Auditory system and optical system Essay Example for Free

Auditory system and optical system Essay Two of the most important sensory systems in human body are optical system and auditory system. Optical system or sometime called visual system involved in the process of taken amount of stimuli and transfer it into some figure that we can perceive as images that make senses. Auditory systems involved in sound wave that transduced by drum ear into some kind of vibration that eventually gets converted back into wave what we perceive as noise. There are a lot of similarities in their mechanisms of how they gather, carry and prepare those informations from sensory neurons. However, there are also a lots of differences on how each system operated and where does it takes information into difference area of the brain. For both systems, optical and auditory, the information comes from our environment in many forms. For example, optical system detected all still images and image in motion as far as human eyes can see. The auditory is ready to absorb any noise or sound for twenty-four hours a day. Their structures and mechanisms are similar in a way they gather information, prepare and perceive those information into something that make sense in our brain. After the sensory neurons carry information into specific system each detect, transduce and coding those information before they being send to central system, the brain. Both systems have similar structure that transmit those information to the final destination, the brain. Even though, both system basic the same. Each system perceive those information that perceive from sensory neuron in totally different way. For instance, optical system receive visible spectrum of wave of electromagnetic radiation. The frequency of wave created color and distinguish brightness by amplitude. In auditory system, the frequency of wave created tone ( pitch) and loudness by amplitude. For the optical system, the cornea gather light rays that pass into inferior of the eyes. The information such as lights brightness, hue/color or motion are translate into coded neural impulse. The codes then carried by optic nerves to the brain. However, the information from one side are send to the opposite side of hemisphere but stimuli go to the same side hemisphere. The optical information are stored in occipital lobes where it was process and try to make sense of those information base on experience and individual perception. For the auditory system, the sounds wave goes through the ear canal and hit the ear drum. They activate the the drum and the information being send through the fluid as a result it bents the hair cell in the cochlea and the information then translate into neural impulse. The intensity of sound waves determine by how many hair cell are fire as well as how frequently they fire. The auditory information then carried by auditory nerve from one side of the ear are sent to the opposite hemisphere. The auditory information are stored in temporal lobes where it was process and try to make sense of those information base on past experience and pattern. In conclusion, the optical and auditory systems have basically the same structure and mechanism but they both different in how they gathering, preparing, detecting, and translating those information. Each system are unique and unbelievably complex structure that we need to learn more.

Two Stroke And Four Stroke Engine

Two Stroke And Four Stroke Engine To understand the differences between a two stroke and four stroke engines, we need to know how the four stroke engine works. In four stroke engine there are four stages: Intake: The piston travels down the cylinder while the intake valve is opened to allow a mixture of fuel and air to enter the combustion chamber. Compression: The intake valve is closed and the piston travels back up the cylinder compressing the gasses. Combustion: The spark plug ignites the compressed gas causing it to explode, which forces the piston down. Exhaust: The piston rises up the cylinder as the exhaust valve is opened, allowing the piston to clear the chamber to start the process over. Each time the piston rises and falls it turns the crankshaft that is responsible for turning the wheels. This is how fuel is converted into forward motion. The spark plug doesnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t fire in each revolution but instead fires once every other revolution. A camshaft must alternately tip a rocker arm attached either to the intake or exhaust valve. The rocker arm returns to its closed position according to the movement of a spring. The valves must be seated properly in the cylinder head to avoid compression leaks. Now that the four stroke engines mechanism is explained, it is inevitable to learn about the two stroke engine. The main difference between the two engines is that all four stages in the four stroke engine are integrated into only two phases, one downward stroke, and one upward stroke. Intake and exhaust are both integrated into the compression and combustion movement of the piston, eliminating the need for valves. This is accomplished by an inlet and exhaust port in the wall of the combustion chamber itself. Induction: the piston travels down the cylinder head, and it applies suction to the air-fuel mixture and exerts it into the cylinder. Compression: as the piston travels up to the top of the cylinder head, it applies pressure to the air-fuel mixture from the inlet port in the top of the cylinder head, making the air-fuel mixture ready for igniting by the spark plug. Ignition: the spark plug ignites the pressurized air-fuel mixture (otherwise known as the compressed air-fuel mixture), sometimes referred to as the power stroke. Exhaust: as the piston returns back to the top of the cylinder head after the air-fuel mixture has been ignited, the piston pushes the burnt gases out of the cylinder and through the exhaust system. Transfer Port: The port in a two stroke engine that transfers the air-fuel mixture from the bottom of the engine to the top of the cylinder. two-stroke-exhaust.gif 0003EDA6CENGIZ B9A1592C: Fig2: 2-Stroke engine After the fuel and air experience a relatively small explosion, the piston is driven down to the bottom of the stroke where the exhaust port is uncovered. Most of the gases are driven out in this phase. This process is easily seen with an outboard motorboat, evident by the multicoloured oil slick surrounding the engine, but it happens with all two stroke engines, which is considered one of the disadvantages that makes a designer overlook the use of a two stroke engine in their design. And that is because this process itself (along with burning oil) creates pollution and fuel efficiency issues. Development The idea to build a two-stroke engine goes back to the year 1879. But this engine became a qualitatively good product only after many years, when the German DKW company accelerated its development. Because of its disadvantages compared with the four-stroke engine, the two-stroke engine is used practically just in a small range of capacity, e.g. in small motorcycles considering that the processes involved in the two stroke engine only require the use of a small amount of parts and chambers, and that is why they are used in small applications. Formerly the engine was even used to power tiny cars. The main disadvantage of the two stroke engine would be the loss of fuel and oil (as oil is mixed with fuel, or induced with fresh air to lubricate the piston). And this oil is burnt and sent through the exhaust, as some of the fresh mixture would leave the combustion chamber unburnt. This would basically cause more emissions and dirtier exhaust that would damage the catalytic converter. In recent years, the re-appearance of direct fuel injection (as it already existed in diesel, and 1960s petrol Mercedes), is the main cause of this interest. As direct fuel injection (meaning the fuel injector would be in the combustion chamber such as the spark plug, and would induce the fuel directly in there, as opposed to standard injection where fuel is induced in the intake manifold on top of the valve). This direct injection would limit the fresh mixture loss in exhaust. The thermal post combustion: there is an air pump, called secondary air pump, pumping fresh air into the exhaust when engine is cold. As on cold starts you have a very rich mixture, meaning raw fuel leaving through the exhaust. The fresh air induced, along with the high temperatures of the exhaust, would cause the fuel in exhaust to burn, this would render the emissions cleaner, and would heat up the exhaust faster for the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors to work (as catalytic converters and oxygen sensors need temperatures around 600 degrees C to operate and clean the emissions). This thermal post combustion would clean the remaining raw fuel or hydrocarbons, and heat the catalytic converters and oxygen sensors, so they always work at optimal temperatures. Problems of the two-stroke engine Actually, the two stroke engine should perform twice the performance of a four stroke engine with the same cubic capacity. Although it is just possible to gain a performance that is about 50% better, but still the reasons are obvious; the cylinder cannot be filled up with the same amount of fuel as in the four-stroke engine, because the individual strokes are separated not so clearly which will reduce the amount of space and eventually reduce the capacity for carrying more fuel. If more fuel is induced, it leaves the combustion chamber through the ejection pipe without being burnt. Many concepts were developed to provide a better expulsion of the exhaust in way that the fresh gas doesnt leave the combustion chamber. Though all these inventions, the filling of the two-stroke engine is always worse than in the four-stroke engine, which loses fresh fuel only because of the overlap of the valve times (both valves are open for an instant). Beside these performance-technical problems, ther e are also increasing difficulties with the environment. The fuel mixture of the two-stroke engine often gets shifted with a certain quantity of oil because of the necessary lubrication. Unfortunately the oil gets burnt partly, too, and harmful gases are expulsed by the engine. Two stroke engines already have a lot of advantages over the standard four stroke engines Two-stroke engines do not have valves, which simplifies their construction and lowers their weight. Two-stroke engines fire once every revolution, while four-stroke engines fire once every other revolution. This gives two-stroke engines a significant power boost. Two-stroke engines are lighter, and cost less to manufacture. Two-stroke engines have the potential for about twice the power in the same size because there are twice as many power strokes per revolution. Disadvantages of 2 Stroke Engines: -Two-stroke engines dont live as long as four-stroke engines. The lack of a dedicated lubrication system means that the parts of a two-stroke engine wear-out faster. Two-stroke engines require a mix of oil in with the gas to lubricate the crankshaft, connecting rod and cylinder walls. Two-stroke oil can be expensive. Mixing ratio is about 4 ounces per gallon of gas: burning about a gallon of oil every 1,000 miles. Two-stroke engines do not use fuel efficiently, yielding fewer miles per gallon. Two-stroke engines produce more pollution from: 1- The combustion of the oil in the gas. The oil makes all two-stroke engines smoky to some extent, and a badly worn two-stroke engine can emit more oily smoke. 2- Each time a new mix of air/fuel is loaded into the combustion chamber, part of it leaks out through the exhaust port. http://www.deepscience.com http://www.whitedoglubes.com http://www.atzonline.com/index.php;do=show/site=a4e/sid=10470432604d6722a19884c564334027/alloc=3/id=829

Brazilian Culture Essay -- Cultural Identity Essays

By living in the United States of America, most of us are daily witnesses to the differences of cultures. From European to Mexican to Swedish cultures, you name it, Americans see it all, hear it all, and even taste it all. But we don’t always get a close look into other cultures—sometimes they just cross our paths. However, it is still important for us to learn about be knowledgeable about other cultures. Once such culture that has much to be learned from is the culture in Brazil. Brazilian culture is perhaps one of the most interesting cultures to learn about because it is so rich and diverse. Brazil alone is separated into five different regions which all encompass different customs and cultural aspects. (10) The following is an account of many aspects of the Brazilian culture and sources to help you learn more about the marvelous Brazil. Applicable National Standards for Geography Through this study of Brazilian culture the reader will be able to use the National Standard, "Knows and understands that culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and experience." Through historical accounts, statistical facts, and cultural information the reader will gain his own perception of Brazil and the experiences one can have there. The differences discussed will also help him to, "Knows and understand the complexity of the earth’s cultural mosaic." As Americans it is so important for us to understand others differences and to accept them as additions and benefits to our society. By learning about another nation and its roots the reader will understand how wide our differences stretch and how much they bring us together. Brazil at a Glance (6) Full Country Name: Federal Republic of Brazil ... ... 2005) (4) "History." The History of Brazilian Carnival. http://www.unikey.com.br (Apr 6, 2005) (5) Information Services of the Brazilian Embassy. "Brazil in Brief." Brazilian Embassy. 1998. http://brasil.emb.nw.dc.us/bzeduind.htm (Apr 14, 2005) (6) Lonely Planet Publications. "Destination Brazil." Lonelyplanet on-line. 1998. http://lonelyplanet.com/dest/sam/bra.htm (8 Apr 2005) (7) Morales, Walter. "Enjoy This Virtual Trip to Brazil." The Wonders of Brazil. 1998. http://psg.com~walter/brasil.html (Apr 15, 2005) (8) Paulo, S. "Revelry Rules the Jolly Season." Net Estado. 1998. http://estado.com.br/edicao/especial/carnaval/canabre.html (Apr 4, 2005) (9) Thomson, Shelia. "Maria Brazil." 1998. http://maria-brazil.org/ (Apr 14, 2005) (10) "Map of Brazil." http://www.usbrazil.com/mapbr.htm (Apr 15, 2005)

No Bull in The Sun Also Rises :: Hemingway Sun Also Rises Essays

No Bull in The Sun Also Rises I finished reading SAR around ten o'clock tonight. I could have taken it all in one big gulp when I began a week ago, but I couldn't do that. It wanted me to bring it out slowly, so I often found myself reading five or ten pages and laying it aside to absorb without engulfing. A man gets used to reading Star Wars and pulp fiction and New York Times Bestsellers and forgets what literature is until it slaps him in the face. This book was written, not churned out or word-processed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I never noticed it until it was brought up in class, maybe because it wasn't a point for me in In Our Time, but He doesn't often enough credit quotations with, ",he said," or, ",said Brett," or, ",Bill replied." In SAR it stood and called attention to itself. I wasn't particularly bothered by His not telling me who said what, but it was very...pointed. I first noticed around the hundredth page or so. Then I realized I couldn't keep track of who was speaking. By not dwelling on it, though, sort of (hate to say this) accepting it, I managed to assign speech to whomever I felt was speaking. Gradually I came to enjoy it, in another plane of reading, figuring out from whom words were originating. To not notice it, as if it were one of those annoying 3-D posters that you can't see until you make a concerted effort not to try and see, became simple - much like those 3-D pictures are once you know what not to look for. (I abhor ending sentences with prepositions...) His not telling was heightening to the story. It made things come even more alive. As a conversation that you're hearing at a nearby table in a restaurant, the exchanges flowed, with me as a more passive reader than in a story written to be read instead of lived. It has always been troubling for me to read a book with the knowledge that there are things I am supposed to be catching, but not quite. The fish in the pools and the allegory and analogy and symbolism aren't

Computers In Medical Field Essay -- Information Technology Essays

Introduction Today, in the United States, we all live in an age of technology and science. The use of technology and science has revolutionized our way of life. There are few things in history that have influenced our lives more than a computer. Today, there cannot be any field that is absent of the influence of computer applications. From farming to rocket science, computers have a huge role to play. The use of the computer has been on the increase for some time in many fields. Medicine is one of the many fields that have made tremendous strides in the twentieth century due to the advent of computers. Computers are used in medicine in almost all areas. Whether it is data management, diagnosis, or treatment, computers have there own applications. Everything we know today in medicine might not have been possible without the valuable contribution of computers. The Role of Computers in Storing Information Computers have been used as storage devices for medical information for many years. Computer-based patient records are good examples to prove the worth of computers as information storage. Due to startup and running costs, possibility for abuse, poor functioning, and the risk of loss of confidentiality, they were not used very much in the past. Now, they have become almost indispensable. Computer-based patient records have many advantages. They "have the potential to improve legibility, accessability, structure..."(Medical Informantics) the possibility of integration with telemedicine, and increased ability to collect health information. Computers are used for scheduling and appointment keeping. They are used to keep track of patients' visits. With the help of word processors, letters are typed and sent to... ...rt of medicine. Neither can they eliminate the need of human beings. What they can do is help us bring relevant and timely information to use on our care of individual patients. They can also help run the medical offices or hospitals in a way that makes good business sense. That is why many physicians have embraced the computer and made information technology an integral part of their approach to patient care. That is why they have been able to meet the increasing needs of the patents remarkably well. http://www.medicinenet.com/cat_scan/article.htm http://trc.telemed.org/telemedicine/primer.asp http://www.vet.uga.edu/mis/what.php http://www.mieur.nl/mihandbook/r_3_3/handbook/home.htm http://www.mieur.nl/mihandbook/r_3_3/handbook/home.htm (Much info I got was from this) If I forget we may want to think about getting rid of Advantages/Disadvantages sections

Assessing the Marketing Strategy of Payboy Magazine

Contents Introduction4 Literature review5 The product life cycle5 Introduction stage5 Growth stage6 Maturity stage6 Decline stage7 MARKET SEGMENTATION8 Attractiveness of a market segment9 Target market strategies9 BRAND10 Building and managing brand equity12 Globalisation13 There are three main international marketing orientations13 Ethics in marketing14 Gender role and marketing14 Generic marketing strategy15 Findings16 The playboy product life cycle16 Market segmentation17 Brand17 Globalization17 Ethics18 Marketing strategy18 Discussion20 Conclusions21 Recommendations21 References22 Introduction A marketing strategy calls for the organization to pull its limited resources to attract the desired market segment and gain some competitive advantage. The positioning of a product is the reason the target segment of the market uses or buys a product based on the attributes of the product which ensure that the product attracts the desired market segment by meeting the product expectations (Wind, 1990). These two strategies are used to attract consumers of all product types. The magazine industry mainly applies these strategies to attract buyers towards their product. They offer their readers target content by being first segmented into the various types of magazines which include: men, women, news magazines and readers digest. Readers digest offer its readers a wide array of topics of interests without focussing on a specific readership, gender or group of interests. News magazines offer feature news articles usually on topics that have already been discussed in other news media but in a more in-depth sense. Women’s magazines offer articles of interest to women and men’s magazines offer articles of interest to men. Magazines are further segmented under each section to feature topics of interest from decor to cars. One of the more successful men’s magazines Playboy will be discussed in this paper, focussing on, what strategy they applied to achieve their global success. The magazine has been in existence for over, 50years and has stood the test of time. This paper will seek to determine what marketing strategies they applied to achieve their global success. Literature review The product life cycle The product life cycle can be divided into several stages characterised by the revenue generated by the product. A PLC depicts the stages that the product goes through during its life time. The PLC is made up of the following stages: Introduction stage When the product is introduced, sales will be low until customers become aware of the product and its benefits. Advertising costs are typically high during this stage in order to rapidly increase customer awareness of the product and to target the early adopters. During the introductory stage the firm is likely to incur additional costs associated wit the initial distribution of the product. These higher costs coupled wit low sales volume usually make the introduction stage a period of negative profits. During the introduction stage, the goal is to establish a market and build primary demand for the product class. The introductory stage comprises of the following marketing mix components: Price – the price will be generally high, assuming a skim pricing strategy for a high profit margin as the early adopters buy the product and the firm seeks to recoup development costs quickly. In some instances, a penetration pricing strategy is used and introductory prices are set low to gain market share quickly. Distribution –the distribution is selective and scattered as the firm commences implementation of the distribution plan. Promotion – it is aimed at building brand awareness. Samples or trials may be directed at early adopters. Growth stage This is a stage of rapid revenue growth. Sales increase as more customers become aware of the product and its benefits and additional market segments are targeted. The marketing team may increase its distribution at this point. When competitors enter the market, often during the later part of the growth stage, there may be price competition and or increased promotional costs in order to convince customers that the firm’s product is better than that of the competitor. During the growth stage the goal is to gain consumer preference and increase sales. The marketing mix may be modified as below: Product – new product features and packaging options, improvement of product quality Price – the price may be maintained at a high level if demand is high or reduced to capture additional customers. Distribution – at this point, the distribution becomes more intensive. Trade discounts are minimal if resellers sow a strong interest in the product. Promotion – advertising is increased to build brand preference. Maturity stage This is the most profitable stage. While sales continue to increase into this stage, they do so at a slower pace. The brand awareness is strong and so the advertising expenditures will be reduced. Te firm places effort into encouraging competitors’ customers to switch, increasing usage per customer, and converting non users into customers. Sales promotion may be offered to encourage retailers to give the product more shelf space over competing products. During the maturity stage, the goal is to maintain market share and extend the product life cycle. The marketing mix decision may include: Product – modifications are made and features are added in order to differentiate the product from competing products tat may have been introduced, Price – there are possible price reductions in response to competition while avoiding a price war. Distribution – new distribution channels and incentives to re-sellers n order to avoid losing self space. Promotion – emphasis on differentiation and building of brand loyalty. Incentives may be introduced at this stage to get competitors’ customers to switch. Decline stage At this stage, sales begin to decline as the market becomes saturated, the product becomes technologically obsolete, or customer taste change, if the product as developed brand loyalty, the profitability may be maintained longer. Init costs may increase with the declining production volumes and eventually no more profit can be made. During the decline stage, the firm has three options: †¢ Maintain the product with hope that competitors will exit. Reduce costs and find new uses for the product. †¢ Harvest it, reducing market support and coasting along until no more profit can be made. Discontinue the product when no more profit can be made or there is a successor product. The marketing mix may be modified as follows: Product – the number of products in the product line may be reduced. Rejuvenate surviving products to make them look new again. Price – prices may be lowered to liquidate inventory of discontinued products. Prices may be maintained for continued pr oducts serving a nice market. Distribution – it will become more selective. Channels that are no longer profitable are passed out. Promotion – expenditures are lower and aimed at reinforcing the brand image for continued products. MARKET SEGMENTATION Here, the suppliers will want to concentrate in a particular market. There are two important factors to consider when selecting a target market segment. These are the attractiveness of the segment and the fit between the segment and the firm’s objectives, resources and capabilities. † This is the process in which a company attempts to identify the categories of consumers whose needs and wants it can satisfy. In order to segment the market Companies first assess their capabilities and resources then they determine the competitive situation in the marketing environment. Finally they match their capabilities with the needs of the market segment. There is no single way of segmenting the market because their criteria used to segment the market depend on the individual organisations. The segmentation process involves several steps: †¢ You define the market usually based on the consumers needs †¢ Identify the best market segmentation criteria †¢ Apply the segmentation criteria and divide the market †¢ Analyse and understand the profile of the priority consumer segment (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) Attractiveness of a market segment The following aspects can be considered when evaluating the attractiveness of a market segment: †¢ Growth rate in the segment †¢ Size of the segment †¢ Competition in the segment †¢ Attainable market share given promotional budget and competitors’ expenditures †¢ Required market share to break even Market research and analysis is essential to obtain this information. Te impact of micro and macro environmental variables on the market segment should be considered. Target market strategies Market specialisation – here the firm specialises in a particular market segment and offers that segment an array of different products Full market coverage – the firm attempts to serve the entire market. This coverage can be achieved by means of either a mass market strategy in which a single undifferentiated marketing mix is offered to the entire market, or by a differentiated strategy in which a separate marketing mix is offered to each segment. Product specialisation – Here the firm specialises in a particular product and tailors it to different market segments Selective specialisation – Here the different marketing mixes are offered to different segments. The product itself may or may not be different. The promotional messages or distribution channels may vary. Single segment strategy – Here one market segment is served with one marketing mix. A single segment approach often is the strategy of choice for smaller companies wit limited resources. BRAND A brand is a name or symbol used to identify the source of a product. (NetMBA,marketing>brand equity). Very successful brands have been known to become the generic name of a product. The design and implementation of an effective brand strategy can be considered in relation to the brand, product or the service offered. There are several brand strategies that can be applied, these include: †¢ Brand development strategy – used when the brand already exist †¢ Rebranding – when an existing brand is rebranded in line with the change in the market segmentation or competitive positioning strategy. †¢ Brand introduction – used when a new brand is introduced †¢ Brand extension (umbrella branding) – used when a new product that is unrelated to an existing product is introduced. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) The brand can add significant value when it is well recognised and as positive associations in the mind of the consumer. This concept is referred to as â€Å"Brand equity. † There are three perspectives from which to view brand equity: 1. Consumer- based: A strong brand increases the consumer’s attitude strength toward the product associated with the brand. Attitude strength is built by experience with a product. This importance of actual experience by the customer implies that trial samples are more effective than advertising in the early stages of building a strong brand. The consumer’s awareness and associations lead to perceived quality, inferred attributes, and eventually, brand loyalty. 2. Brand extensions: A successful brand can be used as a platform to launch related products. Te benefits of brand extensions are the leveraging of existing brand awareness thus reducing advertising expenditures, and a lower risk from the perspective of the customer. Appropriate brand extensions can enhance the core brand. Te value of the brand extension is however more difficult to quantify than are direct financial measures of brand equity. 3. Financial: One way to measure brand equity is to determine the price premium that a brands commands over a generic product. Strong brand equity provides the following benefits: . It is an asset that can be sold or leased 2. It Increases cash flow by increasing market share, reducing promotional costs, and allowing premium pricing. 3. It facilitates a more predictable income stream Building and managing brand equity In his 1989 paper, Managing brand Equity, Peter H. Farguhar outlines # the following three stages tat are required in order to build a strong brand: 1 . Introduction – in this stage, introduce a quality product with the strategy of using the brand as a platform from which to launch future products. A positive evaluation by the consumer is important. 2. Elaboration – make the brand easy to remember and develop repeat usage. There should be accessible brand attitude, that is, the consumer should easily remember his or her positive evaluation of the brand. 3. Fortification – the brand should carry a consistent image over time to reinforce its place in the consumer’s mind and develop a special relationship with the consumer. Brand extensions can further fortify the brand, but only with related products having a perceived fit in the mind of the consumer. Globalisation Marketing efforts can cross borders in a process known as internationalisation and globalisation. Internationalisation is when a firm starts to sell the products across the borders. Globalisation is a result of internalisation and it is shown by an increase in volumes and value of goods as well as the emergence of transnational segments of consumers with similar demand. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007). The main factors influencing international marketing operations are: †¢ Good knowledge of the evolution of the international business environment †¢ The existing assets of the firm †¢ The capacity of managers †¢ To rapidly adapt the firm’s strategy to the continuous changes in international markets. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) There are three main international marketing orientations †¢ Domestic Market orientation – this is when you sell your service or products in a foreign markets that is very similar to the domestic market. †¢ The multi-national orientation – this is when a product or services adapts to the demands of each foreign market. †¢ Global orientation – it identifies the transnational segment of consumers in different foreign countries having similar needs and wants. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) The main challenge with globalisation is whether to adopt standardisation or adaptation theories in the marketing strategy. It has been argued that standardisation should be adopted because international markets have increasingly convergent needs and wants. However, standardisation does not allow for the local cultures to shape the preferences and in such cases the adaptation theory will work best. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) Ethics in marketing The ethical stance of an organisation can either promote or hinder the marketing strategy of an organisation. Ethical issues ranging from pay, pricing of goods to environmental issues affect the image of an organisation and can have a critical impact on an organisation’s brand. In order to combat the negative publicity, organisations can form ethical alliances with non-profit organisation taking the form of donations, cause-related marketing, event sponsorship, employee exchange and the provision of services. Such cause-related marketing strategies can be used to distinguish an organisation in the market place. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) Gender role and marketing In advertising, it has been found that the marketing to women and men especially in publication differ in terms of the type of products they advertise. Men products tend to promote lifestyle enhancing and professional appearance while women’s advertisements tend to promote self reflection and personal appearance (Graham and Gollop, 2003). Many brands in the market are said to posses gender bias. The bias helps leverage their ability to attract their male or female target group. This same trait works as a hindrance where the brand is trying to cross the gender divide (Jung and Lee, 2006). Findings show that depending on the race and gender of the magazine, the roles of the women and men changed. In women’s magazines, women appeared in subordinate roles most of the time and were considered more exposed then men although research has shown that these roles appear to be changing. Interestingly, depending on the magazine gender bias, men’s magazines had dominated in images of men and women’s magazines dominated in images of women (Graham and Gollop, 2003). In most the magazines, women appeared as sexual objects. Generic marketing strategy Porters has two main fundamental decisions that organisation need to adopt in order to gain competitive advantage. He proposed that organisations could compete on price and differentiation. The two strategies define the following four generic competitive strategies . 1. Overall price leadership – it provides products and services at lowest prices 2. Differentiation – offering a product or service with differentiated features. 3. Differentiation focus – segment the market then offer each segment a differentiated product. 4. Price focus – firstly, segment the market and offer the segment a low price (Mitchell,2010) Findings The playboy product life cycle Introduction – Playboy was introduced in 1953 with a $1000. 0 budget. The first publication had a circulation of 53991 copies and Marylyn Manroe was on the cover prior to her fame at a price of $0. 5 per issue. When this idea was launched, the logo was a stag, and the magazine was supposed to be called ‘Stag Growth stage –the playboy ‘bunny ‘was introduced and subsequently became the prima ry unchanged logo for the magazine. Maturity stage-in the 1970’s the playboy magazine had grown in popularity and this marked the best sales period of its circulation. The magazine grew into the playboy corporation and has under the umbrella name in addition to the magazine: Night clubs †¢ Casinos †¢ cosmetics Decline- given the negative publicity linked to the content of the playboy magazine, in the late 1970’s immediately after achieving its peak, their sales declined as a result of the rise of competitors such as penthouse (Trivialibrary. com, 2010). There was a 2-year ban on all explicit content magazines in the united states in the†¦ based on the speculation that magazine of that content was a health hazard. Maturity stage -to date the magazine has a notable goodwill and has accumulated in value. In 2002, the first issue of the playboy magazine was auctioned off for $5000. 0 showing that the magazine has accumulated value as a collectable. Market se gmentation The playboy magazine cast a wide web and segmented its market using geographical and gender based segmentation. The magazine is typically targeted at men aged between 18 and 80 years of age. However, the contents satisfied both the male and female market (Forbish, 2004). Brand The playboy brand is symbolised by a black bunny bearing a bow tie. It has immense goodwill and has been exploited and incorporated into several products such as jewellery, T-shirts printed etc. The magazine P has stars to indicate the level of circulation for that particular issue Major brand extensions include: lingerie, jewellery, TV shows, Clubs and Casinos. Globalization The playboy magazine has been published in over 50 countries worldwide with local publication and has shown a certain degree of popularity internationally. It sells more the 3million copies in the united states and 4. 5million copies around the world (Forbish, 2004). In addition, playboy has a website which has allowed that to reach an international market. Ethics There have been many ethical issues surrounding the magazine spanning from, exploitation of women to the lack of morals based in the sexual content of the magazine. However, they stand out from the rest because they show some moderation on their contents; †¢ they are not as explicit in both their magazine and web content †¢ their sit only shows nudity to viewers after they have acknowledged the content Marketing strategy The main aim of the playboy magazine was to sell a ‘lifestyle’ and not just sex and nudity. The idea was for the young man to feel like he was a member of a playboy lifestyle club (Forbish, 2004; Thompson, 2008). They show this by incorporating issues of interest to men including humorous and celebrity related content (Forbish, 2004). Between 1959 and 1961, Playboy had a television show ‘Playboy penthouse’ which supplemented in television what it offered as a publication. This show was not an easy success story because television at the time was related to feminism and usually show cased feminine products and shows (Thompson, 2008). The show offered the viewer a visual idea of what the playboy lifestyle was about: beautiful women, celebrities and partying (Thompson, 2008). They have a web page that was opened in 1994. It is currently the most visited site and highly successful magazine online sites. Its cyber store has a 2700 item catalogue and is responsible for a major portion of the playboy profit. Another major feature is the live feature which allows surfers access to view live events online. The ideas of the web site was not to lose sight of the playboy persona by strongly linking its contents and the quality to that of the magazine aimed at getting its visitors to buy into the playboy brand as well as other merchandise that they sell online (Forbish, 2004). When introducing the magazine, the pictures that were published in the magazine were of an upcoming icon Maryline Manroe which was to be used in a calendar. Playboy has been known for using celebrities such as Pamela Anderson in its covers. They also used award winning non sexual content interviews with famous figures to sell the magazine including Malxom X, Martin Luther King Jr. (Forbish, 2004). Discussion The playboy magazine is an ideal example of a magazine that stood the test of time. Starting in the 1950’s the magazine managed to capitalize on a basic need in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ‘Sex’. Considering the more conserving time era in which the magazine was launched, the minimal budget and the small circulation, the magazine has proven to be a success story. To date, the playboy brand is considered a symbol of status, fashion and personality (Chen and Wang, 2007) In terms of strategy, using semi naked women on the cover, to attract their ideal market segment was a good key strategy to attract readership; having the semi naked women being up and coming celebrities like Pamela Andersen was a genius idea this being key in attracting their target market; men aged between 18-80. This strategy was the key to the success if the magazine (Thompson, 2008). In terms of positioning, the playboy magazine has expressed intensely that they are not a ‘pornographic’ magazine and attest the idea that their content is purely sexual in nature (Schilowitz, 2004). They argue that their content is of interest to men and thus their articles will be male interest related; with men interests being women amongst other things. They show this by having in depth interviews with interesting key people in society including Malcom X. They push the idea that Playboy is in-fact a lifestyle of fun with a sexual connotation, which is why the extensions of the brand include casinos and clubs. In terms of ethics, the try to show that they are not pushing the men into reckless sex, they do not exploit women and they do have a certain level of conservative standard which they show by not fully exposing their women; and putting restrictions on their websites to inform their patrons about potential nudity in their sites. Conclusions In conclusion, the playboy brand is a successful entity, the name and logo has an international standing. Having graced that stands from the 1950’s to present day and stood the test of criticism, linking to the ‘pornographic market, defending its image as a lifestyle as opposed to a product the brand has been successful. In terms of segmentation, the ‘Playboy’ magazine had had a high success rate in reaching its target market while unintentionally attracting another segment in the market; women readers. It has successfully offered its readers more than just ‘sex’, it has offered its readers the ideal idea of what it means to be a man (Cox, 1961). Playboy has had a fair share of negative press about the ethics of the publication linked to the images of the women but this has had a little effect on the goodwill of their brand. In summation, the playboy brand has been marketed successfully and the application of the strategy has been well carried out. This has been done through effective segmentation, application of online marketing and globalization, application of ethics, effective use of goodwill on the brand as well as brand extensions. Recommendations The following recommendations could be applied: Given the current global HIV/AIDS pandemic, it would be in the interest to include in their articles talks about how best to avoid, prevent and stop the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Their articles should promote awareness and prevent stigmatization. References Chen Y and Wang X. (2007). Research on the legal protection of intellectual property right in clothing brand. Asian social science. Vol. 3 (2) pp 77-80 Cox H. (1961) Playboy’s Doctrine of Man. Christianity and Crises. Forbish T. 2004) Sexual Profiteering and Rhetorical Assuagement: Examining Ethos and Identity at Playboy. com. JCMC. Vol. 9 (3) Jung K. and Lee W. Cross-Gender Brand Extensions: Effects of Gender of the brand, Gender of consumer, and Product Type on Evaluation of Cross-Gender Extensions. Advances of Consumer Research. Vol. 33. pp 67-74. Graham R. and Gollop C. J. (2003) Gender Role Reinforcement in Popular Magazine Advertising. Dissertation from the University of North Carolina. United States. Schilowitz E. (2004) Dont Dare Associate Playboy With Porn: Playboy Enterprises, Inc. . Netscape. Communications Corporation. B. U. J. Sci and Teck L. Vol. 10 (2) Thompson E. (2008) The Parodic Sensibility and the Sophisticated Gaze : Masculinity and Taste in the Playboy Penthouse. Televisions and News Media. Vol. 9 (4) pp 284-304. Wind Y. J (1990) Positioning analysis and strategy. Interface of marketing strategy. Jai Press ———————– Assessing the marketing strategy of Playboy magazine Strategic Marketing MKT 762 Dr. Ayanda Group IV Modise Nengu 9903378 Oumi El-Kindiy 200302031 Dineo Mooketsi 9703200

Ernest Hemingway’s the Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea includes many symbols and metaphors within the story line. Hemingway uses the technique of comparing two items as symbolism in his story to make this story personally unique and to share his point of view of many different worldly topics. Some of the metaphors Hemingway uses as symbols to relate the story to real life are the similarities between the marlin and life, life and the sea, and the poor and the rich. Ernest Hemingway wrote about the marlin as if it was a human living in reality. This metaphor also includes a Christian aspect to it where Santiago (the old man) is God and the marlin is everyone on earth. Where Santiago found the marlin was in somewhat shallow water where it was closer to Santiago (the creator). The marlin was tempted with the hook like Adam and Eve were tempted with the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and eventually gave in and took the bait (Adam and Eve partaking of the fruit). Once the marlin realized it was hooked it started heading for deeper water to hide just as Adam and Eve hid from God. As the fish got deeper it naturally got darker, resembling man running away from God trying to make their sin unnoticeable. Along with swimming to deeper water, the marlin had to pull the boat behind him as a burden that he had to carry because he was trying to escape from his mistake. The old man wondering what the fish was doing said â€Å"If you're not tired, fish, you must be very strange. † (The Old Man and the Sea, page 67, paragraph 4) just as God would wonder about man running and running from Him and never seeing the truth that is right in front of him. A good amount of time goes by and they're in deep waters where sharks attack the fish and do a little damage to the boat. The attack on the fish is like man going through the tribulation but evil doesn't just do damage to man but to God too because He cares about us and doesn't like to see us suffering. At the end right after the old man sees the lights from the city on the horizon the sharks attack the fish again. The old man fought the sharks and finally got them to leave but with nothing but the carcass of the fish. In the same way, God will fight for us and scare the enemy off so that He may have us (those who accepted Him) like the old man had the memory of what the fish was like. In the night sharks hit the carcass as someone might pick up crumbs from the table. The old man paid no attention to them†¦ † (The Old Man and the Sea, page 67, paragraph 3) because it is only the flesh that remained. Another object in the story that shared similarities to life was the sea. The old man had been fishing for most of his life so he was well acquainted with the sea. Yet still that one time that he went out and he got a glimpse at what he desired he went after it and in this case cost him almost everything. While pursuing his desire the sea shook him, beat him, and gave him some unexpected turns. Some examples of those where when the fish dragged him out to sea further and further, when he had to fish for food because he ran out, when the fish kept going after the old man though it would be out of energy, when the sharks attacked, or after all the time he spent out at sea trying to catch the fish, he had nothing but the carcass to show for it. It is the same with life. Humans get into their routines but 100% of those humans get something thrown at them that they didn't see coming. Like a car crash resulting in death, heart attack, or maybe it is family members that just got the news that a loved one committed suicide. The biggest similarity between life and the sea is that in the beginning of the story the old man would take the boy out with him to teach him techniques of how to fish while in life the person you look up to, most likely the father figure, can tell you what to do incase something happens or if something happens again but the pupil will learn from the father the most when they are in real time situations and the pupil gets to see how the father handles the situation. Based on what the pupil sees is where he or she will ultimately learn from that father figure. So while the boy's parents where at home telling him not to go fishing with the old man because he is bad luck, the old man takes the boy out into the world and actually shows him how most everything is done rather than just telling him. The poor and the rich town people in the story also share similarities. Since it was a small town by the sea most if not everybody fished. The rich would fish as a way to relax while their business inland was being run by one of the citizens in a lower money bracket. While the poor were fishing to stay alive. It was their means of survival. Both the rich and the poor came in after fishing for the day and either turned in their fish for money or took it home to be eaten. Even though both classes of society were quite the opposite they almost did the exact same things because the town was so small and there was hardly anything to do. There are many different objects and characters that Hemingway wrote in The Old Man and the Sea that share similarities among symbols and some of them are how the marlin represented life, the sea also represented life, and how the rich and the poor were similar beyond society saying they are opposites. Hemingway used many symbols within his story and because no one has the same point of view, the reader is left to interpret those symbols on how they see it. All the symbolism in the book makes it a great book for all ages. For the kids it is a nice easy read but for the older generations there can be a lot of information found on the author, life, and many other topics.