Essay on The Impact of Cloud Computing Free Essays

Effect of Cloud Computing Technologies in little scope undertakings the vital and innovative advantages it infer out of it. Distributed computing has been a troublesome development lately and has taken the features to uproot a significant number of the set up conventional computational techniques in a brief timeframe. The utility model of processing which makes the data innovation administrations like power and water has summoned the concentration and consideration of the specialists and experts. We will compose a custom article test on Article on The Impact of Cloud Computing or on the other hand any comparative point just for you Request Now This article will research the specialized parts of distributed computing and the vital and upper hand that it brings to a firm in startup and little/medium scale endeavor. Albeit many have censured this techno-plan of action because of the worries on security, protection and administration, ongoing occasions demonstrate that more contestants, remembering the current corporate pioneers for the business, are getting into the cloud and making their essence felt to the end clients. Distributed computing has end up being a troublesome advancement all alone lately, it is yet to free the test from time of it being a continuing innovation. It is up to the researchers and professionals to decide and place into trial of time and utilize this innovation in the development of different orders. Presentation Distributed computing is the method of executing the IT benefits in a flexible way to the end clients and offering a metered assistance at numerous granularities for a predetermined nature of administration. Gartner characterizes distributed computing as â€Å"a style of registering where enormously versatile IT-related capacities are given ‘as a service’ utilizing Internet advancements to different outside customers†. While Forrester says â€Å"Cloud figuring is another IT re-appropriating model that doesn’t yet meet the rules of big business IT and isn’t upheld by the majority of the key corporate merchants. It’s fiercely mainstream with new businesses, precisely fits the manner in which private ventures like to purchase things, and can possibly totally overturn IT as we probably am aware it.† From 1984 to 2008 the quantity of web associated gadgets went from one thousand to one billion. Can the information storm which the computerized world is looking in this exponential time be adequately overseen utilizing cloudThe repetitive information which lives on various gadgets may get solidified and a solitary purpose of information source some place in cloud could be an answer (The Economist, 2009). From one perspective, cloud investigates abusing existing innovation; there is the same old thing as it utilizes the set up procedures, ideas and approaches. Then again it is new on the grounds that it has upset the manner in which we have and provide food the support of the client. The acclaimed Gartner publicity bend has been hailing Cloud Computing as the most advertised innovation in their most recent two years projections. Bafflement and disappointment towards the innovation has been expanding, particularly with the speculations on efficiency Catch 22 from Solow (1987). Problematic Innovation is a term instituted by Proffessor Clayton Christensen, and as per him it is â€Å"the process by which an item or administration flourishes at first in straightforward applications at the base of a market and afterward perseveringly moves ‘up market’, in the long run uprooting built up competitors.† A troublesome innovation can come to rule a current market by either filling a job in another market that the more seasoned innovation couldn't fill (this is like the what the less expensive, lower limit however littler estimated streak memory is accomplishing for individual information stockpiling during the 2000s) or by progressively climbing market through execution enhancements until at last dislodging the market officeholders (as advanced photography has generally supplanted film photography) (Christensen 1997). In the accompanying areas I will experience the potential key advantages that organizations have determined out of distributed computing and later on the run of the mill difficulties and issues associated with the usage. I will likewise refer to the job of distributed computing innovation in the developing markets and new companies particularly in the little and medium scale undertakings in giving an upper hand over the customary techniques. Innovations utilized inside Cloud registering The general order of the distributed computing structures are IAAS (Infrastructure as a Service), PAAS(Platform as a Service), and SAAS(Software as a Service). ‘Cloud Infrastructure as a Service,’ which is additionally called Resource Clouds, gives the framework assets as administrations to the end client. Virtualization of the server is the primary innovation utilized in this administration by the suppliers. Cloud suppliers in this space provide food access to capacity and information of different size and quality sticking to certain assistance level understanding. Models: Amazon S3, SQL Azure ‘Cloud Platform as a Service’ (PAAS) give computational assets by means of a stage whereupon applications and administrations can be created and facilitated. PAAS utilizes application stage interfaces to control and deal with the virtual server which would be distributed to the client. Models: Force.com, Google App Engine, Windows Azure (Platform). (Mists) Software as a Service (SAAS), otherwise called Service or Application Clouds offers the usage of explicit business capacities and business forms which are given explicit cloud abilities, for example they give applications/administrations utilizing a cloud framework or stage, instead of giving them cloud highlights. These applications for the most part dwell over other cloud advancements like IAAS and PAAS. Models: Google Docs, Salesforce CRM, SAP Business by Design. National Institute of Standards and Technology, the authority towards getting specialized direction and advancing guidelines onto distributed computing, proposes four kinds of arrangement strategies. These are: Public cloud, Private cloud, Community Cloud and Hybrid cloud (NIST). Open mists or outer mists are the conventional online administrations given over web and charged according to the use and metered for the administrations expended. These sorts of mists are the most loved among the new businesses and little/medium scale ventures since it require least interest in the framework. Private mists or inside mists are structured and executed inside to some association with constrained or no entrance to the outside web. These mists should be centered around information security, dependability and administration. Normally just the huge partnerships can bear to manufacture and keep up such private mists. The little/medium scale endeavors for the most part won't have the option to tolerate the expense of innovation and recourses to construct them. Half breed mists, as the term portrays, is comprised of inside and outside cloud segments where in restricted access to the outer clients are given while the information security and corporate administration highlights of private mists are held. As per Willcocks (2004) upkeep spending crosses 40% of the all out IT financial plan and it is typically disregarded during the underlying periods of the advancement of IT framework. Since the support and giving the standard reinforcement of the information are completely the duties of the cloud supplier, the customer firms can concentrate on their center abilities and business territory. Cloud based applications can be viewed as concentrated inside hierarchical structure because of the merged servers and information, however it can likewise be seen as an exceptionally decentralized framework due to its readiness and adaptability on the area and convenience (Mintzberg, 1983). The level of cooperation has developed impressively among the engineers and clients with the coming of cloud applications which are for the most part electronic. The designers can send and arrange the virtual foundation stages for their applications with a couple of mouse clicks, which shows the change from experience to a relationship through consistent communication. Running the applications anyplace in the ‘cloud’ not knowing or care to know where they are isn't a worry to the web application clients since the idea of site does precisely the equivalent. Be that as it may, the huge contrast is for the application designers and IT activities group. Since these procedures have been streamlined and increasingly center layers have been presented, even they can create, run applications and develop the limit in a split second without being worried about the area basic foundation. Effect of Cloud figuring on the SMBs and Start ups Distributed computing has gone to be an empowering influence to the new businesses and little/medium scale undertakings. This new worldview in data innovation has helped business visionaries to set up the business and endeavors in a quicker way and develop rapidly. The degree of cooperation between the endeavors has likewise expanded impressively when contrasted with the conventional strategies. The degree of straightforwardness in the use of the data innovation assets in the distributed computing worldview is similarly higher than different models. The ‘charge back’ and ‘show back’ ideas are powerful in contrasting the yields with the assets expended. From an end-client point of view, there are two primary highlights which makes generous effect on the cloud supplier and client: Self provisioning and utilization Metered and command over use As referenced above in IAAS and PAAS, clients can fitting and play with the assets as in the necessity emerges and discharge the undesirable assets to be utilized by others when the interest goes down. Simultaneously clients can screen and meter the measure of assets expended at purpose of time and plan for future dependent on the business results. The inactive time of the assets can be altogether decreased with this informat

Reviving Mother Nature Essay

I can feel the cool wind contacting my skin as I sit on the huge stone, entranced by the greenest mountains, my heart is somersaulting by the excellence of the quiet water extending through the stream. The twittering of the flying creatures, the delicate quiet of the grass as it influences with the breeze. This delightful landscape causes me to feel upbeat, discovering harmony in nature as the sun sets in the skyline. However, these are only my hallucinations, and my faculties are industrious in floating me again into the real world. What's more, what the truth is that? It’s the truth that our Mother Earth is biting the dust. We were conceived in this world totally gave everything †food, air, water, regular assets and a delightful nature that fills in as our home. Our the unstoppable force of life resembles a comfortable belly which gives us security, assurance and sustenance. Be that as it may, we never observed the genuine degree of how valuable this planet is to us. We went out the world as an effective animal groups yet totally a disappointment as children and girls of Mother Earth. We individuals will in general pulverize all that we have in nature. We are for the most part after for our own solace, not understanding the harm we cause to our Mother Nature. We generally need to carry on with a simple life, regardless of whether this implies misusing our assets. A worldwide temperature alteration is the significant worry that we are confronting at the present time. The proceeded with ascend in the worldwide temperature will lead us again to another subsequent factor, the environmental change. There have been a great deal of inquiry if what truly causing the environmental change. Doubters are voicing out their suppositions, saying that it’s only because of characteristic changeability, that Mother Earth has its own plan in warming the earth. In any case, I would unquestionably differ to that. There is more grounded proof that the vast majority of the warming in the course of the most recent 50 years is because of human exercises. Ice centers taken from somewhere down in old ice of Antarctica show that carbon dioxide levels are higher now than whenever in the previous thousand years. This carbon dioxide assumes the significant job in warming the earth, along these lines making environmental change. We people are the primary contributing element in the demolition of our condition. It has been accounted for that it is in excess of 90 percent likely that the quickened warming is because of human commitments. Such commitments incorporate expanded degrees of nursery gasses like carbon dioxide noticeable all around. Perhaps the greatest ways we contribute nursery gasses is by consuming non-renewable energy sources. We use coal, oil, and flammable gas to produce power, heat our homes, power our industrial facilities, and run our vehicles. Trees and different plants use carbon dioxide and emit oxygen, planting a greater amount of them can spare us from our condemnation. Be that as it may, no one appeared to mind. We are on the whole focusing on globalization and modernization, transforming rich green woodlands into mechanical destinations, building manufacturing plants that decimate the earth and executing numerous creatures. We splendidly developed new materials yet took such a long time to understand that they would later on become non-biodegradable waste that would amass in the earth, we toss our garbage all over and the greater part of everything, we don't esteem natural life. Alongside our prosperity as an animal varieties came the elimination of numerous creatures subsequently unleashing destruction on biological framework. What we are ignorant of is that the entirety of our maltreatment to the earth would influence us to a great extent over the long haul. Presently companions, would you be able to at present say that it’s only a characteristic inconstancy or a crushed Mother Earth rendering its retribution? Just as of late, we encountered a substantial ruin. Metro Manila and different pieces of Luzon had been overwhelmed intensely, obliterating properties and slaughtering number of people. We can hear our fellowmen sobbing for help and spare them from difficulties. It has been determined that we will encounter another El Nino as the late spring draws near. We will hope for something else of this women and men of their word, with the environmental change, floods and dry spell would be increasingly serious and visit. Change. This is the one we have to switch all the results of our activities. Change in our disposition, character, viewpoint and activities. This change should begin inside every one of us. Be careful in what’s occurring in our condition, stand firm and begin mindful and nursing our Mother Nature. It is the best time for us to plant more trees, stop illicit logging and other human exercises that crushes our condition. Figure out how to forfeit to decrease the utilization of non-renewable energy sources and different synthetic concoctions that hurt nature. I am mindful that it is highly unlikely for us to absolutely destroy exercises that influence the earth somewhat in light of the fact that that would imply that the human development would need to move in reverse and grasp its crude ways. I comprehend that modernization comes one next to the other with human headway and progress. What I simply need is for everyone to understand that alongside this advancement additionally comes our duty to ensure our condition. Start presently, act now, it’s not very late for my fantasies and of the following generation’s dream transform into the real world.

How to Cite a Source in a Foreign Language

How to Cite a Source in a Foreign Language (3) Good sources come in all types, sizes, andlanguages! With the increasing popularity of searching for sources on the Internet, it is easier than ever to access sources from all over the world and in different languages. With these kinds of sources, however, it can be difficult to understand how to accurately include them in your citation list. So, how exactly would you cite a source that was originally published in another language? Below are some helpful tips on how to do so in MLA, APA, and Chicago citation styles. To create a citation for a source in a foreign language, here are some pieces of information you may need: Author name(s) Title of the work* (you may need the original title, depending on your citation style) Where the work was published Date the work was published To help with creating citations for sources in a foreign language, we’ve included formulas and   examples for some of the most popular citation styles for the source Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Formula for citing a foreign language source in MLA: Author Last Name, Author First Name. Title in the Original Language [Translated Title]. Publisher, Year. MLA format example: de Saint-Exupéry, Antoine. Le Petit Prince [The Little Prince]. Gallimard, 1943. *For additional help with MLA citations, checkout this MLA in-text citation example and MLA citation website citing guide. Formula for citing a foreign language source in APA: Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year Published). Title in the original language [Translated title]. Place of Publication: Publisher. APA citation example: de Saint-Exupéry, A. (1943). Le petit prince [The little prince]. Paris, France: Gallimard. *If you’re citing many sources, this guide can help you create citations for an APA reference page. Formula for citing a foreign language source in Chicago: Author Last Name, First Name. Original Title [Translated Title]. City of Publication: Publisher, Year Published. Chicago style citation example: de Saint-Exupéry, Antoine. Le Petit Prince [The Little Prince]. Paris: Gallimard, 1943. Is your paper written? Give it a quick review with an EasyBib Plus grammar check! Haven’t started writing yet? Review the basics with our grammar guides that cover what is an adjective, interjection examples, and a preposition definition.

How to Cite a Source in a Foreign Language

How to Cite a Source in a Foreign Language (3) Good sources come in all types, sizes, andlanguages! With the increasing popularity of searching for sources on the Internet, it is easier than ever to access sources from all over the world and in different languages. With these kinds of sources, however, it can be difficult to understand how to accurately include them in your citation list. So, how exactly would you cite a source that was originally published in another language? Below are some helpful tips on how to do so in MLA, APA, and Chicago citation styles. To create a citation for a source in a foreign language, here are some pieces of information you may need: Author name(s) Title of the work* (you may need the original title, depending on your citation style) Where the work was published Date the work was published To help with creating citations for sources in a foreign language, we’ve included formulas and   examples for some of the most popular citation styles for the source Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Formula for citing a foreign language source in MLA: Author Last Name, Author First Name. Title in the Original Language [Translated Title]. Publisher, Year. MLA format example: de Saint-Exupéry, Antoine. Le Petit Prince [The Little Prince]. Gallimard, 1943. *For additional help with MLA citations, checkout this MLA in-text citation example and MLA citation website citing guide. Formula for citing a foreign language source in APA: Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year Published). Title in the original language [Translated title]. Place of Publication: Publisher. APA citation example: de Saint-Exupéry, A. (1943). Le petit prince [The little prince]. Paris, France: Gallimard. *If you’re citing many sources, this guide can help you create citations for an APA reference page. Formula for citing a foreign language source in Chicago: Author Last Name, First Name. Original Title [Translated Title]. City of Publication: Publisher, Year Published. Chicago style citation example: de Saint-Exupéry, Antoine. Le Petit Prince [The Little Prince]. Paris: Gallimard, 1943. Is your paper written? Give it a quick review with an EasyBib Plus grammar check! Haven’t started writing yet? Review the basics with our grammar guides that cover what is an adjective, interjection examples, and a preposition definition.

Effect Of Smartphones On Advertising - 1241 Words

Dr. Fusani Zack Mineo Spring 2016 The Effect of Smartphones on Advertising The amount of smartphones users have nearly doubled within the past 5 years, from 35% to 70%.(2014 Marketing Statistics Infographic). As the number of users continues to rise, advertising will continue to integrate with smartphones. Smartphones have dramatically changed the way consumers are approached by advertising companies. Before we can understand how smartphones have changed the advertising industry, we must first recognize that advertising and smartphones were not always related. By answering the following two question, it will further examine the effect of smartphones on advertising. How have smartphones impacted the advertising industry? How effective advertising on smartphones is? Background of advertising Before I can explain the effects of smartphones on advertising, we must first understand what the goal of advertising was before smartphones. According to Joseph Dominik â€Å"Advertising is any form of nonpersonal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, and services, usually paid for by an identified sponsor.†(Dominick 350). The first appearance of advertising on radio dates back to 1922 when the Queensboro Realty Company paid a few hundred dollars for a talk radio show to commend living in country lots from Queensboro Realty. (Dominick 179). Since then advertising has grown rapidly especially during the time of the depression and World War II. President Franklin D Roosevelt wantedShow MoreRelatedStrengths And Weaknesses Of Google794 Words   |  4 Pagesanother strength of Google’s. In the fourth quarter of 2016, there were 432 million smartphones sold worldwide. Of that number, 352 million smartphones ran on Android. That works out to be 81.7% of the market usin g Android, while only 17.9% used IOS. Google plays to its strengths in search and mobile computing by developing apps and services that keep users coming back. It then uses these apps to strengthen its advertising business. Moreover, Google created apps such as Google Drive, Maps, Gmail, andRead MoreEffects Of Advertising On Personal Privacy And Security1572 Words   |  7 PagesEffects of Advertising on Personal Privacy and Security: Persuasive Essay As the world wide web continues to become more prevalent in everyday tasks and the internet continues to evolve, so does the world of advertising. Everyone encounters some form of advertising daily, with the most common being internet advertising. 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Over the years children and adolescents have become the primary target for marketers; mostly because advertisers realize that they have a profound influence on what parents buy. The invasion of age specific advertising can undeniably be attributed to this movement. However, researchers and parents are starting to speak up against the negative effectsRead MoreSmartphones And The Smartphone Market1157 Words   |  5 PagesSmartphones are consistently evolving and newer models are coming out every year. With all the advancements in technology and the high influx of newer phones from the few competitors in the market, this research paper will look into how this affects the elasticity of smartphones. Though there are many different phones in the market, the high costs of owning a brand new one affects demand for the product and new ones make older smartphone prices drop. 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This is shown through utilization of  younger actors that used smartphones, making fun of older people that were handling retro dial phones, and targeting Americans by having the narrator speaking about how Wendy’s beef is made in America. Once the target audience or demographic has been established, then an advertisementRead MoreThe Relation Between Competition and Success of Apple Inc.742 Words   |  3 Pagespercent for most of the past 15 years, and even with the much-hyped iPod halo effect, this level hasnt changed in recent years (Paczkowski 2010). While Apple has been able to outsell rivals in some areas, such as music, even in arenas in which it is famous such as the smartphone market, Apple is not the undisputed rival. Samsung and Apple are persisting in their tug-of-war to lay claim as the worlds top smartphone vendor (Foresman 2012). However, although its products often cost a premiumRead MoreThe Problem Of The Viral Game Pokemon Go Essay1390 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Many times larger business engage in unintentionally advertising, or viral advertising, thus saving money that can consequentially utilized for advertising to a specific market, market research, and the actual advertisement placement. When someone uploads a video that goes viral on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or any other mainstream social media outlet, and the business is able to utilize that video to springboard an advertising campaign hence, unintentional viral marketing. Yet sometimes

The Attack On Pearl Harbor - 1667 Words

For many people, the defining â€Å"turning point† of the United States in the 21st century so far has been September 11th, 2001. The phrase â€Å"Post 9/11 World† has been synonymous with growing fears of terrorism at home and abroad and changes in our popular culture and way of life. 9/11 however is not unique in the way it has transformed American society. The attack on Pearl Harbor, â€Å"a date which will live in infamy,† also brought the United States into a war focused on eliminating a new adversary. Both 9/11 and Pearl Harbor gave increased power and scope to our federal government, changed American attitudes towards different racial/minority groups, and redefined America as a whole in their respective time periods. Japan’s decision to attack†¦show more content†¦(â€Å"The Road to Pearl Harbor†) The United States however continued to view Japan lightly and repeatedly ignored evidence that pointed to an inevitable attack on American soil. This evidence was so pervasive that historians, such as Charles A. Beard, had argued that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt â€Å"knew† of Pearl Harbor and used it as a rallying cry to bring the United States to World War II. It was only in 1981 that such arguments went to the wayside with Gordon W. Prange’s comprehensive study of Pearl Harbor called At Dawn We Slept. Prange dismissed arguments of a government conspiracy, but did find that â€Å"the Roosevelt administration was guilty of a series of disastrous blunders in interpreting Japanese strategy† and that â€Å"the American government had possession of enough information to predict the attack but failed to do so.† (Brinkley, 611) A similar narrative tragically played out during the years and months before 9/11. Like the Empire of Japan, al-Qaida was not viewed as a significant enough threat in the eyes of the United States. â€Å"Terrorism incidents were relatively rare, but not unknown, within the United States itself prior to September 11th 2001 †¦ Most Americans however considered terrorism a problem that mainly plagued other nations.† (Brinkley, 797- 798) According to the 9/11 Commission Report, a federal investigation

Research Techniques For Better Engineer Medicines Essay

Introduction We have decided to research techniques to better engineer medicines. Making medicine more personalized and tailoring them to a patient’s body chemistry can greatly reduce the risk of side effects and can make treatment more efficient. This can be done by using information about the patient’s genetic makeup and where the disease is localized in order to target the infected cells specifically. We have decided to narrow down our research on cancer, specifically leukemia. Cancer can result from any number of genetic mutations and these malfunctions can lead to an unmanageable division of abnormal cells that then leads to the growth and spread of tumors. Leukemia is a type of cancer originating in the bone marrow. Because leukemias are cancers of the blood, it does not create any solid tumors. Instead, the cancerous leukemia cells circulate in the blood, going virtually everywhere. Diagnosis is commonly made by blood tests or bone marrow biopsy. However, it is difficult to d etect leukemia early on since patients with slow-growing types of leukemia don’t present with symptoms until much later, making treatment difficult and less effective. Furthermore, the treatments currently being used, for example stem cells transplants, have a number of side effects such as infertility, chronic fatigue, thyroid dysfunction and the probable risk of developing a second cancer. The challenge, therefore, is to modify the means for early detection of cancer, improving personalizedShow MoreRelatedQuality Management Curriculums906 Words   |  4 Pagesyears courses to build their knowledge for industrial and Manufacturing system engineering to leading the business when graduates lead companies or a department. In the these is years students take Statistical Quality Control, Ergonomics, Operation Research, Industrial Simulation, Production and planning inventory control, Manufacturing Information systems, Manufacturing processes Laboratory, Industrial Facilities Lay out and Design, Manufacturing Systems Design and Analysis, Computer Aided ManufacturingRead MoreEssay on Biomedical Engineering534 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"bioengineering†, is a branch of engineering that combines the design and problem solving techniques of engineering with biological and medical sciences to improve health-related and medical problems. Bioengineers have made many positive changes in many lives today. By designing live-saving objects such as artificial hearts, dialysis machines, and surgical lasers bioengineers have helped save many lives. Biomedical engineers dates back to over 3000 years with the Egyptians. Egyptians created a wooden prosthesisRead MoreMedical 3 D Printing Case Study1529 Words   |  7 Pagessevere damage to Kevin’s hip, which made him smaller than the average boy. Since Kevin was only ten years old, other methods of treatment like braces would be very costly as he would out grow them every few months (Carter). The Chief of Orthopedic Research, Dr. Richard Schwend, at Children’s Mercy Hospital was able to fix Kevin’s hip through advanced technology such as 3-D printing. Dr. Richard Schwend created a new hip using the measurements taken from the 3-D printed hip. The measurements ensuredRead MoreContribution of Engineers in Society1175 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion 5: In this technological age, the power of the engineers in shaping the society and environment in all pervading and can profoundly affect the lives of many members of the society. Enumerate, from your personal experience, how largely positive impacts have accrued from the contributions of engineers. Answer: Introduction In the eyes of public, an engineer is a professional man who is of sufficient training, expertise, and integrity as to be able to act with independence and impartialityRead MoreThe Ethics for Engineers in Combining Humans with Advanced Robotics1498 Words   |  6 Pagesadvent of nanotechnology medicine has able to make rapid advances in patient care. These advances have expanded physicians and other healthcare practitioners control over operating procedures, drug dosage, rehabilitation techniques and it has also led to increasingly accurate monitoring of internal human physiology through medical analyzers like MRI’s and PET scans (Glenn and Boyce 268-9). Nanotechnology promises to alter the domain of medicine by giving more awareness, better protections, and completeRead MoreThe Medical Field Of Medicine1542 Words   |  7 Pagesthe medical field is one of the highest paying professional fields in the United States. The field, however, is not noted for its rewarding salarie s, but for its importance all over the world. Medicine is one of the oldest professional fields. According to the Oxford Advanced Learner s Dictionary, Medicine â€Å"is the science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.† The field employs several people like, nurses, doctors, therapists and others. To be professionally employedRead MoreHow Did The Technology Of Roman Empire Impact It?1741 Words   |  7 Pagestechnology were all created by the Empire. However, the question trying to be answered is, â€Å"How did the technology of Roman Empire impact it?† Technology was any invention that helped ease the lives of many or wars to be finished quicker. Through the research of different text sources such as Gedacht, Daniel C. Technology of Ancient Rome. New York, NY: PowerKids Press, 2004 or James, Simon. Ancient Rome. New York, NY: Knopf, 1990, we see technology impacting the knowledge of mankind, and how it has affectedRead MoreGene Therapy Essay772 Words   |  4 Pagesscientists are able to ‘cut and paste’ parts of a patient’s DNA sequence into another genome. Using the Crispr tool scientists transform Cas-9 enzymes into precision engineers, which they can then match with DNA in particular cells by either cutting or repairing it5. Earlier in the year a study was done on mice to genetically engineer immune cells to improve the ability of the cells to destroy cancer cells using the Crispr tool. The cells were genetically engineered to hold proteins in their surfaceRead MoreAerospace Engineering1588 Words   |  7 PagesAerospace Engineering has paved the way for a vast majority of today’s modern technologies; it has contributed to the research and development of stealth, reconnaissance, and commercial aircraft. Aerospace engineering has made revolutionary breakthroughs in the development of both fighter jet and rocket designs, including pilot/passenger safety, thus forever changing the outlook of travel and warfare. One might ask; what is Aerospace engineering? Aerospace engineering is theRead MoreOur City s Name Is Z.e.l.k And We Are Focused On A Solid Waste Solution1403 Words   |  6 Pagestrash in.We also have a galore of creative ways to transport. Two of the ways are that we provide compost bins of trucks with natural gas that will give farmers VermiCompost. The other one is that we also use roller coasters so that we can transport better without pollution.Those are some of the innovations we have in our future city. Our city has several different types of innovations. For our solid waste solution is to provide compost and recycling bins for our citizens. The solution to reduce air

cultural diversity in educatio Essay Example For Students

cultural diversity in educatio Essay Since early American history, schools, like society, have addressed cultural diversity in different ways. In the colonial days, some attempts to adjust to cultural differences were made in the New York colony, but the dominant American culture was the norm in the general public, as well as most of the schools. As America approached the nineteenth century, the need for a common culture was the basis for the educational forum. Formal public school instruction in cultural diversity was rare, and appreciation or celebration of minority or ethnic culture essentially was nonexistent in most schools. In the 1930s, the educators were in the progressive education movement, called for programs of cultural diversity that encouraged ethnic and minority students to study their heritages. This movement became popular in many schools until around 1950. Now, these days in education, the term multicultural education never escapes a teachers thoughts (Ryan, 26). What does the term multicultural education mean to you? I means different things to different people. For instance, to some minority communities, it means to foster pride and self- esteem among minority students, like the progressive movement in the 1930s. Another example would be in the white communitites, that multicultural programs are designed to cultivate an appreciation of various cultural, racial, and ethnic traditions. Cortes defines multicultural education by the process by which schools help prepare young people to live with greater understanding, cooperation, effectiveness, and dedication to equality in a multicultural nation and inerdependent world (Cortes, 16). When I observed at Madison Elementary in December, I expected the school would be multicultural in the sense of ethnic or racial backgrounds. Instead, I was very surprised to discover that the school was predominately white students, with only a handful of African American students in each classroom. I did find out that the Wheeling Island area was in very low status pertaining to income. Not only did over half of the students receive free or reduced lunch, but the students academic skills were below the national norm. I never realized what an effect of economic status can affect a students academic progress. Of course there are out lying factors, the parent involvement was at a minimum because most families consisted of only one care taker. To make ends meet the single parent had to spend most of his/her time working for money to buy clothes, food, and to keep their children healthy. Madison Elementary had made great strides to improve their efforts to better the students academic progress. The school had instilled different programs like A-Team, Pre-K classes, Reading Recovery, various health services, outreach to families, and many more to ensure that the students will succeed in their studies. The role of the teacher at Madison is to assist and guide the students through school with smooth transitions. This at times is impossible due to fact that some students in their classrooms have behavior disorders, not all of the students are on the same learning levels, and the teacher can only help the students at school, not at home. Sometimes the parents do not fulfill their responsibilities at home. The teacher must adjust to the students needs. When dealing with multicultural issues in he classroom, teachers must guard against perpetuating racial and ethnic stereotypes, which is often done subconsciously and indirectly by failing to use linguistic qualifiers such as some, many, and most when referring to cultural groups. There is much diversity within culture (Ryan, 27). Teachers must also keep in mind that the process of social development entails the successful interplay between an integrating function and differentiating function. It is critical that multicultural education programs foster both. The challenge is simple but significant: Can we create places of learning where students are no longer strangers to themselves or to one another? The answer is clear: We must (Tamura, 24- 25). .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 , .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 .postImageUrl , .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 , .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4:hover , .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4:visited , .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4:active { border:0!important; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4:active , .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4 .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6c4b44e24828c56d6dbc9e38041c70d4:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: An Argument for the Legalization of Drugs, Based o Essay Students need to understand that they are participating in many different networks. They are involved in social networks, not just ethnic or racial ones; however, their cultural background and experiences may indeed have an impact upon the nature of their participation in these other networks. Students also need to understand they are also individuals with talents, skills, strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes (Ryan, 27). A goal for all students, American born or not, is to develop cross-cultural acceptance, to have them develop strategies to work through their own prejudices and to sustain their own dignity when they become the targets of prejudice. We as teachers must work very hard to teach children .

Consumer Behavior Essay Example

Consumer Behavior Paper The manner in which a product is packaged influences customer choice to a large extent. Products which are glamorized and which are likely to catch the eye of the customer are likely to record higher sales than other products of the same nature which have dull packages. This is because most customers, especially first time buyers judge the product from its packaging and more often than not tend to think that beautiful packaging depicts a good product. A superior mind share is established whenever a customer looks at two competing products in a store. The final choice that the consumer makes could be largely influenced by the appeal, information on the package and branding. Packaging should therefore be considered as a very essential marketing strategy. Packaging increases sales and attracts new customers. Packaging design is now being used as a marketing tool and companies are turning to making more attractive packaging and reducing the advertisement costs. A package that is well designed and attractive will prompt new customers to try the companys product since as noted earlier; customers take the appearance of the package to be identical to the quality of the contents inside. We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Behavior specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Behavior specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Behavior specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Existing customers are retained because the packaging prevents them from going for a competitive product that looks more appealing. Packaging acts as an advertisement tool and a selling agent. It provides the company with the opportunity to advertise their product by writing about the benefits of the particular product on the packaging. The details of the product and the reason as to why it will satisfy the customers needs act as a silent marketer for the companys product. The customer can then make his or her decision easily. The package must however be as attractive as possible so that it may prompt the customers to pick it up and take a look at the products features. The customers curiosity can be aroused by the shape, the color, texture among others. These features will further serve to identify the product from among competing products. Packaging helps to distinguish a companys product from others in the same category. In other words, packaging serves the purpose of identifying the product. It is this package that makes the customer go straight to where the product is on the shelf and not pick any other product. This is the reason why companies should make unique packages that are not likely to be confused with other products and which can easily avoid counterfeits. Packaging protects the product and ensures that it is not affected by environmental hazards such as moisture, dust and smell. Customers would like to get clean products and therefore when the packaging is right, more customers will buy. Leaking or rusty containers and packages will not encourage repeat buying and customers may opt to buy a competitors products. Analysis of packaging i) Alton Brown Spice (Australia) Alton Brown is a spice brand that is likely to sell. This is because it takes into consideration the blind and the visually impaired by providing a braille translation of the writings on the package. This means that it will also appeal to this group of customers who are in most cases ignored. However, the package is a bit dull which may not attract persons with visual capability and hence they may go for other types of spice. ii) Silver Hills Bread (Canada) The Silver Hills bread displays bright and conspicuous colors that are likely to attract the customer from a far. The cartoon designs may particularly appeal to children who to a large extent influence the purchasing decisions that their parents make. The packages and the names are also unique such that customers can easily identify the brand. This package would increase sales for the Silver Hills bread. iii) Seventh Generation Automatic dish washing detergent (Australia) The Seventh Generation Automatic dish washing detergent is made with no fragrances and chlorine so that it is does not pollute air at home. The green leaf is supposedly used to depict that the detergent is safe for the environment. Normally though, one could mistake the green leaf to mean that the soap is made from herbal products or even mistake it for a herbicide from far. The detergent is likely to get low sales because the package is not very eye catching. Question 2 Chal from Bangladesh Chal is essentially a word used to refer to rice. Rice is produced in significant amounts in Bangladesh and it accounts for a large amount of income obtained by Bangladesh. Rice takes a central role in Bangladesh accounting for 18 percent of the Gross Domestic Product of the country and takes up 75 percent of the agricultural crops. Rice fields occupy 10 hectares of land and the main workers in the rice farms are villagers with considerably low incomes. Rice can be said to be affected by stereotypes both positively and negatively. For example, the population of Bangladesh is said to be very high. As a matter of fact, it is the 7th largest in the world with 147. 4 million citizens. This population promotes rice farming as it provides market and laborers. The 10 million hectares of rice paddles require extensive amounts of workers to maintain the rice until it is ready for use. Bangladesh is rich in culture and communities live in village oriented settings. This promotes co-operation such that more rice can be produced. The Bangladesh population relies on rice for their daily carbohydrate intake. This provides domestic market for the rice. Bangladesh is dominated by Muslims with Hindus following suite. One way in which this stereotype enhances the country is that Muslims often make use of rice dishes which provides market for the rice in Bangladesh. However, this leads to the next stereotype which maintains that Bangladesh is associated with terrorism, Muslim Jihad and the al-Qaeda. Political violence is also said to be high with cases of suicide bombings and murder being witnessed often. Some of the al-Qaeda are said to have fled to Bangladesh when the Taliban reign in Afghanistan fell. This discriminates against the country as some countries who highly oppose terrorism may not want to import rice from Bangladesh. It also gives a negative image to the country all which serves to spoil future market fro their product. Strategies to reduce negative effects For Bangladesh to reduce the negative effects caused by stereotypes, it must seek to establish that the image painted by these stereotypes may not be true. If by any chance they happen to be true, the idea would be to try and reduce their effect on the rice trade. Islamist parties are increasingly taking control of Bangladesh. These are the groups that are associated with terrorism and are said to be responsible for the constant attacks on politicians and bombings based on political violence. More banks and non-native Islamic charities are also getting into Bangladesh. These banks and charities are associated with Islamic movements and this has fuelled the Bangladesh stereotype that the country is a terrorist nation. Reducing or banning these banks and charities could help to reduce the discrimination being felt against Bangladesh. With a more positive image, trade is likely to improve Strategies to conserve positive effects One important thing that Bangladesh should embrace is the preservation of their culture and their co-operation. This would play a big role in ensuring that the country continues to gain from rice farming thus increase income. Preservation of culture and religion will ensure that the people of Bangladesh continue taking rice as their staple food and more so the Muslims. Care should however be taken to avoid backwardness that may result from completely ignoring other countries culture that may affect them. The population does not have to be increased even though it provides labor. This is because with increase in population, more poverty would be witnessed which would not be healthy for the country. Instead, Bangladesh should come up with more advanced technology to ease the work in the rice fields. Cars from Germany Cars manufactured in Germany are said to be of high quality given the technical skills possessed by the Germans. German cars stand out among other brands and they are made to perfection to give the owners the feeling of luxury. Their most famous brands include BMW, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes and Volkswagen. Even though their cars are expensive, people are committed to buy for prestige and the excellent quality. Germans are considered to be very serious and industrious. They are punctual and highly organized. Their business deals are rarely cancelled due to poor mistakes and failure to meet the required standards. They are also good technicians, a trait that is said to make certain Germans arrogant. These are stereotypes which work to the advantage of the Germans. They can easily access more customers because the cars produced are expected to be of high quality and they are bound to be punctual in delivering the cars once they are finished. Some say they are too academic, they have no sense of humor and are likely to give more business talk than social talk. However, they are helpful and are very dependable. To a certain extent, this could be good for business. Many businessmen are more likely to engage themselves in serious deals rather than keep cracking jokes and wasting time. This way, their car business can do quite well. Their days are always packed but when they do get a break they engage in a lot of eating junk food, meat and beer drinking which is why they are usually overweight. The Germans make use of other people to do the dirty work for them while they take the lighter duties of polishing the cars and finalizing the sale deals. These are negative stereotypes that can work against the German car business since stereotypical people are likely to discriminate against them for other cars from other companies. Since the majority of autoworkers they employ are low income earners, questions are raised as to why they do not pay them enough yet they get so much. Strategies to reduce negative effects Most of the negative stereotypes against Germans seem to be inclined towards their physical attributes. People tend to associate people who eat and drink much with poor performance. This is more so if they are overweight. However, this problem can be overcome by proving that one is as effective as the others. It does not mean that they are lazy and therefore they should work hard in order to show that their physical attributes do not affect their work. The Germans working in the car industry can also try to be more sensitive to their employees and pay them better wages. This way they can be satisfied with their work and promote the achievement of better results. Strategies to retain positive effects So as to retain the positive effects and continue promoting their cars, Germans should continue aiming for higher education and acquire more technical skills and knowledge to improve the quality of their work. Their aim should be to produce even better cars that will appeal to the customers. Their industrious nature should not be changed and there is need for their punctuality to be maintained. Germans have the advantage of being friendly and helpful, a trait that they can use to promote business since customers are more pleased when they are treated with care. In doing this, they should try to adopt a less serious look so as to effectively communicate with customers and close deals much easily. Word Count: 1929 Bibliography Anderman, Phillip, Economy of Asia: Pakistan and Bangladesh. China: Lulu Publishing, 2006. Avery, Michael, Efficient Marketing Tools. New York: John Wiley and sons. Reuters. Facts on Bangladesh Politics,† Reuters, August 5, 2006 Rehadzo, Mills, Stereotypying: A focus on several communities. London: Cengage Learning, 2000. Smith, Folley, Auto Industry in Germany. The Daily Mirror, February 19, 2003. Stewart Bill, Pira International. Packaging as an effective marketing tool. New York: CRC Press, 1996 Thomas, Michael. Gower Handbook of Marketing. Gower Publishing, Ltd. , 1995 Consumer Behavior Essay Example Consumer Behavior Essay Reginald Jones D03342926 Consumer Behavior Week 7- Course Project â€Å"Nivea Active 3† Market Analysis As one of the leading international skin care companies we are close to consumers, offering them compelling, innovative products. With more than 125 years of experience in skin care and one of the worlds most modern research centers, Beiersdorf stands for innovative and high-quality cosmetic products. Our brands are trusted universally from NIVEA, one of the worlds largest skin care brands (1). The company has introduced a men’s product called NIVEA FOR MEN Active 3. The strategy of the company is to promote a product that is easily accessible and gives the consumer added value by providing added solutions to everyday life. NIVEA FOR MEN Active 3 is a refreshing shower, a moisturizing shampoo and a foaming shaving gel all combined in one product with a refreshing citrus scent. The revitalizing gel with advanced MICRO TEC-Technology develops into a generous foam that offers mild cleansing for body and hair, allows for a comfortable yet thorough shave and leaves the skin clean and smooth. Thanks to our Micro-Tec technology, this advanced formula combines high-tech polymers and essential nutrients. The caring nutrients are provided by avocado and sunflower oil extracts. These lipids help restore moisture to the skin making it feel smooth. At the same time, the high-tech polymers create a generous lather, which allows the razor blade to glide gently – giving you a comfortable yet thorough shave. (1). NIVEA for MEN formally announced the new Active 3 June 29 2009, an innovative three-in-one shower agent combining body wash, shampoo and shaving gel in one bottle (2). We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Behavior specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Behavior specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Behavior specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The introduction of this product can be seen as an induction from a growing trend in men’s use of liquid soap as well as overall personal care. The liquid body soap market grew to $733 million in 2008 from $480 million in 2003, an increase of 53 percent, according to Mintel, which projects revenue will top $1 billion in 2013. Men’s formulas are growing more rapidly than women’s and unisex products, from a 17 percent share of overall category revenue in 2005 to 28 percent in late 2009 (3). Male consumers are paying more attention to their looks. The trend is being driven by male role models which including sportsmen and film personalities. As the gender boundaries are blurring, global firms are increasingly focusing on finding new ways of making profits from the emerging characteristics of men consumer segment. The world market for mens grooming products is projected to exceed $33. 2 billion by the year 2015, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. 4) An executive of Nivea’s parent company wisely identifies 2 of its primary competitors in his statement in regards to the Nivea Active 3. â€Å"The target we have is slightly older than Axe or Old Spice,† said Mr. Maurer, of Beiersdorf. â€Å"We’re talking to a more confident guy that knows who he is and what he stands for, and who is past the trying-to-get-the-girl stage (3). † Axe is the most popular men’s brand, with a 7 percent share of the total body wash market, ac cording to Information Resources, a market research firm. Old Spice, which introduced body wash in 2003 and is a close second to Axe among men’s brands, with 6 percent of the total market, also emphasizes manliness: it is the official body wash of the N. F. L. and Nascar. As far as the overall market the evoked set of brands in the men’s grooming industry include Procter Gamble which sits high atop with brands as varied as Head Shoulders, Gillette and Old Spice, the Cincinnati-based producer accounts for 43% of all industry sales (5). Also, Dove has made a conscious attempt to move from the awareness set to the evoked set with its amid the high-profile entry of Dove Men+Care (6). Finally, Axe is definitely included in this consideration set within an industry that has seen significant growth in the past few years. The market for men’s grooming products grew to $4. 83 billion in 2009, from $2. 38 billion in 1997, according to Euromonitor International, a market research firm. Axe is widely credited for driving much of that growth, all but creating the male ody spray category and continuing to enter categories that mainstream men’s brands have historically avoided, most recently hair care, with Axe introducing shampoo in 2008 (7). Nivea Active 3 Competition Head Shoulders Selection of 2-in-1 Shampoo/Conditioners GilletteBody Wash/ Shaving Foam or Gel AxeShampoo/ Shower Gel DoveSelection of 2-in-1 Body/Face Wash Old SpiceBodywash Various BrandsBar Soap (Substitue) Nivea Active 3 can be found in retail outlets, supermarkets and online sites. The product can be purchased at your local Walgreens or CVS as well superstores such as Target and Walmart. Also, Nivea Active 3 is sold at supermarkets and grocery store such as Dominicks, and Jewel’s. The product can be purchased online on the websites of the previously named retails outlets stores and many more. Nivea Active 3 can be purchased such as Amazon and Ebay, There are numerous outlets and as long as there is significant interest n purchasing the products its presence will remain sound. Brand Positioning According to the Gillette Company, 94 million men age 15 and older remove hair. Of that 94 million 72% (68 million) use a blade or razor (8). This is the market for the Active 3. Nivea begins to focus on its target through its current advertisements. One of the reoccurring patterns in Nivea’s current advertisements of Active 3 is that all the actors appear to be around the age of 30. This is an appropriate demographic because the strongest value of Active 3 is that it is convenient and time saving. Also, since the capability to shave with Active 3 is one of the main components of the product, this will appeal to males 30 and older as shaving has become a part of their routine of grooming themselves. The Generational Cohorts, which are targeted are; the latter Generation X and the early members of Generation Y. Also, the actors demonstrate the removal of chest hairs. Since the activity of the actor using Active 3 occurs during the routine of taking a shower, the extension of that routine into chest hair removal would be more prevalent to male 25 and older. The development of chest hair begins normally during late puberty, usually between the ages of 15 and 18. It can also start later, between the age of 20 and 30, many men in their twenties have not yet reached their full chest hair development. The growth continues subsequently. In older adult years androgens cause thickening of the hair (9). Get more done in the shower! This is a tagline that can be found on advertisements of Active 3. This shows its target to the market of males that would appreciate the convenience and time saving value of the product. This would be most relevant to professional males who welcome solutions to make their day more productive. The tagline â€Å"Get more done in the shower! † and age of the models illustrate Nivea’s target market as business professional males 25 years and older. The versatility of NIVEA FOR MEN Active 3 is based on a unique formula to fulfill three purposes at the same time: to gently cleanse the skin, to mildly and effectively shampoo the hair and to create the ideal foam texture for a smooth shave for both facial and body hair. Even though the product is so convenient to use, it doesn’t compromise on quality (1). Nivea has positioned itself convenience in the mind of men who grooming routine consist of showing, shampooing and shaving. It enables men to do 3 grooming activities at the same time using one quality product, Active 3. All of the advertisements for Active 3 communicate its position which should make memory and learning about the product become much easier (book). Customer Analysis The personal grooming activities of showering, shaving and shampooing ones hair address the need to have a clean, good smelling body with clean hair and a cleanly shaved face and body. In most societies, a clean body and clean hair are apart of the culture. Also, in many societies a nicely shaven face and even body is looked upon a clean cut and acceptable. This places the customer need being address through Nivea’s advertisement as â€Å"Belongingness† in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Active 3 addresses this need and also recognizes the problem of saving time in doing these grooming activities and provides the solution of doing them all simultaneously. The cultures that will consume Active 3 are those whom focus on individualism, hard work and male personal grooming as a norm. Members of individualist cultures tend to strive for independence and have self-concepts defined in terms of their own aspirations and achievements (10). † In individualistic cultures, culturally congruent individualistic appeals will generate more favorable attitudes towards the ad, brand attitudes and higher purchase intentions when used for products that satisfy personal consumption purposes rather than a social purpose (11). Acitve 3 is most definitely for personal consumption. It focuses on personal grooming and individual appearance. How can I save time in my day to make my day more productive? This is the question asked by a culture that values hard work. Active 3 promotes its consumption as a means of convenience and time saving to help construct a more productive grooming routine so that one can get more done in their day, In the Active 3 advertisements, the models have a result of having a freshly shaven face and body with their body and hair appearing to be looking and smelling good. This appeals to a culture where the model represents personal grooming as norm for males within the culture. Since the advent of metrosexuality, companies have realized that they have a new market to capitalize on men who spend their money on grooming and appearance supplies. Walk through the aisles of any US drugstore, and you’ll notice an abundance of male-targeted personal grooming products, such as anti-aging eye-creams, shower gels and formula facial cleansers, slowly monopolizing the shelves. With so many brands clamoring for their slice of the pie, metrosexuals have out and out become their own market segment. And as sales figures roll in, there is clear evidence that the metrosexual market is indeed quite viable (12). Nivea’s Acitve 3 serves the metrosexual segment by providing a â€Å"new† more efficient way to groom with the quality this segment has grown to expect. One of the most relevant characteristics of the meterosexual subculture is maintaining a well-groomed appearance. The Active 3 influences its purchase by providing this subculture the means to maintain a their appearance daily with ease and convenience. Customer Personality In regards to the five-focus model of personality, the personality of the typical user of Nivea Active 3 is one who is â€Å"Open to Experience†. Their openness includes a general appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity, and variety of experience. The user of Active 3 is open to experience is intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty (13). Men’s attitude towards using a shower gel versus shower soap has changed. But a man using shower gel is still a relatively new acceptable action of the male segment. Coupled with the fact that Nivea has produced a product that has a 3-in-1 function, Active 3 is can be defined as â€Å"new†. The personality of the consumers that purchases this product is curious and open to an unusual idea. The purchaser appreciates the imagination of the product and is adventurous in pursuing the new experience of the product in hopes to find a novel grooming solution. The most prominent consumers of the Nivea Active 3 are young, upscale, and keep up with the latest technology and in tune with new products and services. They live in fashionable neighborhoods and where fashionable clothes. They are highly educated professionals who work hard and play hard. These consumers are within arms length of trendy boutiques, various restaurants, and the popular bars. They enjoy dating, meeting new people and are seen in many social environments. Shopping is an activity that is enjoyable. They shop at brick and mortar as well an online. Traveling and athletics are apart of their many hobbies. They also keep abreast of what is going in the world by reading newspaper, magazine and following events on online websites (Hawkins, 446). The life style of the user segments may have varying life style. These life styles may vary by the age group of the user segments. The life style that is reoccurring throughout all user segments is traveling, participating in athletics and staying abreast with world events through reading newspaper, magazines and the use of the internet. The variation would be found in the social environment. The older the age of the user segment, the less we will see them at social scenes such as bars and dating arenas. Nevertheless, all user segments have some balance of hard work and social networking. This life style influences their interest to consume Nivea Active 3 for its convenience and time saving value. All consumers of the Active 3 have general lifestyle patterns of conducting the activities of showering, shaving and shampooing their hair with in close proximities of time. Purchase Decision Process Nivea is commonly included in the men’s evoked set for men’s body wash but it is not in the evoked set for men’s shampoo, or men’s shaving cream. Nivea is in the evoked set for product that can do all three functions since there are very few products that have the same attribute in one solution. For male consumers that are making a decision about their purchase of body wash there is a limited evaluation criterion. In most cases, men used brand recognition as an initial search process. This is why the most successful men body washes are usually brand extensions to other products men use i. e. Gillette razors/cream or Old Spice cologne. To Nivea’s advantage, brand recognition is not the most important criterion men’s decision. Elimination –by-Aspect is the decision rule for men purchase decision. If it doesn’t smell good, the product is eliminated from consideration. Once the consumer proceeds to the next step in the decision, Active 3 being able two additional functions would shift to a disjunctive decision rule. Active 3 will be selected over other body washes as it surpasses them on the criteria of fulfilling the shaving and shampooing function since they do have these as options. Since Nivea is not in the evoked set for shampoos or shaving creams the consumer must see the added benefits of two additional functions as a deciding factor. A brand such as Gillette (shaving cream) or Head and Shoulders (shampoo) will have the advantage in their respective functions if the consumer’s basis of evaluation criteria is nominal in their decision-making. But if Nivea can effectively influence consumers to adopt a compensatory decision rule, their product will be purchased, as it will rate highest on the summary of the consumer’s judgment of relevant evaluative criteria if the additional functions do in fact become relevant in the mind of the consumer. Finally, if the consumer decision is based on a product that can satisfy all 3 functions, shaving, shampooing and showering, that consumer will purchase Nivea Active 3 based on the disjunctive decision rule. This will be due to the fact there are little to no other products that provide a solution for all 3 functions in one product. The consumers initial purchase process will be limited and the result will be some post-purchase dissonance. The level of dissonance will be low because the product is inexpensive. The consumer has used other products as resolutions to each of the functions provided by the Nivea Active 3. Their information search on the product prior to purchase will include recommendations from family, friends or peers and Internet searches for review and feedback on the item. There can be more immediate purchase evaluation because the individual can consume the product right away and decide if they are satisfied or dissatisfied. If the consumer is dissatisfied it is likely they will retain the item and store it as a means of â€Å"back up† or use the remainder of the product and not repurchase the item. Because it is a personal item, the result will be some negative word of mouth communication. If the consumer is satisfied there will likely be repurchases with no post purchase dissonance. The repurchase decision will become nominal. Marketing Assessment Product features Nivea can capitalize on the convenience of Active 3 by producing a Travel size bottle. The travel size bottle can be marketed, to be consumed on business and leisure travels. It can be marketed, to be taken to the fitness gym or any other physical activity. This will truly be a â€Å"back up† for men whom want to maintain a fresh, groomed body throughout the course of a day. â€Å"You Never Know When You May Need It†. Nivea should create an economy sized bottle to be marketed to fitness clubs and sporting facilities. The Active 3 can be placed in dispenser in showers in these facilities. This would be perfect for those consumers as they can use this for any or all of the 3 functions after their activities. Advertisements Nivea needs more print, TV and Internet advertisement. The product is still relatively new and many consumers do not even know it exists. Before other brands began producing their own 3-in-1 formulas, Nivea should focus on it brand awareness. There should be create a campaign that conveys the same message over a number of advertising avenues so that it can strengthen it brand positioning. Commercial Content Idea Tagline: â€Å"You Can Do it All! † Models: A diverse group of men of all different races and ethnicities. Problem: There should be several un-groomed or slightly groomed men conducting different activities such as (1) waking up preparing for work (2) completing a work out at the gym (3) getting prepared for a date and/or a night on the town (4) on a business trip Solution: Nivea Active 3 is their solution in each events and the result is a clean, well groomed individual prepared to take on the world â€Å"You Can Do It All† Reference Hawkins,D. I. , Mothersbaugh, D. L. (2010). Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy (11th Edition) 1) http://www. niveausa. com/products/mens-care/active3-shower-gel 2) http://www. prnewswire. com/news-releases/showering-will-never-be-the-same-again-as-nivea-for-men-introduces-active-3-three-in-one-shower-agent-combining-body-wash-shampoo-and-shave-gel-61908112. html 3) http://www. nytimes. com/2009/09/08/business/media/08adco. html 4) http://www. prweb. com/releases/grooming_products/toiletries_bath_shower/prweb3685224. htm 5) http://www. euromonitor. om/mens-grooming-in-the-us/report 6) http://adage. com/article/news/advertising-marketers-jump-men-s-grooming-trend/142655/ 7) http://www. nytimes. com/2010/08/18/business/media/18adco. html 8) http://www. shavingstuff. com/archives/000825. php 9) http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chest_hair 10) http://chronicle. uchicago. edu/070712/perspectives. shtml 11) http://smib. vuw. ac. nz:8081/www/ANZMAC2000/CDsite/papers/g/Gunarat2. PDF 12) http:// www. brandchannel. com/features_effect. asp? pf_id=315 13) http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits#Openness_to_experience

Teeth are one of the most important features of our body

Teeth are one of the most important features of our body. Teeth are comprised of hard, bony structures in the mouths of humans primarily used to chew food. Teeth are the body's hardest, most durable organ-long after bones and flesh have dissolved, archaeologists find well-preserved teeth from humans and other animals that lived thousands of years ago. Humans use teeth to tear, grind, and chew food in the first step of digestion, enabling enzymes and lubricants released in the mouth to further break down food. Teeth also play a role in human speech-the teeth, lips, and tongue are used to form words by controlling airflow through the mouth. Additionally, teeth provide structural support to muscles in the face and form the human smile. Like humans, most animals use their teeth to chew food, although many animals have evolved teeth that perform other specialized tasks. For example, many carnivorous (meat-eating) animals, such as tigers, have developed long, sharp teeth for clamping down on and killing prey. Beavers have chisel-like front teeth that they use to cut down large trees for building dams. So that takes us to the next question, Why have our teeth been so important to us as human beings? Thousands of years ago when man was first created, teeth were more important than they are today. Years ago, teeth were not only used for breakdown of food but sometimes for self defense towards other humans. Men and women used their teeth to survive daily life and protect their young. If you didnt have teeth back then, then your chances of survival were slim because teeth were needed to eat to stay alive, fight off enemies, and to talk. If you lost your teeth in battle or hunting, then you were in deep trouble because man was the hunted by all sorts of animals. Teeth in humans did not and still dont grow back like some mammals, such as sharks and beavers.

Cultural Groups and Equal Payment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cultural Groups and Equal Payment - Term Paper Example Money itself is the most vibrant form of incentive for increasing the productivity of employees. This is why organizations use the various methods to evaluate employees. Employees who work properly do not have the fear factor of supervisors. This is because they are scaled according to the amount of work they have done which has been seen in material form. These employees do not have to wait on supervisors to accept the amount of work they have done and they are compensated by the amount of work they have physically completed. This essay would analyze the situation of the cultural groups with regard to the difference in their payment scales. The performance-rated payment system is frowned upon in some societies. This example could be seen where employees who work at call centers are paid a specific sum regardless of the amount of work that has been done. In countries such as India, call center employees are paid a fixed wage rate of Rs. 15,000 (USD 300) per month. They are not even c ompensated by the amount of work they have done whereas for employees working in call centers in USA are paid roughly USD 2000 per month and after reaching a specific target they are compensated with overtime premium amounts and bonuses. This shows how the wage rates in other countries determine how the employees are used and not equally compensated. Performance based work rates are appreciated in these types of countries as it increases the quality of work and gives the employees reasons to improve themselves. Equal payment for equal work is a concept which itself focuses on the title. Employers might not be paying equal wages to workers for a certain task and might be using some kind of medium to keep it that way. Some restaurants and stores hire illegal immigrants on lower wage rates than that of a legal citizen. They use this to their benefit and utilize the pay difference to boost the store profits. The equal pay for equal work context also works in the context of sexual discri mination. Women across the globe are not treated with the same respect that male employees are offered and their benefits are also not properly compensated for. Free market supporters believe that the rules and legislations that are passed are not properly kept in light and it does not protect the people that it has aimed to protect. Where an employer has to hire someone, that employer would prefer hiring a male worker instead of a female because of the workload that the male can take on. Most female employees have this in mind when applying for a job. The employer now has the benefit of hiring a worker who is skilled and will be working for less compensation for work. Employees try to work against the system by formulating labor unions to help them get the rightly deserved compensation that they are asking for. The USA has a law which focuses on equal pay/compensation for work that has been done. The law revolves around mainly focusing on gender inequalities for employees working i n a work place. All forms of pay are covered in this law including bonuses and benefits that the employee would get are covered in this law. (Commission). The government also introduced the Equal Pay Act (EPA) which would require employers to pay men and women equally for any work that they do which is similar. This law was passed in 1963 where the crux of the labor related problems were seen. This law itself covers every state, federal government and mostly all private employers. (All). This law

Level 6 Diploma in Careers Guidance and Development Essay - 1

Level 6 Diploma in Careers Guidance and Development - Essay Example Reflective practice involves the ability to reflect on an action in order to take part in a continuous learning process that defines the traits of a professional practice. Reflective practice can also represent a criterion of paying attention to the practical theories and values that inform the everyday action through looking through the reflexively and reflectively practice. This leads to insight development. Reflective practice is a vital tool in professional practice-based learning settings where people learn out of their own experiences, instead of learning from a knowledge transfer, and a formal teaching. This means that reflective practice is the most crucial individual source of professional improvement and development. In this respect, the idea of reflective practice has obtained a huge take-up especially in the development of a practitioner’s profession in areas of health care and education. This means that reflective practice surrounds the issue of lifelong learning where one practitioner analyses different experiences so as to learn out of them. In this case, reflective practice promotes the professionals that are independent and continuously take part in situations of reflection that they come across in their world of profession. However, critics hold that reflection is time consuming and an annoying interruption to learners. It is noted that learners can end up becoming somewhat more anxious and introspective concerning their actions. Moreover, the lack of experience by learners can adversely affect the quality of reflective practice they adopt. This explains why there is need for continued evaluation of assumptions, beliefs, as well as hypothesis against the existing data on reflective practice. Needless to say, there is need to ensure that there is justification of the reflective learning design, and measurement of process, which need to focus upon the reflective

Customer Value Management: Advantages and Disadvantages

Customer Value Management: Advantages and Disadvantages Executive Summary What is this report about? This report aims to identify the importance and long term benefits from adopting a customer value management (CVM) strategy for a life insurance company (â€Å"insurer†) in Singapore. It highlights the reasons why insurers need to adopt a CVM strategy and showcases the various means by which the strategies facilitate customer satisfaction which in turn results in profitability for the insurer. By following a well planned CVM Framework, an insurer will be able to analyze customer data, calculate profitability per customer, identify key customer drivers, and segment customers, thus targeting the right customer with the right product at the right time using the right channel of distribution. The report will benefit an insurer already based in Singapore as it highlights best practices and case studies of existing players in Asia and what they are doing to acquire and retain new customers in this region. The insurer can also focus on the key drivers and specific needs of the insurance customer in Singapore and position itself accordingly. Along with the CVM Framework, the analysis and recommendations from our research will benefit a life insurer in determining whether or not it is aptly positioned to penetrate the life insurance industry in Singapore and to a large extent the Asia Pacific market. Research Methodology For the purpose of this report we performed both primary and secondary research which assisted us in refining our objectives as described in Figure 1: Customer Value Management (CVM) Framework Based on our secondary research we described the process flow for a CVM framework for a life insurance company. The successful implementation of a CVM based strategy involved understanding and performing the following key processes: Best Practices of CVM in the Life Insurance Industry Highlights of the best practices followed by insurers, brokers and advisors in the Asia Pacific region are depicted. Introduction What is CVM? In industries where products, marketing promotions and channels are transitory, organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of customer relationships. Today customer relationships play a very important role in increasing the profits of any organization. There are reports which suggest that customer retention of 5% may increase the profits of a company by 25% or more[1]. An organization experiences increase in profits primarily when the customer makes more purchases thereby offsetting the acquisition cost. Efficient customers over a period of time tend to be more cost effective to service as they are well versed to dealing with the organization. Loyal customers are a source of value for an organization but are scarce in nature and managers must maximize customer value and formulate strategies to successfully measure and align it with the organizations goals. As we evolve from product centric to customer centric marketing, a set of best practices are emerging to measure and increase the lifetime of the customer. These practices are defined as Customer Value Management[2]. CVM in the Life Insurance Industry The life insurance industry, long considered a pillar of stability, is now facing major challenges stemming from various internal and external factors: With increased competition as a result of globalization and the de-regulation of markets worldwide, several new entrants have entered the playing field making customer acquisition and retention all the more challenging. These new entrants include financial institutions such as banks and security firms. Advent of new technologies is challenging the effectiveness of previously established product distribution channels and has given the customer access to shop for life insurance products from multiple web based platforms such as www.policybazaar.com in India and www.compuquotes.com in the United States, with each offering different quotes for the same product offered by various organizations (life insurance companies)[3]. Rising costs as a result of high number of fraudulent activities is declining the life insurance industrys profitability. The strategies deployed by organizations to tackle these challenges will have a profound effect on both short and long term profitability. One such strategy that can make a positive impact on the profitability of an organization is Customer Value Management. Customer Value Management (CVM) from a life insurers perspective revolves around the identification of each profitable customer. Upon identifying this customer, CVM techniques can be used to measure the return on investment made by the organization in acquisition, growth and retention of the profitable customer. If the return on investment from the profitable customer is positive then the insurer should further implement strategies to maximize the lifetime value of its relationship. At the same time CVM solutions also facilitate an organization in: Segmenting customers by similar risk profiles Improving cross selling and up-selling programs Improving the effectiveness of the marketing campaign Maximizing profitability The successful implementation of a CVM strategy also involves the identification of the following: Right Customer Objective Identifying profitable customers and reducing customer acquisition costs. Traditional Practice Acquire competitors customers irrespective of profitability from each customer. Current Practice Acquisition of only profitable customers likely to generate repeat business. Example Consider two life insurance companies, one that focuses on providing life insurance products to â€Å"safe customers† and the other serves customers that fall in the high risk category; individuals engaged in adventure sports and activities such as mountaineering, cliff diving, cave exploration etc. The â€Å"safe customer† company would be acquiring the wrong customers by advertising in adventure sports magazines. Advantages Lower customer acquisition costs Higher profitability per customer Right Product Objective Providing the right customer with the right product thereby increasing customer retention and reducing costs. Traditional Practice Providing an array of life products irrespective of the customers preference and need resulting in customer dissatisfaction and attrition. Current Practice Providing only those products as desired by the right customer by segregating them on the basis of demographics, purchasing habits, lifestyle and risk factors. Example In Europe, life and health insurance companies determined that majority of their customers wanted to be fit and live a healthier lifestyle. Insurers provided their customers with a product which included incentives such as discounts on health club memberships and seminars on nutrition and healthy eating. Advantages Increase in customer retention Increase in cross and up selling opportunities Decrease in the number of claims filed Right Channel Objective Having identified the right customer and the right product for that customer, approaching the customer using a preferred channel of distribution. Traditional Practice Direct-response[4] marketing such as direct-mail and telemarketing targeted towards all customer segments including those that preferred a face-to-face meeting. Before the advent of Web 2.0 organizations relied on marketing intermediaries such as agents and brokers. Current Practice Besides using traditional direct-response marketing media and intermediaries, organizations have also launched web portals, comparison websites, and formed distribution alliances with financial institutions to sell products. Examples A study conducted by a British firm, Datamonitor in 2007, revealed that aggregators and comparison websites account for instigating 22% of individuals seeking motor insurance[5]. Likewise websites such as www.policybazar.com in India target price conscious customers seeking better deals online. Another study by Datamonitor revealed that in 2007, 37% of those individuals that purchased insurance online changed their provider upon renewal as compared to 17% that purchased through call centers[6]. The recent bank assurance alliance between Prudential Corporation Asia and UOB Life Insurance Limited will give Prudential the opportunity to sell its products to UOB customers in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. Advantages Offer more comprehensive life insurance products through direct-response marketing methods. High response rates from personalized direct-response methods Well informed customers and higher customer retention Right Timing Objective To make the sale and to win a customer for life by marketing the right product at the right time. Traditional Practice Organizations either marketed the right product at the wrong time or were unable to identify the right time to promote a product. In either case the customer was not acquired and/or retained. Current Practice With the use of sophisticated data analytic tools, organizations are able to predict customers future purchasing habits with the passing of each life stage. They then target the customer whose life insurance needs change due to: Marriage Birth of child Schooling of child Marriage of child Retirement Example Customer A bought a life insurance policy a couple of years ago and declined coverage for her immediate family citing lack of disposable income. However, Customer As preferences may have changed now and assuming her experience with the product, customer service, and the insurer has been satisfactory thus far and she has a higher disposable income than she did earlier, she can be contacted again for buying life insurance for her family. Advantages Increased cross and up selling opportunities Increased customer retention Decreased customer defection Customer Perception of the Life Insurance Industry Life insurance products are considered by many as complex yet much needed to minimize risk. Organizations have come up with products that meet the needs of the individual customer, however because the insurance contracts are fraught with complex legal terms, the customer ends up perceiving the life insurance industry as one that is not transparent and â€Å"user-friendly†. Furthermore, customers consider insurers as organizations that are only interested in ensuring that their customers pay their policy premiums on time; however when its time for the insurer to resolve a claim or a dispute the turnaround time is slow resulting in frustration and anxiety for the customer. To cite an example of customer perception towards the insurance industry, an insurance survey by IBM and University of St. Gallen in Switzerland revealed that roughly 60% of the participants[7] did not completely trust their insurance company. Because of such negative perceptions the insurer faces a high rate of customer defection. As the cost of acquiring a new customer are much more than the cost involved in retaining an existing one, insurers are coming up with innovative methods to build and foster a long term relationship with their valuable customers: Creating trust and reliability: More than 80% of the participants in the IBM and University of St. Gallen insurance survey placed a high value to honesty and trustworthiness and building a solid reputation in the market has become ever so more important for an insurer. Organizations are taking actions to build trust and credibility by: Modifying the legal jargon in insurance contracts to simple, brief and layman terms. Remodeling the direct selling agents compensation package to include commissions based on parameters such as repeat sales and customer retention, thereby encouraging them to act more customer oriented. Establishing social communities such as interactive web portals, blogs and chat forums, thereby fostering communication with the customer. This strategy has also given insurers with invaluable information about the customers evolving needs. Creating an ensemble of touch-points: This strategy involves personalizing the approach to customers and making meaningful touch points available to generate a positive and rewarding experience for customers and the organization. For instance, price sensitive customers rely on the Internet when shopping for a life insurance policy, whereas relationship oriented customers seek advice from insurance agents / brokers and banks. Various touch-points available for customers of a life insurer can be bucketed as depicted in Figure 6. Therefore, it is essential for an organization to plan carefully before deploying or cutting back on any of the above touch points. For instance, in the first quarter of 2009 tied agency channels contributed to 59%[8] of total new business generated in Singapore. If an insurer were to downsize its tied agency channel it could result in a high rate of customer defection for a customer segment that seeks a personal relationship based on reliability, sound advice, and competence. Being flexible to the customers needs: The insurer should make room to tailor the offerings to the specific requirement of the profitable customer. Furthermore, in the life insurance industry, multiple insurers offer similar products but the ones that offer flexibility are the ones that are able to hold their market position as well as attract the competitors customers. In North America and Europe, customers have identified various aspects of flexibility from their insurance providers. These aspects are covered in Figure 7. As customers in the Asia Pacific region become more and more sophisticated for their life insurance needs they will require similar levels of flexibility (as noted above). Need for CVM in the Life Insurance Industry Based on the challenges faced by players in the global life insurance industry, we have identified the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) typical to the industry and the impact of such on the insurer as well as the customer. The objective of the exercise is three-fold: Firstly, identify the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the life insurance industry. Secondly, identify the impact of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats on the insurers and their customers. Thirdly, to justify how an insurer can implement strategies and solutions to mitigate the weaknesses and threats and capitalize on strengths and opportunities. STRENGTH KEY STRENGTHS IMPACT ON INSURER IMPACT ON CUSTOMER STRATEGY Consolidated customer and marketing databases. More accurate prediction of changing customer needs Faster turnaround time in resolving claims and disputes. Customer has products that meet insurance/investment needs. The systems and customer data should be shared across the organization to promote innovation in business solutions. Multiple products offerings Targeting and acquiring various customer segments Increases customer retention by cross selling and up selling Customers have multiple products to meet their changing needs and circumstances. Identify the most profitable customer segment and retain them by offering innovative products and quality service. Multiple distribution channels. Increased profitability. Multiple distribution channels have given access to a wider customer base. Customers obtain product knowledge from their preferred touch points. Increases brand perception and product knowledge. Target specific customer segments through cost effective and customer preferred distribution channels. Flexible payment options (ex. payment in installments, cash, cheques, and credit/debit cards). Increases revenue generation, customer acquisition, and retention. Customer values flexibility and convenience and remains loyal. Marketing strategy to showcase the differentiating factors not provided by competitors. WEAKNESS KEY WEAKNESSES IMPACT ON INSURER IMPACT ON CUSTOMER STRATEGY Important customer data resides in silos resulting in poorly defined customer segments. Customer information resides with different departments preventing a holistic view of the customer. Wrong products sold to the wrong customers resulting in customer dissatisfaction. Consolidate and analyze customer data residing in various systems to identify profitable customer segments likely to do repeat purchases. Lack of information sharing across departments marked with territoriality and fierce internal competition. Results in weak product orientation and ineffective cross selling and up selling opportunities. Results in defection to competitor as insurance needs are not satisfied. Develop a common repository of customer data to provide various departments with the ability to develop products and provide quick response to changing needs. Lack of trust and reliability on the insurer. Negative reputation leads to mass customer defection. Un-satisfied customers pass on the poor experience to prospective customers Promote social computing communities such as blogs, chat forums. Also provides value add information about the customer. Snail paced claims and dispute resolution. Higher costs and time to serve the customer as multiple follow ups are required. Increased customer frustration due to lengthy dispute resolution period. Implement analytical models to predict and quantify the likelihood of claims. Measure and reward employees on time taken to resolve customer disputes. Insurance contracts are loaded with complicated insurance jargon. Increases in cost per customer Customer dissatisfaction and defection Simplify insurance contracts Recruit knowledgeable agents to assist customers. Insurance agents are primarily commission driven and are not customer oriented. Results in tarnishing the insurers reputation. Customer perceives a negative image of the insurer when faced with agents that are solely motivated by profits. Remodel agent compensation to include commissions based on parameters such as repeat sales and customer satisfaction surveys. Make customer centric training programs mandatory for all agents. OPPORTUNITY KEY OPPORTUNITIES IMPACT ON INSURER IMPACT ON CUSTOMER STRATEGY Tie-ups with banks and other FIs will give access to a wider customer base. Lower cost of acquisition of new clients. Lower operational costs. Financial and protection needs are met by a single channel. Develop bancassurance agreements to target a banks customer base. Un-tapped markets such as HNWI and Takaful (Islamic insurance). Access to a wider client base resulting in increase in profitability. Positive brand building exercise.  · Ability to provide protection for themselves and family.  · Diversification of investment strategy for HNWI.  · Launch products to non-mass market segments.  · Organize brand awareness campaigns in locations that are frequented by such segments. Deregulation has opened new markets. Insurers have access to a wider customer base. Competitive premium to the customers. Market entry strategy for de-regulated countries. Since the 3rd quarter of 2009, new business premiums in Singapore have been consistently increasing[9]. Opportunity to re-acquire customers. Multiple product and service offerings at competitive prices. Acquire customers that defaulted during the financial crisis by providing coverage at the same premium or payment in installments. Increased competition from the Internet. High costs involved in changing and/or updating technology platforms. Customers have a clearer idea of product offering and higher bargaining power over insurers. Provide high quality service to convert a one-time online sale by cross selling and up selling. THREAT KEY THREATS IMPACT ON INSURER IMPACT ON CUSTOMER STRATEGY Deregulation of the insurance industry has increased competition from new entrants. Lower profit margins and increased customer acquisition and retention costs. Financial and protection needs are met by a single channel. Joint venture, merger or acquisition with/of a bank and other financial institutions. Increased competition from the Internet. High costs involved in changing and/or updating technology platforms. Customers have a clearer idea of product offering and higher bargaining power over insurers. Provide high quality service to convert a one-time online sale by cross selling and up selling. Develop a powerful and customer friendly web platform. Rising costs due to increase in fraudulent activities. Lower profit margin and increased operational cost. Customer dissatisfaction with high turnaround time for claim resolution. Implement CDI tools to reduce duplication of records and redundant customer data. New government regulations may result in lowering profit margins for the insurer. Inability to serve customer segments resulting in declining profit margins. Customer has limited option of products to choose from or has to pay higher premiums. Develop products that abide by government regulations but at the same time are able to meet customer needs. Implementing a CVM Framework for a Life Insurer Customer Value Management (CVM) provides a systematic methodology of modeling the value proposition relative to competition by putting process improvements into operation and communicating these improvements back to the customer in terms of better service and value add. From a life insurance organizations point of view, customer value management can be structured into the following three components[10]: Analysis Planning Continuous Improvement The three components interact with each other to drive the value proposition of the customer. The components align business operations with the value proposition and create specific action plans to help realize the customer value over a lifetime. CVM components can be further broken down in to a structured process as shown in Figure 8. This is done to deliver the specified objective of implementing a customer value management strategy for a life insurance company (insurer) The phases explained in Figure 8 are summarized in the below section. Analysis The Analysis Phase consists of analyzing data and formulating strategies using data mining techniques to improve the customer profitability. The key processes which are included in this phase are: Data Quality and Single Customer View[11]: To improve profitability from the customers, analysis of the customer data stored in various systems is performed. Thus life insurance companies need to integrate them to understand the customer trends and purchase patterns. Life-time Value Model: Once the data is integrated, it is used to calculate the life time value of existing customers using various available methods. Discounted Cash Flows (DCF) method is one such model. Key Drivers: Key value drivers for a life insurer are determined by analyzing the data from the single customer view and the life time value model. Identifying key drivers that affect the purchasing decisions of a customer and the method by which an organization delivers on those drivers forms an important part of the Analysis Phase. Segmentation: Based on the customer values generated by lifetime value model, the customer segments are segregated into current and future low to high value customers. Further these customers are also segmented based on demographics, customer behavior etc. to capitalize on the current and future trends in the life insurance industry Planning The Planning phase ensures that the information collected after analyzing the data is valid and relevant for improving the customer value. Strategies at product and market level are formulated and implemented in planning phase. The tasks associated with planning phase are: Planning at the Business and Product/Market Level: Campaign planning based on customer segment is associated with planning at product and market level to implement the overall strategy of the organization. Campaign planning may include marketing plans, product development, cross-selling or up-selling of products to existing customers. After the completion of campaign planning, campaigns actions are implemented with intend to improve the customer profitability. [12] Key performance indicators: Based on the overall strategy, key performance indicators are identified based on financials, marketing performance, customer satisfaction, customer retention. These indicators allow insurers to measure the outcome of various actions on a periodic basis. Continuous Improvement Continuous improvement phase includes updating of action plans and strategies to make it more efficient and effective to achieve the organizational objectives. Objectives of continuous improvement are achieved by: Continuous performance measurement: The performance indicators established in the planning phase should be reviewed on a periodic basis to avoid any deviations from the stated objectives of each business unit. Process Improvement: Based on the outputs generated from the actions plans and performance indicators implemented in the planning phase, associated processes and action plans are updated to make it more efficient in achieving the stated objectives. Each phase will be dealt separately and in more detail in the following sections of the report. Analysis The Analysis Phase consists of analyzing data to identify the key drivers which affect the value of a customer and segment customers to improve the profitability of the insurer. The analysis of data establishes a relationship and a trend between the internal information and the market value of customers. This phase includes an analysis of the following processes: Data Quality and Single Customer View Over the past decade, insurance companies have gradually started shifting their focus from policy sales, pricing, and claims to understand the needs of the customers and the possibility of repeat purchases of additional products from these customers. Insurance companies have now started servicing and understanding the customers needs from a holistic perspective and further the insurers efficiency to service their customers is dependent on the information provided by the customers on the use of specific products and services. The information solicited from customers is used by insurance companies in developing new and re-modeling old products, by call customer representatives in providing quality service, and by marketing departments in selling new products to segmented customers. To achieve the above, insurance companies have started stressing on the need for customer data integration (CDI). A typical data integration solution (Figure 9) should encompass the following subsystem in the life insurance organization. An insurer needs to integrate various components of an insurance policy management solution into one and use data mining techniques to recognize the current customer trends, purchase patterns and fraudulent activities. Customer data integration in the insurance industry creates growth in the companys top line by: Improving the design of insurance products and pricing; Increasing the success rate of marketing campaigns; and Improving the overall customer experience resulting in maximization of the customers life time value Similarly, customer data integration also makes a positive impact on the bottom line of a life insurance company by: Streamlining the service centers and leading to shorter call times, resulting in increased customer profitability; and Savings in several operational areas such as claims Figure 10 displays the benefits of customer data integration as it applied to the organization. To further elaborate on how insurers can leverage from customer data integration let us demonstrate its effect on the following areas of the company: Product and Service Offerings: A typical product development process at an insurer is described in Figure 11. The figure highlights the data required from various sub-systems for product development. Data integration reduces the time required for product development using improved analytics. In short the insurer can have the first mover advantage by reducing the product development lifecycle. Insurers also spend a significant amount of time in customizing enrolment materials, benefit summaries, and claim submission forms and reports for a major customer. These activities have a high cost as they require the services of sales, underwriting, compliance, and legal and can wipe out the entire cash flows and profit expectations of the insurer. Here, data integration plays a significant role in formally defining, marketing and tracking these services and developing them. Data integration allows the insurer to integrate information about its target customers and their use of high cost services and bundles these services with the product to improve the pricing model. This enables an insurer to recover its costs incurred in designing the product and services while providing high end customers with value added services at the same time. For example, Eurovida[15], a Portuguese life insurer and part of Grupo Banco Popular faced a challenge of providing its customers with the right products in the most cost effective ways while driving growth, profitability and shareholder value. It was only after they deployed an activity-based management system were they able to consolidate customer and product data thereby determining the profitability of products and the costs incurred in delivering the product and service to the target customers. Marketing and Sales: An immediate advantage of customer data integration in the life insurance industry is the ability to detect and consol