The Necessity Of Responsible Parenting

This is because, it is mostly true. For example, how does a person become sophisticated or fancy? How does someone become barbaric? How does someone become holy? Of course a sophisticated/fancy person grew up with sophisticated people (I. E. , Mother, Father, Relatives etc.. ) and of course a barbaric person grew up with barbaric people and holy people grew up with other holy people. Imagine how can a fancy person grew up at the â€Å"squatters area† given the case that their family has trouble eating three times a day?Sure, it can be possible. But the odds of it to happen is unfavorable. Getting straight to the point, one of the factors that contributes to the child's character reflects on how he is raised and his rounding's. Now, how DOES responsible parenting help produce a successful child? According to the scientific researches, children often follow their parents' behavior. Which means, that imitation is a fundamental part in the growing process Of a child because it is one Of the natural ways Of learning.Therefore if you're a parent and you show him proper etiquette and good manners, the child will grow up into a well behaved individual. Another important influence of good parenting is that it promotes the academic success of students. After leaving pre-school or kindergarten, children approach an entirely new environment, the primary school. They must change their habit of playing whatever they want and whenever they want to an inevitable horrifying fate, which is the responsibility for studying well.At this very first stage, children integrate their studying method from the elder members in their family, like their mom or dad, when the child sees their mom and dad work hard because of the possibility that they mightn't brought home some of their work, then the child will try to imitate that and may result to a better study habit, which really affects their results in the long future. All of these would exult in an excellent academic aftereffect. And the last but not the least, children would be healthier in account of their parents' concern.The diet of children is mostly prepared by other family members. The way parent control various nutritious elements forms the children's habit, which can hardly be changed. If they get familiar with a balanced diet, they may enjoy a healthy life style in the future. Besides, a good, loving and responsible parent would explain to their children the large importance of physical exercises and encourage them to do these beneficial things to stay fit and healthy for being lately will benefit them in the long run. After stating all of these, you the reader, what will you do now?

Innovation in Cosmetic Industry

ABSTRACT : Innovation is one of the most important issues in business research today. It has been studied in many independent research traditions. Our understanding and study of innovation can benefit from an integrative review of these research traditions. In so doing, various topics of consideration have been identified and studied. Consumer response to innovation, Organizations and innovation, which are increasingly important as product development becomes more complex and tools more effective but demanding; techniques for product development processes, which have been transformed through global pressures, increasingly accurate customer input. Innovation is the core business competency of the 21st century. In order to not only compete and grow but to survive in a global economy, businesses must innovate. To date innovation has been approached in a piecemeal fashion often linked solely to the New Product Development (NPD) process. There has been a remarkable increase in R&D investment by industries at global level over a number of years. The area of R&D in industry with the highest rate of growth over the past six years has been in directed basic research. Innovation and the effective management of technology have become a top priority for nations as well as companies, to stimulate economic development and strengthen their competitiveness. Allocation of R&D for the development of new businesses is seen as a key growth strategy by firms in most parts of the world. New products are engines to growth and prosperity for all companies in the manufacturing sector or the service sector. In this article, an attempt has been made to explore the drivers of new product performance, with a particular focus on cosmetic industry. P&G is considered to be one of the companies dealing with cosmetics with the best innovation strategies, and hence it has been taken as an example for the study. The Innovation Diamond is introduced by P&G as an integrative and guiding framework to help management focus on what’s important to success: innovation strategy, a solid idea-to-launch process, portfolio management and the right climate and leadership. (Keywords : Innovation, R&D, Cosmetic industry, P&G, success, Product Development. ) INTRODUCTION : Innovation, the process of bringing new products and services to market, is one of the most important issues in business research today. Innovation is responsible for raising the quality and lowering the prices of products and services that have dramatically improved consumers’ lives. By finding new solutions to problems, innovation destroys existing markets, transforms old ones, or creates new ones. It can bring down giant incumbents while propelling small outsiders into dominant positions. Without innovation, incumbents slowly lose both sales and profitability as competitors innovate past them. Innovation provides an important basis by which world economies compete in the global marketplace. Innovation is a broad topic, and a variety of disciplines address various aspects of innovation, including marketing, quality management, operations management, technology management, organizational behaviour, product development, strategic management, and economics. Research on innovation has proceeded in many academic fields with incomplete links across those fields. For example, research on market pioneering typically does not connect with that on diffusion of innovations or the creative design of new products. Overall, marketing is well positioned to participate in the understanding and management of innovation within firms and markets, because a primary goal of innovation is to develop new or modified products for enhanced profitability. A necessary component of profitability is revenue, and revenue depends on satisfying customer needs better (or more efficiently) than competitors can satisfy those needs. Research in marketing is intrinsically customer and competitor focused, and thus well situated to study how a firm might better guide innovation to meet its profitability goals successfully. To encourage and facilitate further research on innovation in marketing, we seek to collect, explore, and evaluate research on innovation. Key goals of this paper will be to provide a structure for thinking about innovation across the fields, highlight important streams of research on innovation, suggest interrelationships, and provide taxonomy of related topics. Successful innovation rests on first understanding customer needs and then developing products that meet those needs. Our review of the literature, therefore, starts with our understanding of customers and their response to and acceptance of innovation. Because we are interested in how firms profit from innovation, the article will then review organizational issues associated with successfully innovating and with how organizations adopt innovations. Customer understanding and the organizational context are underpinnings to innovating successfully. They must be in place before proceeding. Then the flow of innovation will be discussed. SUCCESS FACTORS IN AN ORGANISATION: Success factors for an organisation predominantly identified in the research papers are : †¢ Product innovation †¢ R&D investment †¢ Leadership commitment, Clear understanding of the company’s capabilities, †¢ Strong connection to the customer and a deep understanding of major customer problems, †¢ Willingness to take big but well-understood risks. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT : Once consumer needs are understood and organizations for innovating and strategies are in place, then begins the execution part of innovation—moving from having a strategy to conceiving a concept to delivering against that strategy, to designing the final product and its manufacturing process, to finally having a (hopefully successful) commercial product. This section examines research that has sought to improve this process of product development (PD), which is predominantly prescriptive in nature. We begin with a brief review of product development processes, then will discuss about the research applicable to each of various stages of product development. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES : The emerging view in industry is of product development as an end-to-end process that draws on marketing, engineering, manufacturing, and organizational development. The core of this process is the product development funnel of opportunity identification, design and engineering, testing, and launch. Previous researches recognizes that, for a single successful product launch, failures will be many, although some may be recycled, reworked, and improved to become successful products. Even when a product has been in the marketplace, innovation continues as the firm continually searches for new opportunities and ideas. Researches also recognize the current hypothesis that firms are most successful if they have multiple product concepts in the pipeline at any given time, forming a portfolio of projects. These projects might relate to independent products but increasingly are based on coordinated platforms to take advantage of common components and/or economies of scope. Risk is inherent in product development; few of the many concepts in a portfolio are likely to be successful. Information to evaluate alternative concepts is often imperfect, difficult to obtain, and hard to integrate into the organization. For each success, the process begins with 6 to 10 concepts that are evaluated and either rejected or improved as they move from opportunity identification to launch. RESEARCH CHALLENGES : PD processes are only as good as the people who use them. Structured processes force evaluation, but evaluation imposes both monetary and time costs. Teams can be tempted to skip evaluations or, worse, justify advancement with faulty or incomplete data. There are substantial research opportunities to understand the optimal trade-offs among evaluation costs, the motivations of teams for accuracy, and the motivations of teams for career advancement. For example, advancing a concept to the next stage in either a sequential or spiral process requires a hand-off. New team members must have sufficient data to accept the hand-off. In some instances, the old team members are now required to look for new projects—a disincentive to advancing a concept through the gate. Marketing, with its tradition of research on people, whether they are customers or product developers, have many research streams that can inform and advance the theory and practice of PD processes. Despite this, we have seen little formal investigation of the link between marketing capabilities and PD processes. The most critical research challenges in this area include, Improving the effectiveness of non sequential PD processes; Understanding which process is best in which situations; Understanding when it is appropriate to modify processes; Linking marketing capabilities and PD processes; Understanding the explicit and implicit rewards and incentives that encourage PD teams to either abide by or circumvent formal processes. Both market orientation and innovation have been identified as crucial success factors in companies. A positive impact of market orientation and innovation on company performance has been found in many industries and under a wide range of market characteristics. Research on market orientation is focused in particular on large companies. However, market orientation is expected to be important for small companies as well as large companies. Research in this field for small firms is relevant because small companies are widely represented in important industries like retailing, services and agriculture. Research has shown the importance of market orientation for the success of product innovations. A market orientation may stimulate innovations and increase the performance of innovations. In this paper we will focus on innovations in small independent companies that do not have the capacity for R&D as opposed to innovations in medium sized and large companies. Various models about the relationship between market orientation and innovation have been proposed examined the impact of market orientation on innovation characteristics using measure for market orientation. Many studies that focus on factors discriminating between successful and unsuccessful innovations conclude that market orientation is one of the main contributing factors to innovation success. INNOVATION Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society. Innovation differs from invention in that innovation refers to the use of a new idea or method, whereas invention refers more directly to the creation of the idea or method itself. The word innovation derives from the Latin word innovatus, which is the noun form of innovare â€Å"to renew or change,† stemming from in—†into† + novus—†new†. Diffusion of innovation research was first started in 1903 by seminal researcher Gabriel Tarde, who first plotted the S-shaped diffusion curve. Tarde (1903) defined the innovation-decision process as a series of steps that includes: First knowledge, Forming an attitude, A decision to adopt or reject, Implementation and use, Confirmation of the decision, Innovation. Innovation is the process by which an idea or invention is translated into a good or service for which people will pay, or something that results from this process. To be called an innovation, an idea must be replicable at an economical cost and must satisfy a specific need. Innovation involves deliberate application of information, imagination, and initiative in deriving greater or different value from resources, and encompasses all processes by which new ideas are generated and converted into useful products. In business, innovation often results from the application of a scientific or technical idea in decreasing the gap between the needs or expectations of the customers and the performance of a company's products. In a social context, innovation is equally important in devising new collaborative methods such as alliance creation, joint venturing, flexible working hours, and in creating buyers' purchasing power through methods such as layaway plans. INNOVATIONS ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO BROAD CATEGORIES: (1) Evolutionary innovations are brought about by numerous incremental advances in technology or processes and are of two types a) Continuous evolutionary innovations result in an alteration in product characteristics instead of in a new product, and do not require any user-learning or changes in his or her routine. Examples are the multiblade shaving razor, fluoride toothpaste, and laptop computers. (b) Dynamic continuous evolutionary innovations require some user-learning but do not disrupt s his or her routine. Examples are fax machines, instant photography, and handheld computers. (2) Revolutionary innovations (also called discontinuous innovations) require a good deal of user-learning, often disrupt his or her routine, and may even require new behaviour patterns. Examples are photocopier (xerography) machines, personal computers, and the Internet. Innovation is synonymous with risk-taking and organizations that introduce revolutionary products or technologies take on the greatest risk because they have to create new markets. A less risky innovation strategy is that of the imitator who starts with a new product (usually created by a revolutionary-innovator) having a large and growing demand. The imitator then proceeds to satisfy that demand better with a more effective approach. Examples are IBM with its PC against Apple Computer, Compaq with its cheaper PCs against IBM, and Dell with its still-cheaper clones (sold directly to the customer) against Compaq. Although many innovations are created from inventions, it is possible to innovate without inventing, and to invent without innovating. NECESSITY FOR INNOVATION â€Å"Innovation will be the necessity for social and economical growth of the nation in future. We live and die through relative innovation. The world has changed because of innovation only. Science is responsible for all the innovations we feel around,† remarked Srinivasan K. Swamy, President, All India Management Association (AIMA), New Delhi A light bulb overhead may signal a bright idea in cartoons and comic books, but in today's business world companies can't sit around waiting for creative bolts of inspiration. Long-lasting success requires a process of innovation that is predictable and consistent. Today innovation is necessary to survive. The global market has become so competitive that innovation is now as valuable an investment as sales and marketing. Markets are becoming more global, not less, so the value of innovation will continue to increase. Here's why: a) The best ideas and technologies spread rapidly around the world now. A company with a new product may make a one-time splash, but before long everyone else will have adopted it. A consistent, predictable innovation process enables companies to overcome this. b) Brands aren't as powerful as they used to be. Experience is now more important than brand name as the basis for a person's purchasing decision. The Internet allows people to share experiences about a company with millions of others. People now choose the products that give them the highest value, not just the best-known brands. Relying on a strong brand name is no longer enough. Consistent, predictable innovation is the answer. The Society of Management Accountants calls â€Å"innovation†¦fundamental to the quest for profitable, sustainable growth. †3 Peter Drucker, probably the most insightful management guru ever, deems it the one business competence needed for the future. Fortune magazine’s advice to companies who want to be named to its Most Admired List? Innovate, innovate, innovate. Innovation currently accounts for more than half of all growth. And it is enormously profitable. A study done on the rate of return for 17 successful innovations showed a mean return of 56% compared with an average ROI of 16%. Companies are catching on to this sea change. In an Ernst & Young study, European and North American companies called innovation the most important criterion for success in the future. Even technology firms who presumably are leading this charge consider â€Å"making innovation happen† the industry’s single biggest problem. COSMETIC INDUSTRY Indian cosmetics industry has witnessed strong growth during the past few years and has emerged as one of the industries holding immense future growth potential. The cosmetics industry registered impressive sales worth Rs 288. 7 Billion (US$ 5. 8 Billion) in 2010. The sector has mainly been driven by improving purchasing power and rising fashion consciousness of the Indian population. Moreover, the industry players are readily spending on the promotional activities to increase consumer awareness. According to our new research report â€Å"Indian Cosmetic Sector Analysis (2009-2012)†, Indian cosmetics sector is expected to witness noteworthy growth rate in near future, owing to the rising beauty concerns of both men and women. The industry holds promising growth prospects for both existing and new players. The baseline for the optimistic future outlook of the Indian cosmetics industry is that, there has been a rise in variety of products offered by the industry players. Moreover, the companies have started opting for online retailing and are offering specialized products to generate revenue from all the corners. Rising usage of Cosmeceuticals and Nutricosmetics by the Indian consumers will also pave way for the Indian cosmetics market during the forecast period. Our research report incorporates an innovation of the cosmetics industry in India. It provides segment level analysis of the industry along with the emerging trends and innovation that happened in the previous years. INNOVATION IN COSMETIC INDUSTRY The cosmetics industry is a lucrative, innovative, and fast-paced industry. It is also a key market segment in the retail industry. In it they highlight the following products as examples of what cosmetic companies are doing to create â€Å"innovative† products. 1. Soap from a lingerie company 2. Men’s cologne in a bottle shaped like a #1 3. Nanotechnology skin care cream 4. 3D anti-ageing skin mask. The only product that could have some technological innovation is the one based on nanotechnology. Unfortunately, there are no claims given and you could easily make the product by creating a standard skin lotion with added, non-functional nanotechnology. If cosmetic companies really wanted to set their products apart from the competition, they need to create formulas that solve consumer problems in some superior way. Consumers don’t care about how their products work (say nanotechnology), they care about the end results. The major sections of cosmetics in this industry are : sun care, skin care, hair care, body care and perfumes and decorative cosmetics. SUN CARE The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends regular sun screen use to help protect skin against UV radiation†¢ Significant industry investment has helped develop increasingly effective and appealing sunscreens that – Offer broad UV (both UVA and UVB) protection – Contain a combination of nano-sized mineraln (e. g. titanium dioxide) and organic UV filters to offer high levels of protection – Have applications that suit all lifestyles and consumer needs SKIN CARE : Skin maintenance is important because skin is the largest organ in the body, serving as a vital defence barrier. This also makes it particularly vulnerable to damage . Regular cleansing and caring improves hygiene, prevents pores from becoming clogged, removes dead skin cells and protects against external elements Dermatological research continually leads to more effective and gentle applications that address different skin types such as dry or aged skin. †¢ Dec 30, 2011 – Euromonitor Reports Growth in Skin Care Market in Africa & the Middle East Between 2005 & 2010. As new opportunities for skin care in key developed markets slowly dry up, much stronger growth forecasts for the category in many markets in Africa †¢ Dec 28, 2011 – R Highlight – Angle-dependent Interference Pigments Multilayer pigments alternately coated with layers having high and low refractive index are known in the art. The optical effect of the pigments †¢ Dec 14, 2011 – Editorial – Future-Touch Translates Future Trends into Innovation †¢ Dec 14, 2011 – Article – UK spa company Elemis has established itself as a leading professional spa company as well as a strong contender in the retail cosmetics market. HAIR CARE : Products: Shampoos, conditioners, hair colourants, texturisers, serums, hair sprays, growth stimulators, anti-dandruff shampoos, lotions. Improved personal hygiene via treatment of dandruff, itchy scalp, greasiness Enables self-expression, helping consumers have confidence in their appearance and greater self-esteem Meeting specific consumer needs such as controlling fly-away hair, taming unruly hair with relaxants, adding texture to limp hair, repairing damaged hair and restoring colour to aged hair BODY CARE : Products: Soaps, antiperspirants, deodorants, body washes, shower gels, body lotions, scrubs, oils. Benefits: Soap represents a significant historical public health advance, helping break down grease and dirt Antiperspirants and deodorants enhance comfort and hygiene by helping avoid excessive perspiration and resulting body odour Non-soap detergent bars enable mild cleansing for consumers with skin conditions (eczema, rosacea, mild atopic dermatitis, etc. ) PERFUME : Products: Perfumes, colognes, salves, scented oils Benefits: Fragrances play a significant role in enhancing personal well-being Aromatherapy research reveals that smells influence our emotions, inspire creativity and are the fastest memory triggers The sense of smell is proven to be an important factor in the process through which we form relationships. DECORATIVE COSMETICS : Products: Foundations, blushes, powders, eye Benefits : Make-up enables self-expression, helping consumers have confidence in their appearance and greater selfesteem Clinical research confirms that the ability to take care of your appearance during illness increases confidence and can aid the healing process Science is at the heart of every cosmetic product. R programmes generate new patents every year and in 2009, over 2600 (an estimated 10% of all patents granted in the EU) were awarded to the cosmetics industry. Scientists from a wide range of disciplines such as physics, microbiology, biology, toxicology, rheology, analytical chemistry and genetics apply their skills in the European cosmetics industry. In total, the European cosmetics industry employs approximately 17,000 scientists. R programmes investigate consumer behaviour and beauty aspirations, the biology of skin and hair, new innovative technologies and sustainable development; this helps to select the best ingredients which are the most respectful of human health and the environment, and to create new formulations which respond to both expectations and challenges Innovation is vital for the European cosmetics and personal care products industry. It can take over 5 years of innovative research and formulation to bring a new product to the market Every year, a quarter of all cosmetic products on the market are improved or are completely new. Europe is the flagship producer and mass consumer market of cosmetics and personal care products in the world. Ongoing changes in the environment and in consumer lifestyles require new innovations that meet increasing needs, such as caring for and protecting skin from sun and weather damage SUSTAINABILITY The cosmetics industry is committed to sustainability and aims to: Reduce the environmental impact of the sector and its supply chain, from ingredient sourcing through to packaging. Ensure a balance between the economic, environmental and social pillars of sustainability WHY INNOVATION IS REQUIRED IN COSMETIC INDUSTRY : Cosmetic products are important consumer products with an essential role in everyone's life: apart from â€Å"traditional† cosmetic products, such as make-up and perfumes, it also includes products for personal hygiene, for example tooth-care products, shampoos and soaps. Today's cosmetic market is driven by innovation including new colour pallets, treatments targeted to specific skin types and unique formulas concentrating on different needs. Most cosmetics products have a lifespan of less than five years and manufacturers reformulate 25% of their products every year. They need to improve products constantly in order to stay ahead in a highly competitive market where more choice and ever greater efficacy are expected by the consumer. The European cosmetics industry is a world leader and dominant cosmetics exporter, a highly innovative sector and a significant employer in Europe. The EU's involvement concerns mainly the regulatory framework for market access, international trade relations and regulatory convergence, all aiming to ensure the highest level of consumer safety while promoting the innovation and the competitiveness of this sector. Innovation is important for any business but for cosmetic industry it is a necessity. Recently Several hundreds of key representatives from the European cosmetics industry have gathered in Brussels to discuss the importance of industry on the European economy and how it can build for a sustainable future. Discussion at the General Assembly focused on â€Å"Science, Beauty and Care : Innovating for a Sustainable Future†. Fabio Franchina, President of Colipa mentioned â€Å"Today’s cosmetic industry, is more dynamic and innovative than ever, and we are committed to ensuring that we contribute fully to a truly sustainable uture. † He also mentioned that â€Å"innovation is the life-blood of the cosmetic industry† This product innovation strategy guides the business’s New Product Development direction and helps to steer resource allocation and project selection. In the mid-1990s, P&G’s Cosmetics business lacked a business and product innovation s trategy, the result being that Product Development efforts were scattered; many different initiatives were launched in many different product categories and segments in a futile attempt to win. There was no focus. The first element was a product innovation strategy. Indeed, the real breakthrough occurred in the Cosmetics business turnaround when the business leadership team began a rigorous business planning process leading to clearly defined objectives, goals, strategies, and measures. A much more concentrated innovation strategy was elected, focusing on lips, face and eyes, rather than the entire body. Next important facet of strategy meant getting the supply chain under control: end-to-end supply network management. Management streamlined the supply network so that production and shipments were tied to market demand. As a result, they were able to reduce the time in the supply network, thereby eliminating much of the product obsolescence generated with each new product launch. By focusing first on an innovation strategy for the business, the stage was set for effective Product Development. The message is that if your business lacks a product innovation and technology strategy, you are missing a key element of successful product innovation. This strategy should include the goals for the business’s product innovation effort and how these goals tie into the broader business goals. This strategy is more than just a list of this year’s development projects. It has a much longer-term commitment. The innovation strategy also includes defining strategic arenas or areas of focus, much like the Cosmetics business did. That is, you need to define the product, market, and technology areas in which the business will focus its Product Development efforts. The key here is focus. Innovation is important on different levels and is also important for different reasons. Innovation is an important driver of Economic growth and improvement. For Cosmetic Industry it is for – †¢ Survival Growth †¢ Shareholder return Individual perspective every industry constantly needs to innovate. Industry changes their route to work to become more efficient. They change how they do something (process innovation). They train to broaden their skills (to gain competitive advantage). Virtually all of the economic growth that has occurred since the eighteenth century is ulti mately attributable to innovation. The Economist Intelligence Unit undertook a survey in 2007 which noted that â€Å"long–? run economic growth depends on the creation and fostering of an environment that encourages innovation. Innovation is considered an important driver of long-term productivity and economic growth. Innovation is required to raise productivity, meet the challenges of globalization and to live within our environmental and Demographic limits. Some major reasons for innovation are : ? To survive adverse changes in operating circumstances; ? To make life easier for the customers; ? To gain competitive advantages; ? To protect market share; ? To reposition an organization and raise its profile ? To lead the market and reinforce a reputation as market leader ? To open new horizons so as to get out of a rut or avenues with limited potential ? To attract extra funding ? To raise margins and profitability ? To drive total shareholder returns. FACTORS FOR DEVELOPING AN R&D COSMETIC STRATEGY In this week’s cosmetics and skin care industry post, the New logic portfolio team write about six factors to consider when developing your R&D cosmetics strategy. To research the post we reviewed our cosmetics posts over the last few months, and conducted ancillary research. 1. The Combination of Groundbreaking Formula and User-friendly Packaging In the cosmetics and personal care industry, breakthrough innovations on formulas and packaging are still keys to success as they directly relate to product performance. Cosmetic and skin care chemists search for the ingredients and technology to advance product efficacy, while they also contribute to design innovative package that improve product applications. This is obvious, but it’s the formula, delivery systems and packaging that make all the difference when it comes to developing innovative cosmetics projects. Your R&D cosmetics strategy has to consider what these fundamentals. . Concentrated Product Development A successful cosmetics R&D strategy is efficient in solving two problems: shorten product development times and improve innovation initiatives. In the cosmetics and personal care industry, the diversity of product lines (face, body, lips, and eyes) creates a barrier that prevents the easy innovation across all categories. Experienced leaders use R&D project portf olio optimization to pinpoint innovation projects that align with current resources and leverage the development of existing expertise in a technology. The Maybeline â€Å"Great Lash† Mascara collection has a history of 40 years, during which period its product profile has continued to expand. Maybelline has focused on enhancing the â€Å"Great Lash† product line through conducting consumer insight research, selecting pilot productions and adjusting the R&D process. 3. Consumer-oriented Strategy Any R&D innovations begin with the goal to improve consumer experience. R&D leaders conduct market research to discover problems and collect consumer insights, which if executed correctly can turn into   new treatment solutions and product upgrades. As increasing numbers of cosmetics companies expand worldwide, consumer-oriented strategy also includes outsourcing or moving R&D centers overseas to enhance local R&D capability. For example, L’Oreal China has improved its shampoo formula in order to cater to Asian hair care needs. Overseas R&D centers help facilitate regional research and local talent recruitment. It may also benefit the R&D process in the host country as such outsourcing enables the exploitation of local technology and resources for company-wide projects. 4. The Challenge of Product Diversification While expanding a brand’s product profile is more of a business strategy, cosmetics and skin care R&D departments need a comprehensive technology development strategy to help anticipate risks and structure conceptualization. For example, when a successful skin care company is trying to launch cosmetics lines, the company needs to decide which products to start developing pilot engineering programs. A product development plan that’s been optimized for project selection can allow a company to lay a solid foundation and avoid failures at different stages by understanding what’s possible from the projects to select and implement. . Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and acquisitions allow merged companies to realize the optimal allocation of R&D resources, such as facilities and capital investments. In this way, R&D departments have the chance to share information and develop better products. In the cosmetics and personal care industry, company mergers and acquisitions may not necessarily lead to the merger of R&D departments. However, a well-established parent company can provide its brands with R&D guidelines that improve innovation capabilities and optimize the product development process. 6. Cross-Industry Development Another future R&D trend are cross-industry solutions, where tighter partnerships with other industries as well as the knowledge of other sciences, such as food and biochemistry enhance R&D knowledge. For example, nutricosmetics was first developed by the Swedish biochemist and scientist Ake Dahlgren, who later founded the first nutricosmetic company Imedeen in the late 1980s. In recent years, L’Oreal and Shiseido have started R&D projects in nutricosmetics, applying what was originally developed from pure science to personal care products. P&G AND INNOVATION Let us now take an example of a leading company P&G and how they improved in cosmetic industry with its Innovation. P&G’s cosmetics business is a case in point where a dramatic turnaround was achieved via a disciplined, holistic approach to new product management. The story begins when P&G acquired the Cover Girl and Clarion cosmetics brands in 1989. Two years later Max Factor was acquired. P&G then applied its tried-and-true approach of leveraging scale and an innovation strategy with a few, big new products. But there was no real business strategy, and efforts were scattered and unfocused. And so, by 1994, management was forced to retreat and retrench. They dropped the Clarion line; and through much of the 90s, senior management at P&G wondered if they should be in the cosmetics business at all! A new line, under the Oil of Olay banner, was attempted but failed, and the entire cosmetics business continued to decline. The turnaround of P&G’s Cosmetics business started in the late 90s when business unit management turned to P&G’s Initiatives, Diamond philosophy. Today, P&G’s Cosmetics business is a healthy, growing, and profitable enterprise. Performance results have significantly improved since the late 90s, and the business is seen as a key growth contributor for P&G. The major factors that drive a business’s new project performance, illustrated in the Innovation Diamond are: Having a product innovation and technology strategy in place for the business; Having an effective and efficient ideato- launch process; Resource commitment, which focuses on the right projects— portfolio management; and People; that is, having the right climate and culture, effective cross-functional teams, and senior management commitment to New Product Development. aha† was that there is no one key to success in product innovation, and thus management stepped back from a focus on individual initiatives and looked at the broader picture. For example, having a great idea-to-launch process is not sufficient; it’s not a stand alone driver of positive performance. P&G’s Initiatives Diamond serves as a guide for each business’s product innovation effort, and helps to focus management’s attention on what is important to success. According to Bob McDonald, P&G’s Vice Chairman of Global Operations, â€Å"The Initiative Diamond played a significant role in improving the business results in P&G’s Household Care global business unit. This work brought us a new discipline to manage our innovation programs and yielded a major increase in the in-market success of our initiatives. They aligned their organization on how to use Stage-Gate ® success criteria, and portfolio and resource management to deliver better innovations for the consumers they serve. [pic] [pic] The top half of P&G’s diamond in Exhibit 2 is strategic in nature, and captures the business’s product innovation strategy: goals, the mix of new products required to meet those goals, and the required resources. Portfolio management (or project selection) is thus closely connected to strategy. The bottom half of the diamond is more operational and focuses on delivering specific new product projects or initiatives: what resources must be put in place for each project; and how individual new product projects are managed so they succeed, using P&G’s idea-to-launch SIMPLâ„ ¢ methodology. Coincidentally, the two diamonds—P&G’s Initiatives Diamond in Exhibit 2 on this page and the research-based Innovation Diamond in Exhibit 1—are almost the same. Each one or both can be used to guide your business’s new product efforts. Here is a quick look at the four drivers of performance and how they work at P&G. Driver #1—A product innovation and technology strategy for the business Best performing businesses put a product innovation and technology strategy in place, driven by the business leadership team and a strategic vision of the business. This product innovation strategy guides the business’s New Product Development direction and helps to steer resource allocation and project selection. In the mid-1990s, P&G’s Cosmetics business lacked a business and product innovation strategy, the result being that Product Development efforts were scattered; many different initiatives were launched in many different product categories and segments in a futile attempt to win. There was no focus. The first element of the diamond is a product innovation strategy. Indeed, the real breakthrough occurred in the Cosmetics business turnaround when the business leadership team began a rigorous business planning process leading to clearly defined objectives, goals, strategies, and measures. A much more concentrated innovation strategy was elected, focusing on lips, face and eyes, rather than the entire body. A second facet of strategy meant getting the supply chain under control: end-to-end supply network management. Management streamlined the supply network so that production and shipments were tied to market demand. As a result, they were able to reduce the time in the supply network, thereby eliminating much of the product obsolescence generated with each new product launch. By focusing first on an innovation strategy for the business, the stage was set for effective Product Development. The message is that if your business lacks a product innovation and technology strategy, you are missing a key element of successful product innovation. This strategy should include the goals for the business’s product innovation effort and how these goals tie into the broader business goals. This strategy is more than just a list of this year’s development projects. It has a much longer-term commitment. The innovation strategy also includes defining strategic arenas or areas of focus, much like the Cosmetics business did. That is, you need to define the product, market, and technology areas in which the business will focus its Product Development efforts. The key here is focus. Driver #2—An effective and efficient idea to- launch system Studies show that an effective new product process, such as Stage-Gate ®, exists in top performing businesses, a system that drives new product projects from the idea phase through to launch and beyond. In P&G’s Cosmetics business, developing an innovation strategy was a solid first step, but the means of implementing strategy must be in place too. So management turned to a second element of the diamond, namely P&G’s SIMPLâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â€the Successful Initiative Management and Product Launch model. SIMPLâ„ ¢ is a stage-and-gate new product process, a methodology for driving new product p rojects from the idea phase through to launch and into post-launch The SIMPLâ„ ¢ model forced project teams to do their homework early in the project. For example, much consumer research work was undertaken, and consumer insights gained led to winning new product concepts. One big success is Outlastâ„ ¢ by Cover- Girl. This ten-hour lipstick—a kiss-proof, long-lasting lipstick—uses a unique two-part application system (first a color and then a gloss) to produce an enduring lip color and gloss. A second winner—Lipfinityâ„ ¢ by Max Factor—was also introduced, again using the SIMPLâ„ ¢ model. Both new products have been huge successes not only in the U. S. , but around the world. The turnaround of the cosmetics business was underway! Most companies claim to have a new product process or stage-and-gate system in place, according to a recent PDMA study. 7 Further investigation reveals, however, that most firms’ processes are deficient. They are poorly designed, they miss the mark when it comes to best practices, and they are badly implemented. 2,3 P&G is an exception. Their idea-to-launch process, SIMPLâ„ ¢, is a rigorous process that uses stage-and-gate decision-making complete with clear go/kill criteria and timing requirements. The SIMPLâ„ ¢ model, shown in Exhibit 3, consists of four main stages, with each stage building in a set of current best practices in the form of key activities, and also clearly defined expectations for project team in the form of end-points. There are also four gates or go/kill decision-points in the model; each gate is comprised of a team recommendation and a management decision. The SIMPLâ„ ¢ Model P&G’s approach is different from that of most firms’, however. Instead of focusing on the process per se (like so many companies do), management stepped back and identified the basic principles that the model is founded on. These principles are constants across many and varied businesses and geographies. But the constancy of these principles has helped the company adapt the model to many different types of businesses and different types of projects leading to a standardized and globally applied Stage-Gate ® process. The principles which underlie the SIMPLâ„ ¢ model are shown in the box on this page and explained here in more detail: Winning in the marketplace is the goal. In many firms, too much emphasis is on getting through the process; that is, getting one’s project approved or preparing deliverables for the next gate. In the past, P&G was no different. By contrast, this principle emphasizes winning in the marketplace as the goal, not merely going through the process. Specific success criteria for each project are defined and agreed to by the project team and management at the gates; these success criteria are then used to evaluate the project at the post-launch review. And the project team is held accountable for achieving results when measured against these success criteria. (By contrast, the great majority of businesses still do not conduct post-launch reviews on projects; and even fewer hold their project teams accountable for achieving agreed-to project results). Use criteria for making Go/Kill decisions. Specific success criteria for each gate relevant to that stage are defined for each project. Examples include: expected profitability, launch date, expected sales, and even interim metrics, such as test results expected in a subsequent stage. These criteria, and targets to be achieved in them, are agreed to by the project team and management at each gate. These success criteria are then used to evaluate the project at successive gates. Risk and rigor must be balanced. Project teams employ appropriate e rigor in learning, planning, and decision- making in order to mitigate risk. They build in a strong consumer focus and rely heavily on voice of customer research; they front end-load their projects, undertaking appropriate, often extensive up-front homework prior to development; and they focus on developing differentiated, superior products that meet customer needs better than competitors. Note that SIMPLâ„ ¢ is also scalable and is tailored for specific projects based on level of risk and size of investment. Not every project requires the same degree of rigor, front-end work, and market research. Use a common language. Throughout the 1990s, each P&G business unit had developed its own version of a stage-and-gate new product process. Integration, cooperation, and measurement across businesses thus proved difficult with each business using a different system and different terminology. A GLOBAL PROCESS The current SIMPLâ„ ¢ process is a corporate global process—the same stages, gates, principles and measures—and is universal across geographies and business units. Each business, however, is free to adjust and adapt the process to suit its own business requirements. SIMPLâ„ ¢ is not stand alone. The idea to- launch process is only one ingredient of successful innovation, a single element of a much larger whole, the Diamond. Individual projects cannot be managed independently of other projects, their priorities, resource constraints, and changing business conditions. Thus the Diamond represents the relationship between these elements: innovation strategy,resource planning, project selection, and the SIMPLâ„ ¢ new product process SIMPLâ„ ¢ Driver #3—Resource commitment, focusing on the right projects and portfolio management In P&G’s Cosmetics business, portfolio management, a third element of the Initiatives Diamond, was next employed to enable management to look at its entire portfolio of new product initiatives, and secure the right balance and mix. Through portfolio management, the business built a pipeline of new and improved products that established the needed initiative rhythm for each product line (face, lips, eyes). New products and upgrades in each product line created news and excitement in the market. This â€Å"launch and sustain† portfolio approach was a key part of winning in the marketplace. Best performers like P&G have an efficient portfolio management system that helps the business leadership team effectively allocate resources to the right areas and projects. P&G splits this resource commitment facet of the diamond into two parts: project selection and resource planning. The company relies primarily on success criteria as part of the SIMPLâ„ ¢ process to help make better go/kill decisions on projects, as noted above. In addition, a number of P&G businesses have developed screening tools using scorecard methods for early decisions and for the selection of ideas to enter the SIMPLâ„ ¢ process. When it comes to resource planning for projects in the portfolio, P&G’s methods vary depending on the nature of the business. Many P&G businesses utilize a resource profiling approach to resource planning. The resource profiling method helps to assess future project resource needs based on learning from past projects, and it anticipates peak resource periods of time. This approach enables businesses, such as Fabric Care, to improve the overall portfolio decision process by allocating scarce resources to the highest priority projects globally. The most technically complex, resource-intensive businesses use purchased resource management software. These software tools look at people available versus requirements for specific tasks on individual projects to focus on near-term resource constraints. P&G’s deliberate approach to portfolio management and resource planning (the resource facet of the diamond) has had a strong positive impact, according to Martin Riant, President of P&G Global Baby and Adult Care and formerly President of P&G’s Global Feminine Care and Antiperspirants/ Deodorants business. Using the diamond has had a remarkable effect on our business results. It has forced a much higher level of discipline in how we allocate our resources, how and when we make investment decisions and in accountability of projects to deliver what they promise,† he says. Driver #4—A positive climate and environment for innovation People, culture, and leadership make up the fourth driver of performance of th e diamond (Exhibit 1). First, senior management must lead the innovation effort and be strongly committed to New Product Development. This senior commitment is most evident at P&G where Chairman, President, and Chief Executive A. G.. Lafley, makes it clear, â€Å"Innovation is a prerequisite for sustained growth. No other path to profitable growth can be sustained over time. Without continual innovation, markets stagnate, products become commodities, and margins shrink,† he explains. A positive climate and culture for innovation and entrepreneurship, combined with effective cross-functional teams backed by strong management support and empowerment are fundamental to success. P&G has focused much effort here in recent years, which has helped it generate a step level improvement in results. The entire innovation effort, together with the Initiatives Diamond and SIMPLâ„ ¢ process, is sponsored and owned by both the commercial (sales and marketing) and technical (R&D and engineering) communities. An important step was the creation of Initiative Success Managers who report to each of the company’s busin ess unit presidents. These Initiative Success Managers make the diamond and SIMPLâ„ ¢ work. QUESTIONNAIRE: A small survey was carried out to find out the behaviour of cosmetic users. The survey was primarily designed to check on behavioural aspects of the users towards new innovative cosmetic products. The questionnaire is given below, followed by findings : NAME: GENDER: AGE: OCCUPATION: 1. Do you use cosmetics? †¢ Yes †¢ No 2. How much is your income per month? †¢ Dependent †¢ 35,000 3. How much do you spend on cosmetics per month? _______________ ( Do you agree with the following statements? Q4 –Q8 1-strongly agree 2-agree 3-neutral 4-disagree 5-strongly disagree ) 4. I try new products 5. I switch brands if some other brand comes up with a better product 6. I often find gaps in my current product 7. I wait till I finish my current product till I buy another similar purpose product 8. I would rather reuse a good produce than try a new similar purpose product 9. Why do you switch products (tick all that are applicable) †¢ Price †¢ Packaging †¢ Availability †¢ Fragrance †¢ Utility †¢ Reviews 10. What kind of products do you use? †¢ Herbal †¢ Ayurvedic †¢ Scientific †¢ Any 11. On an average how long do you use a product before changing it? 8 weeks 12. How many times a year do you try a new product? †¢ 10 13. How many times do you reuse a product before trying a new product? †¢ 0-1 †¢ 2-3 †¢ 4-6 †¢ >6 14. Does the range of products available in the market match your requirements? †¢ Yes †¢ No 15. When a new product with a new feature is launched , how soon do you try it? †¢ Within 1st month †¢ 2-3 months †¢ 4-7 months †¢ 8-12 months †¢ >1 year 16. Compared to your current expenditure on cosmetics how much extra are you willing to spend on a new product with better feature/results? No extra money †¢ 1-10% †¢ 11-25% †¢ 26-50% †¢ >50% 17. On a scale of 1-5 , how important is the following feature in a cosmetic product, for you to buy it? Rank the options from 1-5 where : 1-Most important & 5- least important †¢ Packaging †¢ Fragrance †¢ Reviews †¢ New feature †¢ Brand ambassador FINDINGS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE: †¢ The questionnaire was answered by 25 females and 10 males. †¢ There were 20 from the age group of 30-35 years, 5 from age group 20-25 years and 10 from age group 25-30 years. About 70% of the respondents spend around 3% of their income on cosmetics per month. †¢ 67% of the respondents try new products. [pic] †¢ 63% of the respondents switch brands if s ome other brand comes up with a better product. †¢ 80% of the respondents often find gaps in their current product inspite of the huge range of cosmetics available. [pic] †¢ 34% of the respondents wait till they finish their current product till they buy another similar purpose product. †¢ 27% of the respondents would rather reuse a good product than try a new similar purpose product. 87% of the respondents switch products due to better utility, 64% on the basis of reviews, 39% depending on availability, 30% depending on price, 12% depending on fragrance and 6% depending on fragrance. [pic] †¢ 58% of the respondents use a product for 6-8 weeks before changing it. †¢ 42% of the respondents try a new product 3-6 times a year. †¢ 60% of the respondents reuse the same product only 2-3 times a year before trying a similar new product. †¢ Despite the wide variety of products available in the market, 66% of the respondents feel that the products in the ma rket do not match their requirements. Maximum percentage of the respondents buys a new product with 2-6 months of its launch. †¢ 6% of the respondents are willing to pay no extra money for a new product with better features, 15% of the respondents are willing to pay 1-10% extra money for a new product with better features, 33% of the respondents are willing to pay 11-25% extra money for a new product with better features, 25% of the respondents are willing to pay 26-50% extra money for a new product with better features & 21% of the respondents are willing to pay more than 50% extra money for a new product with better features. pic] †¢ For 56% of the respondents a new feature in a cosmetic product motivates them into buying. All the above responses indicate towards the fact that customers are tempted to buy new, innovative, better products. REFERENCES : R. G. Cooper, S. J. Edgett & E. J. Kleinschmidt, New Product Development Best Practices Study: What Distinguishes the Top Performers, Houston: APQC (American Pr oductivity & Quality Center), 2002; Robert G. Cooper, Michael S. Mills, Succeeding at New Products the P&G Way: Work the Innovation Diamondâ„ ¢,working paper no. 1, 2005 R. G. Cooper, S. J. Edgett & E. J. Kleinschmidt, Best Practices in Product Innovation: What Distinguishes Top Performers, Product Development Institute, 2003. R. G. Cooper, Product Leadership: Pathways to Profitable Innovation, 2nd edition. Reading, MA: Perseus Books, 2005. R. G. Cooper & E. J. Kleinschmidt, â€Å"Benchmarking firms’ new product performance and practices†, Engineering Management, 1995. John Hauser, Gerard J. Tellis, Abbie Griffin, Research on Innovation: A Review and Agenda for Marketing Science, 2006 M. Mills, â€Å"Implementing a Stage-GateTM process at Procter & Gamble†, Association for Manufacturing Excellence International Conference, â€Å"Competing on the Global Stage†, Cincinnati, Ohio, October 2004. R. G. Cooper, Winning at New Products: Accelerating the Process from Idea to Launch, 3rd edition. Reading, Mass: Perseus Books, 2001. R. G. Cooper and S. J. Edgett, Product Innovation and Technology Strategy (Hamilton, ON: Product Development Institute, 2009). PDMA’s quarterly magazine for Product Development professionals, How P&G achieves such stellar NPD results, Insights into Innovationâ„ ¢, October 2005 Vol. XXIX No. 4,

Strategy management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategy management - Essay Example Investors and the general public have become increasingly aware of the social, ethical and environmental contributions of the companies towards the society (Schwartz, 2011, p.29). These acts of social contribution help to develop a brand of goodwill for the companies. The acts on corporate social responsibility spreads a message that the company is a responsible citizen and is there to co-exist for longer period of time. This develops faith among the consumers and investors that influences their decision in favour of entering into relationship, transactions and investment in the companies. As a long term effect, corporate social responsibility increases the prospects of business growth, profitability and sustainability. Here lies the motivation of companies for adoption of corporate social responsibility measures. The Switzerland based Alliance Boots is no exception for adoption of corporate social responsibility (Horrigan, 2010, p.37). The company gets motivation for adoption of cor porate social responsibility as it leads to long term growth, increased market share and profitability. Alliance Boots is an international pharmacy-based health and beauty products provider in several countries across the world. The group acknowledges corporate social responsibility as an integral part of their business as they understand the relationship between a good business and being a good corporate citizen of the society (Banerjee, 2007, p.49). The community, environment, marketplace and the workplace are the focus areas for undertaking corporate social responsibility of the companies. Considering the example of Alliance Boots, the company contributes though its chain of pharmacies and independent pharmacies to develop the health standards of the community. The group is also committed to be a leader in mitigating the threats to the environment like global warming. This is done by undertaking active part to reduce carbon emissions to the environment. In order to integrate acti vities of corporate social responsibility into business process, the market place activities and the workplace activities of companies are dominated by their core business values, mission and vision. Apart from this, the companies have a strong system of governance that monitors and controls the activities of the employees and the business activities. For example, Alliance Boots exhibits all these features while undertaking corporate social responsibility (Crowther and  Rayman-Bacchus, 2004, p.35). Strategies of companies driven by the ethical issues and corporate social responsibility The strategies adopted by the companies are influenced by the ethical approach towards their business and is driven by activities of corporate social responsibility. In order to be ethical in conduct of their business, the companies focus on tightening their system of governance in order to achieve business integrity and at the same time contribute to build a better workplace, develop the community and environment (Mallin, 2007, p.35). For example, Alliance Boots have strategically developed and modelled score card for corporate social responsibility. The score card is strategically implemented as a part of tightening the governance of the company to track and monitor the activities of the employees and the company towards activities on corporate social

The Blockbuster as the Defining Characteristic of Post-Classical Essay

The Blockbuster as the Defining Characteristic of Post-Classical Hollywood - Essay Example Bordwell (2006) explains that blockbuster is often used not to denote a genre of film per se but to describe the performance of a movie on the market. In simple terms, blockbuster is often associated with hit or good movies that generate a lot of revenue for filmmakers. One would then ask whether in the pre-blockbuster era there were no good movies. The answer is no. there were good and hit movies but after movies like Jaws started showing the possibility of amassing so many profits from the box office, the focus of filmmakers now shifted to finding the trick of making huge box offices in each and every movie they made and that started the blockbuster era. So in general terms, the writer agrees that blockbuster came to take off as the defining characteristic of post-classical Hollywood. However, the writer refuses to agree to the often negative connotation given to blockbuster as the defining characteristic of post-classical Hollywood. In the opinion of the writer, therefore, blockbu sters came as a good and positive phenomenon and continue to remain so. One of the first reasons why the writer disagrees with the argument that the blockbuster is a negative defining characteristic of post-classical Hollywood is that blockbuster actually came in to serve a dying situation. This is to say that the trend of the blockbuster was very important in saving the Hollywood film industry from absolute and total collapse. Clearly, bankruptcy was taking over the film industry and so there was every justification for a process that would salvage the situation. Two clear examples can be given in the cases of Heaven’s Gate, which was produced in 1980 by Michael Cimino and One from the Heart, which was produced in 1982 by Francis Ford Coppola. Heaven’s Gate actually made a loss of 40.5million USD after earning $3.5 million in box-office as against a $44 million production cost. One from the heart earned merely $636,000 out of $26 million. The said now that such giant players behind the film industry actually run into bankruptcy since those losses. Without any doubt, the industry would have been seriously affected if the pursuit for profit-making through the production of ‘hit’ films was not followed as what was earned in 1975 with the making of Jaws. On the grounds that blockbuster was necessary to rejuvenating the efforts of filmmakers to seek ways of producing films that were good enough to make them stay in the industry is thus a positive rather than a negative phenomenon of the blockbuster as the defining characteristic of post-classical Hollywood. It is even interesting to note that blockbusters do not necessarily have to be of good quality to make profits but there have been newer introductions such as technology backed publicity by the use of social and popular media to ensure that blockbusters sell. The second point that makes the writer take a stand against the idea that blockbuster is a negative defining characteristic of post-classical Hollywood is that not much has changed in terms of concept.  

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Human Resources Cross Cultural Differences and Leadership with respect to Motivation - Essay Example The study only endorsed prevailing scholarly position by the remarkable success stories of the case studies. So the present study concludes that training in cultural diversity can be incorporated in the development of global managerial skills. The face of workforce in the globalized setting is divergent. This can be area for conflict or an opportunity for growth. "Society today is a global ambiance where national cultures inevitably mingle together. The world of technological innovation, multinational organizations, international trade, and diplomatic conflict resolution creates a necessity for nations to come into contact with each other, to learn, work, and create together, as well as to exchange ideas and resources (human resources included). Organizations function because of people gathered together around a common goal. However, before an organization is formed, people belong to other settings and perform other roles that precede their organizational roles. Various disciplines differentiate culture based on numerous criteria born by the different scientific worldviews they hold." (Dimitrov 2005, p. 22) One definition of culture states that, "Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the me mbers of one group or category of people from another" (Hofstede, 1997, p. 5). Adler (1997) defined culture as the "complex whole that includes knowledge, beliefs, art, law, morals, customs, capabilities and habits acquired by a man as a member of society" (p.14). This makes it a challenge for the global manager to motivate their employees from different cultural back rounds. Basically, ever since Psychology became an independent branch of enquiry, motivation came under the microscope of scientists and can be viewed as "the willingness to exert high levels of effort to reach goals, conditioned by the efforts' ability to satisfy individual needs." (Dimitrov 2005, p.38). However, the study of motivation in the cultural context is new, early theories form a good beginning. "People are by nature ethnocentric and believe that the way things are done in their culture is the best way" (Mendenhall, Punnett, & Ricks, 1995). Therefore this literature review focuses on the theory of motivation concerning the two topics cross-cultural differences and leadership from an international perspective. Purpose and Scope of the study General perception of the academia in the available literature across the world is in favour of the advantage of assimilation of cultural diversity as tool for the global managers. In order to ascertain the veracity of this position after identifying the key theoretical foundation establishing the efficacy of cultural diversity, an investigation was undertaken of five cases to find out whether cultural diversity really helped them to progress or some other factors were behind their success. The companies examined were IBM, McDonald, IKEA and Reebok. UAE, though not a company, as a unique case of cultural diversity was also studied. In all the case studies the advanatage

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How the Nuclear Power Impact our Life - Research Paper Example Nuclear power deals with nearly four waste matter streams which might cause in deterioration of atmospheric conditions. These include: (a) Creation of nuclear fuel at the atomic reactor which also brings Plutonium waste into account. It also involves the most harmful elements and isotopes plus more than 100 perilous radio-nuclides and carcinogens e.g. Cesium-137, Iodine-131, and Strontium-90 which are exactly the same poisons present in the fallout associated with nuclear weaponry (Sovacool, 2011). (b) Production associated with tailings from uranium mines as well as generators (c) Discharge of small amounts of radioactive isotopes throughout the nuclear operations (d) Discharge of large quantities of harmful radioactive materials (in the event of mishaps) Effects of Nuclear Power Accidents Three Mile Island On March 28, 1979, the discussion regarding the safety and security of nuclear power turned from assumption to truth. A sad accident took place at the nuclear power plant of the Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. The Unit-2 of the plant discharged almost 50% the plant’s radioactive contaminants. Although the disaster finished without a major discharge of harmful radioactive contaminants, however, the widespread release of nuclear toxins created a widespread fear in general public, therefore, a large amount of people evacuated from the surroundings of Pennsylvania. The evacuating area was extended on 30th March and almost 140,000 people left the area of 20 kilometer radius within few days (http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/history.html). The disaster set new horizons in the field of nuclear power and highlighted that a regulated disaster management system regarding the nuclear power accidents is essential. Consequently, new strategies were formulated to deal with nuclear power which include human training, minimizing the human error at nuclear plants, application of latest technology, and techniques to control and plan the emergency conditions (http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/history.html) Chernobyl Disaster In 1986, the disaster took place at the atomic reactor Chernobyl in the Ukraine is still considered as the world’s worst accident in terms of a nuclear plant accident and the aftermaths of this incident are still persisting although a lot have been controlled or minimized. Almost 06% of active radioactive contents of the nuclear plant were discharged into the atmosphere. The mishap forced the evacuation of local population. Almost 0.3 million people evacuated from Kiev and highlighted a harmonious territory to civilization for an indefinite timeframe (Sovacool, 2008). These radioactive contents also included Iodine and Cesium which have a great correlation to human health.

Quantitative Analysis for Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Human Rights and Oil Companies - Essay Example It also examines prominent cases under the Alien Tort Statute of 1789. The paper goes on to view some codes of best practice in relation to the operations of American multinationals and petroleum companies overseas in relation to human rights. The paper concludes with the writer's opinions and findings about the subject. Human Rights â€Å"Human rights create entitlements and are fundamentally different from rights established solely as state obligations that cannot be claimed by the beneficiaries† (Kalin & Kunzli 32). This implies that human rights refer to some inherent rights that people must be granted irrespective of their status and situation. In other words, human rights are not conditional. In includes the right that any human being must be granted in any situation or condition. Although beneficiaries of human rights are individuals, they are sometimes asserted by minorities in various collective forms (Kalin & Kunzli 32). In other words, people can come together a gro up to demand their human rights in a collective manner. This can be done through group actions like protests on the street or universal adult suffrage elections like a referendum or plebiscite to choose a given option. Human rights are constitutive and not regulative (Milne 103). This is in line with John Locke's view on natural right which requires people to be granted certain rights without having to work for it (Donelly 18). These rights are based on moral vision. This should generally include natural justice wich involves the right to life and the right to fair trial and justice on the part of all human beings. No one must decide whether to grant those rights or not. They are inherent and there are no conditions or exceptions that can be attached to such rules. In a nation, there are three main conceptions that ensure that human rights are entrenched and observed throughout the nation (Milne 104). First of all, human rights are guaranteed where there is the rule of law. In other words, human rights can be guaranteed if there is a constitution and the constitution guarantees some inherent and inalienable rights of people in a given society. Secondly, the supremacy of human rights laws must be guaranteed. And thirdly, there should be equality before the law in the interpretation of human rights law. Due to the supremacy and entrenched nature of human rights, all groups and units within a given nation must honor these laws. This therefore means that businesses in every nation, whether they are international or local, should honor human rights laws. Human rights laws are internationally guaranteed (Kalin & Kunzli 32). This therefore means that there is an international framework within which human rights can be discharged. Laws that Protect Humans Rights In every nation, the constitution and fundamental rights must ensure that basic human rights are protected. The Parliament of every nation must make laws that are sensitive to human rights (Campbell & Goldswor th 259). This therefore means that there should be an entrenched and established universal system that must respect and honor the basic rights of all citizens. The parliament or law making body of every nation should be sensitive to fundamental human rights in the making of laws. Also, in interpreting the law in relation to specific cases, the Judiciary must guarantee the human rights of individuals. Where this is in

Gender Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gender Paper - Essay Example Other differences can also occur in their attitudes and behaviors, as formed in their interactive settings and perceived psychologically; these however vary even among each gender. Much has been elaborated on the similarities and differences of the males and females in their sexual response during an arousal, biological functioning of the body, and the physical, structural formation of the sex. Keywords: Gender, Sex, Reproductive System, Male, Female, Electoral Tissues, Hyperventilation, Sexual Response, Sperms, Muscular, Blood Vessels, Sex Flux, Erection Introduction Humans have special abilities, which are determined by numerous factors right from birth, to development, till they form their own identities as mature people. When each person is born, the first features that define their physical identity are their sexual organs, which depict as to whether one is male or female. From that point, humans are brought up and socialized in particular ways that instill certain characters an d model their behavior. Based on the sexuality and gender aspects, humans experience various situations, either differently or similarly to their opposite sexes. These factors can be realized by examining the broad range of both sexes’ behaviors, physical responses, and attitudes. Peoples sexuality and gender behaviors can therefore be studied, and allow people to know what to expect when dealing with the different genders and their reactions. However, some of the similarities and differences put across in the social setting remain to be a stereotype, because no evidence can prove their claims. Physical Structures Males have different physical sexual organs from the females. Based on the biological sex, which addresses the sexual and reproductive anatomy, males have external sexual organs (penis and testicles), while the females virginas are internally connected to the inner body of their lower abdomen. According to Sloan, external features on the male are the penis and the s crotum, while the clitoris and labia are for the females (2002). The differences in the reproductive system also occur from female ovulation and males’ ability to provide sperms. Females have the capacity to hold pregnancy after fertilization of ovum in the uterus, which lacks among the males. With age, as the human females develop, their mammary glands enlarge, and produce breast milk to feed the child when born. Unlike males, females receive monthly cycles (menstruation), where the lining of the uterus is shed and expelled from the body when a fertilized egg, fails to be implanted into the uterus (â€Å"The female,† n.d). Basically, the female reproductive system allows male penetration through the vagina to release the sperms, female production of the ova, and development of the fetus. On the general body formation, males have distinct features from the females. Although both have breasts, the males lack the capacity to function like for the females. Similarly, the male genitals have a single function in reproduction, which is to release the sperms; this makes females the only child bearers. According to Heidi, men have more body hair (especially on their chests), are considered to be taller on average, muscular, and heavier (more on the upper body) than the females, which makes them

Drawing on personal experience and theories covered in module, prepare Essay

Drawing on personal experience and theories covered in module, prepare a detailed argument to a sceptical audience justifying the advantages and effectiveness of group and team performance - Essay Example A group can be defined as ‘any number of people who interact with each other, are psychologically aware of each other, perceive themselves to be a group, and purposefully interact towards the achievement of particular goals or aim’. (Rollinson & Broadfield, 2008: 305) This is the accepted definition of a group which will be used throughout this paper. From this definition it can be seen, as Rollinson and Broadfield point out, that the group will necessarily be small, it does not include the coincidental gathering of people and the goals of the group are formed within it and may not necessarily correspond with the goals which the organization in which the group functions places upon it. The main advantage to working as part of a team is that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Each member of a team brings their own unique skills and talents and so there is a large pool of resources from which to draw. If harnessed in the right way, this can be a formidable force and potentially far more successful than the work of an individual alone. A sceptic might argue that these different ideas and approaches can lead to conflict, and this is certainly a risk which must be seriously considered when putting together a team. However, by choosing team members which compliment each other and managing the group successfully, these pit falls can be avoided. Rollinson and Broadfield (2008) argue that the key to the success of a group, and the way to avoid the potential issues mentioned above, is cohesion, so that each member works for the good of the group. They note that cohesion tends to be greater in mature groups. If the group can overcome the initial stages of forming and storming, it is likely that it will achieve long-term cohesion in the norming and performing stages. They note that cohesive groups are more productive, more dedicated and tend to suffer less from issues such as absenteeism. However, they also warn that cohesive groups can in turn

Tides and Times Essay Example for Free

Tides and Times Essay Time is like an ocean bed with each passing tides brings something new, Tides and Times is an article about the history that affected our generation, people that continue to inspire for as long as we can remember. Fernandez mentioned historical people who shape and influence his life and how any person can make big changes no matter how small his/her accomplished. He state that any person can be part of history, can pass something down to the next generation and should never be ashamed of what we did. Fernandez was saying that change is part of nature and let change be part of our life just people we met change our lives how they affect us and to it to others. Do what you do best be proud of who you are no matter what people say not matter what the situation are. We are not like the people on the books, articles and in the past maybe we can never be like them but what really matter is what we can do in our times to show our spark. The article discuss Jose Rizal about how he was one in a million how he try to avoid revolution at any cost that he was able to fulfill his dreams despite his hardship even at the cost of his life. Even people who wanted to good but ended up failing, Alfred Nobel created the dynamite so that people would fear the power of other countries and stop fighting but only ending up creating more fight between the nations and was named as the merchant of death even after all that Alfred continue to do and search what he could do for mankind. People do great things that no other would do and we record those things in spite of that why? We continue to search for better and amazing things we do it because we are not condiment is because we want to not for us but for the world. Sometimes we do even know that people made a big change in our lives we need to know what did that person do and how did it affects us thousands of people come and go their all part of us.

Prince of Wales Essay Example for Free

Prince of Wales Essay With close reference to Shakespeares language discuss how the characters of the Prince of Wales and Hotspur are portrayed in Henry IV Part 1. In Henry IV, Part 1; Shakespeare contrasts the two characters, Prince Henry and Hotspur. The characters are complete opposites but have a common goal. They both want to be respected. Hotspur signals his intentions from the start but it is only as you get further on in the play that you realise that Hal has the same ambitions. This play chronicles the rise and fall of Hotspur and Hals rise from being the innocuous prince to a heroic heir in one play. In Act One, Scene One, the king says: Yea, there thou makst me sin in envy, that my Northumberland should be a father to so blest a son. Since this is said in the very first scene of the play we are immediately given the impression that the kings son is not as respectable or as honourable as Hotspur. We can also see how highly regarded Hotspur is as the king gives him such warm glowing compliments with a touch of jealousy in his voice. He is not contented with his own son as he goes on to say: See riot and dishonour stain the brow of my young Harry. This indicates to the audience that Prince Hal might not be living the life that a prince would be expected to live. We get the feeling that Harry is seen as the black sheep of the family and not the successor to the throne that the king desired. Shakespeare give us this impression by not including Prince Hal in the very important meeting that took place in Act one, scene one. The king even goes as far as suggesting that some night-tripping fairy had exchanged in cradle clothes our children where they lie. This statement backs up the idea that the king is jealous of Hotspur. Shakespeare allows the kings feelings towards Hotspur and Hal to be known to the audience before we even meet the two men later in the play. The kings feelings register unconsciously in the audiences mind and we may then prejudice our opinions of Hal and Hotspur before meeting them. In Scene One, Hotspur is described as being basically the opposite of Prince Hal. We may see this when Westmoreland calls him gallant Hotspur. This statement is proof that people show Hotspur the greatest respect and indicates to us that he is brave and noble. We should note how Shakespeare uses the language to build up Hotspurs character. This lets the audience form an impression of him before they meet him. In Act One, Scene 2, the audiences opinion of Prince Hal becomes increasingly worse as we find out that he keeps company with a man by the name of Sir John Falstaff. Falstaff is fat, lazy, a drunkard and a thief. Is this the type of man that a prince would normally be friends with? The prince, laughing and joking, takes up the first part of the scene. When Fallstaff asks Hal for the time, Hal says: I see no reason why thou shouldst be so superfluous to demand the time of day. We are given the impression that Hal spends a lot of his time messing and having a name calling contest with Falstaff by the relaxed manner by which they give each other abuse. In the midst of the name-calling, we find out that some members of the Council are very angry with Hal because of his behaviour, as Fallstaff says: an old Lord of the Council rated me the other day in the street about you Sir, but I marked him not. This could suggest that Fallstaff has respect for Hal or does not want to lose such an important benefactor.

What Makes Advertising Effective

What Makes Advertising Effective The aim of this report is finding the most correct answer to the question: what makes advertising effective. This issue is essential because it is the key for achieving -or not- the goals pursued by every company that invests in advertising. The general question has been divided in three areas, depending on the type of consumers response that advertising aims to arouse: cognitive, affective or conative, according to the famous Hierarchy of Effects model proposed by Lavidge and Steiner in 1961. In addition, the report focuses on the role of Music in advertising, with the purpose to highlight how its use can help to achieve efficacy in advertising. Five recommendations are identified through the report. Advertisers should first choose the media mix able to reach as many consumers as possible from the target audience (Ogilvy, 1985). Using appealing creativity (Dahlen et Al, 2010) and increasing the frequency of the message (Pickton and Broderick, 2005) is required to pass successfully through all the selective phases of consumers influence process, in order to make them memorize the contents of advertising. Music can be very helpful both for gaining consumers attention and giving a mnemonic quality to the message (Sutherland, 2008). An effective way to build an emotional link with consumers is referring to common culture (Godin, 1999). Jingles are able to involve consumers, at the point that they can become part of consumers cultural background of people (Sutherland, 2008). It is necessary to understand how the purchasing decision is taken by consumers in order to effectively affect their behaviour; the FCB matrix by Vaughn (1986) identifies four types of purchasing process and suggests the quantity and quality of information to provide for each of them in order to have an impact on the decision making process. Since music sets up an entertainment mood, its use appears to be appropriate for the feel products and not for the think products (Arens et Al, 2011). As most of these factors refer to the ability of understanding consumers mind, the report has confirmed that psychology represents a basic support for marketing functions as the making of effective advertising (Foxall et Al, 1998). INTRODUCTION This paper aims to identify the factors able to make advertising effective. The research starts stating a basic condition then, since efficacy is the ability to bring about the intended result (Oxford dictionary, 2007), the report analyses which are the marketing objectives pursued by advertising. The Hierarchy of Effects Model proposed by Lavidge and Steiner (1961) is considered as pivotal in the communication process. People progressively express three kinds of response to a received message: cognitive, affective, conative (also known as the think-feel-do process). Accordingly, the report uses a tripartite approach in order to better isolate and identify the factors that make advertising successful whether the response sought from consumer is cognitive, affective or conative. The report then operates a specific analysis on the role of Music in advertising, showing how music can be a very useful tool to reach efficacy (Sutherland, 2008) for all the three pursued responses shown previously. Recommendations and Conclusions about the topic complete the analysis. Practical examples chosen among the most famous companies provide evidence to the theoretical analysis; further examples are reported in the appendices to enrich the content. This research has been performed through the method of the literary review: books, papers and articles of famous Marketers and Psychologists are used as sources. A Basic Condition Advertising is undoubtedly a central part of promotion, but compared to the 4 Ps of marketing mix theorized by McCartney (1960), it represents only an aspect of the marketing effort made by the company (Pickton and Broderick, 2005). To reach and maximize the efficacy of advertising, firms should develop a deep know-how of their market, becoming what Llambin (2008) calls market-driven companies. This is achievable only by large investments in market researches, in order to know as much as possible about consumers and competitors. As Cowles and Kiecker stated (1998), market research is important not only to identify the most profitable target segments, but also to develop a message content that is appealing to them, and to identify the most effective and efficient marketing communications mix elements and media. Companies have to focus all their functions to the market: only Market-driven companies will be really able to set the most effective advertising (Llambin, 2008). The HoE model: three responses to be aroused As advertising is a non-personal form of communication (Fill,2009), marketing can be supported by the studies on the communication process. Among them, this report focuses on the famous hierarchy of effects model proposed by Lavidge and Steiner (1961); when the advertising message reaches the consumer, following the steps of the well-known SMRC communication model (Berlo, 1960), the receiver responds by progressively undertaking three phases: the cognitive phase as first, then the affective and finally the conative. Specifically, consumers will pass through these sequential stages: Awareness, Knowledge, Liking, Preference, Conviction, Purchase. [Figure A] Figure A : Sequential stages of Lavidge and Steiner model (1961) Source: http://www.learnmarketing.net/Hierarchy%20Of%20Effects.jpg Using this tripartite approach, the marketing objectives become more definite and therefore it is possible to identify more precisely the key factors for achieving efficacy; firms should then set up a specific advertising campaign targeted for each of the three macro-responses they want to arouse in the audience (Lavidge and Steiner, 1961). The following three Mc Donalds adverts clearly show this differentiated approach. In the first one [Figure B], nothing but the apposition of the two logos (the wi-fi one made by chips) is used: since this ad wants to make the audience learn the service provided, it refers to the cognitive phase. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomyNRunoMl6xCjFbw0DogU5lHDsqx-sothwHkj2LDF20Awh4Fo90vYfXKuVYeJbDIPYvsWqUim6Nnb7M8PnWtvvoFiI-fy0ckUgvT3meRYXEXbrzgUErgz8I7u56a4x_Rg8XkCj7KxbE/s400/Cool+and+Beautiful+McDonald%E2%80%99s+Advertising+10.jpg) Figure B. Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomyNRunoMl6xCjFbw0DogU5lHDsqx-sothwHkj2LDF20Awh4Fo90vYfXKuVYeJbDIPYvsWqUim6Nnb7M8PnWtvvoFiI-fy0ckUgvT3meRYXEXbrzgUErgz8I7u56a4x_Rg8XkCj7KxbE/s400/Cool+and+Beautiful+McDonald%E2%80%99s+Advertising+10.jpg In the second one [Figure C], the baby approaching the hamburger evokes feelings of affection for the food offered by the company; an home atmosphere is aroused. Emotional persuasion is the first aim for the affective phase. http://www.breastfeedingsymbol.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/mcdonalds.jpg Figure C. Source: http://www.breastfeedingsymbol.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/mcdonalds.jpg In the third one [Figure D], the invitation to take an action is extremely clear: consumers should have breakfast at Mc Donalds on Mondays, convinced by the free coffee. This ad aims to induce a change in the consumers behaviour: it refers to the conative phase. http://www.mcdonaldsstl.com/images/FreeCoffeeMondays-graphic.jpg Figure D. Source: http://www.mcdonaldsstl.com/images/FreeCoffeeMondays-graphic.jpg The main limit of HoE is its rigidity: consumers do not always undertake these steps sequentially, because of their irrationality; however, the existence of these three kinds of responses is widely accepted also among the critics (Barry and Howard, 1990). Accordingly, it is possible to  reformulate the central question in a more detailed way: which elements are necessary in advertising, in order to improve the companys performance in brand awareness (1), in the affective relationship with the consumers (2), and in the sales (3)? 1 Cognitive response The goal of these campaigns is to ensure that customers are properly aware of the brand; making clear the brand positioning is the main aim (Egan, 2007). Reach is the first key factor. Pelsmacker (2007) defines it as the number or percentage of people who are expected to be exposed to the advertisers message during a specified period . Reach plays the either/or role in the SMRC process: if the company does not reach the consumers, no response can be aroused. Therefore, the choice of the most appropriate media mix to reach the target segments becomes crucial for the success of the advertising campaign (Ogilvy, 1985). According to the selective influence process theories, people play a very active role as receivers in the communication process (Karlz and Lazarsfeld, 1955). There are unconscious and social intervening variables which affect the final internalization of the message. Since only the memorized information is able to affect the consumers behaviour the ability to pass through the selective phases of the consumer influence process is the second key factor (Karlz and Lazarsfeld, 1955). To win the receivers attention, it is required to overtake what Wundt (1896) calls the absolute threshold, that is the minimum psychic intensity an individual needs for reacting to a stimulus. For this reason, the effort to provide appealing creativity to the advert gains great importance (Dahlen et Al, 2010). Since the traditional media today are overcrowded by adverts (Levinson, 2007), appealing creativity can make an advert emerge to the consumers eyes. A clear example can be represented by the winner of the Best Use of Blu Tac in a Shop Window Postcard Space category in the Chip Shop Awards 2012. Clearasil posted a completely and intensely white postcard: impossible not to see. Figure E. Source: http://www.chipshopawards.com/ Clearasil is a brand of beauty products against skin imperfections (www.clearasil.co.uk) Use of creativity can also have negative impacts: it is difficult to define the line between great effect and great scandal (Godin, 1999). [see Appendix I] In choosing how often to transmit the advertising message, psychology supports marketing once again (Foxall et Al, 1998). I.V. Pavlov developed the notion of conditioned reflex (1927): opposed to the innate reflex it is a learned reaction to a positive or negative stimulus. In marketing, this means that the repetition of a message will increase its understanding; thats why frequency plays a key role. Frequency measures the number of times, on average, that a member of the target audience is exposed to a message or, more accurately, to the media (Pickton and Broderick, 2005). Increasing the frequency helps making the advertise effective but, according to the Curve of Wundt (1896), if the intensity of the stimulus exceeds a certain limit it is even possible to arouse anxiety, nervousness and irritation in the receivers. 2 Affective response Here, the main goal is to create an affective link with consumers, in order to persuade them appreciating the brand and making a preference for it (Fill, 2009). The more the content of a message is associated to paradigmatic knowledge, the more immediate and simple is its decoding by the receiver (Grandori, 1999): thats why advertising should carry associations recalling to the common culture to be effective in building an emotional link with the audience (Godin, 1999). Among all the cultural aspects, political studies have shown that the more compelling ones are common roots ; common habits ; famous figures (Gabrielsen, 2010). The use of cultural associations can be clearly found in Chryslers spot for the launch of the new 200 model, shown during the 2011 edition of Super Bowl. The core of the message highlights the origin of the machine, manufactured in Detroit: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Thats who we are. Thats our story. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Because when it comes to luxury, its as much about where its from, as who its for. Now were from America, but this isnt New York City, or the Windy city.(à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) And were certainly no ones Emerald city. This is the Motor city. And this is what we do. The new Chrysler 300 has arrived. Imported from Detroit. [see Appendix II] Casting famous figures (VIP) as testimonial can provide good advantages: a VIP well known among the target audience can better win consumers attention; it allows to make the advertising message more personal, exploiting the VIPs familiarity with the consumers ; people will associate the appreciated qualities of the VIP to the product. (Arens et Al, 2011). [see Appendix III] Another effective way to involve the audience is taking part at the big events widely enjoyed and cherished by people, as the recent Olympics in London 2012. [see Appendix IV] Thanks to these associations, every time that consumers get in touch with the reminded cultural aspect, they will also remember the linked brand (Godin, 1999).[see Appendix V] This cultural approach shows some limits. Since culture is a sphere of meanings related to the past, the new products which aim to highlight innovation as their core quality cant take the best benefits from cultural associations (Ogilvy, 1985). Moreover, relying on VIP means accepting the risk of linking to them the name of the brand also when something negative is referred to them (Arens et Al, 2011). [see Appendix VI] 3 Conative response In order to effectively affect consumers behaviour with advertising, it is necessary to understand how their decision making process works. The model developed by Richard Vaughn for Foote Cone and Belding in 1980, known as the FCB matrix, considers it as driven by two variables: the level of consumer involvement (high-low) and the type of approach to the purchase (rational-emotional). (McWilliam, 1997; Vaughn, 1980 and 1986). The result is the identification of 4 macro-type of purchasing process, each one requiring different kinds of information to be affected: differences are both in quantity high and detailed or low and summarized- and quality -emotional or rational of information. (Vaughn, 1986). In Figure F, some exemplar products are placed in the 4 quadrants of the FCB matrix. Figure F. Source: Vaugh, 1980 Therefore, advertising can be effective only if it provides the consumers with the kind of information they look for in their decision making process, this one being identified by the quadrant the product is placed in. (Vaughn, 1986). The analysis of 4 different decision making processes is now addressed, referring to the model of Vaughn (1986): High involvement / rational. People look for the real facts, they need to gain the confidence they are doing the right choice (e.g. Mortgage). The way to be effective is to highlight all the product competitive benefits as well as the company know-how, and to provide the consumers with positive feedbacks . [Figure G]http://www.okeefeestateagents.com/_microsites/paul_okeefe/docs/images/homepage/rightColAdvert/need-a-mortgage.jpg Figure G. Source: http://www.okeefeestateagents.com/_microsites/paul_okeefe/docs/images/homepage/rightColAdvert/need-a-mortgage.jpg High involvement / emotional. Consumers want to learn about and feel the experience (e.g. Holidays). Companies should provide content rich media with compelling personal feedbacks, music and everything else able to make the consumers taste the experience. [Figure H] Figure H. Source: www.adcracker.com Low involvement / rational. People usually buy by habit (e.g. toothpaste). Underlining the incentives to change habits as sale coupons can be effective. [Figure I]http://c3240dd96f54819fb6f2-90846526673b19d9a04c27097b58cb86.r6.cf2.rackcdn.com/2011/09/optic-white-coupon.jpg Figure I. Source: www.cuckooforcoupondeals.com Low involvement / emotional. People often looks for sensory or psychological gratification (e.g. Movies). Showing sensory rich imagery can be successful. [Figure J]http://www.filmjabber.com/movie-blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/the-eye-poster.jpg Figure J. Source: http://www.filmjabber.com/movie-blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/the-eye-poster.jpg The limit of the FCB matrix is the difficulty to plot the product in the right quadrant, because of the inconsistencies between consumers and companies perceptions of it (Dahlen et Al, 2010). Moreover, as marketing environment is rapidly changing, products and services can fast move from one coordinate to another in the brand image of consumers (Fill, 2009). The Role of Music in Advertising Music can be a very useful tool to reach efficacy in advertising, whether the aim is to arouse a cognitive, affective or conative response in the consumers (Sutherland, 2008). The analysis aims to show how the use of music can aid or hinder the effective factors identified in the general part. COGNITIVE PURPOSE Music can help to win consumers attention: reproducing a song well-known among the target audience or a catchy rhythm greatly helps to get its attentions (Sutherland, 2008). The use of creativity in music can be found in the production of jingles, where companies set their own words to Music. Jingles are among the best -and worst- ad messages produced. Done well, they can bring enormous success, well beyond the non-musical commercial. Done poorly, they can waste the advertising budget and annoy audiences beyond belief (Arens et Al, 2011). As an example, in the 1970s Coca-Cola was so successful with its jingle Id like to buy the world a Coke that it was then extended and released to become an international chart hit called Id like to Teach the World to Sing (Sutherland, 2008). Moreover, what Sutherland (2008) calls the three Rs rhyme, rhythm and repetition give words a mnemonic quality, making the message more catchy and enduring in memory. AFFECTIVE PURPOSE Research has shown that the positive mood created by music makes consumers more receptive to an ad message (Belch and Belch, 2009). When words are set to the music, a desire for repetition can be created: thats why jingles are able to involve consumers, at the point that they can become themselves part of the cultural background of people (Sutherland, 2008). A chart of the top 10 jingles of the century has been made, according to peoples preferences: a prove of the attachment consumers have towards them (Belch and Belch, 2009). Figure K. Source: Belch and Belch, 2009 The case of Oscar Mayers spots clearly shows the emotional power of jingles in advertising. [see Appendix VII] Jingles are used less frequently today, replaced by an increasing use of current or classic pop songs: in the age of the technologic way to live music companies must be careful not to appear old-fashionable while using jingles (Belch and Belch, 2009). CONATIVE PURPOSE Music can also affect the way people behave, but since it better vehicles an emotional message, it seems to be effective especially -if not only- with the feel products (Sutherland, 2008). A great example of how music can be focused on action is the jingle created by the pizza chain Pizza, Pizza in Toronto: the company put its phone number in the lyrics, so that Toronto residents could memorize it easily. [see Appendix VIII] On the other hand, music causes what Sutherland (2008) calls the wash-over effect: when we listen to lyrics, we process the message as an experience that we can enjoy or not rather than judging the reliability of its meaning. The entertainment mood set up by music is inappropriate when consumers want to focus on the rational information, as for think products (Arens et Al, 2011). As the analysis of consumers response to music in advertising carried by Oakes (2007) shows, reaching a congruity between music and advertising in mood, genre, image and tempo contributes to the efficacy of an advertisement by enhancing recall, brand attitude, affective response and purchase intention. Since the negotiation of the license rights often needs large sums, marketers should carefully decide if and in which way music can be coherent with the marketing campaign, in order to avoid an expensive disorientation of consumers(Belch and Belch, 2009). RECOMMENDATIONS As shown through the report, advertisers should first ascertain to find the media mix that will maximize the reach of the audience (Ogilvy, 1985). Passing successfully through all the selective phases of consumers influence process is necessary to make them memorize a message (Karlz and Lazarsfeld, 1955). Concretely, this can be achieved by using appealing creativity (Dahlen et Al, 2010) and by increasing the frequency of the message (Pickton and Broderick, 2005). The use of Music can be very effective both for winning consumers attention and adding a mnemonic quality to the message (Sutherland, 2008). When aiming to build an emotional link with consumers, a successful choice is including associations recalling to common culture in the message sent to consumers (Gabrielsen, 2010). Jingles can be such able to involve consumers, that they can become themselves part of the cultural background of people (Sutherland, 2008). To effectively affect consumers behaviour, advertisers must understand how the purchasing decision for their products is taken by consumers; the FCB matrix by Vaughn (1986) suggest the quantity and quality of information to provide for each of the 4 types of purchasing process identified by crossing the level of involvement (high or low) and the kind of approach (emotional or rational). Music can be effective for feel products, but not for think products, since it sets up an entertainment mood inappropriate for rational decisions (Arens et Al, 2011). The overall recommendation for companies is to consider advertising as a process that involves the entire business as connected with it by a close cause-effect relationship: when an advert is not effective, it can be the symptom that theres something wrong in the marketing decision making process, or it can be the cause leading to future problems in the relationship with the market (Llambin, 2008). CONCLUSIONS It has been shown how a tripartite approach to the central question which factors can make advertising effective? is able to better analyse the issue and to define an accurate answer. Since all the factors except the maximisation of Reach refer to the ability of reading consumers mind, the report has confirmed how psychology can be a great support for marketing functions and, specifically, for making advertising effective (Foxall et Al, 1998). Thats why Market-driven companies, which have developed a deep knowledge of their consumers thanks to large investments in market researches, have the concrete possibility to apply these factors in the most effective way (Llambin, 2008). APPENDICES As an example, the historical testimonial used by Danish Frisbee Sports Union for the 2012 campaign will be definitely able to catch consumers attention, but it can reasonably arouse perplexity and disgust in a high number of people. Source: http://www.chipshopawards.com/ Nestlà ¨ chose to set a totally VIP-focused campaign to promote Nespresso brand: George Clooney has being appeared in every adverts of the famous espresso machine, with the aim to take advantages from his style and world-wide popularity. Source of Image: http://www.generation-flux.com/images/Nespresso-site.jpg A great example is represented by the marketing campaigns of PG, created to promote their laundry products Ariel in UK and Tide in USA during the Olympics. The compelling references on the athletic competition were present in both the spots: Before the Gold, Silver, and Bronze, its the red, white and blue.At the Olympic Games, its not the color you go home with that matters, its the colors you came in. When colors mean this much, trust them to Ariel (UK)/ Tide (USA). The meaning of the final sentence Proud keeper of Our Countrys Colours was certainly influenced by the images of the athletes shown in the video: for Ariel, a high number of British participants ; for Tide, almost only American players. Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoF9DROHYnU Tide for USA; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jipn-MGg0DA Ariel for UK. A great example of the power of cultural associations can be found in politics. The ex-Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, considered the biggest innovator in the Italian political marketing in a negative or positive way depending on the political conviction (Palmieri, 2012), named his first party Forza Italia (1994), that is the same slogan used by Italian people as an incitement for the national football team. The result was a widespread embarrassment (ibidem) when people not voting for Berlusconi wanted to support the football team, but they had to shout the name of his party: they could not manage not to think about this political association. Cirio is an Italian company founded in 1856 specialized in canned food, especially in tomato paste. (www.cirio.co.uk) Cirio managers werent happy to learn that their testimonial Gerard Depardieu was founded drunk and misbehaving on a plane just two weeks later the advertising campaign was launched. The spot is accessible here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReGPNs-HfH0 The episode reported: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/8706992/Gerard-Depardieu-accused-of-urinating-on-floor-of-plane.html Oscar Mayer is a brand owned by Kraft Foods. At the end of last century the company held local auditions in search of American children to continue the 30-year tradition of singing the catchy bologna and wiener jingles: they were such known that Oscar Mayer decided to be self-referential in order to best cultivate the relationship with the consumers. Thompson, S. 1997. Promotions: Nostalgia Bolognese, Brandweek, April 14, 1997 Original videos are available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmPRHJd3uHI (Bologna); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNddW2xmZp8feature=related (Wieners) The example and the text of the jingle are reported in Sutherland (2008, p 122): nine-six-seven, eleven eleven / phone Pizza Pizza, hey hey hey!