My Personal Theory

My Personal Theory of Counseling Kristen Bellows University of Texas at San Antonio My Personal Theory of Counseling Perhaps nothing is as significant to the success of the therapeutic process and nothing represents the foundation of successful therapy more than one's personal theory of counseling. All individuals in all aspects of life work from some belief system, perspective, or model of how the world works, how things are, and how things interact. Developing a deep understanding of one's own personal theory leads to better decision-making with respect to the therapeutic process, including therapist approach and client interaction. Such an understanding also promotes a greater ability to intervene more effectively with clients whose values are in contrast to one's own. Being aware of one's own personal theory of the world and, subsequently, one's view of counseling, also helps the therapist identify individual strengths and areas for improvement. The personal orientation of the therapist is a sum total of many influences such as interests, self-awareness, experience, values, and compassion for others, among many other things. Such influences have a direct impact on one's personal theory of counseling. For instance, my Christian upbringing, experiences, and beliefs have a significant impact on my personal view of the world and others and, therefore, also on my theory of counseling. My religious beliefs and values coincide with some therapeutic approaches and not others. In this paper I delve into my recent introspective and reflective explorations as well as the experiences and lessons I have learned throughout my life which has led me to embrace and adopt the particular theory of  counseling I believe suits me the most at this time. Of all the theories I have learned for the duration of this class, none has resonated with me as much as Existentialism. While I have a tremendous reverence for psychoanalysis and its focus on examining the causal factors behind one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors i. e. one’s past/childhood, the unconscious, as well as its contribution of key concepts to counseling such as transference and countertransference, I am a bit unsettled by the deterministic and rigid view this approach takes of human nature. I connect much more deeply to the philosophies of  existentialism: the emphasis it places on an authentic and genuine encounter with clients, its recognition and respect for the client’s subjective world, trust in the capacity of the client to make positive decisions and the concepts it focuses on in counseling such as meaning, purpose, freedom, responsibility, choice, isolation, death concepts that relate to our mere existing in the world and the larger scheme of life. I tend to shy away from the theories such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, feminist therapy, and gestalt therapy, which are very technique-oriented, exercise-driven, directive in approach, and simply require too much action on the therapist’s behalf. I feel these theories do not allow much of the client’s pursuits and search for meaning in life to come through or at least, it is not the major focus of therapy. I do recognize that for some clients these other therapies may be useful, which is why I do not discredit nor dislike them; I just feel that they do not mesh with who I am personally and are not as inherent to my way of  being as much as the precepts of existentialism are. Personally, I hope to find out my purpose in life and contribute something meaningful to the world. Over the few months of self-reflection, I realize that I simply get great joy through serving others and helping them in any way I can. I am more concerned with creating a meaningful identity and relationships with others as I recognize the limits to my existence. I know that one day, I, as well as everyone else will die, and I therefore have a longing to make the most of my time on earth and the time spent with others filled with less conflict and more harmony and love. To me, love is the ultimate gift in this world, and I think it is one of the most powerful gifts that I possess and would like to share with everyone. I always believe there is something good to love in everyone and don’t believe in categorizing people as good or bad, healthy or unhealthy. I don’t believe that one’s existence is fixed or that people are tied to their  past. I think we are always re-creating ourselves and making sense of each moment of the life we live. Perhaps I relate so well to the concepts of existentialism also because it explores basic dimensions of the human condition, particularly death, which closely ties in with religion. Religion, namely that of the Baptist religion, has played a large role in my life. It has helped me make sense of life and been a moral compass in most regards. The parallel I see drawn between the Baptist religion and existentialism in terms of death occurs when I think about the Lenten season and something the priest says on Ash Wednesday: â€Å"Remember man that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return. † This act reminds me of our mortality, similarly to how the existentialist perspective tries to allow us to grasp the inevitability of death. Death to me is not something I try to avoid thinking about. It is something that I am very aware of and has had a marked impact on my life. I am constantly seeking a life full of zest, meaning, and one that is filled with love and service to others. In this search, I have experienced the existential anxiety that comes from some of the inevitable conditions of simply being alive. That is, loneliness, finiteness and freedom of choice all bring up a certain amount of anxiety in me, yet I use this anxiety as reason to make changes in my life. After I graduated with my degree in psychology in 2003, I worked for a while in a school setting. Working in the school especially caused a lot of  anxiety in me because I constantly felt that I was not living up to my potential. I just felt as though the job I was doing was a means to no end. My view on work is that it should not be just a job, but rather a career, a lifestyle, something that you are proud to call your profession. It has helped me make sense of what I am called to do and given my life a purpose. I am happy with the path I am on right now. As an existentialist, therapy would also be structured around increasing a client’s self-awareness. This is important because we need to be aware of our capacities in order to exercise freedom and live as fully as possible. I would try to especially help clients take responsibility for  their lives instead of passively letting circumstances and external forces direct their future. I would try to point out how it would be an inauthentic way of living if one subsumes the role of a victim instead of exercising the freedom that they possess. I strongly believe that we can create and shape our lives and rise to the challenges that it may present us with. In saying all this, I would not take a directive stance in expressing these opinions, as in doing so, I would be making decisions and choices for the client that they might not choose to accept. I would rather challenge them to explore how they have been living in the past that has prompted them to seek therapy today and help them discover new ways of living that will lead to a change in their situation. A large part of therapy as well would include helping clients trust in themselves to find the answers, rather than look to others to direct them. Ultimately, we are alone. As cynical as it may sound, we did come into the world alone and we will die alone. We of course depend on our  human relationships with others and connecting with others is very important, however, we must be able to function as our own person firstly and form our own identity in order to relate healthily to others. One cannot rely all the time on others for the answers and depend upon them for their happiness. In therapy, when clients try to do the same of me as a therapist, in order to break this pattern, I would explain to them that there is no easy answer and that they alone have the capability to find the right answer. In therapy, I would also try to provide the space for clients to find meaning in their life by asking questions that help them explore whether or not they are content with their current life, and who they are becoming, as well as helping them establish values that they will need to adopt in order to live a life that is meaningful to them. I would also be sure to talk frankly about the reality of death. Ignoring the topic of death makes its presence even stronger than if one were to confront it. In doing this, that is, addressing a fear that seems overwhelming to explore, a client is also opened up to experiencing life in a more authentic way. Along with the goals of exploring anxiety, self-awareness, death, freedom and responsibility, and a meaningful life, the relationship between the client and me is of central prominence. Our therapeutic encounter will be the activator of positive change and it requires honesty and authenticity of me as well, in order to join the client in their subjective experience. I believe as a therapist, it will take a lot of courage, respect and faith in the client’s ability to grow and reach greater heights and it is important that I am fully present to the client in our  encounters. Although right now I am solely focusing on the existential approach to therapy, I believe that later on as I see a variety of clients, I may need to adapt certain interventions or  techniques from other theories that might be suitable for a particular client. However, I believe my main assumptions and goals for clients will remain in line with that of existentialism. The existential theory of counseling appears to be an appropriate theoretical base to use in counseling because it fits my style of counseling. It is supportive of the client finding meaning in life, which resolves the existential anxiety many people are feeling today. In addition the existential philosophy supports clients’ spiritual growth but likewise can be used with a secular approach as well. In the same way I would evaluate a client’s success on the basis of whether they have been able to find a purposeful existence through the discovery of their  strengths, their own freedom of choice etc. , is how I would evaluate myself personally and as a counselor. Can I live authentically? Can I create a life of meaning? Can I sit with ambivalence and anxiety? Can I make my own choices without having to depend on others? Can I face my fears rather than live a restricted existence? I do not have all the answers to these questions thus far, but they are important questions to me that I am always trying to answer. They are questions which I will probably always be asking myself as I re-evaluate and re-discover myself, but one thing I have realized thus far that is true for me, is that love is the highest goal to which I aspire. I wish to serve others and bring about change in others in counseling through this vessel. References Seligman, L. , & Reichenberg, L. W. (2010). Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy: Systems, Strategies, and Skills (3rd ed. ). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Nineteen

Jon The courtyard rang to the song of swords. Under black wool, boiled leather, and mail, sweat trickled icily down Jon's chest as he pressed the attack. Grenn stumbled backward, defending himself clumsily. When he raised his sword, Jon went underneath it with a sweeping blow that crunched against the back of the other boy's leg and sent him staggering. Grenn's downcut was answered by an overhand that dented his helm. When he tried a sideswing, Jon swept aside his blade and slammed a mailed forearm into his chest. Grenn lost his footing and sat down hard in the snow. Jon knocked his sword from his fingers with a slash to his wrist that brought a cry of pain. â€Å"Enough!† Ser Alliser Thorne had a voice with an edge like Valyrian steel. Grenn cradled his hand. â€Å"The bastard broke my wrist.† â€Å"The bastard hamstrung you, opened your empty skull, and cut off your hand. Or would have, if these blades had an edge. It's fortunate for you that the Watch needs stableboys as well as rangers.† Ser Alliser gestured at Jeren and Toad. â€Å"Get the Aurochs on his feet, he has funeral arrangements to make.† Jon took off his helm as the other boys were pulling Grenn to his feet. The frosty morning air felt good on his face. He leaned on his sword, drew a deep breath, and allowed himself a moment to savor the victory. â€Å"That is a longsword, not an old man's cane,† Ser Alliser said sharply. â€Å"Are your legs hurting, Lord Snow?† Jon hated that name, a mockery that Ser Alliser had hung on him the first day he came to practice. The boys had picked it up, and now he heard it everywhere. He slid the longsword back into its scabbard. â€Å"No,† he replied. Thorne strode toward him, crisp black leathers whispering faintly as he moved. He was a compact man of fifty years, spare and hard, with grey in his black hair and eyes like chips of onyx. â€Å"The truth now,† he commanded. â€Å"I'm tired,† Jon admitted. His arm burned from the weight of the longsword, and he was starting to feel his bruises now that the fight was done. â€Å"What you are is weak.† â€Å"I won.† â€Å"No. The Aurochs lost.† One of the other boys sniggered. Jon knew better than to reply. He had beaten everyone that Ser Alliser had sent against him, yet it gained him nothing. The master-at-arms served up only derision. Thorne hated him, Jon had decided; of course, he hated the other boys even worse. â€Å"That will be all,† Thorne told them. â€Å"I can only stomach so much ineptitude in any one day. If the Others ever come for us, I pray they have archers, because you lot are fit for nothing more than arrow fodder.† Jon followed the rest back to the armory, walking alone. He often walked alone here. There were almost twenty in the group he trained with, yet not one he could call a friend. Most were two or three years his senior, yet not one was half the fighter Robb had been at fourteen. Dareon was quick but afraid of being hit. Pyp used his sword like a dagger, Jeren was weak as a girl, Grenn slow and clumsy. Halder's blows were brutally hard but he ran right into your attacks. The more time he spent with them, the more Jon despised them. Inside, Jon hung sword and scabbard from a hook in the stone wall, ignoring the others around him. Methodically, he began to strip off his mail, leather, and sweat-soaked woolens. Chunks of coal burned in iron braziers at either end of the long room, but Jon found himself shivering. The chill was always with him here. In a few years he would forget what it felt like to be warm. The weariness came on him suddenly, as he donned the roughspun blacks that were their everyday wear. He sat on a bench, his fingers fumbling with the fastenings on his cloak. So cold, he thought, remembering the warm halls of Winterfell, where the hot waters ran through the walls like blood through a man's body. There was scant warmth to be found in Castle Black; the walls were cold here, and the people colder. No one had told him the Night's Watch would be like this; no one except Tyrion Lannister. The dwarf had given him the truth on the road north, but by then it had been too late. Jon wondered if his father had known what the Wall would be like. He must have, he thought; that only made it hurt the worse. Even his uncle had abandoned him in this cold place at the end of the world. Up here, the genial Benjen Stark he had known became a different person. He was First Ranger, and he spent his days and nights with Lord Commander Mormont and Maester Aemon and the other high officers, while Jon was given over to the less than tender charge of Ser Alliser Thorne. Three days after their arrival, Jon had heard that Benjen Stark was to lead a half-dozen men on a ranging into the haunted forest. That night he sought out his uncle in the great timbered common hall and pleaded to go with him. Benjen refused him curtly. â€Å"This is not Winterfell,† he told him as he cut his meat with fork and dagger. â€Å"On the Wall, a man gets only what he earns. You're no ranger, Jon, only a green boy with the smell of summer still on you.† Stupidly, Jon argued. â€Å"I'll be fifteen on my name day,† he said. â€Å"Almost a man grown.† Benjen Stark frowned. â€Å"A boy you are, and a boy you'll remain until Ser Alliser says you are fit to be a man of the Night's Watch. If you thought your Stark blood would win you easy favors, you were wrong. We put aside our old families when we swear our vows. Your father will always have a place in my heart, but these are my brothers now.† He gestured with his dagger at the men around them, all the hard cold men in black. Jon rose at dawn the next day to watch his uncle leave. One of his rangers, a big ugly man, sang a bawdy song as he saddled his garron, his breath steaming in the cold morning air. Ben Stark smiled at that, but he had no smile for his nephew. â€Å"How often must I tell you no, Jon? We'll speak when I return.† As he watched his uncle lead his horse into the tunnel, Jon had remembered the things that Tyrion Lannister told him on the kingsroad, and in his mind's eye he saw Ben Stark lying dead, his blood red on the snow. The thought made him sick. What was he becoming? Afterward he sought out Ghost in the loneliness of his cell, and buried his face in his thick white fur. If he must be alone, he would make solitude his armor. Castle Black had no godswood, only a small sept and a drunken septon, but Jon could not find it in him to pray to any gods, old or new. If they were real, he thought, they were as cruel and implacable as winter. He missed his true brothers: little Rickon, bright eyes shining as he begged for a sweet; Robb, his rival and best friend and constant companion; Bran, stubborn and curious, always wanting to follow and join in whatever Jon and Robb were doing. He missed the girls too, even Sansa, who never called him anything but â€Å"my half brother† since she was old enough to understand what bastard meant. And Arya . . . he missed her even more than Robb, skinny little thing that she was, all scraped knees and tangled hair and torn clothes, so fierce and willful. Arya never seemed to fit, no more than he had . . . yet she could always make Jon smile. He would give anything to be with her now, to muss up her hair once more and watch her make a face, to hear her finish a sentence with him. â€Å"You broke my wrist, bastard boy.† Jon lifted his eyes at the sullen voice. Grenn loomed over him, thick of neck and red of face, with three of his friends behind him. He knew Todder, a short ugly boy with an unpleasant voice. The recruits all called him Toad. The other two were the ones Yoren had brought north with them, Jon remembered, rapers taken down in the Fingers. He'd forgotten their names. He hardly ever spoke to them, if he could help it. They were brutes and bullies, without a thimble of honor between them. Jon stood up. â€Å"I'll break the other one for you if you ask nicely.† Grenn was sixteen and a head taller than Jon. All four of them were bigger than he was, but they did not scare him. He'd beaten every one of them in the yard. â€Å"Maybe we'll break you,† one of the rapers said. â€Å"Try.† Jon reached back for his sword, but one of them grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. â€Å"You make us look bad,† complained Toad. â€Å"You looked bad before I ever met you,† Jon told him. The boy who had his arm jerked upward on him, hard. Pain lanced through him, but Jon would not cry out. Toad stepped close. â€Å"The little lordling has a mouth on him,† he said. He had pig eyes, small and shiny. â€Å"Is that your mommy's mouth, bastard? What was she, some whore? Tell us her name. Maybe I had her a time or two.† He laughed. Jon twisted like an eel and slammed a heel down across the instep of the boy holding him. There was a sudden cry of pain, and he was free. He flew at Toad, knocked him backward over a bench, and landed on his chest with both hands on his throat, slamming his head against the packed earth. The two from the Fingers pulled him off, throwing him roughly to the ground. Grenn began to kick at him. Jon was rolling away from the blows when a booming voice cut through the gloom of the armory. â€Å"STOP THIS! NOW!† Jon pulled himself to his feet. Donal Noye stood glowering at them. â€Å"The yard is for fighting,† the armorer said. â€Å"Keep your quarrels out of my armory, or I'll make them my quarrels. You won't like that.† Toad sat on the floor, gingerly feeling the back of his head. His fingers came away bloody. â€Å"He tried to kill me.† † ‘S true. I saw it,† one of the rapers put in. â€Å"He broke my wrist,† Grenn said again, holding it out to Noye for inspection. The armorer gave the offered wrist the briefest of glances. â€Å"A bruise. Perhaps a sprain. Maester Aemon will give you a salve. Go with him, Todder, that head wants looking after. The rest of you, return to your cells. Not you, Snow. You stay.† Jon sat heavily on the long wooden bench as the others left, oblivious to the looks they gave him, the silent promises of future retribution. His arm was throbbing. â€Å"The Watch has need of every man it can get,† Donal Noye said when they were alone. â€Å"Even men like Toad. You won't win any honors killing him.† Jon's anger flared. â€Å"He said my mother was—† â€Å"—a whore. I heard him. What of it?† â€Å"Lord Eddard Stark was not a man to sleep with whores,† Jon said icily. â€Å"His honor—† â€Å"—did not prevent him from fathering a bastard. Did it?† Jon was cold with rage. â€Å"Can I go?† â€Å"You go when I tell you to go.† Jon stared sullenly at the smoke rising from the brazier, until Noye took him under the chin, thick fingers twisting his head around. â€Å"Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy.† Jon looked. The armorer had a chest like a keg of ale and a gut to match. His nose was flat and broad, and he always seemed in need of a shave. The left sleeve of his black wool tunic was fastened at the shoulder with a silver pin in the shape of a longsword. â€Å"Words won't make your mother a whore. She was what she was, and nothing Toad says can change that. You know, we have men on the Wall whose mothers were whores.† Not my mother, Jon thought stubbornly. He knew nothing of his mother; Eddard Stark would not talk of her. Yet he dreamed of her at times, so often that he could almost see her face. In his dreams, she was beautiful, and highborn, and her eyes were kind. â€Å"You think you had it hard, being a high lord's bastard?† the armorer went on. â€Å"That boy Jeren is a septon's get, and Cotter Pyke is the baseborn son of a tavern wench. Now he commands Eastwatch by the Sea.† â€Å"I don't care,† Jon said. â€Å"I don't care about them and I don't care about you or Thorne or Benjen Stark or any of it. I hate it here. It's too . . . it's cold.† â€Å"Yes. Cold and hard and mean, that's the Wall, and the men who walk it. Not like the stories your wet nurse told you. Well, piss on the stories and piss on your wet nurse. This is the way it is, and you're here for life, same as the rest of us.† â€Å"Life,† Jon repeated bitterly. The armorer could talk about life. He'd had one. He'd only taken the black after he'd lost an arm at the siege of Storm's End. Before that he'd smithed for Stannis Baratheon, the king's brother. He'd seen the Seven Kingdoms from one end to the other; he'd feasted and wenched and fought in a hundred battles. They said it was Donal Noye who'd forged King Robert's warhammer, the one that crushed the life from Rhaegar Targaryen on the Trident. He'd done all the things that Jon would never do, and then when he was old, well past thirty, he'd taken a glancing blow from an axe and the wound had festered until the whole arm had to come off. Only then, crippled, had Donal Noye come to the Wall, when his life was all but over. â€Å"Yes, life,† Noye said. â€Å"A long life or a short one, it's up to you, Snow. The road you're walking, one of your brothers will slit your throat for you one night.† â€Å"They're not my brothers,† Jon snapped. â€Å"They hate me because I'm better than they are.† â€Å"No. They hate you because you act like you're better than they are. They look at you and see a castle-bred bastard who thinks he's a lordling.† The armorer leaned close. â€Å"You're no lordling. Remember that. You're a Snow, not a Stark. You're a bastard and a bully.† â€Å"A bully?† Jon almost choked on the word. The accusation was so unjust it took his breath away. â€Å"They were the ones who came after me. Four of them.† â€Å"Four that you've humiliated in the yard. Four who are probably afraid of you. I've watched you fight. It's not training with you. Put a good edge on your sword, and they'd be dead meat; you know it, I know it, they know it. You leave them nothing. You shame them. Does that make you proud?† Jon hesitated. He did feel proud when he won. Why shouldn't he? But the armorer was taking that away too, making it sound as if he were doing something wrong. â€Å"They're all older than me,† he said defensively. â€Å"Older and bigger and stronger, that's the truth. I'll wager your master-at-arms taught you how to fight bigger men at Winterfell, though. Who was he, some old knight?† â€Å"Ser Rodrik Cassel,† Jon said warily. There was a trap here. He felt it closing around him. Donal Noye leaned forward, into Jon's face. â€Å"Now think on this, boy. None of these others have ever had a master-at-arms until Ser Alliser. Their fathers were farmers and wagonmen and poachers, smiths and miners and oars on a trading galley. What they know of fighting they learned between decks, in the alleys of Oldtown and Lannisport, in wayside brothels and taverns on the kingsroad. They may have clacked a few sticks together before they came here, but I promise you, not one in twenty was ever rich enough to own a real sword.† His look was grim. â€Å"So how do you like the taste of your victories now, Lord Snow?† â€Å"Don't call me that!† Jon said sharply, but the force had gone out of his anger. Suddenly he felt ashamed and guilty. â€Å"I never . . . I didn't think . . . â€Å" â€Å"Best you start thinking,† Noye warned him. â€Å"That, or sleep with a dagger by your bed. Now go.† By the time Jon left the armory, it was almost midday. The sun had broken through the clouds. He turned his back on it and lifted his eyes to the Wall, blazing blue and crystalline in the sunlight. Even after all these weeks, the sight of it still gave him the shivers. Centuries of windblown dirt had pocked and scoured it, covering it like a film, and it often seemed a pale grey, the color of an overcast sky . . . but when the sun caught it fair on a bright day, it shone, alive with light, a colossal blue-white cliff that filled up half the sky. The largest structure ever built by the hands of man, Benjen Stark had told Jon on the kingsroad when they had first caught sight of the Wall in the distance. â€Å"And beyond a doubt the most useless,† Tyrion Lannister had added with a grin, but even the Imp grew silent as they rode closer. You could see it from miles off, a pale blue line across the northern horizon, stretching away to the east and west and vanishing in the far distance, immense and unbroken. This is the end of the world, it seemed to say. When they finally spied Castle Black, its timbered keeps and stone towers looked like nothing more than a handful of toy blocks scattered on the snow, beneath the vast wall of ice. The ancient stronghold of the black brothers was no Winterfell, no true castle at all. Lacking walls, it could not be defended, not from the south, or east, or west; but it was only the north that concerned the Night's Watch, and to the north loomed the Wall. Almost seven hundred feet high it stood, three times the height of the tallest tower in the stronghold it sheltered. His uncle said the top was wide enough for a dozen armored knights to ride abreast. The gaunt outlines of huge catapults and monstrous wooden cranes stood sentry up there, like the skeletons of great birds, and among them walked men in black as small as ants. As he stood outside the armory looking up, Jon felt almost as overwhelmed as he had that day on the kingsroad, when he'd seen it for the first time. The Wall was like that. Sometimes he could almost forget that it was there, the way you forgot about the sky or the earth underfoot, but there were other times when it seemed as if there was nothing else in the world. It was older than the Seven Kingdoms, and when he stood beneath it and looked up, it made Jon dizzy. He could feel the great weight of all that ice pressing down on him, as if it were about to topple, and somehow Jon knew that if it fell, the world fell with it. â€Å"Makes you wonder what lies beyond,† a familiar voice said. Jon looked around. â€Å"Lannister. I didn't see—I mean, I thought I was alone.† Tyrion Lannister was bundled in furs so thickly he looked like a very small bear. â€Å"There's much to be said for taking people unawares. You never know what you might learn.† â€Å"You won't learn anything from me,† Jon told him. He had seen little of the dwarf since their journey ended. As the queen's own brother, Tyrion Lannister had been an honored guest of the Night's Watch. The Lord Commander had given him rooms in the King's Tower—so-called, though no king had visited it for a hundred years—and Lannister dined at Mormont's own table and spent his days riding the Wall and his nights dicing and drinking with Ser Alliser and Bowen Marsh and the other high officers. â€Å"Oh, I learn things everywhere I go.† The little man gestured up at the Wall with a gnarled black walking stick. â€Å"As I was saying . . . why is it that when one man builds a wall, the next man immediately needs to know what's on the other side?† He cocked his head and looked at Jon with his curious mismatched eyes. â€Å"You do want to know what's on the other side, don't you?† â€Å"It's nothing special,† Jon said. He wanted to ride with Benjen Stark on his rangings, deep into the mysteries of the haunted forest, wanted to fight Mance Rayder's wildlings and ward the realm against the Others, but it was better not to speak of the things you wanted. â€Å"The rangers say it's just woods and mountains and frozen lakes, with lots of snow and ice.† â€Å"And the grumkins and the snarks,† Tyrion said. â€Å"Let us not forget them, Lord Snow, or else what's that big thing for?† â€Å"Don't call me Lord Snow.† The dwarf lifted an eyebrow. â€Å"Would you rather be called the Imp? Let them see that their words can cut you, and you'll never be free of the mockery. If they want to give you a name, take it, make it your own. Then they can't hurt you with it anymore.† He gestured with his stick. â€Å"Come, walk with me. They'll be serving some vile stew in the common hall by now, and I could do with a bowl of something hot.† Jon was hungry too, so he fell in beside Lannister and slowed his pace to match the dwarf's awkward, waddling steps. The wind was rising, and they could hear the old wooden buildings creaking around them, and in the distance a heavy shutter banging, over and over, forgotten. Once there was a muffled thump as a blanket of snow slid from a roof and landed near them. â€Å"I don't see your wolf,† Lannister said as they walked. â€Å"I chain him up in the old stables when we're training. They board all the horses in the east stables now, so no one bothers him. The rest of the time he stays with me. My sleeping cell is in Hardin's Tower.† â€Å"That's the one with the broken battlement, no? Shattered stone in the yard below, and a lean to it like our noble king Robert after a long night's drinking? I thought all those buildings had been abandoned.† Jon shrugged. â€Å"No one cares where you sleep. Most of the old keeps are empty, you can pick any cell you want.† Once Castle Black had housed five thousand fighting men with all their horses and servants and weapons. Now it was home to a tenth that number, and parts of it were falling into ruin. Tyrion Lannister's laughter steamed in the cold air. â€Å"I'll be sure to tell your father to arrest more stonemasons, before your tower collapses.† Jon could taste the mockery there, but there was no denying the truth. The Watch had built nineteen great strongholds along the Wall, but only three were still occupied: Eastwatch on its grey windswept shore, the ShadowTower hard by the mountains where the Wall ended, and Castle Black between them, at the end of the kingsroad. The other keeps, long deserted, were lonely, haunted places, where cold winds whistled through black windows and the spirits of the dead manned the parapets. â€Å"It's better that I'm by myself,† Jon said stubbornly. â€Å"The rest of them are scared of Ghost.† â€Å"Wise boys,† Lannister said. Then he changed the subject. â€Å"The talk is, your uncle is too long away.† Jon remembered the wish he'd wished in his anger, the vision of Benjen Stark dead in the snow, and he looked away quickly. The dwarf had a way of sensing things, and Jon did not want him to see the guilt in his eyes. â€Å"He said he'd be back by my name day,† he admitted. His name day had come and gone, unremarked, a fortnight past. â€Å"They were looking for Ser Waymar Royce, his father is bannerman to Lord Arryn. Uncle Benjen said they might search as far as the ShadowTower. That's all the way up in the mountains.† â€Å"I hear that a good many rangers have vanished of late,† Lannister said as they mounted the steps to the common hall. He grinned and pulled open the door. â€Å"Perhaps the grumkins are hungry this year.† Inside, the hall was immense and drafty, even with a fire roaring in its great hearth. Crows nested in the timbers of its lofty ceiling. Jon heard their cries overhead as he accepted a bowl of stew and a heel of black bread from the day's cooks. Grenn and Toad and some of the others were seated at the bench nearest the warmth, laughing and cursing each other in rough voices. Jon eyed them thoughtfully for a moment. Then he chose a spot at the far end of the hall, well away from the other diners. Tyrion Lannister sat across from him, sniffing at the stew suspiciously. â€Å"Barley, onion, carrot,† he muttered. â€Å"Someone should tell the cooks that turnip isn't a meat.† â€Å"It's mutton stew.† Jon pulled off his gloves and warmed his hands in the steam rising from the bowl. The smell made his mouth water. â€Å"Snow.† Jon knew Alliser Thorne's voice, but there was a curious note in it that he had not heard before. He turned. â€Å"The Lord Commander wants to see you. Now.† For a moment Jon was too frightened to move. Why would the Lord Commander want to see him? They had heard something about Benjen, he thought wildly, he was dead, the vision had come true. â€Å"Is it my uncle?† he blurted. â€Å"Is he returned safe?† â€Å"The Lord Commander is not accustomed to waiting,† was Ser Alliser's reply. â€Å"And I am not accustomed to having my commands questioned by bastards.† Tyrion Lannister swung off the bench and rose. â€Å"Stop it, Thorne. You're frightening the boy.† â€Å"Keep out of matters that don't concern you, Lannister. You have no place here.† â€Å"I have a place at court, though,† the dwarf said, smiling. â€Å"A word in the right ear, and you'll die a sour old man before you get another boy to train. Now tell Snow why the Old Bear needs to see him. Is there news of his uncle?† â€Å"No,† Ser Alliser said. â€Å"This is another matter entirely. A bird arrived this morning from Winterfell, with a message that concerns his brother.† He corrected himself. â€Å"His half brother.† â€Å"Bran,† Jon breathed, scrambling to his feet. â€Å"Something's happened to Bran.† Tyrion Lannister laid a hand on his arm. â€Å"Jon,† he said. â€Å"I am truly sorry.† Jon scarcely heard him. He brushed off Tyrion's hand and strode across the hall. He was running by the time he hit the doors. He raced to the Commander's Keep, dashing through drifts of old snow. When the guards passed him, he took the tower steps two at a time. By the time he burst into the presence of the Lord Commander, his boots were soaked and Jon was wild-eyed and panting. â€Å"Bran,† he said. â€Å"What does it say about Bran?† Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, was a gruff old man with an immense bald head and a shaggy grey beard. He had a raven on his arm, and he was feeding it kernels of corn. â€Å"I am told you can read.† He shook the raven off, and it flapped its wings and flew to the window, where it sat watching as Mormont drew a roll of paper from his belt and handed it to Jon. â€Å"Corn,† it muttered in a raucous voice. â€Å"Corn, corn.† Jon's finger traced the outline of the direwolf in the white wax of the broken seat. He recognized Robb's hand, but the letters seemed to blur and run as he tried to read them. He realized he was crying. And then, through the tears, he found the sense in the words, and raised his head. â€Å"He woke up,† he said. â€Å"The gods gave him back.† â€Å"Crippled,† Mormont said. â€Å"I'm sorry, boy. Read the rest of the letter.† He looked at the words, but they didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Bran was going to live. â€Å"My brother is going to live,† he told Mormont. The Lord Commander shook his head, gathered up a fistful of corn, and whistled. The raven flew to his shoulder, crying, â€Å"Live! Live!† Jon ran down the stairs, a smile on his face and Robb's letter in his hand. â€Å"My brother is going to live,† he told the guards. They exchanged a look. He ran back to the common hall, where he found Tyrion Lannister just finishing his meal. He grabbed the little man under the arms, hoisted him up in the air, and spun him around in a circle. â€Å"Bran is going to live!† he whooped. Lannister looked startled. Jon put him down and thrust the paper into his hands. â€Å"Here, read it,† he said. Others were gathering around and looking at him curiously. Jon noticed Grenn a few feet away. A thick woolen bandage was wrapped around one hand. He looked anxious and uncomfortable, not menacing at all. Jon went to him. Grenn edged backward and put up his hands. â€Å"Stay away from me now, you bastard.† Jon smiled at him. â€Å"I'm sorry about your wrist. Robb used the same move on me once, only with a wooden blade. It hurt like seven hells, but yours must be worse. Look, if you want, I can show you how to defend that.† Alliser Thorne overheard him. â€Å"Lord Snow wants to take my place now.† He sneered. â€Å"I'd have an easier time teaching a wolf to juggle than you will training this aurochs.† â€Å"I'll take that wager, Ser Alliser,† Jon said. â€Å"I'd love to see Ghost juggle.† Jon heard Grenn suck in his breath, shocked. Silence fell. Then Tyrion Lannister guffawed. Three of the black brothers joined in from a nearby table. The laughter spread up and down the benches, until even the cooks joined in. The birds stirred in the rafters, and finally even Grenn began to chuckle. Ser Alliser never took his eyes from Jon. As the laughter rolled around him, his face darkened, and his sword hand curled into a fist. â€Å"That was a grievous error, Lord Snow,† he said at last in the acid tones of an enemy.

Bartleby Essay Research Paper Since he will

Bartleby Essay, Research Paper Since he will non discontinue me, I must discontinue him. ? Ah Bartleby, Ah Humanity. ? ( Page 140, Herman Melville ) This is the key to Bartleby, written by Herman Melville, for it indicates that Bartleby stands as a symbol for humanity. This in bend maps as a commentary on society and the on the job universe, for Bartleby is a apparently homeless, mentally disturbed copyist who gives up on the chance of populating life. However, by making so Bartleby is trying to exert his freewill, for he would? prefer non to? work. His relationship to the storyteller is therefore important, for as he attempts to exert his freewill he is interrupting from the will of the storyteller and the normal patterned advance of life. However, this effort to exert his freewill and interrupt loose from the confines of typical social maps, isolates Bartleby from society, which in bend topographic points him in a province of depression and shortly at that place after, decease. Ultimately, by holding Bartleby? prefer non to, ? Melville is noticing on the function of humanity in the work force. If adult male attempts to interrupt free of his function and exert his ain freewill so he is break uping himself from humanity which in bend will take to depression and possibly decease, for he will hold nil but a wall ever blockading him. From the beginning Bartleby is isolated within the confines of his work topographic point. ? I procured a high green turn uping screen, which might wholly insulate Bartleby from my sight, though non take him from my voice. ? ( pg 111 ) In this citation the storyteller put Arnold, Page 2 up a screen to divide his office from Bartleby? s, which isolates him from the other members of the staff which therefore isolates him from humanity. However, this is non the terminal of the isolation for he is non merely detached from those around him, but society every bit good. ? I placed his desk near up to a little side window, a window that had originally afforded a position of certain grimy backyards, but which commanded at present, no position at all. Within three pess of the strivings was a wall. ? ( pg 110-111 ) This citation demonstrates Bartleby? s entire isolation from society, for even his window, normally a signifier of flight, traps Bartelby behind another wall, which therefore reinforces absolute isolation. Ultimately, every facet of Bartleby? s life further expounds upon the motive of purdah. Bartalby? s effort to exert his freewill finally leads him into an even more anomic province as he estranges himself from his coworkers and his foreman, the storyteller. This resulted from a refusal to follow the orders of the storyteller, for he refused to work or even pass on with him. His lone response shortly became? I would prefer non to, ? which shows his deficiency of engagement and in turn his determination non to interact in society, for he gave up what small life he still had. Ultimately, what he was making, was preferring non to populate, but alternatively merely be. Melville, is therefore noticing on the work force by showing through Bartleby? s continual descend into the abysmal, society confines you behind walls and that if you give in and take to halt life you will blow off as Bartl eby did. Consequently, Bartleby after holding alienated himself so to the full was so left to his ain devices. ? Since he will non discontinue me, I must discontinue him. I will alter my offices ; I will travel elsewhere. ? ( pg 132-133 ) He was deserted wholly, for he was no longer life. Arnold, Page 3 He continued to take a breath, he continued to be, but he was no longer of any usage to society. As he severs himself from humanity, Bartleby is incognizant of the effects. However, these effects as displayed by Melville, remark upon the impact that the work force can hold upon world. Through Bartleby, he demonstrates that one time you give up on life, everyone about will give up on you in bend, as the storyteller did with Bartleby, for you have become an obstructor, much like the walls environing Bartleby. In the terminal, his stubbornness was what led him to decease. For his determination to retreat from society and farther seclude himself led to the decomposition of his psyche. He lost all desire to work, or even map, ? I now recalled all the quiet enigmas, which I had, noted in the adult male. I remembered that he neer spoke but to answer. ? ( pg. 106 ) He shortly became a victim of society, fring all enterprise. Therefore, ? for long periods he would stand looking out, at his picket window behind the screen, upon the dead brick wall, ? ( pg 126 ) and this became his life. He was trapped behind a brick wall and he shortly became so disillusioned by it that he lost sight of life and gave up. Ultimately, his will to? prefer non to? concluded in his decease. Bartleby was imprisoned because of his desire to show his free will and neer go forth his office, even after it was no longer his topographic point of employment. # 8220 ; And to you, this should non be so vile a topographic point . Nothing admonitory attaches to you by being here. And see, it is non so sad a topographic point as one might believe. Look, there is the sky, and here is the grass. # 8221 ; ( pg 137 ) It is dry that one time he is really confined within prison walls, that he is eventually exposed to the outside universe, the sky and grass. Arnold, Page 4 It is even more dry that one time Bartleby is no longer restrained by society? s conformances that it is so that he dies. ? Queerly huddled at the base of the wall, his articulatio genuss drawn up, his caput touching the rocks, I saw the wasted Bartleby. ? ( pg 139 ) Ultimately, one time disillusioned by society and the work force, he died at his ain free will because he? preferred no to? unrecorded. Bartleby? s character remarks upon the maps of society and the work force. This narrative demonstrates that life if non lived is useless, as in the instance of Bartleby, who wastes his away? preferring non to. ? Although, from the beginning he was isolated behind the green turn uping screen with nil but a wall to gaze out, he did non hold to give up his humanity. However, he chose to, he chose to farther isolate himself by his ain stubbornness and accordingly it led to his decease. ? It is unsafe to insulate oneself ; unsafe for and single and for a nation. ? ( Jawaharial Nehru ) For in the terminal, isolation can drive a individual insane, make him muffle, or even kill him. 317

SWOT analysis of HP Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SWOT analysis of HP Inc - Essay Example , the company is able to easily enter into a business partnership with multi-national companies such as in the case of Starbucks in terms of using HP’s Wireless Connection Manager software for the Wi-Fi access of Starbucks’ clients. (Weinschenck, 2002) Aside from having good and loyal customer reputation in terms of patronizing HP’s PC-related products, the company continuously improves its global distribution network over the years. (BNET, 1998) By enhancing its global distribution network, the company is able to easily distribute its product and services across the world. Thus, strengthening the company’s ability to increase its annual sales and profitability. Since 1999, HP continuously exerted extra effort in protecting its product and services through the U.S. intellectual property law. (HP, 2008a) By actively registering its newly innovated products and brand name under patent and trademark, the company is highly HP’s Storage Division falls short of its client’s expectations. (Maitland, 2004; Vance, 2004) For this reason, the company has experienced a 5% decline in revenue because of HP’s server and storage division. Likewise, this causes the company’s share to fall down from $19.10 to $16.28 back in 2004. (Vance, 2004) HP continuously innovate new product and technology to satisfy the needs and wants of its target consumers. (Hoffman, 2007) Aiming to increase the business opportunity of HP, the company has recently designed and marketed a universal printer driver in order to increase its competitive advantages over other brands. In order to overcome the company’s weaknesses, HP entered into merger with Compaq in order to improve its storage division. (Stammers, 2004) In the process, HP should take it as a challenge to improve its Server and Storage Division by changing its existing storage landscape. (Maitland, 2004) Failure of HP to immediately act upon its weaknesses imposes a significant threat over its annual revenue and

Economics and Management of Competitive Strategy Assignment

Economics and Management of Competitive Strategy - Assignment Example Likewise, in terms of the cost per movie of the movie studios who are the movie rental supplies, the total cost is the cost of producing the movie. However, to determine the supplier value, it is equal to â€Å"the difference between the payment the firm makes to the supplier and the supplier’s cost† (Spulber, 2009, p. 206). Their cost could be estimated by determining the cost of using their assets; or by calculating their operating profit. Likewise, the costs per movie of the movie rental chain are, therefore, the total costs or expenses that the movie rental chain is willing to pay to deliver the total value to the consumers. Thus, the value created per movie of the movie rental chain is the â€Å"total value created a net of customer value and supplier value† (Spulber, 2009, p. 210). (ii) The retail price per movie is the price paid by the customer per unit of renting a movie; while the wholesale price is the price in volume, of say, renting movies in batches of 10 or more. The factors that affect retail and wholesale prices include transaction cost per unit, direct labor, and overhead costs. Consumers’ surplus is determined by the net benefits from purchasing the goods; while producers’ surplus, also known as operating profit is the supplier value, defined as â€Å"the difference between the payment the firm makes to the supplier and the supplier’s cost† (Spulber, 2009, p. 206). ... lowering supplier cost; (2) providing greater benefits to customers by improving products and services; and (3) developing innovative transactions that offer new value to the market† (Spulber, 2009, p. 210). Likewise, the movie rental chain can increase the value that it captures either through the increase of prices to customers; reducing payments to suppliers, or making more effective use of its assets. (iv) In a rent or sale of DVDs alternative, the movie rental chain should take into consideration the following factors: (1) the costs of paying suppliers (supplier value) for the DVDs to be sold or rented out; (2) direct costs (labor and overhead); and (3) the perceived customer value from either renting or buying DVDs.  Ã‚  

Empowerment. Does it work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Empowerment. Does it work - Essay Example This paper seeks to explain empowerment and its impact in workplaces. Empowering an employee in the work place leads to increased productivity as compared to underpowered ones. Their performance levels are high, and they are happier with their job leading to job satisfaction and lesser complacency. Employees appraise their work in regard to the amount of pay they receive from their employer; thus an employee with more say in the workplace finds the conditions of more conducive for work. Empowerment creates a sense of responsibility and motivates them to put in more effort as they learn their role in the success of the organization. As a result, the productivity and output in terms of the organization’s fortunes increase. Freedom and democracy in the workplace, empowerment, provoke the creativity of workers towards coming up with new ideas and concepts that lead to increased productivity and efficiency in work (Bednarz, 2012, par. 12). It also contributes towards positive attitudes and relationships between all members of staff. This is the result of ; proper communication between all parties involved in decision making as they are all allowed to make their opinions known and also contribute on how they affect them (Sptreitzer et al par. 12). At the workplace, employee empowerment ensures pay based on the level of knowledge that one has and the qualifications. This, in turn, leads to safety as employees do not participate in activities that they have no adequate knowledge in. As a result, employees are involved in personally managing their tasks and thus encourage a sense of responsibility for their jobs and wellbeing. Empowerment, therefore, leads to fewer investments concerning safety and compensation for workplace accidents (Bednarz, 2012, par. 11). In addition, lawsuits against the organization are reduced leading to increased savings by the organization and better working relations between employees and employers. It also boosts the relations

Nike Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Nike - Essay Example Nike’s quest to become a global sports leader has fuelled the remarkable move to the more innovative digital marketing. The digital campaigns on the social media such as Facebook have enabled Nike to popularise the FuelBand among the target consumers. The social media has enabled Nike to communicate constantly with the customers. The Nike + FuelBand Community on the Facebook send messages of motivation to the users to acquire the FuelBand (Guarda). In effect, the digital and social marketing has facilitated the collection of information regarding consumer’s preferences, as well as choices. Nike has maintained consistency in its quest to communicate constantly with the customers in the social media, and position the FuelBand in the market. The company engages with the consumers and receives important feedback about the product. In effect, Nike has created a strong relationship with the consumers through the digital and social marketing strategies for long-term engagement (Guarda). The social media is an integral part of the business cycle, and Nike has seized the opportunity as it endeavours to position itself as a global sports leader by understanding the needs of the customers. Guarda, Dinis. Nike Takes Digital Data and Social Media Marketing Seriously. Web. 22nd Nov. 2014

Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Movie Review Example Day for Night† was â€Å"named after a technical term for night scenes shot in daylight with a special filter,  offering a fascinating insight into the reality behind the art of moviemaking† (â€Å"New Wave Film† Web). The film revolves around a story of English woman married to a French man, who falls in love again with the father of her husband and together they escape. Actually, this was as a result of the son bringing the girlfriend, Pamela, to introduce her to the parents not really knowing that the two- his father and Pamela, will fall in love and leave him helpless. There are various themes in the film. Some of the themes include pregnancy and death, failure of particular love affair and rise of another, and also the motion of emergence of new careers and upholding the existing ones. The film is composed of the director, Francois Truffaut, who acts as Ferrand and is entitled to hard work and many challenges being the director. Ferrand has the leading lady called Julie who is Jacqueline Bisset, who is not covered by any insurance company and is suffering from the nervous breakdown, Jean-Pierre Leaud acting as Alphonse is just concerned with script girl than concentration on his acting role. Valentina Cortese acts as Severine and has a hot temper distracting her from memorizing the exact lines of the part assigned to her. Lastly, Jean-Pierre Aumont, taking duties as Alexandre meets his male lover secretly and persistently, yet no one really knows where he goes. Cinematographer in the film is Pierre-William Glenn; the assistant director of the day for night is Nathalie Baye acting as Joelle, and the producer, Marcel Berbert. (â€Å"New Wave Film† Web). The viewers have accepted the movie â€Å"Day for Night† and they credit the film highly between four over five to five over five. Various award and credits have been given out in favour of the fill due to its interesting, touching and funny nature. Not only the movie addicts were attracted to watch this

Baroque Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Baroque Art - Essay Example The Baroque is an artistic style developed in Rome, Italy to demonstrate clear but exaggerated emotion, contrast, complexity, drama and ornamentation (DECCO) in painting, architecture, literature, dance, and other forms of art. The Catholic Church adopted the style and spread it across Europe in the 17th century. The church responded to the Christian Reformation which required that religious themes should be communicated through art. This included emotional involvement and illustration of power and control. Reformation demonstrates the lifestyle and beliefs of people. Baroque art was also tied to counter-reformation which demonstrates emotionality of the Catholic Church and glorification of the church and the Monarch. St. Jerome is also an example of the Catholic inspiration. He is represented in art wandering in the Syrian Desert . The religious writings of St. Jerome are also demonstrated in art to show his inspiration in the Catholic Church. For example, Jacopo Palma Giovane made a sculpture of St. Jerome reading the scripture and demonstrating with hands. This shows emotions associated with reading and reciting the scriptures. In the Spanish colonization and exploration of the New World, the Spaniards used drama and emotion in most cases to propagate their barbaric actions of blasphemous Christianity. They hanged people in gibbets, snatched babies from their mothers and killed them, and executed mass murders of Indians everywhere in the New World. The practices of the Spaniards in America were praised.

External Environmental Scan Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

External Environmental Scan Paper - Essay Example The analysis of the external environment has made Apple has spread its operations to different parts of the world like Korea, Cork, China, Ireland and Czech Republic (Hassan, 2013).   The most important external environmental factor in the remote, industry, and external operating environments of Apple include political, economic, social, and technology. By operating in different parts of the world, political factors normally affect the operation of Apple. A country with stable governance systems like UK and the US provides the company with a favorable environment for the operation because such countries hold an enviable and strong position in global politics. However, there are risks posed by terrorist elements that hinder their operation. The current political challenges that affect the company are, therefore, the sagging popularity of some countries like the UK and the increasing terrorist threats (Newlands & Hooper, 2009). Economically, the company has been greatly affected by the economic downturn experienced throughout the world. This has affected the financial systems of many countries as it has resulted into fluctuation in exchange rate particularly when dealing with their foreign trade. The global crisis has also led to slow economic growth that has reduced the profit margins for the company particularly in weak economies (Hassan, 2013).   These factors have massively contributed to the companys success in terms of increased sales volume. Increased education levels and increased the number of people, institutions and companies that buy through the internet has resulted in the tremendous increase in growth of the company. Another factor that has greatly impacted the company is a technology. Due to fast technological changes and heavy competition, the company has increased its expense on research and development so as to be ahead of their competitors by improving their design and performance continually (Hassan,

Red Bulls current marketing strategies Essay Example for Free

Red Bulls current marketing strategies Essay How should Red Bull market its brand in the future? I think, although Red Bull has been extremely successful in the past, times have changed and the company and products should change with it, otherwise we probably lose market share to the tremendous increased number of competitors in no time.At the height of early mornings and late nights, Red Bull energy drink became the fuel of choice for people from all walks of life. So how is Red Bull marketing its brand to meet the changing needs and budgets of its customers? How will the privately owned Austrian company expand its product line beyond the silver-bullet beverage that gives you wings? My conclusion is that we should focus on what the consumers want, need, and can afford and different marketing techniques. Red Bull founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, introduced his tonic drinks to the Austrian market in 1987. Red Bull got off the ground in no time flat, giving people wings right from the start. It wasnt until ten years later, Red Bull charged into the United States, launching a new category of non-soda energy drinks aimed at burned out high school kids, college students, and overworked individuals. In my opinion Red Bull should focus not only on low cost marketing, but also areas of mass marketing. Red Bull is an energy drink with an amazingly clever marketing strategy, but could use an extra shove in areas. Since its inception, Red Bull has shunned print advertising in its marketing strategy. Red Bull has also chosen to eliminate billboards, banner ads, taxicab holograms, blimps, and Super Bowl spots as a form of advertising. It has not created one web-marketing campaign, and it hasnt nipped or expanded its product line. This could be a good area to begin. Promoting the drink with prints or web-marketing campaigns could add to the many satisfied consumers. Red Bulls website could also use renovations. The website, http://www.redbullusa.com/start.html, does not include an in-depth analysis on ingredients contained in the drink, whereas Dark Dog and Red Devil do. If consumers wanted to learn what was contained in the drink and how they benefit from the product, the information should not only be available, but in abundance. Also, Super Bowl advertising has proved to be very beneficial,  with more viewers than any TV program. Advanced communications technology is creating a generation where many individual can be touched by one visual. However, Red Bull chooses to use advertising that cost little or nothing. Red Bull has also adopted another form of low cost advertising. Red Bull sets its grassroots ethic into motion with a simple, yet masterful marketing force, student brand managers. In Europe, collegiate buzz junkies have been successfully addicting friends and classmates for years thanks to a foolproof branding plan; Red Bull provides the student representatives with free cases of its energy drink and then encourages the kids to throw a party. Red Bull could also use this technique with older individuals in high stress occupations. This will not only spread the word quickly and cheaply, but to more individuals of different ages. This would allow Red Bull to expand its target. In terms of attracting new customers and enhancing consumer loyalty, Red Bull has a more effective branding campaign than Coke or Pepsi, says Nancy F. Koehn, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and author of Brand New: How Entrepreneurs Earned Consumers Trust from Wedgwood to Dell (Harvard Business School Press, 2001). Red Bull is building a beverage brand without relying on the essential equipment of a mass-marketing campaign. Perhaps the indispensable tools of marketing arent so indispensable after all. With the little advertising Red Bull uses, an extra push in one of these areas could prove very beneficial for the company. Resources: Brand New: How Entrepreneurs Earned Consumers Trust from Wedgwood to Dell (Harvard Business School Press, 2001) http://www.redbullusa.com/start.html http://www.plan-b.biz/pdf/Speed_In_a_Can.pdf http://www.darkdog.com/ http://www.reddevilusa.com/ http://www.safefoodonline.com/safefood/Uploads/appendix_I_stimulant_drinks_in_ireland%2520_trans_mgmt.pdf

Higher Education and Vocational Degree Essay Example for Free

Higher Education and Vocational Degree Essay â€Å"What’s Wrong With Vocational School,† by Charles Murray is an Article that states Vocational schooling would be better off than a four year College degree. In Murray’s opinion, college should only be with those with a high IQ rate of 115 or higher and able to handle rigorous and challenging courses. If you are at an IQ below 110 it becomes an issue and you would be more successful in a Vocational program. This article calmly and rationally presents the notion that the population would be better served by the reintroduction of more training for careers in trade occupations becoming more prominent, therefore creating more job opportunities for people graduating with a vocational degree. Many students that graduate from a four year University do not learn what is needed to go into the working field. Murray states â€Å"For a few occupations, a college degree still certifies a qualification. This brings up the question, why do we pressure everyone to get a four year degree? In our society the college you go to means more than your actual qualification or talent you might have. Employers tend to pick a student that graduated from a university over that of a vocational school student just because of the name of the school not the talent the individual has. The degree itself also does not automatically qualify the student for the job and there are much faster and better ways such as a vocational degree for young people to provide credentials to employers. These credentials are needed in the job market for students with vocational degrees. As Murray says, â€Å"Finding a good lawyer or physician is easy but finding a good carpenter, painter, or electrician is becoming difficult. † The jobs needed such as an electrician or painters are those with vocational degrees. We often overlook some of the great jobs that don’t require a degree and are still very rewarding. A vocational degree can bring just as much income sometimes even more than a four year college degree in half the time. We have a mindset that a four year degree is much more valuable than a vocational degree. As Murray conveys this is not true he used an example of a craftsman bringing intrinsic rewards with high income. Vocational degrees are becoming more susceptible in our community. A college degree is no more important than any other high tech occupation such as an NBA player or a cabinet maker. Many of our most high income people do not have a college degree and do not care because they are living happily without it. Murray states the social cachet of a college degree still remains but will erode over time when large numbers of high income people do not have college degrees. † Many employers are looking more at the evidence you are good at something without the benefit of a college degree and will increase more overtime. If this does continue our false outlook of a college degree will diminish. As a society we look at the only way of becoming successful is going to a four university and look over vocational degree programs.

The Importance Of Relationships

The Importance Of Relationships To better understand the argument of friendships and their potential cause of instability in the hierarchical structure of Confucian thought put forth by Norman Kutcher (2000), I examined three sources discussed in this paper. In his article The Confucian Concept of Man: The Original Formulation, Scott Morton (1971) presents the general idea of Confucian thought and explains the ideas and concept of man. To go into further detail, Donald Blakeleys (2008) Hearts in Agreement: Zhuangzi on Dao Adept Friendship explores friendship in both philosophies and defines friendship according to the Analects giving readers a better understanding of friendship and its role in society. Finally, Arthur W. Hummels (1960) article titled The Art of Social Relations in China emphasizes the importance of relationships in China and society, the role of relationships in ones maturity, emphasizing the importance of friendship on ones road to success once he leaves the family nest. These articles provide add itional insight and understanding the function of friendships in a mans maturity and growth process, emphasizing the need and necessity and importance of friendship, overall providing a bigger and clearer picture of friendship and its potential effects. The Importance of Relationships: Its roles and Responsibilities Upon reading Norman Kutchers (2000) article on friendships titled, The Fifth Relationship: Dangerous Friendships in the Confucian Context, I was left with several questions. In Kutchers (2000) article, friendship was defined and separated from the other relationships because of its uniqueness of its members and nature. He argues that friendship is an unstable relationship that could potentially upset the hierarchy in state and family relations (the other four relationships). However, his argument left me with several questions about the topic. I wanted to be better understand the role of the individual and the concept of man in Confucian thought to see how this related to relationships and human conduct in these relationships. I also wanted to comprehend and firmly grasp the ideas of relationships and friendships, in particular, its definition in Confucian terms. In addition, I also wanted to comprehend, in depth the importance of relationships in the growth and maturity of a man, wh ether friendship was something that was actually needed and required or just something voluntary as Kutcher (2000) argued in his essay. These concerns led me to research on the history of Confucian thought, the concepts and its beliefs on relationships, and the importance and role friendships played on growth and maturity. Through my research, I came across the following three academic sources. The first article is titled The Confucian Concept of Man: the original formulation about the formulation of man and the concept of man in Confucian thought by Scott Morton (1971). Morton begins by introducing the beginning of Chinese philosophy and their interest in the creation of an ethical framework for human conduct. In Chinese philosophy, especially Confucianism, it is difficult to differentiate between philosophy and ethics. The first question that Morton (1971) wants to answer is how Confucius views man. The first concept is that Man is always considered as Man living inside of society. People are individuals, but all individuals live in societies and relationships; these societies, communities, whatever you want to call them exist in a network of duties, obligations, and rights (Morton, 1971). Secondly, there is also a stated hierarchy in Confucian thought as men in society are divided into two groups, the rulers and the ruled. And finally, probably Confucius most notable contribution to Confucian thought, is the idea of Chun Tzu or nobleman. The noble man is born noble and this is shown through his actions. Morton (1971) continues to define moral character and the nobleman. Using translations mainly from Legge and Waley, Morton (1971) suggests six groups of characteristics and moral qualities that are important to the nobleman. The first is his resolution and firmness. The nobleman must be firm and decided. He is proud but not quarrelsome. He does not quit or give up on the right or the good way. The second group of moral characteristics consists of mildness, modesty, and humility. In third place is a well-balanced character. This refers to not only a perfection of delicately balancing all previously mentioned moral characteristics but also refers to his human life and relationship as a whole, reciprocity. What one man does not want done to him, he must not do to others. He knows what to do and when to do it, his style and mannerisms are very important in this balance of moral characteristics. The fourth is faithfulness; the gentleman must be one in whom others can trust. The fifth char acteristic of the gentleman is his ability to admit to fault and imperfections. If he knows his mistake, he can correct it and perfect himself; if a man lacks this characteristic, he will become the inferior man. Finally, the sixth and last moral characteristic is independence. What the Analects mean by this is not his ability to be independent, but his ability to be separate and have general moral qualifications, not a specialist or a tool trained for a specific purpose. The nobleman is one who is fit and able to do anything. According to Morton (1971), the man who is in the relationship must not only follow the rules and obligations of being in a specific relationship, but he must also be a nobleman in all cases. He must have the ability to determine and differentiate between the right and the wrong, and with resolution follow his path down the Good way. Every man has an important role to play, and depending on his situation, he should know the style with which he should perform in each. Though this article does not directly discuss relationships and Confucian thought on friendship, Morton (1971) helps to shed light on the philosophies of Confucian thought, in particular Mortons (1971) analysis on human conduct and the nobleman according to the Analects, and provides significant background information to help better understand the ideas put forth by Kutcher (2000). Mortons (1971) particular analysis and detail about the nobleman adds to Kutchers (2000) argument about friendship because it details the priorities about a man and the way he should act towards his rulers, his family, and his friends. This helps me to analyze the argument because I can better analyze and critique Kutchers (2000) argument. The second article is titled Hearts in Agreemtn: Zhuangzi on Dao Adept Friendship by Donald N. Blakeley (2008). This article by Donald Blakeley (2008) begins with an introduction to friendship in the Daodejing and then continues to compare this thought to the friendship defined in the Analects in Confucian thought. An understanding of friendships and how they are viewed in detail will help us better understand Kutchers (2000) suggestion of friendship and how it connects and plays a role in hierarchy in Confucian China. Blakeley defines friendship (which is taken from the Daodejing) as a relationship where one accepts and recognizes the other and his qualifications; people who are friends often share skills and expertise, and often times similar thoughts and values. Throughout the article, Blakeley (2008) defines friendship and analyzes it from a Daoist perspective. It is not until later in the article that Blakeley observes friendship in the terms of Confucianism and Ren. According to Blakeley (2008), priority resides in cultivating the fullness of a virtuous life as defined by proper understanding of the cultural values of the past (Blakeley 2008, p. 330). A ren person is cultivated and guided by ceremony and rituals, li. This li is then grounded in dao, or the way, of relationships and society which all operate under Heaven. In terms of friendships, the Analects and the Mencius advise that friendships have the following traits. The first is that the relationships must be based on a particular value and similar perspectives. Befriend only the right persons and Cultivate friendship with the good. The second is that friendship requires trust and sincerity, faithfulness and honesty. Good friends are ones that are devoted to virtuous living, exemp lary persons or sages. The third characteristic is that friendships must work and embrace the wider contexts of human existence (such as family, political, government, ruler-ruled settings). This relationship must work within the grand matrix of the world. The fourth is that friendships are voluntary. The fifth is that friendships are equal (otherwise, it would belong with another of the five relationships). The sixth characteristic of friendships is that they are based on mutual respect and reciprocity, which also falls within the action and behavior of the nobleman in the aforementioned article by Morton (1971). Finally, friendship is conditional. This is a relationship meant to enhance all other human relations and roles. If a friendship mistakenly affects your ability to perform your duties and obligations in another relationship, this would not be a good friendship and should be ended. Blakeley (2008) explores friendships in Chinese philosophy beginning with the Zhuangzi and then comparing that to the Analects. Through this analysis, we are able to better understand the context of friendship and how it is defined in the books and the philosophies of Confucius and other Chinese thought. By gaining an improved grasp on friendships in this context, will be able to have a more encompassing evaluation of Kutchers (2000) argument. The finally article that will be taken into consideration upon evaluation of Kutchers (2000) article is Artuher W. Hummels (1960) titled The Art of Social Relations in China. The Chinese believed that life was about relationships, and how one managed those relationships would determine his success in society. There were a total of five relationships: the relationship of the ruler and the ruled, the father and son, the elder and younger brothers, husband and wife, and friend and friend. In every relationship, there are obligations and duties, there are also right and privileges granted by one or the other in that relationship. Hummel (1960) then begins to discuss and introduce Mencius and Confucius philosophy on man and their natural goodness. Through this goodness is virtue, and the gentleman is one who is able to share and give virtue and goodness to all. Hummel (1960) then also discusses the Confucian gentleman. The Confucian gentleman is one who has manners and is style and proper ; he knows the situation and understands the accurate manners and performance in each. Human conduct, thus, became a large part of Confucian thought and consequently, Chinese thought. In his article Hummel (1960) states that is a mistake to think of Confucian ethics as a code, rule, or law. Instead, they are mere suggestions and persuasions, techniques used and highly prized in the Confucian world. Suggestion is the power to share and allow others to discover ideas almost by themselves. The gentleman and the loved man is one who is humble and large-minded. It is the ability to overlook small failings and care about the more important things and more significant things; it is the ability to differentiate between the small and the large things in life. In this article, we are given a bigger and greater practical view on how relationships are managed and should be managed according to Confucian thought. Friendships, specifically, should be looked at to help develop and cultivate virtue. According to Hummel (1960), one must be able to relate to those with virtue, and be able to maintain friendships throughout ones life. It is important to surround yourself with those who are better able to help you in the case of something happening. The Chinese place great importance on friendships because it is through friendships that one is better able to advance. The man who grows up and becomes a self-made man will be a lonely man; in the event of some unfortunate events, he will still be alone, with no one to help him along the way. Understanding friendships through Hummels (1960) analysis helps better evaluate Kutchers (2000) assumptions about friendship and the importance and need of friendship in a persons maturity, according to Confucian thought. This idea complements Blakeleys (2008) analysis of friendship based on Confucian texts such as the Analects. Blakeleys more detailed analysis on friendship thus helps us better understand friendship and its roles in society and to the individual in their maturity and growth. Finally, both of these contribute to a better understanding of Confucian thought presented by Morton (1971). Mortons (1971) presentation on Confucian thought and values, along with Blakeleys detailed analysis of friendship based on Confucian texts, together with the concept that relationships are the most important aspect according to Confucian thought allows us to grasp and better evaluate Kutchers (2000) argument on friendship and its role and effects in society and its members.

Progeria Essay -- miscellaneous

Progeria Progeria is one of the least known genetic disorders. There are two types of Progeria, the only difference being the age group that it affects. The Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome is commonly called Childhood Progeria. The second type of Progeria is Werner’s Syndrome, which is the adult form of Progeria. What basically happens in this disorder is that age is accelerated seven times faster than that of a normal person. For example, for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, a child could look like he is fifty when he is actually five years old. A twenty year old with Werner’s Syndrome could look similar to a sixty or seventy year old person. There is, even now, not much information known about this genetic disorder because of the scarcity of people with this disorder, not to mention the short life period that they have. The gene for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome was discovered quite recently on April 16, 2003. Researchers confirmed that the gene, HGPS, is not an inherited disorder because neither parent carries or express the mutation. The mutations to the gene LMNA, which encodes for the Lamin-A protein, causes Progeria. The Lamin-A protein is what provides the framework that holds the nucleus together. Researchers believe that an unstable nucleus caused by a faulty Lamin-A protein brings about Progeria. This gene is located in chromosome 1, but the exact locus has not been announced yet. Researchers say that Progeria is point autosomal point mutation. This misspelling among 25,000 base pairs causes the shortage of the protein made by Lamin-A. This is also a dominant mutation because it is expressed equally in girls and boys. As in other dominant gene mutations, there is a â€Å"paternal age effect†, meaning that the mother is, on the average, four or five years younger than the fathe r at the time of conception. The symptoms of a child with the HGPS gene are very noticeable. Although they appear normal at birth, their age begins to accelerate by they time they are 18 to 24 months old. Bones soften and become more fragile, and the even the skin takes the appearance of the very old because it becomes thinner. If the bones break, they usually do not heal properly. Children with Progeria often have a crinkled and beaklike nose, and fat under the skin is nonexistent to them. The muscles becoming flaccid, hips being dislocated, and joints... ...es, Venezuela, and Vietnam. What has also been noticed of those with Progeria, is that the progeriacs are born with abnormally short telomeres, which are caps of the chromosomes. By they time they turn five, these are as long as a very elderly person. Telomeres reach a certain point of division before they began shortening, making the person old. Currently, there are no cures for this genetic disorder. Dr. Francis Collin who is the head of the National Human genome Research Institute said that the â€Å"the next step is to find a drug that corrects the mutated LMNA gene, and it may be possible to correct the gene itself,† as stated by the Washington Post. Furthermore, mutation in a yeast protein that is similar to the human WRN protein called SGS1 causes the yeast to have a shorter lifespan than the yeast cells that are devoid of the mutation. Another fact that was noted was that nucleolus was enlarged and fragmented in the cells with SGS1, which are typical signs of aging in yeast. Yeast could be a helpful model for human aging because it may give the means to be knowledgeable about more about Werner’s Syndrome, Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, and other related diseases.

Humility Among the Kung! Essay -- essays research papers

Humility is a valuable attribute in the character of an individual, in society and in a culture. Cultivating this value in can be learned through psychological exercise, misfortune, costly mistakes, and various other methods. Such was the case with Ontah, the anthropologist in the story, â€Å"Eating Christmas in the Kalahari.† As an expression of gratitude towards the !Kung Bushmen and there families for there cooperation, Ontah purchased the largest meatiest ox he could find for the Christmas festivities. After living with the !Kung Bushmen for three years, with experience and observation of the Tswana-Herrero custom of slaughtering an ox for Christmas, makes it apparent that Ontah’s ox was not the choice of a novice. As the word circulated around the village of his polite gesture, he was baffled by the accusations that he had chosen an ox that was worthless and amounted to nothing more than a bag of bones. Ontah carefully measured this ox before he bought it. This ox was five feet high at the shoulders, five feet across the horns and estimated at 1200 pounds. According to his expert consumption calculations this ox was large enough to feed every man, women and child of the 150 Bushmen in that area! So how could it be said by everyone in the village that his choice of ox was skin and bones, would dampen the excitement of the festivities and since it was not enough to go around it would most likely cause a fight between rivals among the Bushmen, who would accuse one another of ...

Handmaids Tale :: essays papers

Handmaids Tale In the course Y2k and The End of The World, we've studied apocalyptic themes, eschatology, and for some, teleology. Apocalypse, which is to unveil or reveal, eschatology, which is a concept of the end, and teleology, the end or purpose to which we are drawn, are all themes used in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. The book is apocalyptic in that it revolves around dystopian ideals. Atwood creates a world in which worst-case scenarios take control and optimistic viewpoints and positive attitudes disappear. It has been said about this book that Atwood's writing echoes numerous motifs and literary devices, such as in Huxley's creation of a drug-calmed society, her characters awaiting execution seem tranquilized by pills or shots. Atwood's Book has also been compared to other novels like it, such as Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, and the most obvious, Orwell's 1984. These books have many things in common, including the perversion of science and technology as a major determinant of society's function and control. Like most dystopian novels, The Handmaid's Tale includes the oppression of society, mainly women in this example, the prevention of advancement of thought and intelligence, and an overwhelming sense of government involvement and interference. The Apocalyptic themes and situations found in Atwood's fictional city of Gilead focus around the mistreatment of all females. Women in this city, set 200 years in the future, have no rights, and get little respect. The rule by way of theocracy in Gilead also adds to the sense of regression and hopelessness in the future. The way babies are brought into the world, only through pregnant handmaids, the idea of a black market for things considered luxuries and privileges all add to the fact that society in this novel is in a desperate state of disrepair. Other Apocalyptic themes found in the book can be compared to sections of the bible, particularly the Old Testament. The Handmaid's Tale has many elements of social decline written into its plot. From the way women are mistreated to the way corruption and evil have infiltrated the government and army, to the way the black market plays a key role in many people's lives causing a majority of society to become criminals makes it clear how social decline plays a key role in the book.

Birmingham Campaign Essay

Campaign – Essay notes Cause †¢Underlying cause of history of slavery, emancipation, segregation/ Jim Crow laws. †¢Long term cause of growing Black Civil Rights movement building momentum and raising awareness of issue. Previous Black Civil rights campaigns that inspired and sparked e. g. Events such as Montgomery Bus Boycott which gave MLKing his first big leadership role. Also Freedom Riders, Brown VS board of Ed. †¢Birmingham was one of the worst segregated big cities in the USA †¢History of harsh and violent segregation and mistreatment of black citizens, KKK support and membership, epicentre of racism in the South †¢Government officials pro-segregation †¢SCLC- King’s group †¢NAACP was banned †¢Eg. Bull Connor and †¦.. †¢The failure of Albany- lack of publicity. †¢Event †¢Police violence †¢Dog attacks †¢High pressure hoses †¢Arrests. †¢By-standers violence †¢Children’s Crusade (primary and secondary) †¢Martin Luther King being arrested †¢Letter from Birmingham Jail †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Project C† = direct action and provocation †¢Non-violent provocations osit ins at White Churches, marches, boycotts, lunch counters etc. †¢Use of children to fuel protest Consequence †¢Publicity †¢National/International sympathy †¢White backlash – oSixteenth St Baptist Church bombing killing 4 girls oHotel bombed where Martin Luther King Jr and SCLC had stayed oMartin Luther King Jr’s brother Alfred’s house bombed †¢Riots †¢March on Washington †¢Civil Rights Act of 1964 †¢Governor Wallace sent State Troops to stop desegregation of schools and in response Present Kennedy sent Federal Troops. †¢Martin Luther King’s reputation (â€Å"I have a dream† speech). Nobel Peace prize 1964. †¢Positives: oâ€Å"Jim Crow† laws taken down desegregating public facilities eg Lunch counters, drinking fountains etc oAllowed Black employment oMore rights for Black citizens

Talking Styles

Ashley Broadway COM 200 Instructor Lindsay Hallead April 8, 2013 Talking Styles I feel the score that was given from the LSM was accurate. I used a portion of the text messages between me and my husband to complete the test. Before the test I felt we had a great connection when we communicate. We can communicate verbally and non-verbally very well. We have had great communication since the beginning and over the few years we have been together our communication has grown. Communication I don’t feel that it can be measured because it changes all the time.Communication is based upon a lot of things. It can reflect your mood and the atmosphere that you are in at the time. Your LSM score is 0. 79 Compared to other IMs that we have analyzed, your LSM score is slightly below average to give you an idea, most LSM scores for IMs range between . 75 and . 95, with an average around . 84. The more that the two people are paying attention to each other in their interaction, the higher the LSM. LSM is higher in ongoing conversations such as IMs, telephone calls, or face-to-face conversations.LSM is lower in emails, letters, or other less direct interactions. The more similar the topic and the mindset of the two authors, the more the LSM score should be similar. Do not take this feedback about LSM too seriously. It is still in the experimental phase. Several factors can lead to LSM scores that are too low. Some problems include: †¢Too few words by one or both authors †¢Very different genres of writing between the two people †¢An extreme number of misspellings or IM shortcuts (words such as â€Å"2† for â€Å"to† or â€Å"b4† for â€Å"before†).If you think this was a problem, correct these problems and see if your numbers change. Some of the best way to interpret your own feedback is to run different LSM scores with IMs or emails to and from other friends. Or track LSM scores with the same person over time. Once you start com paring your numbers, you can get a better sense of your average LSM numbers. (http://www. utpsyc. org/synch/feedback. php) I do not believe that language style matching is a comprehensive way to predict the quality of interpersonal relationships.Interpersonal relationships are more on the inside that what the language style matching can measure. Interpersonal relationships also change like communication. You may grow closer to the person you have an interpersonal relationship with or end up hating the person you have an interpersonal relationship with. There are many things that can happen to change an interpersonal relationship. I think the article â€Å"Shared Talking Styles Herald New and Lasting Romance† is somewhat true and somewhat false. There are a lot of things in this article that I have a hard time believing are true.I think a test about communication isn’t always accurate because of the circumstances that could affect the test. â€Å"Unconscious verbal coo rdination of this sort, dubbed language-style matching by the researchers, signifies not how much two people like each other but how much each is paying attention to what the other says, Ireland and her colleagues propose in an upcoming Psychological Science. †(Bower, B. 2010) I can see the truth in this statement because giving un-divided attention when communicating is very important.If someone isn’t really paying attention to the other person talking then the conversation is more so one sided. It is also very disrespectful. â€Å"A second experiment found that among 86 young-adult couples in committed relationships, those who used similar writing styles during 10 days of instant-messaging chats with each other were particularly likely to stay together over the next three months. †(Bower, B. 2010) This is one of the parts of the article that I find a little fishy.It is speed dating so that tells me that there is only about ten minutes of conversation going on a nd I just don’t see how any test can show how long a relationship will last. I believe that a relationship lasts because the people in it want it to last so therefore they work for it to last. Reference Bower, B. (2010, Shared talking styles herald new and lasting romance. U. S. News & World Report, , 1. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/821694533? accountid=32521 Language Style Matching score http://www. utpsyc. org/synch/feedback. php

Character Analysis: The Nun Of Monza

Lacuna's arrival to the convent, Gertrude appears and her life story takes up the following two chapters of the novel. Gertrude grew up at a time when a woman had two choices in life: the first was to find a spouse and have children while the other option was to become a nun. As a child, Gertrude had no desire to become a nun, but rather dreamt of the day when she could finally fall in love. Gertrude father indirectly forced his daughter into becoming a nun by giving her dolls dressed as nuns, sending her to Sunday school, and having her read the bible.The brain washed child grew up to having no choice but to move to a convent and take on the life long commitment of becoming a nun. The ceremony in which Gertrude accepts her future being a life devoted to God, she ponders her decision for a moment with conflicting thoughts rushing through her mind. She debates with herself on whether this is the life she wants or if this is the life society wants. When the church asks her if Gertrude has chosen to devote her life to God because of her own desire she causes while looking at her father.After another inner battle with her emotions, Gertrude finally vows to become a nun. Later on in Gertrude life, she goes to live in a convent located in an Italian town called â€Å"Amazon†, thus taking on the name â€Å"The Nun of Amazon†. Here she spends her days praying during the day, but living a completely different life during the night. As time goes on she falls in love and develops a forbidden relationship with a man named Goodie whom she has a child with. In her daily fife at the Covent, Gertrude always shows signs of rebellion after having found love.One example of her rebellious attitude is portrayed by a loose strand of hair falling from her veil. The strand of hair is a symbol of Gesture's hate and disgust towards the church for having made her once free life a life filled with unhappiness and restrictions. The smiling child she once was becomes an angry and troubled soul after years of feeling like a prisoner of the church.

B2B Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The report will firstly analyze the external audit of Processed Food & Food Service and Confectionery & Bakery industries, which consist of two parts – market analysis and customer analysis. From these two parts, the opportunities and threats of the suppliers in these industries, especially DKSH, will be outlined. In the market analysis, business environment, the market and competitors will be examined respectively.Particularly, the opportunities about the increase in demand or a good signal of industrial development will be explained in social factors, economic factors and industry part; these factors will give general information about Vietnam young population and their Western culture receptivity, which will easily increase the demand in such industry.On the other hand, legal factor will threaten DKSH due to the strict requirement in canned food industry that the firm needs to take caution in order to adapt to new regulation; while the economic factors onc e again strengthen the opportunity from social factors due to the increase in GDP growth and income. However, the inflation rate should also be considered because it could cause the inconstant demand and be difficult to forecast future demand in the future. The market part also gives some general information about the size based on the value of packaged food industry around US$12. billion in 2011 with the prediction of 4. 2% growth rate in next two years, which promises the development of these two clusters in the near future. Secondly, customer analysis is divided into two main features, which are current customers and potential customers. In current customer analysis, the report will give the information about each cluster’s market share of the top companies holding the highest percentage; Masan in sauce market, Acecook in instant noodles market, and Kinh Do in confectionery & bakery market.Then, more details information about these current customers will be examined in ter m of sales, their expectation such as building up deeper relationship with their multinational suppliers, and difficulty such as high input cost. After that, potential customer part is analyzed based on proposed potential customer list; this part contains some companies regard to Lien Hoa, Hieu Cau Den in processed food; and Huu Nghi and Hai Ha in bakery and confectionery. Especially, some reasons will be given based on the research and analysis about these companies in order to prove that they re ideally potential customers of DKSH. Thirdly, the internal audit is conducted to give the brief idea about the company; DKSH sales structures are activated in product and geographically based, and the strengths of the company about qualified staffed and good value added service are figured out in resources and marketing mix management part. From industry and customer analysis, the SWOT gives the summary of company strengths and weakness; and opportunities and threats in graph illustration form. Next, the marketing plan is proposed in order to give the best fit with the SWOT.The marketing objective that applied SMART approach will aim to increase the demand, brand awareness as well as the way to approach to potential customers with the specific point of time which is from 1st October 2012 to 1st April 2013. Then, the implementation plans relied on marketing mix, including direct marketing, personal selling and sale promotion will be planned specifically. To give more visual prospect about the marketing plan, the marketing program gives detail schedule as an action plan; and finally the performance evaluation will give some idea about how to evaluate the success of this marketing plan.Contents I. Introduction5 II. External Audit6 A. Market Analysis6 1. Business Environment6 2. The Market8 3. Competitors10 B. Customer Analysis11 1. General Information11 2. Current Customers13 3. Potential Customers17 III. Internal Audit23 A. Company Analysis23 1. Sales23 2. Management o f marketing mix23 3. Resources23 IV. SWOT25 A. Strengths25 B. Opportunities25 V. Marketing Objectives26 VI. Implementation Plans26 VII. Marketing Program27 A. Direct Marketing27 1. Telephone Marketing27 2. Email Marketing27 B. Personal Selling29 C.Sales Promotion29 D. Action Plan29 VIII. Performance Evaluation31 IX. Conclusion32 X. Appendix33 A. Potential Customer List33 B. Mapping Itinerary37 1. Southern37 2. Northern40 XI. Reference41 * Introduction DKSH is one of leading companies in market expansion services that has been established in 1865 and exist for 150 years in Asia. Thus, â€Å"Think Asia, Think DKSH† is recognized as company's slogan and that could tell how successful DKSH is in Asia. With a strong financial performance that has increased rapidly from 2002 to 2011 that exceed 8. % in net sales, DKSH becomes a strongest successful market leader recently. Obviously, its objectives are to help firms to grow their business in new and existing market by supplying know ledge, advice, relationship to reach each individual's goal, expand company's revenue opportunities and increase their market shares by making sure that their client's products are always visible on the shelves at all times. DKSH's business units are divided into 4 main business lines: Food ; Beverage (F;B), Personal Care, Pharmaceuticals and Specialty Chemicals.In fact, this report is going to analyze on 2 small clusters: Confectionary ; Bakery, and Processed Food which included in F;B industry in order to help DKSH to remain on the existing market and expand their business to the new market. To be more specific, integrated marketing communication tools that are direct marketing (telephone ; email), personal selling and sales promotion (trade promotion) will be applied to support push strategy in order to approach to potential customers. External Audit Market Analysis Business EnvironmentSocial Factors According to General Statistics Office (2010), Vietnam population in 2010 is aro und 88 millions with 51. 9% of this figure is younger than 30. Hence, it could become an opportunity for confectionery and processed food markets in increasing demand for consuming these kinds of product due to the receptivity of young population as well as the influence of Western culture. For this reason, suppliers of ingredients for these products can potentially enhance the number of customers as well as their sales in Vietnam market.Legal Factor According to Civil Law Network (2010), the ministry has implemented a new regulation for food safety, and requires all enterprises in food industry to strictly comply with the law of standard safety food. To be more specific, the Government encourages food manufactures in using high quality ingredients and adding more nutrition in their products. Moreover, they also require the manufactures in focusing on managing the supply of ingredients from upstream.Consequently, it could be the threat for food manufacturing companies to manage and have a specialized knowledge about supplied ingredients and their suppliers are expected to invest more in innovating their products in order to meet the regulation and more persuasive for the manufacturing firms to use their products. Furthermore, the regulation for environmental friendly packaging in food service also stricter (Civil Law Network 2010). Thus, it requires food service suppliers to put more effort in investing new or innovating current kinds of packaging that could adapt to environment issues.Economic factors In 2010, Vietnam’s GDP growth rate was 5. 83% (tradingeconomics. com 2012), hence the monthly average income per capital had increased to 39. 4% compared to 2008 and was estimated to be 1,387 thousand VND. As the result, this increase in income have gradually shifted Vietnamese consumers in premium segments such as sweet, ice cream or cakes and consumers also have higher requirements of diverse tastes, food quality, and nutrition for package food and also bakery (Vietnam package food, 2011).It is the good opportunities for supplying companies to catch up with these trends by developing current and new ingredients in respond with these market trends. However, the significant influence of the inflation rate cannot be denied. Based on tradingeconomics. com data, the Vietnam inflation rate in the third quarter in 2011 was around 22. 42% whish was the highest rate in Asia (bbc. co. uk). Hence, the demand in food market had declined in this period; therefore, manufactures can be threatened in forecasting future demand due to some unpredictable economic factors.Consequently, the suppliers are also affected by that because it could be difficult for them to rank the potentiality of their customers in near future. The Market In the report â€Å"Newzealand Trade;Enterprise† (2011), the author states that the value of packaged food industry in Vietnam was approximatelyUS$13. 3 billion in 2011 with the average growth rate at 4. 2% in the next two year. In addition, based on General Statistics Office website (2011), the value of confectionery sales is predicted to increase to US$ 471. 6 million at the end of 2012 and this figure is going to increase more than 10% each year for the next four years. These numbers indicate that there is a very highly potential demand for confectionery and processed food industry. * Competitors Connell Brothers, DKSH and Brenntag have been ranked as top 10 leading chemical distributors in Asia in 2011. Specifically, they all operate in Vietnam and engage in many types of industries such as food ; beverage, personal care, specialty chemicals, and pharmaceutical industry.As shown in the graph, it can be seen that DKSH has much less sales as well as power compared to Connell Brothers in the global market in 2011. At the meantime, the sale of DKSH and Brenntag is slightly different. Therefore, DKSH is required to put more efforts to gain its market share globally in order to build further di stance with Brenntag and shorten the distance with Connell Brothers. Customer Analysis General Information First of all, the paper is going to show some figures related to market share of some leading firms in Vietnam (2011) for two industries: processed food and bakery.For processed food market, market share of sauce and instant noodles have been displayed; while in bakery industry, confectionery and biscuit market have been demonstrated. Market Share- Processed Food (Source: Euro Monitor International) Sauce market For the diagram above, it shows that Masan owns comparatively larger market share than any other firms in such market. But since the portion of â€Å"others† still has 25% of the marker share, it is believed that some potential customers in this category can be found. Instant noodles marketThe major key player in this industry is Acecook, with 51% of market share while the other firms are holding less than 20% respectively. The report selects Masan food as an ins tance to explore knowledge under current customer analysis. Market Share – Bakery (Source: Euro Monitor International) Confectionery market Confectionery market is diverse, with many firms hold similar portion of shares. Among them, Kinh Do takes the 1st place in the market, follow by Huu Nghi and Hai Ha. The 2nd and 3rd key players in the market can be the potential customers for DKSH.Further information related will be given below in â€Å"Potential customer†. Biscuit market There are mainly two key players in the market, Kinh Do and Kraft Food, while each of other firms retain from 4~11% as their market share in the biscuit industry. Due to Kinh Do has an outstanding performance on the market share, the report will take it as a specimen in analyzing current customers. Current Customers There are many customers that DKSH is currently having connection with, including both local and foreign firms.The paper will choose one customer from each cluster, Masan Food and Kin h Do, to analysis the position of it through searching on background information, sales performance, and then raise opportunity and threat. Masan Food (Processed food) Mason Food is belonged to Masan Group, a firm that specialized on Techcombank financial services. After years of operation, Mason Food has become leading brand of processed food market in Vietnam, which has dominance on market share in some product categories. The product range includes fish sauce, soy sauce, instant noodles (74%, 78%, 14% of the market respectively) and other kinds of product.Sales Performance (Source: Business Monitor International ) Opportunity Despite Masan Group is established as a local enterprise, it recently decides to build a relationship of acquisition with Nuiphao Mining Joint Venture Company Ltd, becoming one of the largest private sector resources companies (Masan Group Investor Update n,d). Cooperating with local or foreign investment is an opportunity for firm to receive more capital to invest in its operations. Due to DKSH is a multinational firms already, the business is expected to be enrich by cooperating with local firms in other industries to expand the operation range.Threat As a processed food manufacturer, Masan Food faces a problem that sometimes the price for raw materials is fluctuating(Business Monitor International, 2012). For the earning benefit point of view, Masan Food should pass the costs from consumers, but that can threaten the chance of losing customers. To illustrate, the FMCG industry is a price sensitive environment that contains many brands at similar level. If one brand’s price is higher result from increasing costs to reflect its margin, customers can easily choose another brand because the switching cost is low.Volatile input costs can be a threat to the food manufacturer because the manufacturer needs to choose whether to burden itself or to pass on customers. Same story is applicable in DKSH’s case, if the input price h as a significant increase, DKSH has to decide whether to bear the costs or compensate from its customers; both decisions are having certain drawbacks needed to be considered. Sales Breakdown (Source: hsc company update) Kinh Do Corporation (Bakery and Confectionery) Kinh Do is a local brand that established in 1993, which is one of the largest food producers in Vietnam nowadays.The core business of the firm is food related products: confectionery (cakes, candies), beverage (water, juice) and dairy products. Kinh Do also involved in some other industries such as real estate and grocery retailing. The brand creates a good image that allows them to gain certain customer awareness and even awarded as top ten of Vietnam’s best brands (Ha 2011). Sales Performance (Source: Business Monitor International) Opportunity As indicated before in the report, health awareness has raised from customers when they purchasing confectionery product.Consequently, higher level of quality is require d from food manufacturer in order to satisfy customers. As showed from annual report, Kinh Do provides best materials in manufacturing their products, aim to satisfy its customers in a better extent. Indeed, sellers should be responsible to meet the requirement when there is a concern about product’s specification such as â€Å"health† mentioned above. Without doubt, they can gain more recognition if they can achieve the condition. DKSH is getting involved in this health concerned manufacturing process due to it is one of sellers of Kinh Do.If DKSH can attain the requirement, which it already does, it is expected that the buyers will be satisfied, and they are willing to create more opportunities to corporate with DKSH in the future. Threat Kinh Do depends largely on the domestic market but that makes the company fragile with the fluctuating customer demand (Business Monitor International, 2012). Actually, change in customers’ preference can affect organizationa l demand in both positive and negative ways, but here it seems more likely to be threat from the view of the Kinh Do.Because local buyers are the main sources of generating sales, if the number of them is not stable, firm’s overall performance will obviously be affected. Likewise, inquiry that DKSH received from food manufacturers is affected by customer’s demand. If the perception of buyers is low, sellers will gain lesser results from the declining demand, and vice versa. Being instable with the demand can be interpreted as the firm is actually dependent by the market trend. In this case, DKSH has no control over the changing demand; therefore it can be a threat. Sales Breakdown (Source: hsc company update)Potential Customers Apart from keeping relationship with current customers, exploring new customers is also important for a business. To give our more precise information, the report lists four potential customers from the two clusters, with background information, product range and reason why it is recommended as being â€Å"potential†. Detail contacts of other potential customers can be founded in appendix. Lien Hoa (Processed food) Lien Hoa was established since 2008, by Thierrty Pham, an industrialist who has more than 15 years’ experience in the industry.The firm operates following European standard to ensure the quality of the products. As mentioned from the official website, Lien Hoa has signed exclusive contract with other brands such as Uni-President and Siam Brothers to be its business partners. Moreover, the products of Lien Hoa are widely distributed with supermarkets like Giant, Metro and Big C (Lien Hoa, 2011). Reason Although the brand is new compares to some other existing sellers in the market, it is expected to grow due to qualified and experienced methodology used by the firm.Furthermore, the brand has shown its ambition to boost the market by cooperating with well-known brands like Uni-President. Product rang e Hieu Cau Den Sausage (Processed food) It is a sub branch of Black Bride Food from Taiwan. The brand mainly offer traditional Taiwanese dished rice dumplings, meat floss, and some products commonly seen in Vietnam such as sausage and dumplings. The brand is also an importer for some food and beverage from Taiwan. Even though the brand is not as famous as other brands in the existing market, it is quite popular among the Taiwanese because the products fit their taste better.Reason Situation is slightly different compares to dealing with other brands in this case because the brand is not really concentrating on mass market but more likely on niche market, for Taiwanese currently. Becoming the supplier of it creates an opportunity to enhance brand awareness towards foreign consumers. Moreover, the location is in the same district with DKSH, and therefore it will be easier for DKSH to access. Product range Huu Nghi (Bakery and Confectionery) Huu Nghi is known as a noticeable confection ery brand in Vietnam since 1950’s. is having more than 120,000 retailers throughout Vietnam. Similar to other brands in confectionery industry, the brand holds eligible qualifications as criteria to control fabric of the products. The business expands its relation across the nation to many countries: United States, Japan and Singapore. In addition, Huu Nghi also exploits the business to agricultural products such as pepper and corn (Huu Nghi, 2011). Reason The firm possesses proficient knowledge in trading with businesses across the country, thus, it is foreseeable that their experience can abound the business prospects.Also, as DKSH is a multi-national enterprise, Huu Nghi can understand the operation or regulations better result from their sophisticate. Product range Hai Ha (Bakery and Confectionery) Hai Ha Confectionery Joint Stock Company (HaiHaCo) has set up for more than 40 years and turns it status from public to private in 2003, aiming to provide qualified products to serve its customers. With advanced technology, Hai Ha can utilize its equipment plus the specialists to maximize its effort to engage in confectionery industry.Consumers of Hai Ha choose it as â€Å"Vietnam high-quality goods† for continuous 13 years (Hai Ha, 2011). Reason Apart from dominant brands like Kinh Do, Bibica and Kraft, Hai Ha ranked as 4th in market share of both confectionery and biscuit sector in Vietnam. It can be a great opportunity if DKSH can work with them as a seller due to Hai Ha’s high portion of sales caused by variety products. Product range Sales performance (Source: hsc company update) Internal Audit Company Analysis Sales DKSH has structured its sales force by product based, in which different sales team will be organized based on business lines.This method has created the strength for sales team as it can offer professional and skillful staffs with deep knowledge about their products. Face to face communication facilitates the interaction w ith customers by allowing them to question and negotiate directly, and thus lead to the opportunity to build long-term relationship. Additionally, to ensure the effectiveness of sale team, DKSH also divides its sales force based on geography, in which each sales team will be located and responsible for different areas across Vietnam.Management of marketing mix The annual report of DKSH claimed that DKSH will work with its customers to understand their needs, and then provide customized solutions to them. This is indicated that they are achieving cooperation relationship, which integrated into NPD (new product development) and new resolutions. Moreover, in order to strengthen their relationship, DKSH has provided customers the access to knowledge, advice, relationship, and logistics. At the mean time, DKSH ensures that the customers’ products will successfully grasp the right market.This is shown that there is a chance to build long-term collaborative relationships between the m. If this relationship remains well, then there will be potential to create long term alliances – to build specialist knowledge or strategic partnerships. Resources Due to the world wide sourcing network in more than 70 markets and the expertise in each cluster, DKSH is very confident in providing any needed ingredients for its customers. Moreover, for highly applicable purpose, research and analysis service can also help customers in creating and developing new or customized product ideas.Obviously, this is also one of DKSH strengths as it helps customers to be able to sustain in their market and differentiate their product offerings over competitors. DKSH has applied SalesForce. com as its own tool to manage sale teams. It allows each individual sales person to organize the new, potential and current customer’s information and the managers then can look at the working process of their inferiors. Moreover, DKSH can also translate all customer data to up date informat ion in timely manner. Another strength of DKSH is that it can efficiently manage its distribution channel.To allocate the channel tasks, the firm needs to achieve four main factors regarding reduce complexity, increase value, transaction efficiency and service quality. DKSH has industry expertise and offer â€Å"comprehensive Market Expansion Services†; therefore the firm can help its customers to reduce the number of separate exchange that they need to take place in order to collect different ingredients that are needed for their production. The firm does not only provide materials to manufactures but it also provides the concepts and formulations that go with these materials.For this reason, understanding what customers expect is one of the necessary key that takes part in DKSH’s success; therefore value is added in each process. Moreover, DKSH offers the whole supply chain management; hence its customers can be beneficial in getting lower operational costs and also in increasing the value. Non-stop in innovating the new sources or materials to meeting customer’s needs for their own application or market trend is one of the advantage that illustrates for DKSH’s good service quality.Furthermore, the organization also have good after sales services such as monitoring of technical staff at customer site, order processing and warranty timely delivery. SWOT Strengths DKSH recruits experienced staff and professions in the field, the prominent knowledge level can be a base for providing stronger technical support. Instead of only supplying for ingredients, DKSH offers formulation description discussion with customers to understand them better for value-added services. With this tradition, DKSH can set up a long term relationship with its customers. DKSH offers â€Å"comprehensive market expansion service†.This benefits customers by reducing the number of exchanging points to go through. Consequently, operating and transaction cost s can be lessen. Opportunities Purchasing power of customers in Vietnam is enhanced caused by an increase in GDP; they have better earning to make purchase and thus greater demand of luxury food items can results. It is expected that lifestyle of young population in Vietnam will differ from Generation X, preferring more ready meal like confectionery products and processed food. Hence, a growth in demand is foreseeable. Marketing Objectives Objectives of the marketing plan will be outlined based on SMART approach.Firstly, the new potential customer list which does not include in DKSH’s current customer list helps DKSH to expand its customer database in its internal network regard to salesforce. com. Secondly, the direct marketing such as telephone and email marketing plan will be proposed from 1st October 2012 to 8th March 2013 in order to approach the potential customer list step by step and enhance the brand awareness in both current and potential customers. It will be able to achieve 40% of number of potential customers who are willing to answer through phone call or email.Thirdly, personal selling plan is applied from 15th October 2012 to 31st October 2012 to achieve the remained number of potential customer from above step; hence the sales of the company is estimated to increase by 30%. This plan will be conducted according to the mapping itinerary which helps the sale team easily to visit customer based on the efficient action plan. Finally, sales promotion program is planned as the boom strategy in order to help DKSH easier to create the demand among potential customers that applied in direct marketing and personal selling plan.Implementation Plans The most appropriate B2B marketing communication strategy that should be used to approach to potential customers as well as make them become DKSH’s â€Å"current† customers is push strategy. Specifically, direct marketing, personal selling, and trade promotions will be used by DKSH to make its potential customers aware of its products and create demands, as well as to maintain and strengthen relationships with the current customers. Marketing Program Direct Marketing Telephone Marketing Potential customersIn direct marketing, telephone marketing should be used to directly communicate with these potential customers; DKSH should come up with the calling schedule, which indicates the number of sales people and the number of manufacturers (potential customers) need to be contacted in each region in one day. To illustrate, there are around 60 potential customers founded by the research team; DKSH can assign its sales people to make the call to 10 manufacturers in one day. This means DKSH will reach all 60 manufacturers within 6 days.In order to save customers’ time and the company’s costs, the sales persons should not introduce too much about DKSH’s history and its achievements via telephone. Instead, they should go straight to the core information su ch as types of products or ingredients that the customer needs, the price, and what DKSH can do for them. Moreover, the good point of this strategy is that it offers two-way communication and thus allows customers to question directly. For this reason, it is very important for DKSH to assign skillful spoken sales people to this project. Current customersIn addition, it is also important to schedule the calls to current customers in order to inform them about DKSH’s new products or ingredients, promotions, as well as to remain relationships with them. To illustrate, DKSH now has totally 105 current customers for food ; bakery cluster; assume that it will call to 10 customers in 1 day, so it will finish calling to all 105 customers within 11 days. It is recommended that DKSH should make this calling schedule every six months; at the beginning of each month for the current customers in order to keep frequent contact with them to update their latest situation and their new demand s.Email Marketing Potential customers As mentioned above, telephone marketing is used for the purpose of reaching potential customers by going straight to the core issue and providing them the core information. Therefore, other general information such as company’s background, history, achievements, number of skillful staff and techniques, and types of business lines will not be discussed in detail via telephone marketing. For this reason, it will be a good idea to email this information to DKSH’s potential customers so that they can have a clearer sight about DKSH.It is recommended that DKSH should email to the potential customers that it cannot successfully reach in telephone marketing for once a month to remind them and make them aware of DKSH products; it should do this at the beginning of each month. Current customers In telephone marketing, the sales people will inform the current customers about new products or ingredients, and the promotions. Then, in the email marketing, these sales people will email to the customers the related information in detail, such as the price table that indicates the price of each type of new product.Obviously, this tool is faster and incurs lower costs compared to other tools. Moreover, it tends to be more convenient to the customers compared to the telephone marketing. To illustrate, some contacted customers are so busy that they cannot listen too much what DKSH sales people want to tell them. In this case, email will be a better choice. As mentioned above, DKSH should make calling to the current customers every 6 months to frequently update their new demands.Simultaneously, DKSH should also try to come up with new products every 6 months to help its current customers to sustain in the competitive market as well as to retain them. Then, the sales people will email this related information in details to these customers; also do this for every 6 months, and at the beginning of each month. Personal Selling In pe rsonal selling, sales representatives of DKSH will be assigned face-to-face to these potential manufacturers in each region; these manufacturers (potential customers) are those that DKSH cannot catch in direct marketing.The number of sales representatives will be decided relying on the number of manufacturers in a particular region. To be more specific, DKSH can go to visit 4 manufacturers in 1 day; keeping doing this until it can catch up all of the potential customers that left in direct marketing. The main task of these representatives is to try to understand customers’ purchasing criteria as well as to provide brief information about DKSH’s main industries and products in order to increase the product awareness. Moreover, it is important to emphasize the benefits that DKSH can bring to them. Sales PromotionIn trade promotions, the telephone marketers and sales representatives should emphasize that DKSH will offer lower prices (5% discount) compared to the market pr ice to its potential customers for their first purchases; this means the more they purchase, the more discount they can get. Therefore, it will be the incentive for these customers, and this type of promotion will be applied to the potential manufacturers in all regions. Action Plan Task| Timeline| | 1st October – 31th December 2012| | W1| W2| W3| W4| W5| W6| W7| W8| W9| W10| W11| W12| Telephone Mkt| | | | | | | | | | | | |Email Mkt| | | | | | | | | | | | | Personal Selling| | | | | | | | | | | | | Sales Promotion| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Timeline| | 1st January – 1st April 2013| | W13| W14| W15| W16| W17| W18| W19| W20| W21| W22| W23| W24| Telephone Mkt| | | | | | | | | | | | | Email Mkt| | | | | | | | | | | | | Personal Selling| | | | | | | | | | | | | Sales Promotion| | | | | | | | | | | | | Performance Evaluation | Objective| Strategies| Evaluation| 1| Increase Brand Awareness| * Telephone * Email * Personal Selling| * Numbers of customer who are willing to answe r a call and give helpful information. Numbers of customer who reply email and make a request for further discussion. * Numbers of customer who are willing to interact with sell person and distribute in the conversation. | 2| Increase Sale| * Personal Selling * Sale Promotion| * Numbers of customer who accept to make a contract with DKSH in supplying necessary ingredients. | 3| Create Demand | * Sale Promotion| * Number of customers who firstly have no demand in finding new suppliers but changing later due to competitive proposed price. Conclusion In this report, the general information about Processed Food ; Food Service and Confectionery ; Bakery clusters will be analyzed in order to outline the SWOT analysis for DKSH. Additionally, Push strategy will be applied to reach 60 potential customers. Specifically, integrated marketing communication tools such as direct marketing (telephone and email marketing), personal selling and trade promotions will be used to support the push strat egy to approach to the potential customers.At the same time, these tools can help to retain and strengthen relationships with the current customers. Appendix Potential Customer List Mapping Itinerary Southern Northern Reference 1. ‘DKSH seeks a boost in Asia’ 2012, ICIS news, posted 13th August, viewed 1st September 2012, ;https://docs. google. com/a/rmit. edu. vn/viewer? a=v;pid=gmail;attid=0. 1;thid=1392e4d1b429e96b;mt=application/pdf;url=https://mail. google. com/mail/u/0/? ui%3D2%26ik%3D0e4ae12cf9%26view%3Datt%26th%3D1392e4d1b429e96b%26attid%3D0. %26disp%3Dsafe%26zw;sig=AHIEtbQnvWZ6Rh09SpbtN_3J-u-kBRPiKg; 2. Agri-Food Canada 2011, Package Food in Vietnam, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, viewed 14 August 2012, ; http://www. gov. mb. ca/agriculture/statistics/agri-food/vietnam_packaged_food_en. pdf; 3. BBC 2011 â€Å"Vietnam Inflation Rate Hits 13. 9%†, BBC, 22 March 2011,viewed 15 August 2012, ; http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-12845809; 4. Brenntag Asi a Pacific 2012, Brenntag Vietnam Co Ltd, viewed 28th August 2012, ;http://www. brenntag-asiapacific. com/en/pages/Brenntag_Asia_Pacific/Lo