Thursday, October 31, 2019

Book review,William Shawcross,Deliver Us From Evil Essay

Book review,William Shawcross,Deliver Us From Evil - Essay Example Unlimited powers, aided by astonishing schineitif and technological achievements have rendered the task or peace more difficult. A small mistake by the decision making authority could result in enormous losses to humanity. The war of push-buttons is unimaginably calamitous than the war of weapons that were used by the war-machine during the I and II World Wars. William Showcross shows the great duress under which Kofi Annan functioned. Failure of men like Kofi Annan is the failure of UN, as Showcross puts it succinctly. The purpose of the book, broadly speaking, is to highlight why UN fails in its avowed objectives of establishing peace in the troubled regions. For example, about Iraq, he writes, when United States and Britain did bombings for four days, in 1998, Annan made a short statement, â€Å"This is a sad day for the United Nations, and for the world—it is also a very sad day for me personally.†(Showcross, p. 33) Showcross has highlighted in the book, how the Secretary General, has to work under very difficult circumstances, will be squarely blamed by the suffering people, for allegedly taking sides with the super powers like USA, UK and USSR. Another war will result in total destruction of the world. But regional conflicts are on the rise, threaten world peace, and the unexpected conflagrations can not be ruled out. T herefore, the legal arguments for humanitarian intervention, is necessitated and the world leaders have no other option but to pursue it vigorously. The book highlights the lack of international intelligence system to facilitate the global converge and public education required to mobilize and sustain multi-national peacekeeping operations. From the financial perspective, UN peace keeping operations depend upon the funding by the contributing nations. Whether they will provide the incremental assistance required during the big peace-keeping operations

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Artists and Repertoire (A+R) in the Music Industry Essay

Artists and Repertoire (A+R) in the Music Industry - Essay Example 2006). The A&R is the department of a record label that undertakes talent scouting and manages the artistic development of recording artists. In essence, it acts as the link between the artists and the record label. Therefore, the A&R department plays a major role in discovering new recording artists and recruiting them to the company, through understanding of the current market preferences and tastes, and selecting the artists who will be commercially successful. For A+R staff to carryout the task of recruiting commercially viable new artists, they should first understand the specific ways in which musical production is shaped by a particular genre of cultures and the broader historical and social context within which the production takes place (Negus, 1999, P.13). Generally, in the music industry, the A&R staffs are seen as mediators or intermediaries. According to Negus, Music industry personnel act as mediators, continually connecting artists and audiences; the music business sta ff works as intermediaries, not only during the most obvious marketing and during promotion activities, but also when introducing the idea of an imagined audience into the writing, producing and recording of songs in the studio, stressing that they are engaged in presentation and representation providing symbolic goods and services (Negus, 1999, P.18). More so, apart from singing bands to record labels, the A&R staff is mostly obsessed with music and is in touch with particular music scenes, is very influential, and is widely viewed as important ingredient to a successful record label (Carter, Clegg, Kornberger, & Schweitzer, 2011, P.389). The A&R staffs are the key for the established corporate label in creating music scenes (informal assemblages) which become imbedded in the music industry mostly for promotional purposes (Bennett & Peterson, 2004, P.4). The roles of A&R staff vary depending on the designation, ranging from artist manager, music lawyer, music accountant, booking ag ent, music merchandiser, promoter, venue booker; and other titles depending on the label. Mostly, the A&R staffs are recruited based on their skills rather than on formal qualifications, with experience and backgrounds such as artist management, production, and DJing being an added advantage (Hannan, 2003, P.158). Another major duty of A&R staff is to help the artist locate the suitable producer, prepare recording schedule in the recording studio and offer advice to the artist on the best ways to improve the quality of their recording. They are therefore involved in helping an artist choose the best songs to record, and are very vital in finding songs and songwriters. Additionally, most of A&R staffs are expected to be talented in arts and music in order to accomplish varied roles involved in this field. For example, take the famous artist, composer, producer, and music reviewer, Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno, who began exploiting his career early in life through composing music, perfo rmance reviews, reviews of published music, and was an advocate of the avant-garde music (Adorno, Leppert, & Gillespie, 2002, P.14). Lastly, the A&R will involve liaising with other department such marketing in assisting the artist to market the released record. To sum the work of A&R staff the appreciation of the artist’s work must be spread from the record company to radio programmer, and

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Gender Differences in Advertising Language

Gender Differences in Advertising Language In this modern life, advertisements appear widely not only in shops and stores, in leaflets and brochures, on newspapers and magazines but also on high-tech media like radios, televisions and the Internet. They appear in different forms: texts, images, audio files or an integrated form of all: video/animated files. However different they are, they are designed with only one intention. That is to make more profit by bringing the products to groups of potential customers. To fulfill that intention effectively, they characterize the potential customers of each product or service and design personalized advertisements (2008 Choicestream Personalization Survey) that target to certain potential groups of customers. Thus, in the advertising market, some products have more than one advertisement which target at different groups: one may target at the old while another may target at the young; or one may target at the rich while another may target at the working class. Clear Shampoo is one obvious example in Vietnam. The product has seven advertisements on television and the Internet. They seem to target at different viewers of different genders and have several other aspects such as models, images, languages and advertising techniques. This essay focuses on one of those aspects, the language, and aims to find the answers for two following questions: Is the language used by male models/voiceovers different from that used by female models/voiceovers? Is the language used by models/voiceovers of different genders strongly associated with the target viewers? 2. Theoretical background 2.1. Advertising Nowadays, businesses and manufacturers are actually aware of the great importance of advertising their products or services since a successful advertisement can bring them great profits whereas an unfortunate commercial can lead them to bankruptcy (Sadek-Endrawes, 2008). According to adcracker.com, a website for tips, tools and techniques to create world-class advertising ideas, businesses and manufactures try their best to find ways to design the best advertisements for their products and services to attract attention, engage minds, trigger emotions and change what people think. Among techniques used are special metaphors (a symbolic representation for the product), promises of benefit or problem solving, offers of free samples, features of human-like and life-like, features of eye candy, etc. Writers from adcracker.com also believe that it might be useful to choose or create their own characters who are put in some special situations, for example conflicts, which can be exaggerated . But the most and foremost important techniques that all advertisement designers need to know are the techniques of choosing the target viewers and language wisely and correspondingly. That is the reason why there are sometimes more than one advertisements designed for only one single product. 2.1.1. Language use as a powerful advertising technique Language plays a vital role in the society in general and in everyones life in particular. We use language of all kinds every day, if it is not to say, every moment to communicate with other people, to get ourselves and our own opinions expressed and vice versa to get the same things from others (Gyllgard, 2006). Mastering that communicative power of language, sensible advertisers try to utilize language as a powerful tool to influence the viewers. More specifically, they often try to use language distinctively in order to catch viewers attention (adcracker.com). For example, they sometimes play with words, use them out of context, and create new ones in order to help viewers remember a certain brand. Sometimes, those words become the slogan for the brand like Moving Forward for Toyota cars or Malaysia Truly Asia for Tourism in Malaysia. The designers of advertisements also pay attention to speech accommodation (Giles Coupland, 1991) and adjust the speech styles of models and voiceovers in order to fulfill their advertising intentions, especially the intention of attracting the attention of specific groups of viewers. A study of a group of students from Mount Holyoke College (Alfaro et al.) finds that the advertisement is much more effective when the gender of models/ voiceovers and the targeted gender are matched. Language in advertisements is also internationalized (Sadek-Endrawes, 2008), which is expected to be beneficial in order to create the same response from viewers of different countries in case the product comes into the global market. 2.1.2. Focus on target viewers Most advertisers know that advertising techniques have persuasive energy and that the strength of such persuasive energy is measured in several ways, but most importantly in relation to a target audience (adkracker.com). It is explained by adcracker.com that different target audience have different lifestyles, different attitudes, different feelings and emotions, which consequently results in different behaviors. Thus, successful advertisers often attempt to build adverts that can get people to take action or plant a belief in the minds of their prospective buyers by closely associating their adverts with the targeted viewers. This is also supported by the 2008 Personalization Survey of Choicestream, an independent research firm providing recommendation service for the worlds largest retailers and entertainment brands including Yahoo!, ATT, Tesco, Overstock.com, etc. In the survey, they noted that those who spend the most money and shop most frequently are more likely to click on per sonalized ads than non-personalized ads. In fact, 39% of them are more willing to click on a personalized advertisement. 2.2. Gender difference Men and women are different in various aspects which can mainly be categorized into biological and social factors. Consequently, different terms are coined to show such differences, for example sex and gender. Sex is defined by Eckert and McConnell-Ginnet (2003:10) as a biological categorization which is based primarily on reproductive potential and gender is the social elaboration of biological sex. This means that sex is something fixed by birth (Thomas, 2004) and gender is something that the social life shapes on us continuously in every pace of our life (Graddol and Swann, 1994:8). It is believed that gender has a major influence on language use through the process of socialization (Tannen 1993:84). As afore-mentioned, language is an important part of an individuals life which helps to form his/ her social identity (Gyllgard, 2006:1) by their different linguistic habits which reflect different individual biographies and experiences (Graddol and Swann, 1994:5). Coates (1993:144) also claims that when children adopt linguistic behavior considered appropriate to their gender they perpetuate the social order which creates gender distinctions This means that language is among the most significant factors, bedsides social roles and social positions, that make distinctions between men and women. Actually, it is observed that men and women use language differently in a gender-appropriate manner (Tannen, 1993:85) since they are small. In the following part of the paper, the use of language by different genders will be discussed in three main aspects: (1) topic choices, (2) word choices and (3) manner of speaking. Topic choices In terms of topic choices, men are believed to talk more about sports or other physical activities when they are small (Poynton, 1989) and about current concerns, about their strength and their dominance (Coulmas, 2005) when they grow up. Meanwhile, women are believed to spend time talking more about home activities, romance and fantasy worlds. Later in their life, they are considered to choose to talk about nonsense and unimportant personal topics (Gyllgard, 2006). Consequently, mens language is often considered as serious and important while womens is seen as trivial and easy to ignore (Coates, 1993). Word choices It is believed that women seem to be more careful about choosing words than men. It is explained that this results from the different roles of the two genders in the society. Women are considered to have their first and foremost roles as caring the families and bringing up children. Consequently, they need to be careful with the words they use or otherwise they may set bad examples for their children. Also regarding word choices, in their works, Poyton (1989) and Eckert McConnell-Ginet (2003) find that women use more intensifies (such as so and very), words of approximation (such as about and around), or inessential qualifiers (like really or so) than men. Women are also claimed to use more adjectives (including empty adjectives like cute and evaluative adjectives like wonderful) and adverbs. Furthermore, hedges and tag questions are found more in womens language than in mens in order to require confirmation or signal uncertainty respectively (Lakoff, 1989). Manner of speaking With the same reasons of different social roles, in terms of manner of speaking, women are found more polite in speaking and men are found to create and use more taboo language like slang or swear words (Poyton, 1989). Lakoff (1989) also agrees with this by giving an example that women choose to use weaker expletives like oh dear or goodness instead of words like shit or damn. Meanwhile, Coates (1993) believes that the language used by women is collaboration-oriented with supportive comments to create and maintain relationship of closeness and equality while that used by men is competition-oriented in order to assert their positions of dominance. 3. Methodology and Data This study focuses on the difference between the languages used by male and female models in different advertisements for the same product, namely Clear Shampoo, one kind of shampoo used in Vietnam. It will test whether the difference in language used by male and female models and voiceovers is associated with the difference in genders of the target viewers and how they are associated. First of all, English versions of seven Clear Shampoo advertisements are selected to be the data for analyzing. Those advertisements are chosen for several reasons. Firstly, shampoo is now an essential cosmetic product that people, regardless of their age, their social or financial status and certainly their gender, have to use in their daily life. Thus, it is worthwhile to investigate the advertisements of such product. Secondly, it is found that there are several different advertisements of Clear Shampoo on television as well as on Youtube at the same time and it is presumed by the author that it may result from the advertisers purpose of targeting viewers of different genders. Consequently, with the help of Google search and Youtube website, seven advertisements of Clear Shampoo are collected and transcribed in the appendices of this essay for being analyzed to answer the first research question. Differences among those advertisements will then be figured out by checking the above -mentioned theory and later used to group the seven advertisements into 3 groups: for men, for women and for both men and women. The second question is answered by analyzing the interviews with 20 viewers of both genders who are non-native speakers of English but gain sufficient proficiency to understand the advertisements. Actually, they are Vietnamese teachers of English who are now teaching English at College of Technology and students of some M.A. programs for English Linguistics or English Teaching Methodology. The procedure includes two small sections. Firstly, the viewers are given the transcriptions of the advertisements and asked two following questions: Who does each advertisement target, men or women? How do you know who the advertisement target at? After that, they are asked to watch the seven advertisements and answer the two questions again. 4. Data analysis and results 4.1 Advertisement analysis and results Based on the theoretical background and seven advertisements of Clear Shampoo, the following results on gender differences in language use are obtained and grouped in three major aspects: (1) choice of topic, (2) choice of word and (3) manner of speaking. 4.1.1. Choice of topic It is revealed by the advertisement analysis that male models talk about their confidence and show their strength as well as their dominance to others by facing the problems: Black is confident. Confidence means no dandruff. (Appendix 1) Face it. Cover it. I deal with dandruff like man. (Appendix 4) or Rage. Rage against her breath of fear. (Appendix 5) Meanwhile, female models talk about beauty as in: some beauty shampoos (Appendix 3) about their daily activities such as combing in appendix 3 or about their emotion and their perception as in: I love my hair. Im convinced. (Appendix 2) Convinced. I am. (Appendix 3) They also mention one fact that they often try to avoid the troubles they encounter: Hide itCover itI keep it secret as any woman should. (Appendix 4) 4.1.2. Choice of words Verb choice As male models choose to talk about their confidence, their strength as well as their dominance, they use words that help to express perfectly what they mean. Actually, they use strong verbs as breath, move and sweat in Appendix 1 or face, solve, and deal with in appendix 4 or verbs that show their activeness as in I trust Clear. (Appendix 1) The verbs spoken by male voiceovers also have the same feature: remove and prevent the dandruff (appendix 5), or make the dandruff go away and stay away (appendix 7) so that its all settled (appendix 4). All those verbs bring to the audience the active position of the speakers, and thus, reveal their dominant positions. On the other hand, the verbs used by female models are quite different since they seem to display the defensive positions of the women Im convinced. (Appendix 2) Convinced. I am. (Appendix 3) or their solutions of avoiding dandruff by hiding it, covering it or keeping it secret (appendix 4). Adjective choice As their concerns are different, female and male models choose different adjectives when they speak about their hair. For example, most male models and voiceovers use black to talk about their hair or the hair they want to have: I like black. Black is confident. Black looks good. (Appendix 1) From black into darkness and into the dark, the icy blackness follows. (Appendix 5) the seduction of black, the temptation of black. Its the closeness of black that you can only have (Appendix 6) At the same time, female models talk about the features of soft, clean and beautiful which are just suitable to describe female hair. Clear makes my hair soft and beautiful. Just soft hair. (Appendix 2) Can your shampoo leave your hair soft and clean Clear takes it soft. Just soft hair. (Appendix 3) 4.1.3. Manner of speaking As can be seen from the seven advertisements, female models talk with a collaborative orientation. They talk as if they want to share their experience with the audience whereas male models and voiceovers try to assert their positions of dominance by a competitive orientation. They talk about their dealing with dandruff (appendix 4), the collision of sparks and dandruff (appendix 5), their black seduction and temptation when they are dandruff free (appendix 6). The tendency of dominance is also expressed by their short imperative sentences which can be found more frequently in male models or voiceovers speech: Face it Solve it (Appendix 4) Rage, rage against her breath of fear. (Appendix 5) Make the season more seductive. Make it a Clear Black Valentines. Be board. Be Black. Move closer anytime. Have Clear Black Valentines. (Appendix 6) The first advertisement in Appendix 1 with the male model also offers another feature of male speech. That is the logic in thinking and speaking: Black is confident. Black looks good. Looking good means no dandruff. Confidence means no dandruff. Clear means no dandruff. With his logical speech, the male model tries to convince the audience the close relationship among Clear, black, confident and looking good. 4.2 Interview analysis and results The results of the interviews reveal that it is not language but mainly the models, the images in the advertisements that inform the interviewees about the target viewers of the advertisements. In fact, after looking at the transcription of the seven advertisements, most of them (16 out of 20) hardly say who the advertisements target at. The other four guess the target viewers based on the name of the models (Rain in Appendix 1 or Nicole in Appendix 2) or the name of the products (Clear Men in Appendix 4 or Clear Black Valentines in Appendix 6). However, they can easily answer the two questions after watching the video files and confirm that the language does not get much of their attention but the rhythm of the speech does have some effects on their viewing. This might lead to a conclusion that language does not play an important role in revealing the target viewers of advertisements. 5. Conclusion The results of two analyses reveal the answers for both research questions. Firstly, the analysis of the advertisements answers the first question about the relationship between the language and the gender of speakers. In fact, it confirms the theory of gender language. According to the analysis, the language used models/voiceovers of different gender are not the same even though they are not the language that they say in the real life but what they are told to say by the advertisement designers or directors. The differences mainly lie in the choice of topics, choice of words and the manner of speaking. Secondly, the analysis of the interviews with 20 non-native English speakers answers the second question about the relationship between the language and the target viewers of the advertisements. The result reveals that language does not have a strong link with the target viewers since most of the interviewees cannot say exactly the target viewers of the advertisements if they only look at the transcriptions of the ads. Although the research has found answers for both research questions, there are still many drawbacks that should be improved. First of all, it is realized that just one or two typical advertisements should be selected in stead of seven so that the analysis could be more thorough and focused. Secondly, the interviews should be recorded by means of multi-media in stead of just recorded by note-taking since it can provide much more information and can be referred back easily. References 2008 Choicestream Personalization Survey. Choicestream. 29 October 2009 Advertising techniques Dos and Donts and Simple Tips from Years of Learning. Buzz Marketing. 29 October 2009. Alfaro, M.W. et al. The effect of voice-over gender and targeted gender of product on television commercial effectiveness. 12 December 2009 Creative and Effective Advertising Techniques. AdCracker. 29 October 2009 Coates, J. 1993. Women, Men and Language. London: Longman. Coulmas, F. 2005. Gendered speech: Sex as a factor of linguistic choice. Sociolinguistics. Cambridge. Eckert, P. McConnell-Ginnet, S. 2003. Language and Gender. Cambridge: CUP Giles, H. Coupland, N. 1991. Language: Contexts and Consequences. Open University Press Graddol, D and Swann, J. 1994. Gender Voices. Oxford: Blackwell. Gyllgard, L. 2006. Gender differences in Swedish students written English and students identification of female and male language features. 29 Oct, 2009 Lakoff, R. 1989. Language and Womans Place. New York: Harper and Row. Newman, M.L. et al. 2008. Gender Differences in Language Use: An analysis of 14,000 Text Samples. Discourse Processes. 45: 211-236 Poynton, C. 1989. Language and Gender: Making the difference. Oxford: OUP Sadek-Endrawes. 2008. Culture Advertising. 29 Oct, 2009. Sunderland, J. 2008. Language and Gender. Routledge. Tannen, D. 1993. Gender and Conversation Interaction. New York: OUP. The Targeted Advertising Dictionary and Business Index. The Interactive TV Dictionary and Business Index. 25 Nov, 2009. Thomas, L. et al. 2004. Language, Society and Power. Routledge. Trudgill, P. 2000. Sociolinguistics: An Introduction to Language and Society. London: Penguin APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: Clear Commercial found on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLb6o0QV9jo I breath. I move. I sweat. With the world watching. My hair. My clothes. I like black. Black is confident. Black looks good. Looking good means no dandruff. Confidence means no dandruff. Clear means no dandruff. I trust Clear. Dandruff never comes back. My name is Rain. Clear. No Dandruff. APPENDIX 2 Clear Commercial found on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGzm2dIjO3I I lived to perform. My song, my dance, my hair. Theres no room for dandruff. Clear makes my hair soft and beautiful. I love my hair. Clear. It works. Im convinced. My name is Nicole. Clear. No Dandruff. Just soft hair. APPENDIX 3 Clear Commercial found on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TYOSixnZWwfeature=related Can your shampoo leave your hair soft and clean. That is how combing sounds like with some beauty shampoos. And that is how it sounds like after Clear takes it soft. Convinced. I am. Clear. No Dandruff. Just soft hair. APPENDIX 4: Clear Commercial found on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd_LQMSvXJ4 Face it. Hide it. Solve it. Cover it. I deal with dandruff like a man. I keep it secret as any woman should. But either way, we know the answer is clear. I use clear. Clear men for me. It has zinc vitanol, clinically proven effective to remove dandruff and prevent it from coming back. Its all settled then. For us, its only one choice. New clear. No dandruff. APPENDIX 5 Clear Commercial found on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6WlPhqIyrs From black into darkness, shadows see follicles bent and broke and slivers of sparks as dark and dandruff collide. Rage, rage against her breath of fear! Now frozen, silence marks the danse macabre. And into the dark, the icy blackness follows. APPENDIX 6 Clear Commercial found on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9tx1JR34lc You never know when youd get stuck by the seduction of black, the temptation of black. Its the closeness of black that you can only have when you are dandruff free. With Clear. Make the season more seductive. Make it a Clear Black Valentines. Be board. Be black. Move closer anytime. Have Clear Black Valentines. With clear. No dandruff.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Canadas Health Care :: essays research papers

Today, Canadians are concerned with many issues involving health care. It is the responsibility of the provincial party to come up with a fair, yet reasonable solution to this issue. This solution must support Canadians for the best; it involves people and how they are treated when in need for health care. The Liberal party feels that they have the best solution that will provide Canadians with the best results. It states that people will have the protection of medicare and will help with concerns like: injury prevention, nutrition, physical activity, mental health, etc. The Canadian Alliance Party’s plan is to make several policy-developments to benefit Canada’s health care. They believe it will serve the security and well-being best for all Canadians. The last party involved in this issue is the NDP Party; who indicate that they are fighting hard for a better Health Care system in our economy. The NDP Party states that the income of a family should not dictate the qu ality of health care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Canada’s Health Care system is gradually growing to be a major concern in today’s society with providing Canadians with the standard of care they deserve. Health care has become an issue because of the shortage of doctors in Canada; many of them are either going to the U.S.A. or going to other countries to practice in hospitals and clinics. The earning cap imposed by the government has forced doctors to work fewer hours than are necessary to serve the public. Many Canadians are without a doctor to help them with their needs and emergency rooms are filled to capacity with no available beds for those who have to be admitted to the hospital. Waiting time for specialist and specialty tests have become so long that someone diagnosed with a major illness may die before they can be properly treated. Nurses and others in the medical field are overworked and understaffed because the government has made cut-backs to the Health Care System. We live in a countr y where our health care is a privilege to have, but getting ill is becoming a problem if there is not adequate facilities and professionals to care for the sick. Today’s society is aging longer than ever and will need health care longer than before; patients recovering from hospital stays are being sent home more quickly than ever before, and terminal patients are being sent home for their last days.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Marketing Sample Essay

Table of Contents Executive Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 Market plan and Auditing †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 SWOT Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Strengths †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Weaknesses †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Opportunities †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Threats †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Market Conditions †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 The 4Ps of Marketing †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Price †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 Products †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10Place †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 Promotion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 Recommendations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Works Cited †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 Audi Executive S ummary Audi is a brand of vehicle that is manufactured by a German automobile company, ranging from super-mini to cross over SUVs, accompanied by various body styles as well as different ranges of market price. Audi is leveled on the same brand as the Volkswagen Group (Oneighturbo). Audi is named after its founder- August Horch.Horch means to listen in German and on translation it means Audi in Latin. Though the Audi headquarter is in Ingolstadt, Germany, the brand is marketed and known worldwide. This paper will give main focus on marketing the brand Audi, in regard to the product, market segmentation, the size and the growth Audi market, market analysis regarding strengths and weaknesses as well as fronting recommendations. The marketing strategy of Audi is to emphasize the ability of the car to beat other automobile manufacturers in the global market. Audi is a global brand and is widely embraced far and away from the company headquarters inGermany. The management of the Audi Com pany has been at the forefront of improving and evolving into new models since its inception. The car status has to be improved by all standards in order to avoid being overtaken by other new car ventures in the competitive market. Introduction August Horch (1868-1951) established an automobile company in 1899 first as A. Horch & Cie. in Cologne Germany. However, due to the dispute between him and the advisory board, he quit the company. Later on, in 1909, Horch established another automobile company known as Horch Automobil-Werke GmbH (Baldwin and Laban).In 1910, the initial Audi automobile Type A 10/22 (16 KW) Sport-Phaeton in Zwickau (audiusa). Horsh continued to face tribulations and was evicted out of the company he had played an important role at creating (Audi Website). He proceeded to start a new company in Zwickau. The Audi car first went to the market with an inclined-four engine, a 2612 cc model, thereafter a 3564 cc, and then 4680 as well as 5720 cc models came into the market (Baldwin and Laban). Volkswagen is the largest shareholder of Audi. It owns over 99 percent of the overall share capital.Furthermore, Volkswagen, in its own financial statements, owns the consolidated accounts of Audi. Audi however was at the helm of the heading the Audi Brand Group which is a subdivision of the Volkswagen group, consisting of SEAT and Lamborgini, that mostly focused on sports car (Volkswagen Group). The Audi has four rings as its badge, which is considered to be one of the oldest emblems of automobile manufacturing company in Germany. The four badges symbolyze the merger of four automobile manufacturing companies namely; the Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. These companies form the connerstone of the current AUDI AG (Volkswagen Group).The figure below shows how the badge looks like; The old logo used by Audi until 2009, courtesy of the Audi Website. The Audi Company today is currently having a reputation of high quality, durable production of cars. Their sloga n, â€Å"Vorsprung durch Technik†, significantly implies â€Å"Progress through technology† (Volkswagen Group). Automobile users have been yearning for high-quality, durable and efficient cars, and apparently, this is what the company has been giving its clients. It is worth noting that the automobile market is very competitive and the company annot downplay this notion, if it wants to retain the current status or increased sales in the global market. Market plan and Auditing It is significantly imperative for any business to have a plan for the future in an effective manner so that it may be successful. It is equally important for any business to have a well established and outlined marketing plan in order to well sell its products. These are precautions that are carried out by every firm. In this regard, Audi, a global firm, is not left behind; starting from the moment it was established up to today. Audi has been effectively doing this through marketing its model.Th rough marketing the Audi model, the company sets down easy to accomplish objectives. The firm does the current position auditing as well as having policies of developing and implementing the current achievable objectives. Audi can achieve these through the following; * Setting corporate objectives such as profit and growth * Gathering information through market research * Assessing the current situation, referred to as the market analysis * Production of SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) * Setting objectives of the market, such as market share, revenue among others * Implementing market plan Using reviews through market research SWOT Analysis for Audi The SWOT analysis gives a breakdown of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that an organization is faced with (USDA, 2009). The strengths and weaknesses base their analysis on the internal factors that affect the organization while the opportunities and threats focus on the external factors. Strengths One of the main strength the company relies on is the good reputation that it boasts of in the worldwide arena. The Audi Company has the capacity of producing a car of high quality as well as using premium pricing.The spending power is large since they have built the brand over a long period of time, and as a global company, have been profitable in the market during the past period. The company is able to produce quality cars and has a vast marketing budget, through promotion of its brands, through addition of luxurious features, thus having advantage in the otherwise competitive market. In addition, the company relies on the success and the good reputation of the previous models, which included the A6, as well as the quality of the cars, which attract higher prices, in turn ending up building the overall company reputation.Weaknesses The company has a challenge of having to charge exorbitant prices for its cars, including A6 to cover the costs, with the eventual aspirati ons that potential customers will cater for these costs. The company, in order to effectively fight other competitors, has to ensure that they manufacture new models through technology and innovation, which during many occasions prove to be quite expensive. This will eventually lead to high pricing in order to cover the costs of production, transportation and costs of promotion. OpportunitiesAudi has in the most recent times released market price for its cars that none of its major competitors in the market have had an opportunity of meeting, thus gaining an ample part of the market. The Audi, which has been in the market for many years, has tremendously been growing, though other competitors have had to pull out of the market. The good economic environment is an opportunity for Audi to venture into the global market. Threats Audi is faced by the threat of its other main competitors releasing new models of cars immediately after it releases its own, thus attracting new potential cli ents away.Other highly regarded competitors in the automobile industry such as the Mercedes and the BMW have been having a good reputation, and Audi have to ensure that this threat is contained. One of the models, A6 has been having an elastic product and the price fluctuation may result in revenue loss. Consequently, the SWOT analysis enables the Audi Company to embrace one of the following methods; * Matching; Audi Company may have to build on its strengths and take the advantages imposed by the opportunities, or; * Conversion; the company may resort to reating new and innovative strategies that will overturn the weaknesses into strengths and eventually into opportunities. Market Conditions Besides using the SWOT analysis, Audi Company will employ the examination of the current market conditions prior to producing a good marketing strategy. Market examination can be done through carrying out research in relation to the opinions of the potential customers. The following are the maj or issues to be cross-examined; a) Market size; this implies that Audi will have to look at the overall size of the market, through measuring the market in terms of volume or value (price x volume).In this regard, it is equally important to ascertain that Audi owns a large market. b) Market share; this is the total sales percentage that a particular brand/product has as compared to the total market. In 2003, Audi boasted of 2. 7% of the total market share in the United Kingdom. From the initial perspective, this can percentage of market share can be deemed to be small, but when several factors are put into consideration, say, the number of automobile companies in the market, as well as the market share that Audi has in Germany, which is depicted to be three times the market share it had in the United Kingdom (Niedermeyer). ) Market growth; this refers to the actual rate of increase in the size of the market. Audi has been experiencing tremendous growth in market size. For instance, in the 2002, 2003 period, Audi had significantly increased the sales of its brand in the United Kingdom by 6. 9%. however, this only portrayed the rise in market share by 0. 6%. this therefore means that the Audi market is experiencing recommendable growth at a faster rate (Niedermeyer). d) Market segmentation; this is the appeal made by a brand to different parts of the market, mostly in different ways by transfrming the market mix.For instance, Audi Company has been on the forefront of changing the features of the Audi car so that it appeals to different individuals, such as women, youth, sporty individuals among others, through re-inventing different body size and engine size. The 4p’s of Marketing The 4p’s of marketing is a marketing tool that looks at how the business is positioned to reap the benefits of marketing. The 4p’s are the price, product, place and promotion (Ehmke, Fulton, & Lusk, 2009). The graph below is a representation of the benefits of usin g the 4p’s of marketing (Ehmke, Fulton, & Lusk, 2009).Price The pricing of a product is a big determinant of how the market responds to the product. Factors that affect the pricing of Audi car include; costs; the company will be obliged to cover the costs in order to make profits. For instance, making and testing Audi car is quite expensive, hence it’s high pricing (Huber). Pricing of Audi is also affected by the price elasticity of demand; this implies the sensitivity of the product to change the price. Therefore, if the price is sensitive, lowering of a product’s price will lead to turnover increase.Audi does not experience price elasticity, hence the high pricing. High pricing is directly linked to heavy branding, limited competitors (lack of new automobiles in the A6 class), having a selling point that is unique, high unit cost since constructing prototypes,testing the product as well as the overall production of the product is quite expensive quality design , and having limited distribution ( Audi is mainly sold in the showrooms and via the internet) may, among others also increase the pricing.There are quite a number of pricing methodologies that Audi may embrace, including; Price skimming-this is the process of setting the initial price high so as to achieve maximum profit that is short-lived,-penetration pricing;- in this case, Audi may set lower prices in order to gain the market share. When the market share is gained, the prices will eventually be hiked, competitor based pricing;-Audi may resort to setting the same prices as its competitors, demand based pricing;- when the demand is high, the prices are hiked. The company approximates the expenditure of consumers on its products.In this regard, the company will use the history of the previous sale of A6, cost plus pricing;- a firm may decide to increase a certain amount to the unit cost, a simple and a popular method. Audi may resort to use thi method so that it ensures that cars are not sold at a loss, predatory pricing;- this is the process of setting prices at a lower level with the main aim of driving away other competitors, eventually increasing the price when the competitors are out of the market, price discrimination;- this method ensures that different prices are charged for different segments of the market, for instance diplomatic personnel, overnment personnel, civil servants, and finally, psychological pricing;- this is whereby the consumers’ perception of the the pricing is given attention. Consumers would feel that they are not getting value for their money when the price is set high, and on the other hand, when the price is too low, they would thik that the product is of poor quality. Product The product is what the customer buys, and therefore it needs to be branded well, have an attractive cover and satisfy the expectations of the customer (Volker). The product must be of high quality.Audi has a good performance, has ideal features suc h as air conditioning, CD player, cruise control as well as good reliability. Place The place refers to the location of the business, and how reachable it is to the customers (Londre), or the channel of distribution. Audi is a company that is well established in the global market, thus needs no big expansion into new markets. Promotion Promotion refers to the communication regarding a product so that customers are informed about it. It is the creation of awareness (Londre).Audi is mostly promoted through advertisements through the T. V, automobile magazines and billboards. This will eventually increase the sales since the customers will have been informed about its features and price. Recommendations Audi is a brand that is recognized world wide and as such should endeavor to retain its current status, as well as bringing innovative technological cars in the market. This therefore means that the company should adopt new marketing strategies that many a times are used by various othe r companies in marketing their goods and services.For instance, different marketing strategies should be adopted for different Audi models such A6’s marketing strategy ought to be different from the rather cheaper, though well established A3 model. Even though, as mentioned in the preceding parts of this paper, Audi has a wide global market and therefore should not endeavor in expanding its market place, the product should strive to penetrate the existing market. It is imperative to increase the market share for Audi through venturing and penetrating the existing market, through changing marketing mix.This can easily be achieved through new product development and diversification of the existing market. Audi should also resort to developing a new car/product for the already existing markets. However, Audi has been endearing to achieve this goal through manufacturing of the new A6 model, though exposed to the already competitive car market. The process of new Product developme nt starts with both internal and external generation of ideas. Internal process involves research and development, while, on the other hand, external processes involve investors, consumers and competition.Audi Company should then put these ideas into analysis in order to ascertain their feasibility, therefore developing them through methods of prototypes, before testing for quality and safety of the products. Since Audi is competing in the massive world wide market, it is imperative for the company to maximize on the promotion of its products. In this regard, the A6 will be accorded several advantages over its main competitors, since the buyers will be fully aware of the offers that Audi has. The extensive promotion should be done by maintaining the already reputable brand name, hence improving sales.Furthermore, if the Audi brand name is maintained through A6, then the model will have a bright future. It is recommended that Audi strives in investing in maintaining the current marke t for its A6 product. This will eventually lead to increasing the market share as well as achieving long term profit margins and the gaining the set internal and external targets. In order to achieve this, investment in the long term must be carried out so that short term profit is reduced. Competitive pricing must well be established in the already competitive market, so that the potential buyers are not scared away by the exorbitant prices.The company should ensure that they minimize the costs, so that the innocent consumer is not made to pay for it. Conclusion Audi is a company that manufactures durable and high quality cars for a long period of time, and this reputation should be withheld by the management. When the mentioned recommendations are followed to the letter, then the already reputable Audi Company will increase its market share, eventually increasing its sales. The management should ensure that the current market share is increased through new innovations, thus not gi ving enough space to its competitors. Works Cited Audi website http://www. udiusa. com/us/brand/en/about/main/history. html Baldwin, Nick and Brian Laban. â€Å"The World Guide to Automobile Manufacturers. † Facts on File (1987): 43-44. Brand family tree. audiusa com. Retrieved 21 September 2011. Ehmke, C. , Fulton, J. , & Lusk, J. Marketing’s Four P’s: First Steps for New Entrepreneurs (Revised ed. ). Warren, Michigan, USA: SAGE Publishers, 2009. Huber, Peter. Manufacturing the Audi Scare. Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, 1990. Londre, L. S. Marketing, IMC, Advertising, Promotion, Media and More (Revised ed. ). Perth, Australia: Wiley & Sons, 2009. Niedermeyer, Paul. The Audi 5000 Intended Unintended Acceleration Debacle. † The Truth About Cars ,2010. Oneighturbo. â€Å"Oneighturbo. † 10 December 2009. Oneighturbo. com. 21 September 2011 . Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Instructions for Conducting a SWOT Analysis (Revised ed. ). Newton , MA, USA: Education Development Center, 2009. USDA.. SWOT Analysis: A tool for making better business decisions (Revised ed. ). Perth, Australia: Routledge, 2009. Volker, M. 4 P's f MARKETING. Ed. Illustrated. Southfields, Michigan: SAGE, 2010. Volkswagen Group – Business lines and markets. Volkswagenag. com. Retrieved 21 September 2011.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

What the Bible says and doesn’t say about homosexuality

I waited to enter the debate again until my heart was In the right place and free of anger towards those who disagree with my viewpoint. Now I ask you prayerfully consider these words, not Just rejecting them in favor of your personal prejudices. Search the Scriptures, casting aside all previous viewpoints and open your heart to what the Spirit of God is speaking to you. Many well meaning people build their case against homosexuality almost entirely on the Bible. They, Just as l, value the ancient text, and seek its guidance In their lives. Unfortunately, many of them have never really studied what the Bible does and isn't say about homosexuality. I was unaware until about 2 years ago that a lot of what I'd been taught about the Bible by people who love God and want to teach others the words, was derived from an improper understanding of context, history, and also literalism, which was seen as heresy even going back to Origin and Popularly, early church fathers who were students of A postle John. When I searched further, I came to see the Bible as more.I saw Its many cultures, religions and spiritualistic, but more importantly, I saw people who were trying with their limited understanding of the universe, nature, biology, and overall knowledge, to make sense of a world, and a God, they didn't understand. The Bible has a powerful message for all regardless of gender, sexual orientation, personal philosophy or spiritual practice. But it's a message of love and acceptance, not condemnation and, hate, and fear. Don't take my word for It, though.I ask only that you'd consider what careful research. Prayer, and meditation has taught me about the passages used by some people to condemn God's children simply because of a biological factor like attraction. Premise 1: The rampant epidemic of biblical illiteracy in this country A recent study quoted by DRP. Peter Gomes in The Good Book found that 38 percent of Americans polled were certain the Old Testament was written a f ew years after Jesus' death. Ten percent believed Joan of Arc was Nosh's wife.Many even thought the epistles were the wives of the apostles. A few key points Jesus says nothing about same-sex behavior. The Jewish prophets are silent about homosexuality. Only six or seven of the Bible's one million verses refer to same-sex behavior in any way ? and none of these verses refer to homosexual orientation as It's understood today. Premise 2: Historically, people's misinterpretation of the Bible has left a trail of suffering, bloodshed, and death.Over the centuries, people, well meaning or otherwise, who misunderstood or misinterpreted the Bible have done terrible things. The Bible has been twisted to defend bloody crusades and tragic inquisitions; to support slavery, apartheid, and segregation; to persecute Jews and other non- Christian people of faith; to support Hitter's Third Reich and the Holocaust; to oppose medical science; to condemn Interracial marriage; to execute women as witche s; and Scripture for his purpose. Looking at recent history, within the past 60 years, countless LIGHT people, all of them children of God, were murdered, assaulted, abused, arrested, rejected, ostracizes, fired from Jobs, had their children taken away, and denied basic civil rights because of six or seven verses, most of them taken grossly out of context. Most of the people I know who say â€Å"the Bible condemns homosexuality' would never condone these acts. Most Christians have no idea that the people killing gay and lesbian persons go around quoting those few verses of Scripture as Justification.But it's important to hear these stories, because I'm not writing this little pamphlet as a scholarly exercise. It's a matter of life and death. I'm pleading on the side of love. Premise 3: We must be open to new truth from Scripture God is constantly speaking. What was once adamantly declared as truth in one age is now regarded with ignorance in another. SST. Peter was commanded to kil l and eat animals he once regarded as unclean to show that the old covenant dietary laws had been lifted. SST.Paul, who once killed those who claimed the name of Jesus, in a matter of hours loved the God-Man whom he once despised as a false prophet. Even Jerry Falafel, a bastion of evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity, believed the Bible supported segregation in the church until a black shoeshine man asked him, â€Å"When will someone like me be allowed to become a member of your congregation? † I ask you to look again, with careful prayer, study, and meditation, this issue of sexual orientation. Don't Just accept mindlessly the words of a pastor or priest, but as SST.Paul said in 1st Thessalonians, â€Å"†Test all things and hold fast to that which is good. † We must look at all verses within two frameworks Galatians 5:22-23 â€Å"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. There is no law against such things. † Philippians 4:8 â€Å"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is Just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think upon these things.Even if we believe the Bible is â€Å"infallible† or â€Å"without error,† it's dangerous to think that our understanding of every biblical text is also without error. We are human. We are fallible. And we can misunderstand and misinterpret these ancient words often with devastating results. Premise 4: The Bible is a book about God, not human sexuality The Bible is about God's love for his children and all of his creation. It's a story of God who is healing, renewing, empowering, and loving us, his sons and daughters, so we can follow God's example with others.