Literature Review History Of The Swamp Boat - 1323 Words

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The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1318 Words

I. Brainstorm II. Freewrite: I am going to write about the usage of symbols in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. There are many symbols used in the book The Great Gatsby such as the green light, the valley of ashes, and the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The green light represents Jay Gatsby’s hopes, as well as his dreams, for the future. Because many people strive to become rich in The Great Gatsby, the result is moral and social decay. The valley of ashes represents social and moral decay, and it also represents the predicament of poor because the poor live in the filthy ashes and lose their passion as a result from living in the ashes. Lastly, I believe the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, which are a pair of eyes painted on a billboard over the valley of ashes, represent God judging American society. So, Fitzgerald uses the green light, the valley of ashes, and the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg to give his book a deeper meaning. III. Informal Outline †¢ Title: Symbols: Analyzing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby A. Introduction/Thesis: There are many symbols used in the book The Great Gatsby such as the green light, the valley of ashes, and the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The green light represents Jay Gatsby’s hopes, as well as his dreams, for the future. Because many people strive to become rich in The Great Gatsby, the result is moral and social decay. The valley of ashes represents social and moral decay, and it also represents the predicament of poorShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout its short span. 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Market Models - Guide To Financial Data Analysis

Question: Describe about the Essay for Market models for a guide to financial data analysis? Answer: Introduction This report analyzes the two major players in the telecommunication industry. Vodafone Plc and BT Group are amongst the major British players in a telecom Industry. Vodafone Plc is British multinational company and is the third largest by subscribers and revenue, behind the China Mobile and Verizon Communication. The company owns and operates networks in 26 countries and operates in 50 other companies through partnership in a network. Vodafone Plc has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100. The company has a market capital of 58.49 billion GBP. The stock has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange. BT Group is a holding company of British Telecommunication Plc. BT Group is British multinational company and has HO in London. The company operates in more than 120 countries. Initially, the company was started as Electric Telegraph Company by the government. In 1984, British Telecommunication became private when the government sold 50% of a stake to investors. The government further reduces its holding from 1991 to 1993. The stock has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Below sections analyze both the companies on profitability and investor performance indicator. Also, the comparison has also made to find out better investment opportunity for individual shareholder for long-term value creation. Profitability Analysis Vodafone Plc Gross Margin: Gross margin shows how much the firm retains after covering direct cost associated with the product and services. Higher margin means the company retains a higher percentage of sales after covering the cost of goods. 2012 2013 2014 2015 Revenue 46,417 44,445 38,346 42,227 Gross Profit 14,871 13,940 10,404 11,345 Gross margin % 32.04% 31.36% 27.13% 26.87% Vodafone Plc has witnessed downturn in revenue from 2012 to 2014 and a slight recovery in 2015. The gross profit has also followed the same trend. Gross Profit margin declined gradually year on year through last four years. There was the major drop in gross margin in 2014 compared to previous year. Operating Margin: Its a measure of what proportion of revenue is left after covering the variable cost of the production. 2012 2013 2014 2015 Revenue 46,417 44,445 38,346 42,227 Operating Profit 11,187 4,728 - 3,913 1,967 Operating margin % 24.10% 10.64% -10.20% 4.66% The trend of operating margin is not clear and difficult to draw any conclusion from it. But it seems operating margin has a declining trend over last four years. The major downturn in 2014 was due to higher expenses on other operating expenses. Return on capital employed: Return on capital measures the companys profitability and efficiency with which its capital is employed. Higher return is desirable. 2012 2013 2014 2015 EBIT 11,187 4,728 - 3,913 1,967 Total Asset 139,576 142,698 121,840 122,573 Current Liability 24,025 31,224 25,039 28,897 Operating Profit % 9.68% 4.24% -4.04% 2.10% The above table shows that total asset declined over the years when current liability increased. It means, capital employed in the firm declined over last four years. Also, operating profit declined over last four years which is very evident in return on capital employed. The trend of the return on capital employed is declining. Return on capital employed was 9.68% in 2012 which declined to 2.10% in 2015. Hence, profitability and efficiency both measures are concerned for Vodafone Plc. Net Asset Turnover: Net asset turnover shows how asset intensive business is and how efficiently business is using resources. A higher ratio shows the business is asset intensive and its using resource efficiently. 2012 2013 2014 2015 Revenue 46,417 44,445 38,346 42,227 Total Asset 139,576 142,698 121,840 122,573 Current Liability 24,025 31,224 25,039 28,897 Net Asset Turnover 0.40 0.40 0.40 0.45 The trend of net asset turnover is constant over last four years and doesnt signify much about efficiency. As revenue also declined with a decline in total capital employed, the ratio is constant except in final year. Net asset turnover improved marginally in 2015. Looking at the range of values, its clear that the firm is not asset intensive. BT Group Gross Margin: 2012 2013 2014 2015 Revenue 19,265 18,416 18,287 17,979 Gross Profit 5,635 5,952 16,737 16,406 Gross Profit % 29.25% 32.32% 91.52% 91.25% BT Group has witnessed downturn in revenue from 2012 to 2014 and. The gross profit has also followed exactly the opposite trend. Gross Profit margin improved drastically year on year through last four years. There was a major hike in gross margin in 2014 compared to previous year. Operating Margin: 2012 2013 2014 2015 Revenue 19,265 18,416 18,287 17,979 Operating Profit 2,919 2,986 3,145 3,480 Operating Profit % 15.15% 16.21% 17.20% 19.36% The trend of operating margin is positive and its easy to draw the conclusion that operating margin improving year on year. Though revenue declined over the years, operating profit improved drastically year on year in last four years. Its very clear that improved gross profit is helping to maintain the higher operating profit. Return on Capital Employed: 2012 2013 2014 2015 EBIT 2,919 2,986 3,145 3,480 Total Asset 23,948 24,826 24,898 27,191 Current Liability 9,255 7,551 7,687 7,708 Operating Profit % 19.87% 17.29% 18.27% 17.86% The above table shows that total asset increased over the years when current liability witness declined. It shows capital employed to the company increased over the years. Also, earnings before interest and tax improved year and year. The trend of return on capital employed is not showing any pattern and expect a marginal decline in 2013, the ratio is trading in the narrow range. Net Asset Turnover: 2012 2013 2014 2015 Revenue 19,265 18,416 18,287 17,979 Total Asset 23,948 24,826 24,898 27,191 Current Liability 9,255 7,551 7,687 7,708 Net Asset Turnover 1.31 1.07 1.06 0.92 Net asset turnover shows a clear trend. The trend shows negative slope which indicates the efficiency of the firm utilizing its resources declined over the years. Investor Performance Indicator Analysis Vodafone Plc EPS: EPS measures the net profit per share. Here, Earnings per share for Vodafone Plc has been very volatile. It seems there has been profit adjustment between the year 2013 and 2014. In 2012 and 2013, earnings per share have been 0.25 GBP and 0.22 GBP respectively. 2012 2013 2014 2015 EPS 0.25 0.02 2.22 0.22 There is a sharp decline in earnings in 2013 and a sharp increase in 2014. Though operating profit was negative in 2014, there is a significant improvement in earnings per share which shows income improved because of extra-ordinary items (income from discontinuing operations). Overall, the trend of EPS is declining. P/E Ratio: P/E ratio shows multiple at which share trades against its earnings. 2012 2013 2014 2015 EPS 0.25 0.02 2.22 0.22 Share Price 172.20 186.60 220.30 220.45 P/E 6.89 93.30 0.99 10.02 Though earnings of Vodafone Plc. have been very volatile in last four years, the share price has shown improvement year on year. Its reflected also in P/E ratio. P/E ratio remained in a broad range of 0.99 to 93.30. In 2013, due to poor performance earnings per share declined to as low as 0.02 GBP. But share price didnt react to poor performance as a market was expecting to sell off one business segment in 2014. Due to business spun off in 2014, earnings boosted to 2.22 GBP per share but share didnt react much as it was due to non-operational reason. Except 2013 and 2013, P/E traded around a multiple of 10. Dividend Yield: 2012 2013 2014 2015 Div. 0.17 0.18 0.19 0.11 Share Price 172.20 186.60 220.30 220.45 Yield 9.87% 9.65% 8.62% 4.99% Though earnings of Vodafone Plc have been very volatile, the dividend paid to the shareholders remained consistent and increasing. The dividend yield has been in a range of 4.99% to 9.87%. Though earnings declined to 0.02 level in 2013, the company paid the dividend of 0.18 GBP per share which shows management is confident about future earnings. The trend of dividend yield is declining and is a major concern for the shareholders. Dividend Cover: Dividend cover shows the portion of the earnings paid to the shareholders as a dividend. 2012 2013 2014 2015 Div. 0.17 0.18 0.19 0.11 EPS 0.25 0.02 2.22 0.22 Cover 0.68 9.00 0.09 0.50 As earnings of Vodafone Plc have been very volatile while dividends paid remained constantly increasing, the trend of dividend cover doesnt help to draw any conclusion. Dividend cover has been in a range of 0.09 to 9. Dividend cover ratio higher than 1 means company is paying higher than earnings which were the case in the year of 2013. BT Group: EPS: 2012 2013 2014 2015 EPS 0.26 0.27 0.26 0.27 The trend of earnings is constant. Though it doesnt show any growth, it also doesnt show any decline though the industry is under pressure which is a positive sign. P/E Ratio: 2012 2013 2014 2015 EPS 0.26 0.27 0.26 0.27 Share Price 226.40 278.00 379.90 438.00 P/E 8.71 10.30 14.61 16.22 The trend of P/E is increasing as share price improved year on year significantly though earnings have been constant. It shows the market expects the better result in coming years and the company has performed better than its peers. P/E ratio improved year on year in last four years and almost doubled. Such increasing trend of P/E is unusual for large cap stock. The trend of P/E shows market confidence for BT Group. Dividend Yield: 2012 2013 2014 2015 Div. 0.08 0.10 0.10 0.11 Share Price 226.40 278.00 379.90 438.00 Yield 3.53% 3.60% 2.63% 2.51% Except 2015, the company paid increasing dividend year on year. As share price increased at a higher rate than the dividend, yield declined gradually over the years. The trend of dividend yield is declining. From the point of share price, dividend return may seem lower as the share price is increasing around 45% on an average year on year. Dividend Cover: 2012 2013 2014 2015 Div. 0.08 0.10 0.10 0.11 EPS 0.26 0.27 0.26 0.27 Cover 0.31 0.37 0.38 0.41 Dividend cover shows that the company is paying a higher portion of earnings as dividend year on year. This shows management confidence in improved future earnings. Dividend cover ratio improved from 0.31 to 0.41. A shareholder can expect higher dividend per share with improved earnings next year. Comparison and contrast of profitability between the two companies Gross margin: Gross margin % 2012 2013 2014 2015 Vodafone 32.04% 31.36% 27.13% 26.87% BT Group 29.25% 32.32% 91.52% 91.25% Gross margin of Vodafone is declining while Gross margin of BT Group is improving year on year. The trend of gross margin favors BT Group. Operating margin: Operating margin 2012 2013 2014 2015 Vodafone 24.10% 10.64% -10.20% 4.66% BT Group 15.15% 16.21% 17.20% 19.36% Operating margin of Vodafone is volatile and the trend is negative while operating margin of BT Group is stable and in positive growth trajectory. Return on capital employed: Return on capital employed 2012 2013 2014 2015 Vodafone 9.68% 4.24% -4.04% 2.10% BT Group 19.87% 17.29% 18.27% 17.86% Return on capital employed has the same trend as operating margin. The performance of Vodafone is very volatile and the trend is negative. The performance of BT Group is stable and the trend is constant. Net Asset Turnover Net asset turnover 2012 2013 2014 2015 Vodafone 0.40 0.40 0.40 0.45 BT Group 1.31 1.07 1.06 0.92 Though the historical trend of BT Group is declining, net asset turnover is significantly higher than Vodafone Plc. Comparison and contrast of investor performance ratios between the two companies EPS: EPS 2012 2013 2014 2015 Vodafone 0.25 0.02 2.22 0.22 BT Group 0.26 0.27 0.26 0.27 Earnings of Vodafone is volatile and its hard to draw any conclusion based on that. Earnings of BT Group is constant in an unfavorable market condition which is a positive indicator. P/E: P/E 2012 2013 2014 2015 Vodafone 6.89 93.30 0.99 10.02 BT Group 8.71 10.30 14.61 16.22 P/E ratio of Vodafone is very volatile and share is commanding very low P/E most of the times. P/E ratio of BT Group is increasing year on year and its robust. Yield: Yield 2012 2013 2014 2015 Vodafone 9.87% 9.65% 8.62% 4.99% BT Group 3.53% 3.60% 2.63% 2.51% Though there is a decline in yield for both the companies, but the decline of BT Group is much slower. Dividend Cover: Cover 2012 2013 2014 2015 Vodafone 0.68 9.00 0.09 0.50 BT Group 0.31 0.37 0.38 0.41 Dividend cover of Vodafone is very volatile and its difficult to predict its behavior. While dividend cover of BT Group is very stable and cover improved year on year. Its expected that dividend cover of BT Group will improve in coming year in-line with the historical performance. Conclusion Based on the profitability analysis and investor performance indicator analysis, one can conclude that profitability of Vodafone Plc is under pressure and efficiency of the company is declining. While BT Group is performing relatively better on profitability and efficiency than Vodafone. As far as investor performance indicator analysis is concerned, the performance of Vodafone is very volatile and poor while BT Group outperformed Vodafone Plc on every measure. Recommendation Based on the historical analysis of Vodafone Plc and BT Group, we recommend investing in a share of BT Group primarily due to three factors: Growth, Stability and Investors confidence in stock (P/E). The trend of the share price in last four years also confirms our recommendation. References Alexander, C. (2001). Market models: a guide to financial data analysis. John Wiley Sons. Brigham, E., Daves, P. (2012). Intermediate financial management. Cengage Learning. Brigham, E., Ehrhardt, M. (2013). Financial management: theory practice. Cengage Demonstratingvalue.org. (2015). Financial Ratio Analysis | Demonstrating Value. [online] Available at: https://www.demonstratingvalue.org/resources/financial-ratio-analysis [Accessed 7 Jun. 2015]. Hawkins, David F. "Basic Ratio Analysis and Equity Valuation." Harvard Business School Background Note 185-149, June 1985. (Revised December 2002.) Healy, Paul M., and Jacob Cohen. "Financial Statement and Ratio Analysis." Harvard Business School Background Note 101-029, September 2000. Horrigan, J. (1978). Financial ratio analysis. New York: Arno Press. Lundholm, R., Sloan, R. (2012). Equity Valuation and Analysis w/eVal. New York: McGrawHill/Irwin. Morley, M. (1984). Ratio analysis. Berkshire, England: Published for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland by Gee Co. Morningstar.com. (2016). VOD Vodafone Group PLC ADR XNAS:VOD Stock Quote Price News. [online] Available at: https://www.morningstar.com/stocks/XNAS/VOD/quote.html [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Investopedia. (2003). Ratio Analysis: Using Financial Ratios | Investopedia. [online] Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/university/ratio-analysis/using-ratios.asp [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Schroeder, R. G., Clark, M., Cathey, J. M. (2009). Financial accounting theory and analysis: text and cases. Wiley. Sharpe, W. F., Alexander, G. J., Bailey, J. V. (1999). Investments (Vol. 6). New Jerse^ eNJ NJ: Prentice Hall. Shareprices.com. (2016). BT Group Share Price (BT.A) - Buy BT Group Shares (BT.A.L, LON:BT.A) - BT.A Share Price Today - Buy BT.A Shares Now - Historical Prices. [online] Available at: https://shareprices.com/detail?tidm=BT.Achart_time_period=2_daymovingaveragetype=chart_comparison_tickers=startday=25startmonth=03startyear=2015endday=31endmonth=03endyear=2015frequency=daily#history [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Vogel, H. L. (2010). Entertainment industry economics: A guide for financial analysis. Cambridge University Press. Yahoo! Finance. (2016). Vodafone Group Plc. [online] Available at: https://in.finance.yahoo.com/q?s=VOD.L [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Will, I., Subramanyam, K. R., Robert, F. H. (2001). Financial statement analysis. McGrawHill Internation

Video Card free essay sample

Video Card is an expansion card whose function is to generate and output images to a display. Many video cards offer added functions, such as accelerated rendering of 3D scenes and 2D graphics, video capture, TV-tuner adapter, MPEG-2/MPEG-4 decoding, FireWire, light pen, TV output, or the ability to connect multiple monitors (multi-monitor). Other modern high performance video cards are used for more graphically demanding purposes, such as PC games. RAM (random access memory) is the place in a computer where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached by the computers processor. RAM is much faster to read from and write to than the other kinds of storage in a computer, the hard disk, floppy disk, and CD-ROM. However, the data in RAM stays there only as long as your computer is running. When you turn the computer off, RAM loses its data. We will write a custom essay sample on Video Card or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When you turn your computer on again, your operating system and other files are once again loaded into RAM, usually from your hard disk. LAN Card A network interface card (NIC) is a computer circuit board or card that is installed in a computer so that it can be connected to a network. Personal computers and workstations on a local area network (LAN) typically contain a network interface card specifically designed for the LAN transmission technology, such as Ethernet or Token Ring. Network interface cards provide a dedicated, full-time connection to a network. Most home and portable computers connect to the Internet through as-needed dial-up connection. The modem provides the connection interface to the Internet service provider. Northbridge is an Intel chipset that communicates with the computer processor and controls interaction with memory, the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, Level 2 cache, and all Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) activities. Northbridge communicates with the processor using the front side bus (FSB). Northbridge is one part of a two-part chipset called Northbridge/Southbridge. Southbridge handles the input/output (I/O) functions of the chipset. The Intel Hub Architecture (IHA) has replaced the Northbridge/Southbridge chipset. The IHA chipset also has two parts: the Graphics and AGP Memory Controller Hub (GMCH) and the I/O Controller Hub (ICH). The IHA architecture is used in Intels 800 series chipsets, which is the first chipset architecture to move away from the Northbridge/Southbridge design. Southbridge is an Intel chipset that manages the basic forms of input/output ( I/O ) such as Universal Serial Bus ( USB ), serial , audio, Integrated Drive Electronics ( IDE ), and Industry Standard Architecture ( ISA ) I/O in a computer. Southbridge is one of two chipsets that are collectively called Northbridge /Southbridge. Northbridge controls the processor , memory , Peripheral Component Interconnect ( PCI ) bus , Level 2 cache , and all Accelerated Graphics Port ( AGP ) activities. Unlike Northbridge, Southbridge consists of one chip, which sits on Northbridges PCI bus. The Intel Hub Architecture (IHA) has replaced the Northbridge/Southbridge chipset. The IHA chipset has two parts also, the Graphics and AGP Memory Controller Hub (GMCH) and the I/O Controller Hub (ICH). The IHA architecture is used in Intels 800 series chipsets, which is the first chipset architecture to move away from the Northbridge/Southbridge design. CMOS – it is a battery that is responsible for the time and date of the computer even if it is turned off. And it is used for the initial power source of the CPU when you turn it on. Processor

Brand Image and Brand Association

Executive summary This marketing research has been carried out to study the importance of brand image and relate it to brand association. Two major hypotheses have been formulated after extensive literature review following already preset objectives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Brand Image and Brand Association specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These hypotheses have been appropriately named H1 and H2, where H1 suggests that there is a correlation between brand image and brand association and H2 is based on the proposal that brand image and brand image influence how customers respond to a product in the market. A proper analysis of figures and facts collected has served to illustrate to prove the above hypotheses true. Introduction The importance of market research cannot be underestimated in today’s competitive business atmosphere. Information collected by the researchers comes in handy in helping the d ecision makers come up with functional strategies to help the business cut a niche in the market. By identifying the customers’ needs, businesses can come up with creative ways to attract the attention of the public to a product that is targeted at addressing this need. In order to serve the purpose of market research, this essay seeks to underscore the value of both brand image and brand association in relation to how products and services are received by the public. To this end, a proper literature review will be provided to study on common trends and influences of branding and specifically brand image and brand association. Accompanying the literature review is a set of primary data collected from the public through questionnaires and analyses of the data collected alongside their interpretation. Finally, limitations of the two aspects of branding-brand image and brand association will be pointed out before recommendations are made. Literature review Brand imaging is by fa r the most important component of marketing that will help a company get its product off its stores and into the houses of the intended customers. According to Aaker (1991), the more a brand appeals to the customers the more they will develop the need to purchase the product.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this way, the brand image adds to the value of the product. The definition of brand image has come to be the subject of debate amongst scholars and researchers in the field of marketing (Dobni Zinkhan, 1990). One of the most renown researchers in the field Kevin Lane Keller defined brand image as â€Å"perceptions about a brand as reflected by the brand associations held in consumer memory† (1993). This definition has been supported by many of his peers including Andrew Mitchell who describes brand image as simply â€Å"all that a consumer can possibly associa te with a particular brand† (1982). Studies have shown that consumers of a particular product when going out to purchase the product seek to also get the image associated with the product. For instance, the various presentations of beer as making an individual tough causes many men to go for the particular drink that promises them the most power. They therefore consume the beer in the hope that it will make them appear tough in the eyes of other people. The best brand images will instantly evoke response from the consumers and will stand out from other brands in the same market (Till, 1998). When conducting an analysis of the brand image for a particular product, the researcher basically seeks to find out the first thing that comes to the mind of consumers when they hear of or see the product. The brand image is complemented by other branding aspects such as packaging, customer service and advertising. While the phrase brand image has come to be well developed to an extent tha t it has come to be regarded as an independent aspect of marketing concepts, there are many scholars who have categorically chosen not to use the words in their works, much as they may be studying concepts very similar to brand image. These professionals totally agree that consumers of particular products generally pick them up based on their physical appearance (Stanton, Etzel, Walker, 1994). This is basically what brand image is though these scholars would not use the word. Though this is just ‘calling a rose by any other name’ in the interest of professionalism, it is only prudent that these variants be given consideration.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Brand Image and Brand Association specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some schools of thought have chosen to focus on the symbolism associated to brands and products. As a result, in place of the words brand image, the scholars involved in this li ne have coined words such as perceived product utility and symbolic utility Some other scholars have chosen to emphasize the human characteristics in the concept of product acceptance and have adopted phrases such as â€Å"the social and psychological nature of products† (Nilson, 1999). A third group that has chosen to disregard the words brand image have instead focused their attention on the meanings that consumers associate to the product. For instance, certain scholars have in the past used complex wordings such as â€Å"the psychological meaning of products† (Alreck, Settle 1999) to describe the concept of brand image. The methods for determining the levels of brand image are not uniformly applicable to particular cases. In the number of years that brand image has been generally accepted as a concept of marketing, various methods and tools have been developed and put into use in the analysis of the structuring of brand images. A lot of studies have been carried o ut to establish various ways of assessing brand images with some groups chosing to measure individual aspects of a brand (Rooney 1995). Other individuals have come up with methods to do a wholesome analysis of the particular brand image. Though studies have been taking place to try and establish a method to qualitatively and quantitatively measure aspects of brand image (Kanwar, Olson, Sims, 1981). Brand association is the amount to which a particular brand is linked to the particular product it describes in the eyes of the consumer. In general brand association is the identity that individuals use to distinguish a product from similar products (Aaker,1991; Stanton et al.,1994). There are a number of ways in which the manufacturers of a given product can help customers develop an association to the product. These include: Benefit to the customer Consumer benefit is the particular requirement that taken care of by a product. For example, skin protection by a sunscreen cream is consi dered its consumer benefit (Fournier, 1995.). The benefit of a product to the customer may be guided by either rationality or emotions. When rationality comes into play in determining the benefit to a consumer, it generally means that the value proposed by the brand is as close as possible to the benefit obtained from the product itself. If psychological and emotional associations are used to determine the value of a product, the benefit that the consumer gets from the product is not directly obtained from the functionality aspects of the particular product (Kassarjian, 1977).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, the rational benefit of a car is the fact that it can help move from one place to another conveniently while the emotional benefit would be the prestige of owning a car. Attributes of the product The person in charge of marketing a particular product can choose to generally relate the brand that he is supporting to a particular usage or function (Calderon, Cervera, Molla, 1997). For instance, coffee can be associated with couple out on date in a cosy restaurant, by a fireplace. Consumer/customer Brands can also be associated to particular consumers or users. Marketers of a certain product need to identify the target group before they release it to the public (Quester, Farrelly, 1998). For instance, some products may be associated to individuals who own offices as would be in the case of filing cabinets. Celebrity When a product is associated to an individual who has some credible perception in the eyes of the public, the value associated to it automatically goes up (F inlay, 1996). This is the reasons why we see celebrities being contracted to endorse certain products. For instance, if a popular wrestler endorses an off-road vehicle, the public learn to associate the car to the toughness of the individual. Personality of the product Just like human beings, product can be classified depend on characteristics such as trustworthiness, strength, youthfulness and so on and so forth (Schiffman Kanuk, 1996). Objectives The Objectives of the research were to: To analyze the relation between brand image and brand association To establish the how brand image and brand association influence decisions made by customers in relation to product choice Research Questions What are the distinguishing and uniting factors of brand image and brand association? How are brand image and brand association to the decisions that customers make in relation to choice of products? Hypotheses There is a correlation between brand image and brand association. Brand image a nd brand association are the key determinants of how consumers respond to a given product. Data collection instrument (questionnaire) Quantitative method was used to collect data. This is a method which was developed in the natural sciences to study natural phenomena. It is positivist and objectivist as well as deductive: testing of theory. The questionnaire is one of the main instruments for gathering data using a social survey design. It is completed by the respondent. The questionnaire, which is one of the quantitative survey methods, was used in this research in order to collect the primary data. The reasons for using a questionnaire are that compared with the interview, the questionnaire is cheaper to administer, quicker to administer and convenient for respondents The development of questionnaire passes through three stages; planning stage, design stage and pilot stage. Therefore, the researcher has followed these stages for the questionnaire. In this research, the questionna ire was designed in relation to the literature review: the questions were formulated as closed questions to answer the research questions. The questions considered illustrate the relationship between brand image and brand association. Therefore questions 1 and 2 (as the opening questions) ask what the relationship is between the brand image and brand association, and which type of services they use. Question 3 explores how brand image influences choice of particular products while question 4 measures how decisions regarding the purchase of certain products are determined by brand association. Question 5 illustrates customer preference and how it is influenced by brand image and brand association. Questions 6 and 7 measure the interaction between brand image and brand association, as well as customers’ expectations of a particular brand. Questions 8 and 9 measure customer loyalty to a particular product based on its brand. Question 10 is a demographic question. However, all th e questions have been formulated to measure (directly or indirectly) the customer preference and loyalty in the relation to brand image and brand association. Furthermore, the layout of the questionnaire was designed by using some tactics in order to be clear as well as attractive for respondents. The researcher used the standard likert five point scales in the majority of questions to make it easer to collect the data (Crompton, nda). Some experiments recommend that demographic questions should be at the end of questionnaires because the data is sensitive; therefore the current researcher has considered that in the design of this questionnaire. In addition, ambiguous terms were avoided in the questions, and any long, repetitious, leading or double-barrelled items, and negative questions which could essentially reduce the effectiveness of the project. Content validity of the questionnaire (pilot study) Piloting is not only trying to ensure that survey questions operate well; it also has a role in ensuring that the research instruments as a whole function well. They add that a pilot study allows such a question to be identified. Also, it allows the researcher to determine the adequacy of instructions to respondents completing questionnaires. Moreover, it gives the researcher an idea of the questions: are they well phrased, or do they need modification? In this research, existing questions were utilized especially in the demographic part of the questionnaire. In addition, the questionnaire was pre-tested before redesigning the final questionnaire. Therefore, the first draft of the questionnaire was revised by checking that the questions cover the entire main points in the literature review which are related to customer preference and loyalty. The second draft was assessed by 10% of the sample (four people), two of whom are loyal clients of particular products and generally pick them based on brand image and brand association. The individuals were asked to commen t about the layout, content, and language clarity of the questionnaire. They gave some observations about it before the final draft was made. Sampling The size of the sample in this research was 40 respondents, who were selected according to the objectives of the study which are to examine customer preference as influenced by brand image and brand association. Therefore, the sample section had to comprise customers loyal to particular products based on how they were branded. They were selected from outside stores, because and a majority were the consumers of household commodities Data collection methods As mentioned above, a questionnaires was used to obtain data from the study group. The survey method was utilized in the collection of primary data. The questionnaires were distributed by three methods: Face to face Some respondents were met on a one on one basis and requested to fill the questionnaires. The reasons for using this approach was that it was cheap and hastened the proce ss of data collection. This method also allowed respondents to see the questionnaire forms and answer the questions easily. Getting individuals who would fit in the target group was however challenging. Email Most of the data was collected by email; a method that proved to be very effective in this research. The reasons for using this approach were that it was a cheap and quick method for collecting the data. It also allowed respondents to see the questionnaire forms and answer the questions easily. Telephone The third approach used in the collection of primary data was via telephone. This was however only used with a few respondents from the sample group. It was recognized that this is an expensive method of data collection, and it also came with the disadvantage of respondents not being able to see the questions; Its advantage was that was a very quick method of obtaining data and the answers received were also precise. Limitations This research was limited to a sample of 40. The research was carried out within a limited period of time. This study was limited in term of the honesty and thoroughness of the respondents in completing the questionnaires. Managerial implications Seeing that there is a direct correlation between product branding and customer preference and loyalty, it is only imperative that the company establishes strategies to help in enhancing the functions of selling the brand image and capitalizing on brand association. Recommendations The company should concentrate on service quality ensuring that it maintains and enhances the image of the product in the market. In addition to this, the company should concentrate on consumer loyalty by building a strong relationship with them through fulfilling their needs, preferences and expectations. Conclusion In this research, the literature review and the finding of the correlation test show that, there is a significant and moderate positive relationship between three variables in the branding, namel y: brand image, brand association, customer preference and customer loyalty. Reference List Aaker, D.A.,1991. Managing brand equity: Capitalizing on the value of brand name. NewYork: TheFreePress Alreck, P.L. Settle, R.B., 1999. Strategies building consumer brand preference.  Journal of Product and Brand Management. 8(2), pp65-93 Badri, M.A. ,Davis,D.L. Davis,D.F., 1995.Decision support for global marketing strategies: The effect of country of origin on product evaluation. Journal of Product and Brand Management. 4(5), pp87-152 Broniarczyk, S.M. Alba,J.W., 1994.The importance of in brand extension. Journal  of Marketing Research, 22(3), pp123-185 Calderon,H., Cervera,A. Molla, A., 1997. Brand assessment a key element of marketing strategy. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 6 (5), 165-255. Dobni, D., Zinkhan, G. M., 1990. In search of brand image: A foundation analysis  Advances in consumer research, 17 (2): pp110-119. Finlay, K., 1996. Reliable and valid measuremen t of memory content and structure as a function of brand usage pattern. Advances In Consumer Research, 23(1), pp282-288. Fournier, S., 1995. A brand as a character, a partner, and a person: Three perspectives on the question of brand personality. Advances In Consumer Research, 22, pp393-395. Kanwar, R., Olson, J. C., Sims, L. S., 1981. Toward conceptualizing and measuring cognitive structures. Advances In Consumer Research, 8(3), 122-127. Kassarjian, H. H., 1977. Content analysis in consumer research. Journal of Consumer  Research, 4(2), pp8-18. Keller, K. L., 1993. Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. Journal of Marketing Research, 29(5), pp1-22. Mitchell, A. A.,1982. Models of memory : Implications for measuring knowledge structures. Advances In Consumer Research, 9(4), pp945-951. Nilson,T.H., 1999. Competitive branding. New York: John Wiley Sons Ltd Quester,P. Farrelly,F., 1998. Brand and memory decay effects of sponsorship: The case of the au stralian formula one grand prix. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 7(6), pp235-362. Rooney, J.A., 1995.Branding: A trend for today and tomorrow. Journal of Product and  Brand Management, 4(4), pp65-98. Schiffman, L.G. Kanuk, L., 1996. Consumer behaviour. NewDelhi: Prentice-Hall Of India. Stanton,W., Etzel,I.J., Walker.B.J., 1994. Fundamentals of marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Till, B.D., 1998. Using celebrity endorsers effectively: Lessons from associative learning. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 7(5), pp145-209. This essay on Brand Image and Brand Association was written and submitted by user Harvey Cole to help you with your own studies. 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The Best Amendment Essay Example

The Best Amendment Essay Example The Best Amendment Essay The Best Amendment Essay Which Amendment? The freedom of speech, religion and press seems like an everyday activity, right? But imagine if you were not allowed to speak your opinion or practice your choice of religion, or even write about facts or opinions that interest you. What if you had to keep all your thoughts and opinions to yourself except for the ones that you were allowed to express or you would be in trouble. That would be like torture. That is why Amendment number one of the Constitution is the most important one and we need to keep it, because without those rights the voice of America would not be heard. If the citizens of the United States didn’t have the freedom of speech, they wouldn’t be able to vote or give their opinions to politicians. Not being able to vote and choose the nations next President would be unfair. Everyone should have a say on who’s in office and what they are going to do to help America. Most likely, if the President was a random guy that nobody voted for or had no experience with the government, America would be sent down the toilet. Without amendment number one we wouldn’t have the freedom of religion making people argue about what holidays to celebrate and if churches should be built. We need the freedom of religion because without it people would fight and disrespect each other and we would go to war. As Americans, we need the right to press because without it we wouldn’t be able to print facts or opinions that were unpopular, and we wouldn’t be able to share information with others to help them vote for change. We need the freedom of press or our minds would explode. America needs the first amendment or else everyone would go insane. Nobody would be able to speak even the basic truths like which ice cream they like the most, because they wouldn’t have the right to voice their opinion. America needs to maintain its voice and let the citizens of the United States choose Americas next step. Without amendment number one America would be silent, even worse, dead.

Critically analyse how ethical factors affect the communications mix Essay

Critically analyse how ethical factors affect the communications mix in an organisation of your choice. The organisation should - Essay Example Current paper focuses on the examination of particular aspect of marketing, the marketing communications process – known also as marketing communications mix; emphasis is given on two specific elements of the marketing communication mix: advertising and pricing. At the next level, the ethical aspects of advertising and pricing are examined specifically in regard to the international market; in order to make clearer the relationship between ethics and advertising/ pricing strategies in the global market, a firm operating in this market has been chosen: Sony. It should be noted that reference is made to the advertising policies of the firm in two specific markets: the British and the US market. It is revealed that the firm’s current advertising and pricing policies in Britain and US need to be reviewed and updated in order to fully meet the ethics held in the particular field. 2. How ethical factors affect the the communications mix in Sony Corporation - advertising and p ricing practices of the firm in Britain and US One of the most crucial requirements for the success of any marketing plan is its alignment with the characteristics and the expectations of the targeted market. In practice, the needs and the preferences of consumers in the targeted market can be identified more effectively using appropriate marketing techniques known as communications mix, a framework incorporating the policies that a firm can develop in order to improve the quality of the communication with its customers. In accordance with Kotler et al. (2010) the communications mix framework refers to the following activities: ‘advertising, publicity, personal selling, sales promotion, direct marketing and online marketing’ (Kotler et al 2010, p. 512). A graphical representation of the marketing communications mix is presented in the Appendix section (Figure 1). It is clear that the development of effective communications channels with the customers is related with spe cific activities, such as advertising, public relations and sales. It is assumed that the failure of a firm to succeed in one or more of the sectors included in the marketing communications mix can cause delays in the firm’s marketing projects. In the literature, different approaches have been used in order to describe the criteria used by marketers in order to develop effective marketing communications schemes. A model of the marketing communications process is presented in the study of Sandhusen (2000); it is explained that the specific model has been developed by Merton Electronics in order to support the promotion of the firm’s products; in the context of this model, the main parts of a successful marketing communications process should be the following ones: ‘a) the design of the advertising campaign, b) the proposition of the campaign to the media, c) the presentation of the advertising through the media, d) the decoding of the advertising campaign’s messages, e) the response of the public to the advertising campaign’ (Sandhusen 2000, p. 437). In any case, the effectiveness of marketing communications schemes is depended on the ability of marketers to use the appropriate type of media for the promotion of a firm’s products/ services to the public (Kurtz et al. 2009). Through the same point of