Media Studies Mass Media

hAbstract: This exposition investigates what the media, broad communications and mass correspondence is. Just as a significant spotlight on the hypodermic needle hypothesis otherwise called the enchantment slug hypothesis on the gathering investigation, the latent crowd and the encoding and disentangling model concerning applicable scholars and articulations and models from Africa and different nations. Taking everything into account this exposition expresses that the gathering examination and the hypodermic needle hypothesis both are significant and complex in understanding the media and the dynamic and latent audience.The hypodermic needle hypothesis and the gathering investigation is an entangled hypothesis in the media world. These two hypotheses investigate how the media influences its crowds, both dynamic and aloof. This article will investigate through important models and thoughts from scholars, the hypodermic needle hypothesis and the gathering examination, what they are and what job it plays in the media world and how the media influences the aloof crowd. The media is â€Å"a differing assortment of ventures and practices, each with their strategies for correspondence, explicit business interests, imperatives and audiences† (Briggs and Cobley, 2001 ;1).And broad communications as indicated by TheFreeDictionary is, â€Å"A methods for open correspondence contacting an enormous crowd. † The media is wherever in social orders today and individuals view or tune in to such a great amount of sorts of media each and every day. Subsequently the media that is taken in influences its watchers and audience members subliminally and don't know about the effect that the media has on them. Mass correspondence in this way, is the â€Å"process of changing a message made by an individual in a gathering to huge crowds or market through a changing gadget which is the medium† (J. Baran, Introduction to Mass Communication).As Connell (1984 :88) says t hat it is normal that media’s message is twisted and misjudged by society. Along these lines it impacts the general public subliminally purchase the manner in which they act. The crowd assumes an essential job in the media world, supposing that the crowd didn't exist neither would the media. (Hanes) The media conveys data to the crowd and the crowd is there to get it. â€Å"Audiences are not clear pieces of paper on which media messages can be composed; individuals from a crowd of people will have earlier mentalities and convictions which will decide how viable media messages are. (Abercrombie 1996, 140). Thus, the message got by the crowd and how they decipher that message will rely upon the foundation of the crowd individuals, for example, their qualities and convictions, their perspectives and their conditions. Moreover, there are two kinds of crowds that are believed to take in media, the dynamic crowd and the detached crowd. The dynamic crowd connects with the media giv en to them, and they have the information to challenge the messages that the media provides for them.The uses and delights model that was first communicated in the United states during the 1940s (Moores 1993) accepted that crowds were dynamic and that they had a decision concerning the writings they got, and that they had the option to pick the one that would fulfill their necessities. The uninvolved crowd, as observed by the hypodermic needle hypothesis simply acknowledge all the data given to them. â€Å"Passive crowd a group of people that doesn't cooperate with the media and†¦ it has no control of the medias impact on them†¦ † (Unknown. www. aber. c. uk. ). The hypodermic needle hypothesis expect that â€Å"the crowd is uninvolved in getting and understanding of media messages. † (Hanes, 2000). The media is seen to legitimately influence the inactive crowd and that it will have the ability to straightforwardly impact the crowd, on the grounds that the cro wds simply take in and acknowledge what the media provides for them. Kids are frequently observed as a uninvolved crowd since they don't completely comprehend what they are seeing, consequently are influenced subliminally and regularly carry on what they have seen on TV.Teenagers regularly attempt to duplicate their superstar good examples and dismiss what is genuine and what is dream (Manali Oak) The hypodermic needle hypothesis which was investigated by the Frankfurt School otherwise called the enchantment projectile hypothesis is a celebrated hypothesis that expresses that the media is a needle or enchantment weapon and that it â€Å"injects the message into the crowds brain and it causes changes in the audience’s behaviour†¦ towards the message. †(Unknown. poundedmonk. wordpress. com ). The crowd is inactive and accordingly the message is infused into their brain without their knowledge.Harold Lasswell was a notable scholar of the hypodermic needle hypothesis expressed that â€Å"the new broad communications could legitimately impact and influence open impact. † Meaning that when the crowd (which is aloof) sees something on the TV or hears something on the radio, it influences the crowd legitimately and unwittingly, and might change the manner in which the crowd sees a specific subject. For instance, in 1930 Orson Wells made a phony news release about an outsider attack in an American city called Grover’s Mill.He communicated this message on a Radio Station program called â€Å"The War of the Worlds†, and it came to around twelve million American individuals. Because of this communicate the entire nation was in mayhem. (Taken from :communicationtheory. organization) Additionally the Hypodermic needle theory’s supporters accepted that in light of the fact that the crowd is uninvolved in that they get and acknowledge the messages given to them by the media messages that, they put an incredible accentuation on th e content itself and the force that it has on the audience.However on the grounds that that data about the writings are so promptly accessible and simple to get to, that the Hypodermic needle hypothesis is commonly ignored by numerous different scholars when they consider the crowds reaction to the media . (Thought taken from: Phillip J Hanes) a case of this is when politically-sanctioned racial segregation came without hesitation in South Africa, the white government controlled the media and demonstrated the individuals of color as frail and substandard compared to the white individuals and that they are the prevailing race and ought to be in charge.Most of the white watchers accepted and acknowledged this data and accordingly rewarded the individuals of color like they are sub-par compared to the white individuals, and along these lines a portion of the individuals of color started to accept that they are second rate compared to the whites. (Worldwide Afro Mass Media) However the hypodermic needle hypothesis â€Å"was not founded on experimental findings†¦ rather it utilized assumptions†¦ about human instinct. † and that â€Å"People were accepted to be†¦ constrained by their natural instincts†¦ † (Lowerg and Delfleur, 1995 . p. 400).As an outcome the Hypodermic impacts model is â€Å"considered to be an insufficient portrayal of the correspondence among media and the general population, as it doesn't consider the crowd as people with their own convictions, feelings, thoughts and perspectives. † (Unknown: www. aber. air conditioning. uk). Thus the statement above shows the difficulties that were excited by different scholars when it went to the hypodermic needle hypothesis of how data was simply acknowledged by the uninvolved crowd. Also the gathering examination assumes a significant job in the media.The gathering investigation is the manner by which the crowd gets, acknowledges and deciphers the message given to the m in the media (www. historical center. television. com). The way that a group of people will get and decipher a message in the media ordinarily relies upon their â€Å"socio-monetary position, sex, ethnicity, etc. † For instance if four individuals from various individuals from various social orders, watch a similar program, every one of them will have an alternate view on what they have quite recently watched, demonstrating that the manner in which they get a message will be etermined by their own distinction. (Diary of Communication, 1990, vol,40, no1, p. 73) The hypothesis on crowd gathering has considered â€Å"the singular individuals from the crowd. It understands there is a favored significance in the content, yet in addition places accentuation on the crowd during the time spent developing an importance. † (Hanes: www. aber. air conditioning. uk/media) implying that the gathering hypothesis doesn't simply take a gander at the crowd as entire, however just as t he people in a group of people and how the medias messages influence the individuals.In South Africa, research has been done, that shows that they youth in South Africa is very affected by the media got from North America. Young people watch unscripted TV dramas and accept that so as to be well known and enjoyed by their friends they need to look, act and be a sure way. Subsequently demonstrating that the young, contingent upon their segment that they are in are intensely impacted and affected by the messages that they get from the media. (M. Way: Journalism and Mass Communication). Hals encoding and unraveling model draws up on Abercrombie’s (1996) â€Å"dominant text see and the prevailing crowd see. The prevailing content view expresses that the content is increasingly significant on the grounds that the crowd is uninvolved they will be affected by the messages given by the media. While the predominant crowd see expresses that the crowd is increasingly significant in ligh t of the fact that it â€Å"is up crowd to break down and decipher the content. † (Hall; 1980). The upside of the encoding and interpreting model is that â€Å"it understands that the importance made by the crowd is influenced by different variables †including socio/financial structures and past encounters, yet in addition including the setting where the media message is expended. † (Hanes: www. aber. air conditioning. uk/media).This explanation implies that in the event that one individual stares at the TV while being diverted by two kids will get a unique in relation to someone else who is viewing a similar TV program however is focusing on what they are viewing. The gathering examination sees on how the crowd gets the message and how

Notebook Analysis Free Essays

Examination of The Notebook Movie Clip Lindsey Scott ENG225 Allison Sansbury November 18, 2012 Analysis of The Notebook Movie Clip There are numerous individuals associated with making a film conceivable. When everything is assembled it appears as if it was only one straightforward camera shot. In any case, looking nearer and at a short clasp of a film shows somewhat light on what amount was really done to make it reasonable. We will compose a custom paper test on Journal Analysis or on the other hand any comparable subject just for you Request Now The primary thing individuals notice and focus on are the entertainers. However, who advises the entertainers where to stand, what to state, and what feelings to depict? Who includes that tad of ambient melodies to draw out the outrage, misery, or love in a scene? While experiencing the â€Å"outtakes† of a film it shows that there is somebody answerable for putting the perfect shots in the ideal spot. There is something else entirely to a film than simply the entertainers and somebody shouting â€Å"cut†. Watching a clasp of the film trailer for The Notebook exposes these things. In the film The Notebook the chief is Nick Cassavetes. His job is to interpret the screenwriter’s story so the on-screen characters and team can effectively play it out. It’s up to the chief to transform the components into film with words, pictures, and sound. This unites an engaging film. Scratch had the option to take Nicholas Sparks book and bring the characters, feelings, and story to life. The way be united Nicholas Sparks’ vision and his own made an astounding film. The creation creator Sarah E. Knowles, was liable for the general look of a venture. â€Å"They direct the craftsmanship office and set developers to transform their creative mind into the real world. † (http://filmtvcareers. about. com/od/nuts and bolts/p/CP_ProdDesigner. htm). In this clasp the characters are outside a wonderful house. This setting is essentially and a region that everybody can identify with. By not having them in some fantastical spot Sarah held the practical feel to the couples contention. Workmanship executive Scott T. Ritenour over seed the masterful structure of notices and print materials, just as the recording of TV advertisements. He was the chief liable for the completed item. â€Å"The craftsmanship executive picks a picture taker, an artist, models, and any props vital for an advertisement. In the event that a print advertisement returns from the printer with a blemish, the workmanship chief is liable for correcting it. † (http://vocations. stateuniversity. com/pages/115/Art-Director. tml#ixzz2CKahNlDp) This clasp specifically is around evening time. The sky is dim with simply the lighting of the patio light and carport lights. However the lighting that the specialists utilized permits us to have the option to see the appearances on the characters faces. It sets a genuine state of mind with the additional feeling of attempting to peruse each otherâ€℠¢s faces in obscurity. As the couple quibbles to and fro they move alongside the other to attempt to peruse their outward appearances. The clasp closes with Noah heading out in his truck. As he is driving down the carport the main light is the way lights. This permits him to crash into the dull of the night and sets the idea of him being no more. As this is occurring it shows Allie remaining solitary. The dimness of the night accentuations Allie feeling alone and left behind as Noah drives away. Allie is from a well off family while Noah is very poor. All through the film you are continually reminded about their social class remaining by their appearance. In the clasp of them separating, Allie obviously is in an extremely overall quite clean dress and coat. Her hair is twisted and her characteristic cosmetics gives her the honest young lady look. She persistently has coordinating hoops to her outfits. While Noah is in a wool coat, untidy hair and utilizing his work truck. Having Noah in lower class garments while remaining before Allie’s guardians house shows the distinction and why he would feel lost. Her family has just made it exceptionally certain that they disapprove of their relationship. Harking back to the 1940’s (the time setting of the film), it was not satisfactory for a ladies from a well off family to court such a lower class man. We can see the battle and grief the two experience just to be together. Allis is constantly stressed over what every other person will think and what her folks need for her. However Noah is such a free soul and simply needs Allie to be glad. Demonstrating Allie dressed so demure and legitimate at whatever point she is around anybody yet not mindful on the off chance that she is grimy, muddled or trickling wet around Noah is an image of her affection. It shows that she is so OK with him and really couldn't care less about the cash or class sculpture. Noah attempts to put his best self forward when meeting her folks. By changing his appearance for Allie to attempt to cause her to feel progressively great and have her relationship acknowledged by her family is such a nice thought. Despite the fact that these ensemble changes are all through the film, it is Instructions to refer to Notebook Analysis, Essay models

Importance Of Article Directories In SEO - Kickass Panda Strategies

Importance Of Article Directories In SEO - Kickass Panda Strategies Make Money Online Queries? Struggling To Get Traffic To Your Blog? Sign Up On (HBB) Forum Now!Importance Of Article Directories In SEO Kickass Panda StrategiesUpdated On 17/04/2017Author : SiddarthaTopic : SEOShort URL : http://hbb.me/2ozjSyV CONNECT WITH HBB ON SOCIAL MEDIA Follow @HellBoundBlogArticle directories are playing as a major part of SEO link building strategies over years. It is a place where various authors and website owners publish their articles on various article submission sites related to express categories. There are thousands of such directories, out of which Ezinearticles, ArticleDashboard, Goarticles, Sooperarticles, etc., are some of the best directories that are available. These article directories are filled with thousands of such articles related to each category.The article that goes to article directories need not be written by professionals; it can also be written by beginner level writers. Many of the webmasters prefer automated submission tool, whi ch helps in spreading the given article in hundreds of different article directories.Out of those thousands of article directories, some of them are paid ones and some of them are free. Many times, paid directories make sure that those articles are submitted to other relevant directories too, while you can’t expect too much out of the free services.The main purpose of posting articles in article directories is that we can generate backlinks for our site and depending upon the article directory we can get traffic to our websites, which in turn helps in building the website reputation. This way, you can get more chances of getting ranked in Google’s first page. Later, professionals started calling it as Article Marketing strategy. Well Article Marketing is not just mass posting on these Directories, but yea it is one of the major part of Article Marketing.Google, has been really severe on these Article Directories over past few months. Most of the low quality directories have been de-indexed which lead to loss of SERPs for most of the webmasters who gained links from these sites. Technically, Google named this latest Algorithm as Google Panda that which slashed hundreds and thousands of low quality and no use websites.Before Panda, for those folks who write articles or content and use them as a tool or medium to earn some money, the directories enable the blogs to run on auto pilot. Even we have used RSS feeds, it makes blogging a risk-free task for the blogger, but the Search Engines have started taking some serious measures on these Blackhat techniques.Many of the article directories have a closed focus on few of the audiences for some particular topics, though they serve for various categories. Sometimes, these directories give more importance for that niche like Marketing, Online Money Making, Technology and Computers or something like Health tips. You can see, that many web-masters or self-claimed SEO experts are considering that backlinks from Article Directories have no impact currently, because of Google Panda. If you are one among them, you are travelling in a wrong path. The Article Directories still deserve the respect from Search Engines as they always had, as it is one of the major technique to build backlinks.READDo you Know the SEO Trends in 2018?But, the respect has been limited by Search Engines. They respect your links from Authority Directories, instead of getting links from crappy directories. I have personally tested this.Ive considered a couple of keywords (with similar traffic and same competition) for my 4 year Domain. For my first keyword, Ive submitted an article at Ezine articles, Sooperarticles, Articledashboard and Goarticles with 1 link/submission, while for my second keyword Ive spunned an article and shooted that into 200+ Article Directories with minimum of Page Rank 1+ (instant approval directories). Ive checked the rankings for both keywords after a week.1st keyword SERP improved by 700%2nd keyword SERP improved by 37%So, it is proved that getting links from High Quality sources will always help instead of getting hundreds of crappy links.Benefits of Article DirectoriesBelow are 5 most important benefits you get from article directories:Build great backlinksCustomize your anchor textGet syndicated with in no timeBuild status and name recognitionGain TrafficUsing the Right DirectoriesHaving seen the importance of article directories in SEO process, it’s time to take a look at the noteworthy ones; here are our top 6 contenders, that definitely help you to rank higher â€"EzinearticlesGoArticlesAmazinesSooperArticlesArticleDashboardArticlesalleyDon’t Spread Dupe ContentRather than submitting an article across 20 sources, it’d be a wiser idea to spin it as many times, as the number of copies that wish to submit across the various article directories.Only EzineArticles and some of the top article marketing directories don’t accept dupe content, while others do… But, you†™ll need to understand that submitting copies of a particular article, to hundreds of directories won’t help!The Webmasters, must keep in mind that, getting backlinks is not just the goal, you need to make sure that all your backlinks gets indexed in Search Engines and that is what exactly counts. It is also estimated that only 40% of backlinks gets indexed on an average and most of your backlinks will stay unnoticed. So, posting articles on authority websites where the crawl rate is high, helps you in many ways.This article is written by Siddartha Thota. He works as SEM for Cordell Estimator V4  which is one of the best construction estimator software.

Fair Trade Coffee Offers a Solution to the Coffee Crisis...

Fair Trade Coffee Offers a Solution to the Coffee Crisis When you buy a cup of coffee in Starbucks every morning to keep you awake through the day, do you ever think of the origins of these coffee beans? How much of those three dollars you pay in Starbucks goes to the Farmers? Personally, I’m not a coffee-drinker. But somehow I realize the big sign in front of Java City in the Reitz Union Food Court, which says â€Å"Certified Fair Trade Coffee.† I’m surprised how few students know what it means. Currently, farmers in Brazil and Vietnam grow the majority of coffee beans. These farmers then sell their beans to the middlemen who pay them low prices-an average of $0.3-0.4 per pound. The farmers are earning less or even losing for growing†¦show more content†¦As a result, wholesale coffee prices are at their lowest levels in 100 years. Back in 1997, unroasted coffee beans that had a wholesale price of $2 a pound dipped to under 50 cents a pound in 2002, a price below many farmers’ production cost. Since farmers couldn’t afford the proper working conditions, the beans would be grown using the twelve most health-threatening types of pesticide. Furthermore, â€Å"With low prices, farmers tend to reduce inputs and take less care of the trees. In some cases this means that it is easier to cut down forest for plantations rather than care for existing ones,† said Nà ©stor Osorio, executive director of the ICO (Roach). The farmers could not afford to improve organic growing conditions and develop higher quality coffee beans. It dir ectly reduces the range of quality and varieties of coffee we are obtaining! According to Liam Brody, a program coordinator for Oxfam America in Boston, the situation was so adverse that â€Å"hundreds of thousands of coffee farmers in Africa and Central and South America have lost their jobs as farmland is converted to other agricultural uses such as livestock grazing or the cultivation of illicit drugs†(Roach). To alleviate the coffee crisis, Fair Trade coffee is the most appropriate action. TransFair is the only organization in the United States to determine whether or not coffee beans meet fair trade standards- â€Å"an importer must meet stringent international criteria; paying a minimum price perShow MoreRelatedThe Cadbury Case : Changing Nature Of Csr And Its Effect On Relationship Between Business And Society1453 Words   |  6 Pagesopportunities such as ethical brand. Its ethically sourced cocoas will benefit local producers as well as enhance the brand’s image In a globalized economy, economic growth comes along with problematic social impacts. 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Implementing Core Tested Programs For Schools - 1396 Words

In order to revamp Core tested programs, schools have been shifting focus to those areas and changing instructional times for various classes, which prevents students from achieving their full potential in the affected classes. Instructional time is important, especially in the fine arts. In order to have an arts program with the tangible results and benefits previously explained, elementary students require to have at least 50 hours of instructional time in order to give them a solid base in art disciplines (Good, 374). The schools who would prefer to focus their resources on the Core tested programs will see improvement in the Core areas, but there are other subjects that leave a footprint along the beach of test scores that help improve†¦show more content†¦Those 20 minutes could be saved and utilized to work towards a plethora of options ranging from improving test scores to regular class work to more in depth lectures. Rearranging instructional times in favor of Core te sted programs prevents the affected classes from succeeding in teaching their students the best they can. They aren’t able to give the students what they need to succeed in a weakened instructional period, which prevents them from achieving to the best of their abilities and thus denies them from an equal education where all students have the same opportunities. Establishing new national fine arts standards and programs from previously attempted standards will give students equal opportunities to succeed and develop themselves to their full potential. These standards would be a refined and reshaped version of the 1992 and 1994 attempted national standards for fine arts, but would be integrated with Common Core values and lessons (National Association for Music Education). Refining the following standards to meet today’s technological standards would be beneficial for fine arts students because they would have applications to what they are learning and would be able to use Common Core’s goals to positively impact each student; three sections by grade level: K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 all with different but similar standards (6 in total) and benchmarks (44 in total) for each different fine arts

The Laws Enforced By Police Have Multiple Effects On The...

The laws enforced by police have multiple effects on the citizens that they control. Quite often, these laws are too harsh and upheld as a means of catching the minor crimes as opposed to the more severe ones. This creates an effect on citizens that manipulates their minds and emotions. The criminals become easier to pick out of the crowd and revert to a life of crime rather than back into society as honest citizens. People in society live in fear of whether they did or are going to do something wrong or not and of the criminals who come back into society. In some cases, physical violence is the result of a confrontation between an officer and a criminal. Police enforcement tactics impair criminals and regular citizens in society both†¦show more content†¦Many officers find that their excuse for this racial profiling is that they are not actually racially profiling since the people who they stop-and-frisk are subject to this tactic because of the area they live in. Hot spot policing is another tactic used by the upholders of the law that supposedly avoids profiling. In the article The Caging of America by Adam Gopnik, he states that â€Å"In the nineties, the N.Y.P. D. began to control crime not by fighting minor crimes in safe places but by putting lots of cops in places where lots of crimes happened† (Gopnik). This allows officers to get away with profiling because the neighborhoods they searched had mostly people of the same color. The areas subject to hot spot policing include the slums or ghettos. Back alleyways and dark buildings can provide cover for criminals but also become targets for officers to check these areas routinely. Others most often see cops in these areas of higher crime. Officers that bring in more criminals are paid more and so are encouraged to find these areas rather than singular crimes occurring over vast distances. Too often, hot spots encourage officers to bust cases in quantity and not quality in relation to the intensity of the crime committed. These lower crime busts come from officers getting too comfortable after all the major crime offenders are locked away. For example, the common and relatively harmless drug marijuana is a

Concepts about a Prince Among Men

Question: Describe about A Prince Among Men of Concepts and Definition? Answer: Executive Summary : The research draws attention to desirable traits in an entrepreneur by discussing about Dr Sam Prince. It throws light on the life of this man of Sri Lankan heritage who is also a doctor in Australia. The journey undertaken by Sam takes him through different stages of learning through experience. This report will discuss how entrepreneurship is not about making huge profit but supporting the society and less privileged communities to grow. It is lot more about providing a helping hand and taking on challenges. The report finds that for entrepreneurship and aid work a clear understanding of basic human right and responsibility is a must. Whether its a business or aid work, the approach should be backed with same rigour. The entrepreneurs should have a vision to figure out the opportunity and back themselves to fill it. There is no need to be bogged down by barriers and the real challenge lies in pushing through them. This report evaluates this and concludes that an entrepreneur thrives on challenges and by not giving up. Introduction The report discusses the entrepreneur approach of an individual who was motivated to do something. At a young age of 21, Sam Prince started a restaurant chain called Zambrero while pursuing a medical career. He was able to extend it to 17 stores holding down a full time doctors job. There was no stopping him as he set up the Emagine foundation and built 15 schools throughout Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and northern extremes of Queensland. Later, Sam founded an organisation named One Disease at a Time in 2010. It works on eradicating scabies, a widespread disease among indigenous communities. No surprise, all his efforts were recognized and rewarded (Ondernemerstest 2010). Dr Sam Princes story should be inspiration to the budding entrepreneurs. The 28 year old Sri Lankans journey reveals how the passion and vision weaves a magic and takes one to greater heights. He was able to view the gap in the local market for fresh, healthy and gourmet Mexican food (Australia Unlimited 2012). Analysis of Entrepreneur traits/characteristics An entrepreneur has a tremendous amount of self awareness and Dr Sam Prince is a great example. Instead of brainstorming with ideas, he decided to follow his passion and set up a Mexican restaurant. Working as a chef with a Mexican restaurant, he was able to figure out the possibilities and market for fresh and healthy Mexican food. The self starter approach of an entrepreneur is also clearly visible. A business benefits from the opportunities grasped and thinking through the possibilities and practicalities is a trait of entrepreneur. Dr Sam Prince is quite an example (Assamagribusiness 2010). An entrepreneur, like a leader is not afraid to take on challenges. Elimination of scabies from East Arnhem Land was a very difficult task, as mentioned by Professor Bowden. Like a brave and resilient soldier, Sam Prince started One Disease at a Time in 2010.It focuses on working day and night to eradicate the disease called scabies which is quite common among indigenous communities. Building relationships and ability to forge and maintain social ties comes naturally to an entrepreneur. Dr Sam Prince met Frank Bowden, a medicine professor who had eradicated a STD in four years with limited funds and resources. Thus, he was inspired to set up One Disease at a Time. An entrepreneur pushes to make things happen and grows business by the expansion of work force. Prince started the Emagine foundation and built schools. Though plate for plate initiative, it donated to the developing world. It teamed up with distribution associate, Action Against Hunger and delivered up to 27000 food plates to Liberias Therapeutic Feeding Centre (Kmu 2002). An entrepreneur is also a learner who seeks knowledge to grow business by smart improvements. Throughout his journey, Dr Sam Prince shared the three important lessons which he had learned. Firstly, to pursue any aid work, a clear cut and in-depth understanding of basic human right and basic human responsibility is required. It is necessary to run a simple aid organisation with the same rigour as if running a business. An agenda, be political, religious or financial should not be at the heart or anywhere to succeed with integrity (Thecis 2011). Recent Trends in Social Entrepreneurship Social entrepreneurship is an attempt to draw upon the business technique to find solutions for social and community problems. The social entrepreneurs are people with creative solutions to the most pressing social problem of the society. These people adopt a mission or creating and sustaining social value. They recognize and relentlessly pursue fresh opportunities to serve the mission. Social entrepreneurs are involved in the procedure of continuous learning, adaptation and innovation. Dr Sam Prince started Emagine Foundation with a vision to build schools all over Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Queensland. His plate for plate initiative was dedicated to donate a plate of food for the needy with the selling of each meal at Zambrero. Thus, his social initiative was improving the lives of thousands through his innovative business, medical and aid projects (Global research 2011). Sam took his social entrepreneurship to a different level with One Disease at a Time organisation. It was a fruitful exercise in eradicating scabies which was a common disease among indigenous communities. Thus, he served to the health care needs of the unprivileged community. The public education campaigns run by him in Sri Lanka led to the reduction in the number of death from dengue fever and snake bites (entreprenorsofkapsforum 2011). Job and employment creation is a great contribution of social entrepreneurship. The estimates may vary from one to seven percent of the people employed in this sector. Skills and job training to certain segments of society are provided including disabled, homeless, long term unemployed, gender discriminated women, etc. Some of the major societal issues and problems can be addressed such as mental ill health, HIV, crime, drug abuse, etc (Potrerogroup 2011). The three recent trends which illustrate the social entrepreneurship movement are discussed as below: Crowdfunding: More and more entrepreneurs are increasingly looking at crowdfunding to gather funds for their own start-ups. With a solid and compelling social mission, the organisations may reach out straight to entrepreneurs. Apart from gathering financial support, crowdfunding encourages the inclusion of new voices and ideas to build and expand sustainable humanitarian enterprises. It involves engaging people with experience in social sector to collaborate with people that have worked in entrepreneurship, research, design and business (UNescap 2012). Innovation in renewables: With the rise of global population, the need for affordable and renewable energy continues to grow with power demands of people. Several industrialized countries have begun to lower or slow down the creation of greenhouse gas emissions. Newer technologies and techniques are starting to dominate the market and revolutionize the social entrepreneurship movement. Compared to conventional wind turbines, an energy kite has been invented which lower the installation charges by up to a whopping 90%. Various online education courses: The open online courses are certainly growing in popularity. Many of these courses are free of cost to all those people have an access to internet. Educational institutions are striking deals with tech giants to reach as many people as possible (Oecd 2013). Conclusion: The case study reflected upon the aspects of entrepreneurship from a different perspective. It revealed how positive intentions in entrepreneurship can bring long lasting development and prosperity. More and more people like Mr Sam Prince are required in the world. The entrepreneurship traits shouldnt be restricted to some core points. This is because people like Sam give a new definition to social entrepreneurship in more ways than one. Social entrepreneurship has placed a strong foot and made its mark in the world influenced by probabilities and calculations. It tackles major social issues, ranging from fighting poverty to raising the college enrolment rate of the low income students. It often sees and acts on the things missed by others. It creates opportunities, solutions and innovate newer approaches. References: Australia Unlimited 2012, A prince among men, accessed on 23rd March 2015, https://www.australiaunlimited.com/business/a-prince-among-men Assamagribusiness 2010, Entrepreneurship: Concepts and definition, accessed on 23rd March 2015, https://assamagribusiness.nic.in/agriclinics/Entrepreneurship%20concept%20%20definition.pdf Kmu 2002, Identifying Current Trends in Entrepreneurship Research: A New Approach, accessed on 23rd March 2015, https://www1.kmu.unisg.ch/rencontres/RENC2004/Topics/Watkins_Renc_2004_Topic_A.pdf Global research 2011, ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND RESEARCH: EMERGING TRENDS AND CONCERNS, accessed on 23rd March 2015, https://www.globalresearch.com.my/journal/JoGE_Jan2011_V1N1_3.pdf entreprenorsofkapsforum 2011, PATTERNS AND TRENDS INENTREPRENEURSHIP/SME POLICY AND PRACTICE IN TEN ECONOMIES, accessed on 23rd March 2015, https://eng.entreprenorskapsforum.se/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Patternsandtrends.pdf Potrerogroup 2011, Current Issues in Social Entrepreneurship: Funding and Finance, accessed on 23rd March 2015, https://www.potrerogroup.com/papers_downloads/Current_Issues.pdf Thecis 2011, Research and trends in innovation and entrepreneurship, accessed on 23rd March 2015, https://www.thecis.ca/cms3/userfiles/Image/Research%20Trends%20in%20Innovation%20and%20Entrepreneurship_Tony%20Briggs(1).pdf UNescap 2012, Entrepreneurship Development, accessed on 23rd March 2015, https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/10%20-%20IV.%20Entrepreneurship%20development.pdf Oecd 2013, Finance SMEs and Entrepreneurs, accessed on 23rd March 2015, https://www.oecd.org/cfe/smes/Scoreboard_2013_extract_chapter2.pdf Ondernemerstest 2010, The role of the entrepreneur in small business, accessed on 23rd March 2015, https://www.ondernemerstest.nl/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/ICSBv5.pdf

Role of Social Media in Impacting Consumer Behaviour in Particular Market Segment Essay Example

Role of Social Media in Impacting Consumer Behaviour in Particular Market Segment Essay HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS IMPACTING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR FOR A PARTICULAR MARKET SEGMENT [pic] Presented By: Rohan Bhardwaj Anupam Nagar Sumit Kumar Prateek TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Abstract 2. Introduction 3. Literature Review. 4. Objectives. 5. Research methodology. 6. Results. 7. Findings 8. Appendix 9. Conclusions and Recommendations. 10. Limitations. 11. References ABSTRACT The global proliferation of the internet over the last decade has substantively changed the traditional buyer-seller exchange dynamics through ts high volume-high speed information flow capabilities. Businesses can now directly communicate in real time with one another throughout their value chains to create value for their consumers. Likewise, the consumers can communicate with businesses, third party independent information providers, actual users and/or potential users of a product across the globe for obtaining better value for their money spent on purchasing products and services. On the consumer side, the internet has provided tremendous access of consumption-related information to consumers worldwide and the global flow of information has therefore given a fresh impetus to allow consumers to participate in obtaining value through several new types of marketing exchanges such as auctions (e. g. Ebay) or reverse auctions (e. g. Priceline). The academic literature is increasingly recognizing the new role of the consumer as the co-creator of value in the buyer-seller relationship (Payne et al. 2008). Vargo and Lusch (2004) argue that the customer is always a co-creator of value: There is no value until an offering is used—experience and perception are essential to value determination. The focus of consumer flocking in the internet buying context is the tendency for individual consumers to take charge of the online shopping channel and integrate it with their other online communications, especially social communications at sites like Facebook. We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Social Media in Impacting Consumer Behaviour in Particular Market Segment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Social Media in Impacting Consumer Behaviour in Particular Market Segment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Social Media in Impacting Consumer Behaviour in Particular Market Segment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer While still in its rudimentary stage, consumer flocking has promise in creating a win-win economic scenario for consumers and marketers. For instance, by quickly bringing together large groups (â€Å"flocks†) of consumers through their communications within existing social networks, marketers can achieve a quick turnover of unsold inventories and thereby lower their production and transaction costs. Likewise, by using consumer â€Å"flocks†, the service providers can fill up their unsold services during lean periods, thereby smoothening the peaks and valleys of service utilization. Apart from these strong economic benefits, consumer flocking, in principle, can enable the marketers to accelerate the arrival of late-adopters into market. On the consumer side, they perceive victory because they obtain more value for their money than what they could have obtained if acting individually. In effect, consumers would create greater value for themselves—globally. The focus of this paper is the individual consumers’ propensity to flock for creating value for themselves and the process and formation of consumer flocks. Next, we define and characterize consumer flocking and propose factors that influence the consumer’s propensity to flock on the internet. We then discuss the role of social media in supporting this behavior and examine the role of certain consumers we call catalyzers in the flocking process. Organizations are increasingly using online communities to interact with customers, but marketers identify a number of key obstacles standing in the way of community effectiveness. A survey of more than 500 companies that are using online communities and other research to identify characteristics of successful communities. Marketers should understand key human characteristics as thoroughly as the Web 2. 0 and social media tools they employ when interacting with customers through online communities and that by keeping these human attributes in mind, marketers may foster more successful community deployments. Therefore, social media not only is impacting the consumer behavior but also helping us understand it. Internet has not only given marketers an opportunity to better understand the consumer need but it has also given consumer , myriad options of a specific product to choose from. This study by us, tries to identify the impact of social media on specific market segment and also the possible marketing strategies. INTRODUCTION Successful companies are adopting social media tools to meet an array of goals including communicating more effectively, monitoring their brands and researching perspective employees. More of them are blogging, tweeting and networking than ever before, and the trend looks like it will continue. Longitudinal data on the Inc. 500 and the Fortune 500 shows social media is fast becoming an integral part of a company’s marketing strategy and that the social media tools of choice are shifting. The internet has upended how consumers engage with brands. It is transforming the economics of marketing and making obsolete many of the functions traditional strategies and structures. For marketers, the old way of doing business is unsustainable. Consider this: Not long ago, a car buyer would methodically pare down the available choices until he arrived at the one that best met his criteria. A dealer would reel him in and make the sale. The buyers relationship with both the dealer and the manufacturer would typically dissipate after the purchase. But today, consumers are promiscuous in their brand relationships: They connect with myriad brandsthrough new media channels beyond the manufacturers and the retailers control or even knowledgeand evaluate a shifting array of them, often expanding the pool before narrowing it. After a purchase these consumers may remain aggressively engaged, publicly promoting or assailing the products theyve bought, collaborating in the brands development, and challenging and shaping their meaning. Consumers still want a clear brand promise and offerings they value. What has changed is whenat what touch pointsthey are most open to influence, and how you can interact with them at those points. In the past, marketing strategies that put the lions share of resources into building brand awareness and then opening wallets at the point of purchase worked pretty well. But touch points have changed in both number and nature, requiring a major adjustment to realign marketers strategy and budgets with where consumers are actually spending their time. The use of social media by consumer is increasing with 83% of the internet population using social media . Companies have followed suite, embracing social media as a way to market to their consumers. With more consumers and organizations using social media, the question that has yet to really be addressed is – are these companies receiving a return on their investment? With 81% of surveyed executives expecting to increase the money spent on social media projects and reduce traditional marketing, there is still little research on the effect of social media on purchasing decisions . Previous research is conflicting with some consumers leaning towards the idea that social media does influence a purchase decision and some lean away, saying that social media has little influence. Additionally, it’s important to understand if there is a difference between gender and different age groups and how social media influences these different groups when it comes to purchasing decisions. The results of this study will start addressing these questions and concerns surrounding the larger picture of social media and purchasing decisions. LITERATURE REVIEW THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN ONLINE CONSUMER FLOCKING Wikipedia describes social media as the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives with each other. Social media began with personal email communications of the early 1990’s to the current social networking communications at Twitter. com, Facebook. com, MySpace. com and Ning. om. Media itself has evolved from broadcast where audiences are assumed to be passive recipients of information and interactive which is less passive and allows for some feedback from the recipients to social where audience involvement is active and are very often co-creators of content, context, and connections. Nedelka (2008) categorizes all social media into three groups: content syndication (blogs, podcasts, videocasts) , content sharing (user-generated content, wikis, widgets, reviews) and community building (social networks, online communities). However, the context of this paper is more specific: how are group buying communities formed and what are the characteristics of the participants? These group buying communities—here on called consumer flocks—are consumer-initiated, private, user-created sites set up specifically for aggregating buyers, users, and other influencers for an e-commerce exchange. These participants of the consumer flock derive greater economic value (lower prices) than purchasing as individuals. In the past, sites such as mercata. com, accompany. com, letsbuyit. om and mobshop. com have attempted to aggregate buyers though with a professional or business profit motive. A new site, eSwarm. com, intends to provide a similar platform but was not launched as of date. While all social media provide a channel for consumer flocking, social network sites provide a powerful vehicle for consumer aggregation on the internet. The purpose of many-to-many communications is succinctly described thus: a so cial trend in which â€Å"†¦people using technologies to get the things they need from one another †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Social network sites are defined as â€Å"web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system (Boyd and Ellison, 2008). Charron et al. (2006) propose that social computing will lead to the new product innovation process to shift from top-down to bottom-up, the value to the consumer will shift from ownership to experience and power will shift from institutions to communities (consumers). Based on Li and Bernoff (2008), Forrester Research Inc. is recognizing the impact social technologies have on the performance of companies and satisfying their customer by instituting awards for best practices in these categories: listening, talking, energizing, supporting, embracing, managing, and social impact. As we can see, social media impacts all stages of the consumption process, from product innovation and creation to the consumption and use experience of the consumer. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PROPENSITY FOR CONSUMER FLOCKING There are several reasons which motivate an individual buyer to self-organize on the internet. Such factors as willingness to flock, the need for socialization, online trust and online commitment influence the individual’s propensity to flock. Further, social, structural and financial bonds drive the process of flock formation as does newly found consumer power. The higher the individually perceived economic, social or psychological value, the higher will be the consumer’s propensity for flocking on the internet. Willingness to flock is one of the most important factors that determine whether there will be a deal or not. This willingness to flock will depend on the specific product offered by the marketer to the flock and the accompanying price and may be limited to a particular size, color or technical configuration. There are several concepts from existing research streams that impact the propensity to flock. According to Klein, 2005 traditional group buying draws on the economic value created in the process for the buyer (and seller). This remains the key motivation for individual consumers to self-organize. Learning and conditioning theories (Bandura, 1977; Rescorla and Solomon, 1967) suggest that expectation of positive reinforcements and the resulting feelings of self-efficacy may induce consumers to group or flock. While the key value that individuals in an online community site derive would not be only economic in nature, the purpose of consumer flocking is to obtain enhanced economic value in the purchase transaction. Theories related to cognitive consistency (Festinger, 1957) posit that consumer flocking reduces psychological tension by providing consistency and continuity with the online group. Proposition 1: Higher level of the willingness to flock will lead to a greater propensity to flock. Literature in the areas of social groups, social exchange theory and group influence processes provide several factors influencing consumer flocking. Group socialization literature posits the need for socialization, assuming a presence of norms (Moreland and Levine, 1982), to be a driving force for an individual. Further, trust that develops between and within existing and new members in a consumer flock will encourage group socialization. Literature in the formation and continuation of reference groups address the concepts of group conformity, avoidance of conflict and affiliation through membership. The current members of a consumer flock may influence the new or potential members if these new members feel a degree of similarity with the group characteristics, values and beliefs (Merton, 1968), there is sustained interaction with others and they consider the flock’s leaders as â€Å"significant others† (Bock et al. , 1983). Network theory forwards the concepts of cohesion and homophily as drivers of network and dyad formation. Proposition 2: Higher level of group socialization will lead to a greater propensity to flock. One of the central concept in the relationship marketing literature that may be applied to the online context are online trust. In a large-scale empirical study of online trust, Bart et al. (2005) examine several types of websites and indicate the key drivers of online trust. The authors define online trust based on consumer perceptions against expectations, believability of the information and confidence in the site. For the â€Å"society and community† category—the category that comes close to our context of social media—the key drivers identified by the authors were â€Å"privacy, absence of errors and community features†. While they identify â€Å"information risk† to be a factor for such sites, we would expect social risk and psychological risk as relevant factors for social media and would impact the member’s online trust. Other research considers competence and dependability of site sponsor, security of site, and reliability as drivers of trust online. Proposition 3: Higher level of the perceived online trust will lead to a greater propensity to flock. Hsieh et al. (2005) studied the impact of social, structural and financial bonds on search, experience andcredence goods/services bought online. They found that for search goods—typically, most tangible products—financial bonds may have the greatest impact on online commitment. However, considering the context of the channel, it is expected that social bonds would play a role in the continued commitment of the participants. Literature in social psychology suggests that self-efficacy and (product) expertise would impact an individual’s motivation to join a consumer flock online. Proposition 4: Higher level of social bonds as perceived by the consumer will lead to a greater propensity to flock. The phenomenon of the shifting of consumer power on the internet has been of interest to scholars (Li and Bernoff, 2008; McConnell and Huba, 2007; Pitt et al. , 2002; Rezabakhsh et al. , 2006). Pitt et al. 2002) discuss the following trends that have increased consumer power in the internet domain: access to accurate, unbiased information; ability to talk to lots of other consumers; ability to band together with lots of other customers; heightening awareness of a firm’s shortcomings; quickly finding legal information; and talking to firms in the public domain. Rezabakhsh et al. (2006) have studied the well-accepted bases of power proposed by French and Raven (1959) to the internet context and conclude d that the expert,sanction and legitimate bases of power are the most relevant for study. When consumers perceive the organizer or lead initiator of the target website to have the qualities of expert, sanction and legitimate power they are more likely to be attracted to the site. Proposition 5: A greater perception of (i) expert, (ii) sanction and (iii) legitimate bases of power of the lead initiator of the website will lead to a greater propensity to flock. One important determinant of action by the consumer to flock is the perceived value of the transaction. Several benefits and costs that may be considered in determining the value to the consumer (and discussed earlier in the paper) include: potential for lower purchase price; price dynamics, aggregate bidding behavior and individual’s economic benefit (Kauffman and Wang, 2001); expectation of positive reinforcement (psychic benefit) or reduction of psychological tension due to cohesion and homophily (safety-in-numbers); need for socialization, group conformity and affiliation, and avoidance of conflict (social or group benefits); and search, information, communication, and coordination costs (Klein, 2005). Proposition 6: A higher perceived value of the transaction at the website will lead to a greater propensity to flock. Consumers and Social Media Social media has become a household name among organizations and society. Knowledge Networks reports that 83% of the internet population uses social media, with 47% of those using it on a weekly basis. According to the Nielsen Company, globally, consumers spent more than 5. 5 hours on social networking sites in December 2009 which is an 82% increase year-over-year, when users were spending three-plus hours on social networking sites. Facebook was the top social networking site in December, with 67% of global users visiting the site that month. In the U. S, people have continued to spend more time on social networking sites, with total minutes increasing 210% year-over-year in December 2009. Additionally, the time per person increased 143% year-over-year. Facebook and Twitter continue to lead the pack with year-over-year growth spent by U. S increasing 200% and 368%. According to a study by the Pew Research Center and contrary to how social media statistics appear, adults make up the bulk of these users on social networks in comparison to teens. Adults make up a larger portion of the population than teens, because the 35% of adults represents a higher number of users than 65% of teens. That said, younger adults in the 18-24 age group are much more likely to use social networks with 75% compared to 7% of adults 65-plus. Facebook, which recently surpassed yahoo as the second most visited website, saw its user base grow from 42 million to 103 million in 2009 which is a 144. 8% growth rate. The 35-plus age group represents more than 30% of the entire user base and the 55-plus age group grew 922. % in 2009. Social Media in Organizations Given these types of numbers, it’s no surprise that organizations have also begun to embrace social media for business. According to the 2010 Digital Marketing Outlook, 81% of executives surveyed are expecting an increase in social media projects and will be investing more money into digital projects and reducing the money spent on traditional marketing. The survey also showed that social n etworks were high on the to-do list with 45% reporting that they were a top priority in 2010. When looking at Fortune 100 companies, 54% are on Twitter, 32% have a blog and 29% have an active Facebook page. Only 17% of companies are using all three of the above social networks, with the average Fortune 100 Twitter account having 5,234 followers. The median is 674 followers. It’s not only large businesses increasing in social media use. According to a BIA/Kelsey Local Commerce Monitor study, there’s increasing interest from small and mid-size businesses putting social media to work for them. The report showed that 9% of mid-size companies use Twitter and 32% plan to use social media in the next 12 months. According to the study by Coleman-Parks Research of the importance of business social media marketing, 84% of North American companies feel they require new methods to interact with customers, including social media. The study states that companies who do not use social media do so â€Å"at their own peril,† meaning they are missing opportunities to grow and are likely to find themselves behind companies who embrace media tools. Companies who do use social media reported the following: †¢ Improved Feedback 78% †¢ Improved Customer Satisfaction 66% †¢ Improved Customer support 71% †¢ Increased Sales 40% Improved public perception of company 75% Engagement with Consumers On the other end of the spectrum, consumers are engaging with brands on social networks more. According to a 2008 Cone Business Social Media Study , 60 percent of Americans use social media and of those, 50 percent interact with companies on social media web sites. Additionally, 93 percent of social media users believe a company should have a presence in social media, and to top that off, 85 percent believe that a company should also interact with its consumers resulting in a stronger connection and being better served. A study of media use of college students confirmed that four out of every 10 college students have reported friending a brand on a social network, compare to 19 percent of adults A new study conducted by ForeSee Results of nearly 10,000 visitors to the 40 largest U. S. retail sites found that 56% of shoppers are friends, following or subscribing to a retailer on social networking sites, particularly Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It also found that more than half of all online shoppers use Facebook, but only a quarter of the top 100 retailers by sales volume have their own presence on Facebook . Influence on Purchasing Decisions The question to be asked is- are users visiting social media sites to help make purchasing decisions? Even though 83% of the internet population participates in social media, one study reports that less than 5% of those users go to the social sites for guidance on purchasing decisions. Along with that, only 16% of the users say that they would be more likely to buy from companies that advertise on the sites. According to a Pew Internet study on adults and social network sites, social media sites are mostly used for personal networking with 89% using their online profiles to keep up with friends, 57% using their profile to make plans with friends and 49% using them to make new friends. Additionally, according to the eMarketer â€Å"Women’s Survey,† even though more than one-half of women are active in social media, 74. 8% reported not being influenced by it when it came to purchase decisions and just over one-fifth said they were somewhat influenced and only 3. 3% reported greater influence. Additionally, female internet users said they were much more likely to say online purchase decision were affected by coupons and discounts, product ratings, and online advertisements, than by online communities (Are Women Really Ignoring Social Networking, 2009). That said, an iProspect research study showed that social networking sites are influencing the purchasing decisions of a meaningful percentage of the internet users who visit them. For example, according to new data from comScore, nearly $16 billion was spent during the first 36 days of the 2009 holiday shopping season (Nov. ) which was a 3% increase versus 2008. What also was found was that 28% of shoppers said that social media influenced their purchases in 2009. A study by DEI and OTX on the impact of social media on purchasing decision showed that consumers rely on different social networking sites, as much as company websites for brand/product information. Companies that use social media in an engaging way with their cu stomers increase their likelihood of them making a purchase. Sixty percent of people reported that they pass along information they receive online in social media websites and two-thirds agreed that recommendations from other people could influence their purchase decisions. Additionally, talking with a brand representative online was shown to strong influence the purchasing decision . Companies using social media are reporting returns on investments (ROI) from using social media. Dell, who established their Twitter account over two years ago, claimed to have brought in more than $3 million from Twitter followers who clicked through their posts, to the web site, and followed through with a purchase. An Atlanta aquarium had their staff spend a minimal amount of time and resources to send out information through Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, with their efforts bringing in $42,000 – equating to 2,500 admission tickets. Yet, the aquarium admits that it’s hard to say how many people would have come without the promotion and how many came because they received a discount . Naked Pizza, an all-natural New Orleans pizza place has also generated a positive ROI due to their social media efforts. Co-founder Jeff Leach says he was able to drive 15% of his daily revenues with Twitter and of those, 90% were new customers . OBJECTIVES 1. To determine whether or not consumers are influenced to make a purchase by brands/organizations using social media 2. To determine whether gender is a factor 3. To determine whether age is a factor 4. To determine whether time spent on social networks is a factor 5. To understand the concept of â€Å"consumer flocking†. METHODOLOGY Social media use is increasing and it’s followed by a rise in the number of brands/organizations investing more time and money into marketing, advertising, and interacting with consumers via social networks. Little research has taken place on whether the time and money spent, contributes to a consumer’s decision to make a purchase. This study was undertaken to: 1. Address whether or not consumers are influenced to make a purchase by brands/organizations using social media 2. Determine whether gender is a factor 3. Determine whether age is a factor 4. Determine whether time spent on social networks is a factor Subject Selection and Description The subjects in this study were randomly asked via social networks if they would like to take an online, anonymous survey. There were no limitations as to who could take the survey. The survey addressed: - Whether the participants use social media. What social networks they use? -How much time they spend on social networks? -Whether they connect with brands on social networks? -Whether they make purchases online and how many. -Whether they interact with brands on social networks. -Whether they’ve made a purchase because of a brand on a social network. -Whether they think the brands on social networks influence purchasing decisions. -Their age group -Their gender Data Collection Procedures During the time period of 10TH OCTOBER TO 25TH OCTOBER 2011, an 11-question survey was sent electronically to 30 people via email, asking them to take the survey. Additionally, the survey was open to voluntary participants using Facebook and Twitter. The participants in the email were selected specifically target those people who may or may not use social media. The use of Facebook and Twitter was used to target those participants who do use social media. Data Analysis Data analysis included calculating percentages of responses for each question addressed. The percentages of the data will then be analyzed to determine if it’s probable that people make purchasing decision based on their interaction with a brand on social media and any significant correlations. Limitations Limitations of the study are that: 1. It was not determined whether or those answer yes to being influenced to make a purchase online because of a brand/organization being on a social network, wouldn’t have made the purchase otherwise. 2. The study does not address whether or not organizations report an increase in sales that come directly via social media. . This is partially a convenience sample and maybe not be representative of the population RESULTS During the time period of 10TH OCTOBER TO 25TH OCTOBER 2011, an 11-question survey was given to 30 participants to assess their social media usage and whether or not interacting with a brand on social media influenced a purchasing decision. The participants in the email were selected specifically target t hose people who may or may not use social media. The use of Facebook and Twitter was used to target those participants who do use social media. RESULTS USE The data showed that 28% of participants used social media for personal use only, 25% used social media for business use only and 22% used social media for personal and business use. TYPES Facebook was on top with 88% of participants, followed by 48% on You Tube, 37% on LinkedIn and Twitter and 28% on Flickr. TIME Most participants spend five hours or less using social media (51%), with 28% spending six to 10 hours, 8% spending 11-20 hours and 2% spending more than 25 hours a week. CONNECTIONS Fifty-four percent of participants are connected to brands via social media. Of those, 25% interact with brands on social media. Of those 25% that interact with brands, 20% have 14 purchased a product online or in store because of an interaction. Of that 20%, online coupons and reviews contributed to the purchases sometimes (8%), always (5%), rarely (2%), and never (8%). Also of that 20%, all of had made purchases online at least once to more than 30 purchases. Of those connected and not connected to brands, 20% of participants said that definitely yes, purchase decisions are influenced by brand interaction, 60% think probably yes, and 14% probably no. FINDINGS Given these statistics, we step back to answer some of the questions addressed in the literature review. Give the small sample size, we cannot consider these results to be representative of the population but they do lead to the following conclusions: We can consider it to be true that consumers’ purchasing decisions can be influenced by their interaction with brands via social media, given that 20% of the 54% of participants that interacted with brands have made a purchase because of that interaction. We can consider it to be true that purchasing decisions influenced by brands may or may not be also influenced by online coupons or reviews. When it came to think about whether others’ purchasing decision are influenced by brands, 60% said it’s probable, while 20% said it’s likely. There was no distinct correlation between those who said it was probable and those that actually made a purchase because of the interaction. Age and gender may or may not be a contributing factor. The correlations were not significant. It’s probable that the more time spent on social networks, the more likely a consumer is to be influenced by a purchasing decision given that of the 20% that made a purchase, 8% spent 6 to 10 hours and 8% spent 11 to 20 hours on social networks. Additionally, all of those that were influenced to make a purchasing decision used Facebook. Further research from a representative sample will need to be completed to more deeply understand what exactly in the interaction with the brand is affecting a consumer’s purchasing decision including the types of interactions, larger demographic samples, and focus groups to discuss the nature of purchasing decisions and whether these purchases would have taken place 16 regardless of the participation. Future research will also have to be done from the analytics side of a company, for example, how many people came in from a social media site and made a purchase. APPENDIX Social Media Survey 1. Do you currently use social media tools? Yes for personal use only Yes for business use only Yes for personal and business use No (skip to question 9) 2. If yes, which social media tools do you use? (check all that apply) Facebook Twitter MySpace Linkedin Flickr You Tube Technorati Digg Delicious Other, please specify 3. On average, how much time do you spend per week using social media tools? 0 5 hours 10 hours 11 20 hours 25+ hours 4. Are you connected to any brands/organizations on social networks? (e. g. Being a Facebook fan of Pepsi or following airlines on Twitter) Yes No (skip to question 6) 5. Do you interact with brands/organizations on social networks? Yes No 6. On average, how many online purchases do you make per year? I dont buy online 1 5 6 10 11 20 21 3025 31+ 7. Have yo u purchased a product online or in-store because of your interaction with a brand/organization on a social network? Yes No (skip to question 9) I dont interact with brands/organizations (skip to question 9) . As part of that interaction that led to a purchase, did coupons or online reviews from others contribute to your purchasing decision(s)? Yes, always Yes, sometimes Yes, rarely No, never 9. Do you think that a brand/organization being on a social network influences the purchasing decisions of others? Definitely Yes Probably Yes Definitely No Probably No 10. Gender Male Female 11. Age Under 18 18 25 26 31 32 40 41 50 51+ CONCLUSION In conclusion, from the research we can consider the following items to be true: From the research, we can consider that the following items might or might not be true: Although it’s possible that feedback, customer satisfaction, and public perception are results of social media use by organizations, does the fact that they are using it via social media translate to a sale that might have not happened otherwise. Are organizations clearly investigating their social media ROI versus traditional ROI? This research study seeks to answer some of the above questions including: Are consumers influenced by a purchase solely because the brand is using social media, not necessarily if they are engaging with the chosen tool? Is age or gender a factor in the influence of social media and purchase decisions? Are consumers more likely to buy if influenced with a coupon via a social site, in comparison to a coupon offered elsewhere (direct mail)? Are consumers more likely to purchase a product if a brand is providing product information via a social network? RECOMMENDATIONS For years, marketers assumed that consumers started with a large number of potential brands in mind and methodically winnowed their choices until theyd decided which one to buy. After purchase, their relationship with the brand typically focused on the use of the product or service itself. [pic]. NOW THE CONSUMER DECISION JOURNEY New research shows that rather than systematically narrowing their choices, consumers add and subtract brands from a group under consideration during an extended evaluation phase. After purchase, they often enter into an open-ended relationship with the brand, sharing their experience with it online. [pic]. Consider Buy Marketers often overemphasize the consider and buy stages of the journey, allocating more resources than they should to building awareness through advertising and encouraging purchase with retail promotions. Evaluate Advocate New media make the evaluate and advocate stages increasingly relevant. Marketing investments that help consumers navigate the evaluation process and then spread positive word of mouth about the brands they choose can be as important as building awareness and driving purchase. Bond If consumers bond with a brand is strong enough, they repurchase it without cycling through the earlier decision-journey stages. By David C. Edelman David C. Edelman ([emailprotected] com) is a coleader of McKinsey Companys Global Digital Marketing Strategy practice. Idea in Brief Consumers today connect with brands in fundamentally new ways, often through media channels that are beyond manufacturers and retailers control. That means traditional marketing strategies must be redesigned to accord with how brand relationships have changed. Once, a shopper would systematically winnow his brand choices to arrive at a final selection and complete his engagement by making a purchase. Now, relying heavily on digital interactions, he evaluates a shifting array of options and remains engaged with the brand through social media after a purchase. Smart marketers will study this consumer decision journey for their products and use the insights they gain to revise strategy, media spend, and organizational roles. Block That Metaphor Marketers have long used the famous funnel metaphor to think about touch points: Consumers would start at the wide end of the funnel with many brands in mind and narrow them down to a final choice. Companies have traditionally used paid-media push marketing at a few well-defined points along the funnel to build awareness, drive consideration, and ultimately inspire purchase. But the metaphor fails to capture the shifting nature of consumer engagement. In the June 2009 issue of McKinsey Quarterly, my colleague David Court and three coauthors introduced a more nuanced view of how consumers engage with brands: the consumer decision journey (CDJ). They developed their model from a study of the purchase decisions of nearly 20,000 consumers across five industriesautomobiles, skin care, insurance, consumer electronics, and mobile telecomand three continents. Their research revealed that far from systematically narrowing their choices, todays consumers take a much more iterative and less reductive journey of four stages: consider, evaluate, buy, and enjoy, advocate, bond. CONSIDER. The journey begins with the consumers top-of-mind consideration set: products or brands assembled from exposure to ads or store displays, an encounter at a friends house, or other stimuli. In the funnel model, the consider stage contains the largest number of brands; but todays consumers, assaulted by media and awash in choices, often reduce the number of products they consider at the outset. EVALUATE. The initial consideration set frequently expands as consumers seek input from peers, reviewers, retailers, and the brand and its competitors. Typically, theyll add new brands to the set and discard some of the originals as they learn more and their selection criteria shift. Their outreach to marketers and other sources of information is much more likely to shape their ensuing choices than marketers push to persuade them. BUY. Increasingly, consumers put off a purchase decision until theyre actually in a storeand, as well see, they may be easily dissuaded at that point. Thus point of purchasewhich exploits placement, packaging, availability, pricing, and sales interactionsis an ever more powerful touch point. ENJOY, ADVOCATE, BOND. After purchase, a deeper connection begins as the consumer interacts with the product and with new online touch points. More than 60% of consumers of facial skin care products, my McKinsey colleagues found, conduct online research about the products after purchasea touch point entirely missing from the funnel. When consumers are pleased with a purchase, theyll advocate for it by word of mouth, creating fodder for the evaluations of others and invigorating a brands potential. Of course, if a consumer is disappointed by the brand, she may sever ties with itor worse. But if the bond becomes strong enough, shell enter an enjoy-advocate-buy loop that skips the consider and evaluate stages entirely. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The limitations of this study are: 1. There is a short time-frame allowing for only one survey, test period and a small number of those surveyed. 2. There is not enough long-term research on behalf of organizations to track the possible purchase influence. 3. This study will not track actual purchases. Results will be based upon survey results. 4. This study will not take into account how organizations are using social media, and if they are using it as effectively as possible. Methodology Data will be obtained through the use of an online survey. REFERENCES 1. JOURNAL OF ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS, Volume 9, Number 3, 2009 2. September 2010 Journal OF Advertising Research. 3. May 2009 Harvard Business Review and Harvard Business Publishing Newsletter content on EBSCOhost 4. Wikipedia

French King Pie Traditions and Vocabulary

French King Pie Traditions and Vocabulary On January 6th is the Christian holy day of Epiphany, when the three kings, also called the three wise men, guided by a strange star in the sky, visited baby Jesus. On that day the French eat La Galette des Rois, a delicious puff pastry pie. The lighter version is just the puff pastry, eaten golden out of the oven and then topped with jam. But there are many scrumptious versions, including various fruit, cream, apple sauce filings and my personal favorite: frangipane!   In the South of France, they have a special cake called le gà ¢teau des rois which is a brioche with candied fruits, shaped in a crown, and perfumed with orange blossom water. French King Pie Secret Now, the secret of la galette des rois is that hidden inside is a little surprise: a small token, usually a porcelain figurine (sometimes plastic now...) called la fà ¨ve. The one who finds it is crowned the king or the queen of the day. So, when you eat this delicacy, you have to be extremely careful not to break a tooth!   The French King Pie is sold with a paper crown - sometimes, kids do one as a project for their home, or sometimes they do two since a king gets to pick his queen and vice and versa. French Galette des Rois Traditions Traditionally, the youngest one at the table will go under the table (or really close his/her eyes) and designate who gets which slice: the one serving asks: Cest pour qui celle-l ? For whom is this one? And the kid answers:Cest pour Maman, Papa... Its For Mom, Dad... Of course, this is a very practical way for the grownups to make sure one of the kids gets the porcelain figurine. Another tradition dictates that you cut the pie according to the number of guests plus one. Its called la part du pauvre (the paupers slice) and was traditionally given away. I dont know anybody who does this nowadays however.     So, the person who finds la fà ¨ve proclames: Jai la fà ¨ve (I have the fava), s/he puts one the crown, then picks someone at the table to be crowned as his king/queen, and everybody yells Vive le roi / Vive la reine (long live the king / long live the queen). Then everybody eats their slices, relieved that no one broke a tooth :-) French Kings Pie Vocabulary La Galette des Rois - French King Pie Puff PastryLe Gà ¢teau des Rois - South of France King CakeUne fà ¨ve - the little porcelain figure hidden in the pieUne couronne - a crownÊtre Courronnà © - to be crownedTirer les rois - to draw the king/queenUn roi - a kingUne reine - a queenPuff pastry - de la pà ¢te feuilletà ©eCest pour qui celle-l ? For whom is this one?Cest pour... - Its for...Jai la fà ¨ve ! I have the fava!Vive le roi - Long live the kingVive la reine - long live the queen I post exclusive mini lessons, tips, pictures and more daily on my Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest  pages - so join me there! https://www.facebook.com/frenchtoday https://twitter.com/frenchtoday https://www.pinterest.com/frenchtoday/

DB #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DB #3 - Essay Example My vision of higher education is to have a form of education that will be relevant to accomplishment of acts that will not only affect humanity positively but will also create environmental sustainability. In addition, these acts should be morally acceptable and having positive effects on the universe. I do agree with David Orr’s proposition, education is supposed to help us take care of our environment, and understand the importance of knowledge and how to acquire it. In addition, he mentions that knowledge comes with a responsibility of ensuring that it is used constructively and morally. Higher education is a very important component to the learner for several reasons. Firstly, it raises self-awareness by individuals. One is able to identify what they want to achieve and ultimately the type of work they would like to engage with. A number of options are available for an individual intending to engage in higher learning, their choices will definitely reflect on the type of work environment that they will get to. Secondly, higher education provides the learner with a lot of exposure. The learner is able to meet other learners from different backgrounds as well as experienced and witty researchers and lecturers who will challenge them as well as exposing them to additional knowledge. Exposure to specific scholarly works in a particular area of study is also very

Money & Banking - economics 321 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Money & Banking - economics 321 - Coursework Example It is in these circumstances wherein the so-called boom emerges. This boom in the financial sector as most crises have demonstrated is typified by a fragility that made much worse by credit and speculation. According to Kindleberger, this leads to a series of events such as how price increases leads to a rush for investment as profit opportunities loom large. This is an event that feeds upon itself: the opportunities that promise profit would bring in a new wave of investors and that the positive feedback that is perceived in the process and the outpour of investment increases further profit, which then encourages further investments. He then explained how this leads to what Minsky called as euphoria and when the speculation variable is thrown in, it finally results in overtrading, which aggravate the fragility of the situation. As speculation and overtrading bring in more investors, the probability of crashes increases as speculation for profit drives the ‘manias’ or â €˜bubbles’.† During the feverish economic activity driven by speculative boom, a point is identified to emerge wherein prices start to level and uncertainty start to creep in. This situation, in Kindleberger’s theory creates a period of financial distress, which finally launches a steady downward spiral: There is an inevitable burst as the market started the race to withdraw. In the event of a rush to liquidate, the bubble bursts and further panic ensues. The problem will reach crisis proportions as financial institutions fail, prices decline and the number of bankruptcies spike. This stage, according to Kindleberger, is called revulsion when panic finally seizes the economic system, which is aggravated by liquidity, which, though orderly at times, can actually degenerate and spin out of control, feeding the panic further in the process. The Kindleberger’s revulsion of concept is more popularly known in the nineteenth century as â€Å"discredit.† There are other variables

Modern Technology Effects Essay Example for Free

Modern Technology Effects Essay With advances in technology, student study habits have dramatically changed. Its affected the way classes are taught, students learn theories and the way information is presented. Gone are the days of slaving over books in the library and scribbling down notes on paper. Technology is changing the way kids learn in schools and at home. Students are now able to bring their work with them wherever they go because of laptop computers and handheld tablets, like the iPad. Having these electronic tools seems essential to all of us, including kids, nowadays and we wonder how we ever survived without them. Not too long ago, students were lucky to have one computer in their classrooms and the teacher wrote the lessons on a chalkboard. Now it is much more common to see each student with their own laptop or iPad and the teachers writing on smart-whiteboards that connect to these computers. With the way the world is becoming dependent on the use of technology in day-to-day life, it is good for the younger generation to learn a basic understanding of these tools, even though the software systems will most likely change by the time they enter the work force. Students are also able to do more complex tasks earlier on because of the capabilities of technology. However, this does present the problem of becoming dependent on these devices to solve these challenges, especially those above their learning level. Don’t you remember having to learn how to do math in your head before you were given a calculator to solve an equation? If students don’t learn how to problem-solve on their own, it may present challenges for them down the road because they expect to have the answer right at their fingertips. Recently psychologists at Columbia University released an article on the effect search engines and the Internet are having on our ability to memorize. which concluded that we are less likely to remember discrete information than we are where we found it, and that we only commit something to memory if we think we won’t be able to access it later, when we need it. While students are becoming more digitally advanced than the prior generation, it is good to learn the basics as well. Having a child read a book, write out a math problem, or do research in a library may not appeal to them as much as â€Å"playing† on an iPad, but it can only add to their education. Scope and Limitations Modern technology has always been considered as a gauge for an awareness of how developed a society is. With the influx of technological gadgets, modern technology is definitely beneficial to mankind. But, as with other scientific and technological discoveries, these gadgets have also taken its toll on those who are the main users of thee discoveries – the students. Twenty or so years ago, students would have to spend hours, and even days in the library, if they are to complete a research work. Answering assignments means that one will have to read chapter after chapter in their textbooks. Nowadays, vital information may be obtained by merely a click of the mouse. Everything is readily available at their fingertips, so to speak. Oftentimes, students say, â€Å"Thank God for the internet†. While this may be true, there are also harmful effects on students which may fall under the physical, psychological, emotional, mental and social aspect. Basically, students make use of the internet in answering assignments and doing research work. However, students would often be making use of social networking sites while simultaneously doing their assigned tasks. This means that the student is not a hundred percent focused on accomplishing what is required. It also takes them a longer time in completing the assigned task. As a result, the student therefore, is more physically exhausted, often spending the wee hours in the morning due to the fact that he or she is actually multi-tasking. It has been observed that almost every week, more updated gadgets are being introduced in the market. For the adolescent, who is in the third plane of development, there is this need to belong to a certain group. More often than not, social cliques mean dressing alike, thinking alike, and even having similar gadgets are some of the basis in order to be part of a specific group. Hence, the adolescent is psychologically, emotionally and even mentally affected if and when an updated version of these gadgets is out in the market. There is this need to have these gadgets in the hope of being â€Å"in† with the group. It is one way of satisfying the need to belong to a social group which means that it also affects the social aspect of the student. Having seen both sides of the coin, are modern gadgets beneficial or harmful to students? I would say both – there are beneficial and harmful effects not only to students but to anyone for that matter. The key is still in our hands. Remember that anything in excess could have negative results. Modern technology – including modern gadgets – has been invented for mankind’s convenience. Let us show gratitude to the men of the past who have painstakingly invented and devised ways to make life easier. Let us make use of modern technology effectively, wisely and responsibly.

Romeo and Juliet Movie versus Play :: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

One of the most celebrated plays in history, â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, was written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century. It is a story about two lovers that have to meet in secret because of an ongoing family feud. Tragically, because of their forbidden love Romeo and Juliet take their lives so they can be together. In 1997, a movie was adapted from the play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, directed by Baz Lurhmann. However, as alike as the movie and the play are, they are also relatively different. Paramount aspect of the movie and the play, the theme, were the same, and the overall messages in both were the same. For example, one main message in the stories was that love conquers all. This was demonstrated in both the play and the film when Romeo and Juliet kept secretly meeting each other even though they knew it was against their families’ wishes. In one scene of both the movie and the play Romeo and Juliet even got married and died together so that even if they could not be together on earth they would be together in death. Another message you learn from watching the movie and the play was that fighting solves nothing. In the play, when the two feuding families, the Montague’s and the Caplets, find their children dead they resolve their differences and agree to build a gold statue of Romeo and Juliet made out of gold after they state that their fighting only brought suffering. In the movie, although the families didn’t make up, you can infer that it wa s if the families and not been fighting that Romeo and Juliet would not have killed themselves, because they would not have to meet in secret and have Friar Lawrence devise a complicated plan so they could be together without their parents knowledge . Even though the themes were similar, the plot of the movie and the play were rather different. In the movie, Mercutio, Romeo’s friend, got an invitation to Lord Caplet’s ball where Romeo and Juliet meet, but in the movie Romeo and this friends go to Lord Capulet’s party uninvited. What's more, is that when Romeo was at the ball he was recognized by Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, from the sound of his voice in the play, but in the movie Tybalt sees him. In addition to that one scene where Juliet was hysterical because she thought Romeo was dead was completely absent in the movie.