Thursday, November 28, 2019

Lenins Revolution Essays - Political Parties In Russia,

Lenin's Revolution At the start of the 20th century, the ruling Tsar of Russia had absolute power and his Government was corrupt, hence, the majority of the people were against him. Vladimir Ilich Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks Socialist Party wanted a revolution to overthrow the Government. Relative to these times, it was Lenin who directed the course of the oncoming Russian October Revolution. The outbreak of the unrest, in January 1905, found Lenin anxious to set down a novel strategy for revolution: the need for the proletariat (the working class) to win hegemony in the democratic revolution. He flatly declared to both major political parties of the time (the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks) that the proletariat was the driving force of the revolution and that its only reliable ally was the peasantry. He branded the bourgeoisie as hopelessly counterrevolutionary and too cowardly to make their own revolution. However, after the defeat of the Revolution of 1905, Lenin was forced into exile from 1907 to 1917. He found serious challenges to his policies not only from the Menshevik party (formed by the dissatisfied minority of the intelligentsia) but within his own faction as well. The combination of repression and modest reform effected by the tsarist regime led to a decline of party membership (Merringer 79). Disillusionment and despair in the chances of successful revolution swe pt the dwindled party ranks, rent by controversies over tactics and philosophy. Attempts to unite the Bolshevik and Menshevik factions came to naught, all breaking on Lenin's intransigent insistence that his conditions for reunification be adopted. Yet, throughout the struggle, Lenin?s directing force was still felt by both the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. As one Menshevik opponent described Lenin, There is no other man who is absorbed by the revolution twenty-four hours a day, who has no other thoughts but the thought of revolution, and who even when he sleeps, dreams of nothing but revolution. (Tybursky 182) Placing revolution above party unity, Lenin would accept no unity compromise if he thought it might delay, not accelerate the revolution. This makes it quite apparent that without Lenin; there may have not been a revolution. He clearly pushed its commencement. Ten years in exile had not swayed Lenin?s determination to create and direct a powerful revolution. Lenin returned to Russia from exclusion in February 1917, believing that the time was ripe to seize power. The Russian economy was in ruin after the army was nearly defeated and the people exhausted as a result of the First World War. The country was in an unstable state, suitable for a revolution (Levinthal 119). Around October 20, Lenin, in disguise and at considerable personal risk, slipped into Petrograd and attended a secret meeting of the Bolshevik Central Committee held on the evening of October 23. Not until after a heated 10-hour debate did he finally win a majority in favour of preparing an armed takeover. Now steps to enlist the support of soldiers and sailors and to train the Red Guards, the Bolshevik-led workers' militia, for an armed takeover proceeded openly under the guise of self-defense of the Petrograd Soviet. Even at great personal risk, Lenin was adamant in spurrin g a successful revolution. November 7 and 8, the Bolshevik-led Red Guards and revolutionary soldiers and sailors, under the authoritative direction of Lenin, deposed the Provisional Government meeting only slight resistance. They then proclaimed that state power had passed into the hands of the Soviets. The Bolsheviks with their allies constituted an absolute majority of the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets. The delegates voted overwhelmingly to and elect Lenin as chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, the new Soviet Government. Overnight, Lenin had vaulted from his hideout as a fugitive to head the Revolutionary government of the largest country in the world. Since his youth, he had spent his life building a party that would win such a victory, and now at the age of 47, he and his party had triumphed. Yet, power neither intoxicated nor frightened Lenin. He was born to lead and lead he did, winning the revolution. Even long after the revolution, Lenin?s gift for directive leadership was evident in his admirable leadership of a Russia torn by unrest. It was largely because of

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson Jenny MaguireEnglish - The AmericasPoetry Essay3/5/2002Emily DickinsonRenowned as one of the most significant poets in American literature, Emily Dickinson adds a completely distinctive dimension to Modernist poetry. Her lyrical appeal can be attributed to her aphoristic and abrupt style. Each and every phrase of her poems constitutes a direct representation of her unique personality or mood. This expression is developed through the short measure structure within all of her poems, in which the effect of this brevity is amplified by her verbal perniciousness. Almost all of her poetry consists of a deceivingly simple structure: four line stanzas; iambic meter, with every other line being tetrameter or trimeter; and ABCB rhyme scheme; a careful dispersion of dashes; and slant rhyme. Random puns, riddles, and imagery also garnish the infamously basic form of Dickinson's poems. Throughout her poetry, the reader may begin to notice several predominate themes.Photo of the Dickinson Homestea d taken in October ...On December 10, 1830 Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born in Amherst Massachusetts. She was the second child of Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson; Emily had an older brother William Austin Dickinson and a younger sister Lavinia Norcross Dickinson. Dickinson's Mother was not a significant presence in her life, as she appeared to have been rather emotionally inaccessible. However, her father headed the quiet, reserved household. Donoghue states Edward Dickinson "was a dedicated Whig, and a resolute defender of temperance. As a parent, he was somewhat harsh, or at best remote" (6). Because of her parent's religious background, Dickinson's parents raised her to be a good Christian woman who would one day have a family of her own. In fact, her father sheltered her from books he viewed as harmful to her mind and religious faith. However, Dickinson did not conform to the society in which she was raised.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Marketing Issue Concerning Positioning Strategy of Clean Edge Essay - 37

Marketing Issue Concerning Positioning Strategy of Clean Edge - Essay Example Considering this problem, Randall, the one given the authority to take charge of positioning strategy of Clean Edge has to find alternative courses of actions then analyze them well and choose the probable best among them. The entire problem highlights the idea of marketing issue concerning positioning strategy of Clean Edge. It talks about the point whether it is good to pursue its launching in the market knowing that it could somehow compete with company’s bread and butter such as Paramount Pro and Avail. The company might be a bit hesitant to pursue this issue as there are required data needed to be unearthed prior to the actual decision-making process. Thus, it is not enough to rely on the point that the customers are becoming sophisticated, knowing what they exactly need in the advent of technological advancement. For this reason, Randall, on behalf of the Paramount should consider investigating alternative courses of actions. One alternative course of action is to launch Clean Edge as a niche product within a year or two, which has to be the indicated period of the market trial. For this reason, he has to consider conducting economic analysis in order to be sure about the output. This part icularly would take into account some probable impacts such as the cannibalization effect. So a profit-loss pro forma is necessary in order to find out Clean Edge’s performance and its potential impact on the current profit Paramount’s top products are generating. It is not easy to decide right away. What Randall requires is a thorough market research on this issue taking into account the associated economic analysis and a benefit-loss analysis. In order for Paramount to grow more, it has to significantly analyze the product life cycle of its top products and the extent to which customers are becoming sophisticated with the latest innovations in technology.  

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

History of jazz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of jazz - Essay Example The next brass band was formed in 1884 and it consisted of a Creole cornet player called Manuel Perez who was an addition to the group. Different bands continued forming after that as well and they consisted of Creoles up until 1898. Jazz consisted of several different kinds of music such as blues music, ragtime and the brass band fanfares. Religious music was however not included in the mix of music during formation of jazz. White music which was popular was also missing at the beginning of the jazz music formation but was later on incorporated to add a commercial sense to the music and enable it to sell widely. In 1898 immediately after US defeated Spain and liberating Cuba, troops who had been in the war landed in New Orleans on their way to other locations. They brought brass instruments with them and they sold them on the black market which was adopted quickly. These brass instruments were unlike what was used before as they were European instruments and hence the music played from then incorporated European aspect into the Creole jazz blending the two up1. This new form of jazz with both African and European music and instruments in it was soon picked up across New Orleans and it formed the basis of the present jazz as it is known to date. New Orleans was a city which was filled with people of different races. There were Africans who were slaves, the Spanish from Cuba and who were at war with the US as well as other races such as the French, Germans and even Italians all whom were in South America but some also resided in New Orleans. Even though they had different cultures and languages, they shared a commonality which was the love for music. Each race had its own form of music which they sang in different places. It is these different genres of music that combined together to form jazz. The most renowned historian of jazz was

Monday, November 18, 2019

War Through the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

War Through the Media - Essay Example The writer pays much of his attention to the problem of information gaps. The question †what would happen if the Axis powers won the war?†(p. 51) illustrated the fear that people felt. So newspapers used this state of fear and unknowing in order to control the emotional state of the public. Also because of economic competition that existed then between newspapers, every of them tried to outdo the opponent. This caused that truth in headlines disappeared in the content. â€Å"The nation’s newspapers published according to the dictates of their own consciences and interests and printed what they wanted to print, attacked who they wanted to attack, and reported with accuracy or distortion—that is, they acted like a free press†.The government had to find a solution to this problem, so it had to control the information. So the only way out was to form an agency devoted to propaganda. There were several of them only the Office of War Information (OWI), esta blished by President Roosevelt on June 13, 1942, continued its existence. Its mission was to inform public of happening abroad and to counteract enemy propaganda. Jordan Braverman give the definition of the OWI`s objectives, he says that the goals of the OWI were to record, clear, and approve all proposed radio and motion picture programs that federal agencies sponsored and to serve as a contact for the radio broadcasting and motion picture industries in their relationships with federal departments and agencies and concerning these governmental programs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦The OWI was to form

Friday, November 15, 2019

Analysis of Mobile Telecommunications Industry

Analysis of Mobile Telecommunications Industry Contents Market Analysis and Research Plan (Word Count: 912) Marketing Research Plan Competitors Market trends STEP Analysis Strategic Analysis and Recommendations (Word Count: 1117) 2.1 SWOT 2.2 Portfolio analysis 2.3 Growth Strategy Recommendations Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Bibliography Appendices Marketing Analysis and Research Plan Marketing research plan The brief is to conduct an analytical survey into the Mobile telecommunications industry as a service/network provider in order to judge feasibility. After recent developments of Tescos entering the Mobile phone industry as a service/network provider, Asda are also keen to explore and keep up with Tescos in this respect also. Using secondary research we will first look into the Mobile telecommunications industry. This information will then be analysed from a company perspective, followed by recommendations. 1.2 Competitors Information cited in this section has been adapted from MarketLine (2005). In appendix 1 (section 6), I have elaborated on the information given in this section. O2 O2 is a mobile communications service provider operating in the UK, Ireland and Europe. O2 have 19 million customers within some of the biggest consumer markets for mobile services. SWOT analysis Strengths Strong presence in the UK market. Weaknesses Small scale European operations competitors are better placed. Over reliance on UK market. Opportunities Well placed for 3G expansion. Threats Declining penetration and saturation of voice services. Overexposure to UK market adverse effect of unforeseen market challenges. Impact of regulation. O2 operates in highly regulated markets. Hutchinson (3G) UK 3G is a mobile multimedia company focused mainly on the providing 3G (third-generation) mobile communication services in the UK. Strengths First mover advantage. Alliance with key brands. Parent company support. Weaknesses Low presence in the wireless market. Low average revenues per user. Opportunities Focus on content. Booming mobile gaming market. Improving 3G market. Threats Rapid technological change. Increasing competition. Threat from other technological products. Orange Orange is a mobile telecoms service provider with over 44 million customers in 22 countries worldwide. Orange is one of the worlds, and is UKs, largest mobile communications companies. Strengths Global brand strength. Launch of OrangeWorld/Signature phones. Large subscriber base and strong subscription growth. Weaknesses Reliant on data for growth. France Telecom buyout. Cost cutting could damage reputation. Opportunities WAP capability Investment in new technology. 3G and Push to talk. Increase average annual revenue per user. Threats Strong competition. Health risks and government legislation. Market saturation in Europe. T-Mobile T-Mobile is a market leader in mobile communication technology operating largely in Europe and US. The company is now realizing large profits, and at the end of year end of 2004 achieved record revenue of E25 billion. Strengths Strong backing of parent company. Strong alliances. Strong financial growth. Weaknesses Decreasing average revenue per user. Lack of presence in high growth markets. Opportunities Most of T-Mobiles opportunities lye global markets, such as the growth in worldwide mobile subscriptions and the freemove alliance. Rise in demand for 3G/UMTS technology. Threats Slowdown in the UK economy Growing consolidation and competition. Vodafone Vodafone is a communications company with business interests in 42 countries worldwide. The company made a net loss of  £7,540 million during fiscal year 2005, compared to  £9,015 million net loss in 2004. Strengths Leadership position. Global brand strength. Growth of Vodafone Live! Weaknesses High debt. Opportunities Growth through 3G. Increase ARPU. Threats Increased competition. Market saturation in Europe. Health risks and government legislation. 1.3 Market Trends All the information cited below, unless mentioned otherwise, has been taken from Datamonitor, Wireless Telecommunications Services in the United Kingdom, July 2005. Market Value UKs wireless communications market reached a value of  £9.8 billion in 2004. Although the value of the market has increased, the growth of the market hasnt been so capitalizing on the previous years. I think this is due to the highly competitive nature of the market, and saturation. Also, this high market value is on the back of some very strong economic performance by the UK. Market Volume The market exudes high market penetration. Linking this to the Market Value, it can be seen that Market Value fell in 2003 and 2004 due to fewer subscribers. One striking thing about this statistic is that the UKs population is 59.2 million (Mintel; Telecommunications Retailing UK May 2004). This indicates that most of the UK population already subscribe to mobile services. Hence a near fully saturated market. Market Segmentation Market Share by Network In order to view the above table more clearly, I have extrapolated the information into a pie chart below: The industry is extremely competitive. The market share (by volume) is very equal. It seems that the market is at an equilibrium. Market share by Value Call revenues (consumer expenditure on calls etc) by mobile network, 2003 Source: Mintel; Telecommunications Retailing UK May 2004 Again, the whole industry is at more or less at an equilibrium albeit very competitive. 1.4 STEP analysis of Mobile telecommunications industry Social According to Mintel, Telecommunications Retailing UK May 2004 research, overall population of 15-24 year olds is set to reduce. This means that the scope of potential new customers is extremely low. Focus will have to be mainly on customer retention, and prizing customers away from competitors. However the younger consumer does now see a mobile phone as essential in every day life. Technological 3G technology is the main source of change in this market. The younger market does however seem to embrace new technologies. It is now hoped that new technologies will further stimulate demand. Economic Due to the recent boom economy, Mintel reports that the population as a whole is becoming more affluent and more affluent phone users spend more on mobile phone services. The below table illustrates this: UK socio-economic groupings of adults, 1998, 2003 and 2007 (proj) 1998 2003 2007 (proj) % change 000 % 000 % 000 % 1998-2007 AB 9,773 20.8 11,883 24.6 13,370 27.1 +36.8 C1 12,990 27.6 13,371 27.7 14,062 28.5 +8.2 C2 10,305 21.9 9,849 20.4 9,241 18.7 -10.3 D 8,437 17.9 8,365 17.3 8,280 16.8 -1.9 E 5,504 11.7 4,791 9.9 4,344 8.8 -21.1 Total 47,010 100.0 48,260 100.0 49,297 100.0 +4.9 SOURCE: National Statistics/Mintel UK has been on in an economic boom period since 1998 with low inflation and interest rates. This has meant that mortgage and loan costs will be cheap, hence consumers have higher disposable income. The economy now however seems to be slowing down, this means that new services and technologies being offered to consumers will be less accepted. Political/legal Mobile handsets give off radiation and various electronic/micro waves. The health implications of this is not quite clear. The mobile phone and service providers have strict international guidelines to adhere to because of this. There are also concerns in regards to mobile phone masts being erected close to residential areas, as the effects of these to locals and the environment is also not clear. These issues and the market being very competitive, saturated and an oligopoly, may lead to further regulation and government involvement in the future. Strategic Analysis and recommendations SWOT Analysis Strengths Despite picking up sales in the past 4 years, Asda have faced slower sales in 2005. Nevertheless, Asda enjoys a firm customer base that has seen Asda overtake Sainsburys in the ranking of leading supermarkets in the U.K. Asda in essence is a multinational company through Wal-marts ventures in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada. As one of the first businesses to recognise the importance of cutting edge systems and economies of scale, which have allowed them to keep prices low, from which consumers have gained greatly. However, Asda has managed to keep its distinct identity separate from its parent company. Asda have been gradually expanding their stores demonstrating their plans to provide consumers with the biggest choice of goods ranging from everyday groceries, to non-food products such as clothing, and small electricals. Unlike many other supermarket brands, Asda have focused their efforts in stand-alone non-food formats. At group level, Wal-Marts performance over the past five years has been consistently outstanding. With sales growing by 46.8% over the period. , The growth comes on the back of 19.9% increase in store numbers, suggesting healthy underlying performance. The companys price-competitiveness has undoubtedly been driving sales. Another important factor, highlighted by Asda in 2004 is the expansion to non-foods, including the well-received clothing label George. Weaknesses Asda has seen an unusually high number of changes at the top management level. This has caused uncertainty over how the company is run which in turn has had an effect on its sales. However, it should be noted that in the case of Asda, most of the top men had been with the company for a number of years before taking the lead, which should have helped the transition. The companys much publicised price promise has not helped the companys revenues. Increased competition has created downward pressure on the supermarket industry. The price war between Tesco and Asda has impacted heavily on both companies, however, it would appear Asda have felt the effects of this much more than Tesco. In more recent times, and perhaps more seriously, the company have failed to meet sales expectation in the three-month period ending in October, when its market share had also failed to improve. Opportunities The company has faced criticism for its destructive seafood policies of all the UK supermarkets. Report published by Greenpeace states thats Asda sells 13 species of threatened fish. This does not help the companys image in todays environment, where consumers are more environmentally conscious and healthy lifestyle society. In terms of the mobile industry and the possibility of entering the mobile telecommunications market, the spare capacity that has resulted from huge infrastructure investment has created opportunities for companies wishing to set up as virtual network operators (MVNOs). The market leading operators can sell their spare capacity to MVNOs, whom maybe in a better position to win over certain customer sectors. It is better for an operator to lose customers to MVNO that is using its network than to a market-leading rival. The wide range of content and service made possible by 3G technology and converging technologies has created excellent opportunities for operators to put together compelling propositions tailored for different customer sectors, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all approach. Threats Rise in demand for organically grown produce has resulted in loss of revenues for all of the supermarkets, losing their custom to smaller independent grocers and farm shops. Wireless fidelity (WiFi) and its successor WiMax pose dangers for 3G operators as they are able to capture a significant part of the wireless broadband market by enabling users to download data at faster speeds and provide a much cheaper service than existing products. Going into an industry, which has yet to settle, would be a risk that has to be taken under consideration. As the market has become more saturated it has become more difficult for the main operators to achieve revenue growth from voice calls. Increased competition and the additional capacity created by the 3G networks have raised the prospect of a damaging price war on voice minutes. Operators must attract new customers to 3G however, this will lead to alienating users of 2G mobile phones, and cutting revenue obtained from this. The MVNOs that are differentiating themselves on price and offering a no-frills service are vulnerable when the major operators cut the cost of voice calls in order to gain market share in the 3G environment. Portfolio Analysis Much of Asdas estate development is concentrated towards expanding in the non-foods offer. The company introduced optician centres, pharmacies photo centres and jewellery departments in its stores as recorded in march 2005. Asda clothing range George currently has 6 stand-alone stores, which have been introduced since 2003. A full-service Asda Superstore typically carries some 30,000 products. Of these some 60% are food items. In addition to the usual branded goods, Asda stocks a strong own-brand offer. However, sales of organic food are booming and shoppers are increasingly spurning supermarkets to buy produce directly from growers and independent retailers. The company has also introduced a finance service in order diversify into other industries. The services include home, motor and pet insurance, along with trust funds and credit card facility also available. BCG matrix for the food industry 10 * Non-foods * Organic foods Market growth * Asda living * Store Clothing range Financial Services * 0 2.0 0 Relative market share Growth Strategy and Recommendations Ansoffs Matrix Product Present New Present Organic foods Market New Non-foods Mobile communications operator From the BCG matrix, we can see that there are 2 groups of products, which have room to be developed in order to generate more revenues. With the increase in demand for organic foods, Asda is in a position to be able to introduce a larger selection of organic foods. Much greater promotion of organic needs to take place if the company is to bring back lost consumers from local and independent food producers. Asda can also promote its non-foods range to a greater extent, however, it maybe possible for the company to promote its non-food products to a different market, perhaps to rival Ikea in the home products market. In light of Tescos entry in to the mobile communications market, diversifying to a different market may also help improve Asda revenue. With Asdas main focus on its non-foods range, moving into the mobile communications market maybe more suited to Asda policy of expanding its non-food section. Asda already has experience in moving in to industry to which is not initially been related, as we have seen Asda clothing range George, has enjoyed relative success despite strong competition from more established high street retailers. The mobile communications market will however pose very different problem, as this is a fast moving industry, with technological innovations leading the way. In a saturated industry, it will be difficult for Asda to be competitive against the more established network operators, but network space available through virtual networks, now is likely to be the best time to enter the mobile communications industry. In addition, it maybe more viable for Asda, if more resources are concentrated on attracting consumers to a 3G service which will provide a more level playing field as the 3G services are still relatively new to the market. Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Market segmentation, targeting and positioning Vodafone The Vodafone group has the largest share of the corporate mobile communications market with around 15 million customers. The company offers a wide range of voice and data communications. The Vodafone 2G/2.5G covers 99% of the population. Vodafone was the first mobile operator to introduce international roaming service. Key segments The mobile communications industry has two main types of customers. These are consumers and business users. The majority of the mobile phones costs are met by users themselves, mainly using the mobile phone service for personal calls. With the existence of a number of leading companies with in the market, the market place has become saturated. The trend now is to concentrate their efforts on retaining their most valued customers. Vodafone along with other leading operators, require consumers to spend more money on non-voice services and have become increasingly engrossed with levels of average revenue per user. There are several areas within the consumer group, which accounts for a large share of the revenue generated by Vodafone. Mintel have reported that the group of 15-24 year old mobile phone users are set to rise. Mobile phones are particularly popular among 15-24-year-olds, and Mintels consumer research section demonstrates that consumers in this age band are motivated by style. These younger consumers are familiar with mobile phone technology and are willing to adapt to new skills and habits as the new technology appears. Their social lives tend to be very active, making the mobile phone a necessity for them and they are also viewed as a necessary fashion accessory. The ownership of mobile phones demonstrates the areas in which Vodafone should be looking to concentrate their efforts in order to generate revenues from voice and data transmissions. Ownership of mobile phones, by gender and age, 7-19s, 2003  [1]   Base: youths aged 7-19 All Males Females 7 to 10 11 to 14 15 to 19 % % % % % % Own mobile 66 63 69 25 77 91 Shared mobile 4 4 4 7 4 1 None 30 34 27 68 20 8 Text messaging 66 63 70 26 77 91 Games 57 53 61 22 64 79 Taken from the TGI Youth survey of 5859 youths aged 7-19 Income generated from voice and data transmission services delivered to companies and other organisations is an increasingly vital revenue stream for Vodafone and most mobile operators in general. Vodafone has recognised that in present day climate of highly competitive business environment, efficient communication is a key factor, which must be developed in order for a mobile operator to gain a competitive edge over its rivals. The importance of business customers can be demonstrated by looking at the levels of expenditure on business advertising. In the year ending September 2004, around  £14.4m was spent  [2]  . Even though this is nothing when compared to the amount spent on consumer advertising, the big players such as Vodafone and O2 have gradually increased their spending to attract business customers while Orange and T-Mobile are slowly following suit. Targeting strategies Currently, the market leaders in the mobile communications are all competing for the same customers, employing similar tariffs and services so as not to fall behind its rivals. With the introduction of the 3G networks, many of the mobile operators have also introduced 3G tariffs on to their respective networks. Even though new technology is continuously being developed, the targets for each of the mobile operators remain as it is. In general, there are no specialist tariffs which concentrate on a particular area of the market with the exception of the business tariffs which are designed to provide efficient and reliable communication service to businesses. Some mobile operators provide tariffs, which can be considered, for a particular group, however, this is not an area, which can be considered as a specialist group. T-mobile for example have recently introduced the Best of Both Worlds tariff, and even though this may seem ideal for younger users of mobile phones, the tariff is appealing to many who desire more complete control over the cost of the service they use. Positioning With the majority of mobile phone operators providing a similar service with similar tariffs, it is reasonably difficult to evaluate the positioning of the respective brands in the market. Regardless of this, there are factors, which influence consumers when deciding which network to choose. A list of the factors influencing the choice of networks is shown below: Most important factors when choosing a mobile phone network (% of adults), 2004  [3]   Tariffs 31.9 Network Coverage 21.1 Reception 17.2 Personal experience 9.8 Special offers 8.3 Company reputation 7.5 Recommendation 6.6 Additional services offered 4.4 Advertising 0.8 Using the lowest price plan and the service available on that plan offered by each of the leading mobile operator companies, we are able to look at the brand positioning of the Vodafone in comparison to its major rivals. Perceptual map for mobile operator market High price * Orange * O2 High service Low service * T-mobile * Vodafone Low price Although the position of Vodafone at a glance does not appear to be desirable, Vodafone boasts an extremely high level of network coverage, reception, and a level of customer service, which is rivalled only by Orange. Vodafone has a reputation as a global company, and is the worlds largest telecommunications company, which provide a whole range of services. Vodafone was the first of the four largest networks to launch its 3G consumer services in November 2004 and continues to be one of the leading innovators in terms of providing the latest products, which are accessible to a large sector of the market. The Vodafone brand is recognised through out the developed world and has since enjoyed a reputation for representing quality of product and service. The Vodafone shops all trade under the same corporate brand and logo. Its chain of some 350 stores has remained roughly the same size for the last two years, although many of the smaller shop units have been abandoned in favour of larger premises. The stores have a strong corporate identity, featuring the red and white livery of the brand. Vodafone has strong and consistent retail branding and in Mintels research Vodafone was mentioned by 8% of consumers as a source of their last mobile phone, placing them just behind Orange. Vodafone is the only retailer to achieve significantly higher penetration among 15-19s than for other age bands, probably connected to its high profile role in sports sponsorship. The companys long-standing in the market means that it is well used by a wide range of consumers from a broad spread of age and social groups. The Vodafone shops sell handsets that can only operate on Vodafone tariffs. Vodafone are in general up to date with the latest technology and handsets accompanied by a large range of accessories. Market Segments According to a market report on Mobile Phones by Key Notes in 2005, the Mobile telecommunications industry can be separated into two main sectors, which can be then further segmented; Type of revenue, and Type of customer. Type of Revenue This relates to how a customer uses a mobile phone. This can be calls and fixed charges, text and picture messaging, or interconnection fees (for when a call is made from one service provider to another). The below table illustrates the revenue of each segment. Mobile operators are now expanding and looking to earn more from the text and picture messaging sector in particular, with the advent of 3G. The UK Cellular Telecommunications Market by Revenue Source by value ( £m)    1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 Value ( £m)                Retail Revenues                                  Calls and fixed Charges 5,049 6,253 7,041 7,991 9,185 Text and picture messaging 126 553 1,073 1,529 1,854 Connection fees 76 56 64 24 5                   Total retail revenues 5,251 6,862 8,178 9,544 11,044 Source: The UK Telecommunications industry Market Information, Office of Telecommunications (oftel)/ Key Note Mraket Report 2005, Mobile Phones Type of customer Customer type can be of 2 kinds; Business user or Consumer. Business users primarily use voice calls, and have to pay fixed charges. Consumers on the other hand are a lot more varied, they contribute to all 3 of the segments mentioned above. Buyer Behavior Survey by BMRB Internationals Target Group Index (TGI) 2004, suggests that Mobile phones are primarily owned by younger consumers, with more than 80% of under 55 year olds owning mobile phones. It is also reported that Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) is the more popular than pay-monthly or contract services, especially among the lower income earners (those below social grade C2). Males are more likely to have fixed monthly contract phones, and the reverse in true for PAYG. The below table indicates that the type, value or content of the tariff mainly affects consumers choice of network, followed by network coverage and signal/reception. 1st 2nd most important factors when chosing a Mobile Phone Network (% of adults), 2004    Most important 2nd Most important Addittional service offered 4.4 5.4 Advertising 0.8 5.3 Company reputation 7.5 6.7 Network coverage 21.1 10.8 Personal experience 9.8 6.8 Reception 17.2 13.5 Recommendation 6.6 8 Special offers 8.3 9 Tariffs 31.9 14.2 Source: Target Group Index (TGI), BMRB International Ltd, 2004 Again, BMRB Internationals Target Group Index (TGI) 2004, suggests that phones are mainly used for text messaging, and games. Competitor Strategy and Positioning of 02 (mm02 PLC) O2 O2 is a mobile communications service provider operating in the UK, Ireland and Europe, who generated  £4.8 billion of revenue in 2003. Business Description: O2 have 19 million customers within some of the biggest consumer markets for mobile services. 02 is now a well-established and profitable business. They are now looking to expand their product portfolio horizontally, exploiting existing distribution channels and new product opportunities. This could well prove to take investment and focus off/away from its main business which is the mobile services provider. Revenue analysis: O2s turnover increased by 22% from 2003 to 2004. The main reason for the increase was the overall rise in subscriber numbers and the increased usage of the Groups services by subscribers. Competitor Strategy O2 have reduced there employee base by 3000 to 12000 employees through restructuring. And achieved an increase of one million customers in the 2003/04 financial year. In 2004/05 O2 have developed and moved into 3G network services, which enables them to offer high-speed streaming of videos and other multi media. O2s strategy has focused on three key areas improved operating performance; managing businesses cohesively and leading in mobile data services. Within the market, 02 are expected to continue to look to acquire and retain high value customers. Companies are forever trying to increase the ARPU (average revenue per user). This has led to heavier targeting and strategies, creating more services and getting consumers to use them, i.e. OrangeWorld and VodafoneLive! Positioning All the mobile phone networks look to offer a wide range of services, and position themselves in the market to cater for all. Companies need to maximize their revenue potential in a highly competitive and ever saturating market. The below tables will help me position the mobile phone companies in a perceptual map. 1st 2nd most important factors when chosing a Mobile Phone Network (% of adults), 2004    Most important 2nd Most important Addittional service offered 4.4 5.4 Advertising 0.8 5.3 Company reputation 7.5 6.7 Network coverage 21.1 10.8 Personal experience 9.8 6.8 Reception 17.2 13.5 Recommendation 6.6 8 Special offers 8.3 9 Tariffs 31.9 14.2 Source: Target Group Index (TGI), BMRB International Ltd, 2004 The above table shows what consumers look for in a network. Mobile phone users, year to April 1999-2003 and Q1 2004 Year to April 1999 2001 2003 Q1 2003/04 % change m % m % M % m % 1999-2004 Vodafone 7.9 32.9 13.2 28.0 12.1 2

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Analysis of Setting in Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Book Reviews Natha

An analysis of the setting in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" In the story of "Young Goodman Brown" setting plays an important role. It provides symbolism to certain events and provokes emotions amongst the characters, especially those of Goodman Brown. The story of "Young Goodman Brown" is that of a man on an adventure to feed his curiosity and to visit the dark side of his Puritan town. Once he arrives at the destination of his adventure, he realizes that many of his elders have followed in the paths of evil and that holiness and innocence has been vanquished from his once thought to be holy Puritan town. The central idea of "Young Goodman Brown," is the conflict in Goodman Brown between joining the devil and remaining "good." It is a very difficult journey for Brown, as he travels through the woods, all the while thinking of the "good" things (like his wife Faith) he would be leaving behind. This internal conflict ultimately destroys the Young Goodman Brown and creates a new man. At the beginning of the story Goodman Brown sets out on his journey at sunset; to set out at sunset is symbolizing darkness, which in turn symbolizes evil, which begins the setting for the story of "Young Goodman Brown." As Brown is leaving he kisses his wife, Faith, goodbye; the name Faith is intentionally used to symbolize the faith in god that they both share and also what Brown is leaving behind to go on his journey. Brown's wife, Faith, is also wearing pink ribbons in her hair, which give the impression that she is an innocent godly woman. Right before Brown leaves on his journey Faith says, "pr'y thee, put off your journey until sunrise." (309). This is showing that sunrise is a more pleasant and peaceful time to go on a jou... ...ed by the devil tempting Brown to join the dark side. The way in which the devil lures Brown is by convincing him that his relatives and town's people have already crossed over to the dark side and denied their faith. The struggle that Brown is now facing is whether to follow is relatives and town's people or to follow his faith in god and deny the devil, that is Brown's internal conflict. These internal and external conflicts are what turned Brown into a dynamic character by the end of the story. Instead of believing and trusting that his relatives and friends are godly, he now knows that they have all been tempted by the devil and many have crossed over to the dark side; he went from being trusting to skeptical of his friends and his faith. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodmam Brown", The Story and Its Writer, 4th ed. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: