs are not perceived as having the problems of normal people (e. g., Dion, Berscheid, and Walster 1972; Kanner 1994), consumers may not believe that the HAM suffered from a beauty problem that required the use of the advertised product. In contrast, consumers may believe that NAMs are more likely to have experienced beauty problems (e. g. , Dion, Berscheid, and Walster 1972; Kanner 1994). According to attribution theory, if an outcome occurs despite the presence of something that might have prevented that outcome (an inhibitory cause), a consumer may give more weight to the cause that is perceived to be responsible for that outcome (the facilitative cause; Kelley 1972). A HAM’s overall appearance might suggest multiple facilitative causes for the model’s superior appearance in the productrelated attribute, and the greater the number of other potential causes for the overall superior appearance, the more the problem-solving product may be discounted as responsible for solving the beauty problem (Kelley 1972). However, a NAMs’ overall typical appearance might suggest that, prior to product use, the appearance of the NAM’s product-related attribute was normal. Because the product (facilitative cause) may be responsible for a beautiful product-related physical attribute in the face of the inhibitory cause of the model’s â€Å"normalcy,† the perceived efficacy of the problem-solving product is augmented. With this improvement in product evaluations and likely improvement in purchase intentions (Caballero, Lumpkin, and Madden 1989; Kahle and Homer 1985; Kamins 1990), the following hypothesis is offered: H5: Ads for problem-solving products that include NAMs will be more effective than those that include HAMs. Specifically, we expect that ads for problem-solving products that include NAMs will result in greater product evaluations and higher purchase intentions than will those ads containing HAMs. The Mediating Role of Source Credibility Although model-product type match-up effectiveness has measured both spokesperson credibility and other measures of ad effectiveness, such as product evaluations or purchase intentions, no relationship between these two constructs has been examined. Past credibility research has suggested that greater spokesperson credibility (i. e., expertise and trustworthiness) tends to generate greater attitude chane (e. g. , Dholakia and Sternthal 1977; Harman and Coney 1982; Hovland, Janis, and Kelley 1953; Sternthal, Dholakia, and Leavitt 1978). Therefore, any influence that a model-product type match-up may have on spokesperson credibility subsequently might offect product evaluations or other measures of ad effectiveness. Therefore, H6A: Spokesperson expertise will mediate the effects of model-product match-up on ad effectiveness. H6B: Spokesperson trustworthiness will mediate the effects of model beauty on ad effectiveness. Study I Pretests. Two pretests were conducted to select product and model stimuli. The purpose of the first pretest (n=25) was to select two products to represent enhancing products and two to represent problem-solving products. Subjects were asked to categorize a list of products according to the provided definitions of each product type. The two products selected to represent the problem-solving category were acne concealer and acne medicine because of their categorization as problem-solving products (100% and 92%, respectively). With regard to enhancing products, 88% of people categorized lipstick and jewelry as enhancers. Because acne medicine, acne concealer, and lipstick all pertain to the face, the jewelry selected for use as stimuli in this experiment was earrings (i. e. , the only widely accepted jewelry associated with the face). For the second pretest, two judges selected full-color model photographs from popular women’s magazines on the basis of subjective criteria of which photos might represent each model condition. Photos intended to represent NAMs were selected from â€Å"Reader Makeover† issues of the magazines so that, while the physical features of the NAMs were still moderately attractive, the hair and makeup were professionally styled. Two undergraduate classes viewed five photos of NAMs (n=72) while two other classes evaluated five photos of HAMs (n=65). Respondents were asked to complete five questions regarding the beauty and four items assessing the normalcy of the model (all seven-point scales), and each set of items subsequently was summed. The HAM photo was selected on the basis of beauty extremity (M=29. 37) and subjects’ beliefs that she was leading a less-than-normal life (M=13. 31). The NAM photo was selected on a rating of moderate beauty (M=22. 06; p

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Growth of Golf in Foreign Market ( china or Eastern Europ) Essay

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Management of ankle fracture - Essay Example According to most epidemiologists, ankle fractures have quite an extensive occurrence and the groups at high risk include adults, especially the elderly. For instance, Egol et al (2013) imply that that broken ankles have an incidence of approximately 174 cases per 100 000 adults yearly. While Parekh, Patel and Parekh (2012) assert that, the new occurrences could amount to approximately 187 fractures per 100,000 individuals every year. Nevertheless, the approximations seem to be much closer. Generally, according to Egol et al (2013) the correct treatment and categorization normally provides a decisive significance for clinical outcome. Since the mid-1900s, the rate of ankle fractures occurrences has significantly augmented in most of the industrialized states, most probably due to the growth in the number of individuals who get involved in athletics as well as the size of the aging population. Further, Parekh, Patel and Parekh (2012) indicate that the malleolar fractures (a type ankle fracture) has a vast prevalence, whereby the percentage for unimalleolar ranges from 60% to 70%. On the other hand, other fractures like bimalleolar fractures occur at a rate of 15% to 20% while the occurrence of trimalleolar fractures range at 7% to 12%. The overall rate of occurrence of the fractures especially between the genders, according to Maxey and Magnusson (2012), has a similarity. Despite this, the rate of occurrences is much higher in men especially when they are at a younger age. While higher rates of the fractures occurrence in women happens between the age group of the 50 to 70 years. Additionally, a heightened BMI and smoking have been associated with an augmented likelihood of the occurrence of broken ankle. In contrast to the radius’ fractures and other ankle fractures widespread among postmenopausal and premenopausal females, the density of the bone has not complete ly shown evidently as a key risk

MCA DENVER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

MCA DENVER - Essay Example 3). The MCA Denver museum organizes exhibitions and events to showcase the creative endeavors of artists and to radiate the message of creativity in artwork. Several exhibitions were hosted in the MCA Denver museum in the recent past, and this article summarizes the contents of three images that induced admiration among the audience. Image 1 - Saint Sebastian, Exquisite Pain â€Å"Saint Sebastian, Exquisite Pain† is the masterpiece creation of famous artist, Damien Hirst, who is known for preserving the formaldehyde dipped carcasses of animals in glass vitrines (â€Å"Damien Hirst,† par. 1). Can any artist ever think of applying artistic imagination to preserved carcasses? Artists portray subtle emotions on canvas, in photography, or in sculptures. Damien Hirst’s depiction of helplessness and intense pain of a bullock can be seen in â€Å"Saint Sebastian, Exquisite Pain.† The carcass of a bullock, targeted by pointed arrows and crossbow bolts, was preserve d in a glass vitrine measuring 126.75 inches x 61.25 inches x 61.25 inches (â€Å"Damien Hirst,† par. 4). The artist has tried to show the helplessness of the poor creature, chained and attacked with arrows. The half-covered and half-open eyes of the creature also signify that the people remain mere spectators during the life and death cycle. Mortal creatures have to surrender before death that is waiting to chain and target the creatures mercilessly.

Contamination and Remediation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Contamination and Remediation - Essay Example These properties have been passed over to the government for redevelopment. (source) One of these areas is 500 acres of land which used to be a petroleum refinery area. The former owner of the property, the Amoco Oil, together with the Sugar Creek Township would like to apply to the government for remediation of this property. They would like to redevelop this property and turn the 300 acres into a commercial and industrial site. They believe that the development of this property would bring back the value of the property, create job employment, and bring progress to the community. (source) Amoco oil has occupied 500 acres of land on both sides of Sugar Creek. The Missouri River bounds the site to the north, wooded areas are on the East Buff and West Bluff, and residential areas are t the south.(in ASTRA) The Norledge area is adjacent south side of the site. The Alchion Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific railroad lines run through the northern portion of the site. The state and the government provide financial assistance to qualified Brownfield developers as part of the Brownfield Assistance Program. Since Sugar Creek is a partner in this venture, municipal obligation bonds may be issued on a long term maturity to provide sufficient time for development. Amoco on its part of the deal may use corporate borrowings in forms of debt and or equity from shareholders a. Technical viewpoint. The technical side of the remediation is the identification or eligibility of participation of the proponents in the Brown field Cleanup program. A technical assessment will be done by the US EPA if the area qualifies to be in the Brownfield program (Dept. of Conservation) b. Remediation process. Clean up can make use of several process but use of pumps was found appropriate for Amoco’s purpose Initial efforts used a trench-type recovery system

Social responsibility of business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social responsibility of business - Essay Example Given the traits of a sentient being, while dismissive of any moral or ethical responsibility, the state of the corporation is placed in a space between responsibilities. The responsibility of the corporation to its owners relieving it of any responsibility to society, the shareholders are relieved of blame because they are largely unaware of the day to day decision making, while the CEO is relieved of blame because he is making decisions that support the interests of the owners. As Friedman makes his argument, he is discussing the concept of corporation in the framework of the shareholder model of corporate governance, which is the more popular form of governance in the United States. UK corporations also uses this model as the foundation of its principles of governance, but Japan, Germany, and most of the other European states use the stakeholder model of corporate governance (Barker 2010: 33-35). Friedman states that â€Å"In a free enterprise, private property system, a corporat e executive is an employee of the owners of the business... (His) responsibility is to conduct the business in accordance with their desires†. ... According to what Friedman (1970) is presenting, his belief supports the idea that businesses should rise and fail according to the ability to scramble to the top or get lost in the battle towards that end. The current issues that dairy farmers are faced with are an example of why this belief system is not conducive to sustainability. Food growth and nurturing is one of the more important industries for all human societies. Dairy farmers have had an increasingly difficult time in the UK and have been disappearing as a consequence. Evidence of the difficulties of dairy farms is that there were 300 dairy farms on the Isle of Wight during the 1960s, but only 15 remain (Findon 2010). Supermarkets are unwilling to pay a decent price to the farms and in the end they are forced to close their doors. Although those that are still left have been hoping that the price of dairy would rebound, it has stayed at a steady low, creating a business dynamic through which the costs of keeping their doo rs open is more than the benefit of maintaining their business (Findon 2010). In the case of the dairy farms, the stakeholder model of corporate governance must be put into place in order to create sustainability. Dairy products are necessary in the public domain, but high prices on dairy products do not do anything good for anyone. At the same time, dairy farms need to be able to sustain their position or they are only spinning their wheels and falling towards the inevitability of failure, which might cause a natural correction in prices due to scarcity of the product, but is not in the best interests of anyone. Darwinian thinking about businesses creates a dynamic

Charles Dickens most famous Bildungsroman novel Essay Example for Free

Charles Dickens most famous Bildungsroman novel Essay How Does Dickens Presentation of Pip as a young boy contrast to Pip as an Adult?  Great Expectations is one of Charles Dickens most famous Bildungsroman novel. This story is serialised in journals from 1860 1861. It was published chapter at a time therefore would leave every chapter at a cliff-hanger.  Due to this novel being published in journals it made this semi-autobiographical narrative available to the mass of people; soaring its popularity.  The main theme of this novel is associated with the main factors of Victorian era; Being Gentlemen; Education and Crime and Punishment. Dickens was a social observer and would therefore base his narratives on his concerns for the social laws. Great Expectations was an example of this. This story is based on Pip, the main character, and how his life changes as he comes into possession of a lot of money from an unknown benefactor breaking the wall of social mobility on his way to become a Gentleman. The whole essay shows the retrospective view of Pip looking back on his life. Furthermore most of the events experience by Pip could also be his past experiences. This is why Great Expectations is Charles Dickens most semi-autobiographical piece of writing. This general aim of this essay is to describe the way Pip was presented as a young boy and later on in his life by this worldwide known author, Charles Dickens.  The key scenes in this novel which will be analysed in detail. The chosen key scenes are; chapters 1-8 where Pip is growing up as a young kid and ahs his first encounter with the convict. The significance of these chapters is that it shows Pips childhood and also describes his first meeting with Magwitch, who plays a huge role in this novel. The central point of this report will be focused on chapter 27-38. This shows Pip as a young gentleman. This is very vital as it shows the way Pip has changed from his childhood ways. In these chapters it shows when Pip is reunited with his benefactor.  The Last key scenes will be chapter 57 and 58. This is when Pip is comes together with Joe hoping to propose to Biddy. The significance of this is that Joe is going to get married to Biddy; therefore Pips reaction to this news is very interesting. Pip was bought up an orphan. The only living family member of Pip was his sister Mrs Joe Gargery. My first fancies regarding what they were like were unreasonably derived from their tombstones This quotation emphasis the fact that Pip was an orphan who had never seen his parents and is an example of dual narrative as it is quite humorous but also sad at the same time. At the beginning of the play Dickens makes the readers fell sympathetic towards Pip. This makes the readers like Pip throughout the story no matter what he does. In the Victorian Era being an orphan was very common. It meant they had no prospects for the future, would be illiterate and would therefore lead a very poor life. They would usually be homeless or taken in by gentlemens to be their slaves. I was at that time undersized for years and not very strong. This quotation shows that Pip had a lack of prospects which emphasised he came from a poor background. The term undersized could be used for physical terms but also could be used that he had no say in the community as he was a child and he had no say generally as him and his family were very poor. Charles Dickens reversed these points about a poor person and made social mobility possible for Pip.  At the beginning of the narrative Pip is a naive young boy who has no knowing of the outside world. Most of this is due to being brought up without education. Education in that era was very important as only the rich could afford it. This immediately brought up the aspect of class issues in this novel. Education led to people being in a higher social group to those who werent educated and possibly shaped their future. Pip suffered abuse from many people. He was bought up by hand by his sister Mrs Joe. She had a reputation for this. This showed that Pip was brought with discipline and wouldnt dare to do a thing wrong as he would get punished for this. Another quotation that explains that Mrs Joe beats Pip to teach him manners and discipline is Be grateful boy to them which bought you up by hand. Whats worse shes got the tickler with her, this quotation shows how much Pip feared the tickler and getting beaten by Mrs Joe. As well as receiving physical abuse from Mrs Joe he received verbal abuse from many family friends such as Mr Pumblechook and also Estella. It was from the Victorian times that the saying Children should be seen but not heard was created. This saying applied to Pip. Many guttural sounds were used to describe the abuse that was inflicted upon Pip such as rampage. This emphasises the un-human like behaviour of Mrs Joe towards Pip.

Analysis of online auction site ebid

Analysis of online auction site ebid EBid is an online auction website, which was cofounded by Mark Wilkinson and Gary Sewell in December 1998 in UK. They did not take the normal approach of putting huge amount of capital initially to establish the business, they built their site backwards by building a self sufficient auction site which would attract and retain customers. The initial version of EBid went on air in January 1999. EBid now operates in more than 20 countries including UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium, India Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Netherland, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Sweden, Singapore and South Africa. It lists to buyers in other 100 countries as well. EBid has its own online payment service PPPay, which deals in paying Euros and Pounds Shillings. But this is not restrictive as EBid also accepts payment through PayPal and Google Checkout. PPPay.com is simple and comparatively secure which makes EBid a safe marketplaces on the virtual world for everyone including individuals, small and big companies equally. The closest competitor of EBid is Ebay, OnlineAuctions, Oztion etc. In a recent online auction review EBid stood second, closing behind EBay. EBid is often termed as the best Ebay alternative. EBid has numerous auction goods in more than 3,500 product categories, which includes music, collectibles, clothing, jewellery, electronics, games and antiques etc. EBids search capability lets its customers find items in their own region or check globally the choice of items they are interested in. There is a Wanted feature which allows buyers to post a free advertisement and list the acceptable price. Sellers can then bid for the same with the given requirements. Membership level EBid offers three membership levels to their customers. Buyers: There is no membership fee. It is free of cost to join EBid and buy there. Seller: It is free to join and list on the auction. And if the product put on the auction is sold off, a minimal of 3% of the final value is charged. Sellers are required to give their credit or debit card verification for safety purposes. Seller Plus: It is the membership based on subscription which charges the seller with a recurring fee every 73090 days or 365 days. EBid also offers a lifetime membership which is a onetime charge of  £49.99. Seller Plus members can open five shops for no charge. They can also list a free auction of which the final fee is none. And for gallery type auction 2% fee is charged. Seller Plus+ members can use a type of software called the Bulk lister spread sheet which list many items at the same time, also there is software called as Ninja Lister in which you can use EBids cross-platform. Registration and upgrading A registration form is to be filled up by the users to register as buyers at EBid. For upgrading to SELLER or SELLER+ a security subscription is to be purchased. Upgrade Fees SELLER  : Rs. 0.00 SELLER+ : 7 Day Rs. 59.00 30 Day Rs. 210.00 90 Day Rs. 510.00 365 Day Rs. 1800.00 Lifetime Rs. 2000.00 (Refer to appendix Figure 1) Buddy programs and affiliations An affiliate program is a system in which a customer advertise EBid at their emails or their websites etc, and then if someone joins EBid then it pays the introducer a amount of $2.00 /  £1.00. The EBid Buddy Points program is a Loyalty Card system. The customer can earn and accumulate points during his bidding or selling, they can be used everywhere at the site. Once the invited people join 1 point per person is awarded to the customer. If they then upgrade to SELLER another point will be earned, and if they upgrade to Seller+ 2 points will be earned. The buddy points then can be later used in different buddy auctions. Points are also available via the following trigger points  [1]  . Referring a Buddy = 1 points Buddy SELLER Upgrade = 2 points Buddy SELLER+ Upgrade = 5 points Making a Bid Meeting Reserve = 0.5% of reserve price (max 5 points) Purchasing via Winning Bid = 1.0% of final bid (max 5 points) Purchasing Using BuyNow = 1.0% of BuyNow price (max 5 points) Receiving Positive Feedback = 0.5% of final bid OR BuyNow price (max 5 points) Online Auction Business Model There are several business models associated with online auction model namely business to consumer (B2C), consumer to consumer (C2C), business to business (B2B), business to government (B2G), and government to public (G2P). EBid adopts a customer-to-customer business model, as it allows direct interaction of customers. A customer to customer interaction is defined as the interaction of n customers that affects the value, demand and credibility of a desired good. It avoids medalling of a business firm/company etc in between the two customers. In Customer-to-customer markets the website facilitates a platform where customers can sell goods to each other. EBid has globalised and centralized customer-to-customer trade. The most primal such customer interaction were seen in flea markets, garage sales etc. Online auction sites have given it a new global edge to it. On one single platform buyers and sellers can find the items and transact for the best deal. Listing an item on EBid is free of cost but they charge a nominal of 3% fee on the final sale price. At the end of an auction, EBid notifies the winning buyer through given e-mail that he has won the auction. It also contact the seller via email to report the winner and the final price of the auction. Then it is upto the buyer and seller how to complete the transaction independently. EBid doesnt charge buyers any fee to shop and place bids, so it makes money by charging fees from sellers. Advantages The middleman concept is removed. The customers are benefited more by the elimination. Large number of bidders and sellers As the online auctions are open to all, many people who have saleable product go online to sell, which increases the number of bidders too. Time barrier there is no time constraints as anyone can sell or purchase at any hour of the day. Due to globalisation people from different countries interact with each other to transact. It offers wider range of products and services. Price factor prices at such sites are negotiable and the goods sold are cheaper. In such business model there is a lot of cost cutting, inevitable cost such as inventory cost, distribution, sales etc are deleted. Customer Value Proposition EBid has not kept any buyers fee, this encourages more buyers to participate. Whereas in other auction site there is a minimum buyers fee too. There is no listing fee too, sellers can put the goods up on auction without any charges, and this strategy gets many sellers to get involved. There is a nominal 3% fee charge on final sale value, which is not comparatively much. The buddy point system makes EBid more interactive and fun to use. EBid provides a lot of incentive such as special bidding by buddy points etc, this lets customer become more enthusiastic. Revenue Model As mentioned earlier EBid earns through final sale value that is 3 %. There is another way of EBid earning, it is through their subscription based membership called as SELLER Plus. Not all the auctions are opened for regular seller; there are some which are held only for seller plus members exclusively. EBid charges a fee based on membership validity. There are some fee charged by EBid from customer who wants to highlight their or customise their bidding. A table of the list of charges have been given below. Estimated market price of EBid.net is 1,366,632 USD. And its annual revenue for the last year was calculated as 683,316 USD. (Refer to appendix Figure 2) (Refer to appendix Figure 3) (Refer to appendix Figure 4) Competitors EBids main competitor is online auction giant EBay. Then comes onlineauctions, OZtions, overstock etc. Ebid is often termed as best ebay alternative. It has better price options, free bidding, free joining and free shop to boot. It offers English as well as dutch auctions. EBid has got buddy point system which let users invite more people. Finding a item in EBid is also not a problem, they have excellent navigation system. The photo gallery is also of good size and quality. EBid has an excellent customer support. Their FAQs cover all the major problem faced by the user. EBid has got easy payment options such as PPPay, PayPal, and google checkout. EBid has been made googles official product partner which gives it an edge. Summary Ebid is a well established online auction company which is growing at a fast rate. It offers some commendable features like; numerous auctions in over thousands of categories, very powerful search functioning, simple payment options, user friendliness, different range of auction types and no hidden cost. There are some improvisations needed in the field of their promotional activities. EBid can generate better revenues if they start selling their web space for advertisements and it will help them grow their network. Their wanted section is still not well defined and should be made more visible to the customers by more promotions. Figure : Account types Figure : Traffic Rank and number of visitors. Figure : Revenue system Figure : Unique visitor count