How modern society changed women’s lives Essay

The position of women is often considered to have improved during the last few decades. There is, however, considerable debate as to the extent of change and the reasons for it. This essay will look at how women’s lives have changed in terms of employment, pay, education, household, sexuality and the state. I will conclude that the most important changes for women are in education, but that the basic pattern of inequality remains in most aspects of the social structure, from paid work to the household divisions of labour, from sexuality to violence. Ann Oakley (1981) has traced the changing status of women in British society from the eve of the Industrial Revolution to the 1970s. She claims that ‘the most important and enduring consequence of industrialization for women has been the emergence of the modern role of housewife as ‘the dominant mature feminine role’ Thus a combination of factors which included ideology, the banning of child labour, and restrictions of the employment of women, locked the majority of married women into the mother housewife role. This led to the idea of a ‘cornflake packet family’ where the male was the breadwinner, the wife was the housewife, and the family consisted of two children – a boy and a girl. The mother had an expressive role, while the father had an instrumental role of going out to work. The inequality, and the extent to which the different aspects of this are interconnected, mean that is some use the concept of patriarchy to describe this set of social relations. Patriarchy is a social system through which men dominate, exploit and oppress women. However, in recent decades, changes in the economy and society have altered the situation – several of these changes will be outlined below. One of the most important areas to look at for the changes in women’s lives is in terms of pay and employment relative to men. Women are less likely than men to be in paid employment, but the gap has closed steadily over recent decades. The proportion of those in employment who are women rose from 38.1% in 1971 to 49.6% in 1995. However, most of the increase in women’s employment has been in part time work. The proportion of women working part time has increased steadily, from 34% in 1971 to 47% in 1995. Women workers are concentrated within a very narrow range of occupational groups, although there have been some significant changes in this recently. Over 40% of full time women workers are to be found in clerical employment. In contrast, men are spread through a much wider range of occupations. Women are confined both to lower grade jobs (vertical segregations) and to different jobs (horizontal segregation). The pattern of segregation however has changed significantly over recent years. At the top end of the hierarchy the number and proportion of women in the managerial and professional grades have substantially increased. However, in the most powerful positions in public life, women continue to be seriously under-represented. Walby notes that in 1992 only 9.2 per cent of MPs were women, there were no women Chief Constables until the 1990s, and in 1994 only one in 25 High Court judges was a woman. In 1996, there was only one woman among 50 British ambassadors or heads of overseas mi ssions. Linda McDowell uses the theory of post-Fordism to understand changes in the labour market. This theory argues that businesses have moved away from mass production towards the flexible production of small batches of specialized products. In doing so, they employ a core of highly skilled workers who are capable of using their skills to produce a wide variety of products. Other work is carried out by part-time workers, or workers on short-term contracts, or is contracted out to other firms. McDowell argues that these changes are reflected in the increased use of part-time female labour and the reduction in the employment of males in full-time permanent jobs. But while it is clearly important to take account of changes in the labour market and the economy as a whole in order to understand the changing patterns of gender inequality, it is necessary to be cautious about basing an analysis on the theory of post foridsm. This theory has been heavily criticized on a number of grounds, and the work of Lovering and others suggests that post Fordism cannot be seen as a general trend that has affected all employers. A different explanation for the changing nature and pattern of women’s employment in countries such as Scandinavia has been the shift to state  policy. Talcott Parsons had proposed a functionalist explanation of women’s disadvantaged position in the labour market, which focused on the impact of the household. He argued that men get paid more because women’s domestic responsibilities adversely affect their involvement in paid work. However, in Scandinavia, there is a much greater public provision of childcare together with higher rates of female employment and a smaller wages gap between women and men. Thus changes to state policy can improve the nature and pattern of women’s employment. But has there been any change in women’s pay relative to men’s? The implementation of the Equal Pay Act between 1970 and 1975 reduced the wages gap a little. In 1970 women earned only 63% on men’s hourly rates, and only 55% of men’s gross weekly pay. In 1997, women working full time earned 81% of men’s hourly rate, but those women working part time only earned 59% of men’s hourly rates. Thus the size of the gap has been closing steadily for those working full time, but not for those working part time. It does seem therefore that the position of women in employment has transformed itself in recent years, though there remains considerable inequality and the picture is not one of simple progress. One area where there have been considerable changes for women’s lives has been in education. Education has seen a transformation of the position of girls and young women. In schools, not only has the traditional gender gap in examination performance been closed but girls have overtaken boys; while in higher education the gender gap is closing steadily. One reason for the change is the discrimination against women in education was made illegal in the 1875 Sex Discrimination Act. A further reason was the increase in the opportunities for women in the world after education as the labour market gradually opened up. These changes in education have potential implications for other aspects of gender relations – since access to good jobs as some relationship to educational qualifications, women might anticipate taking a higher proportion of top jobs. It may also have an impact on wages, in so far as lack of qualifications, rather than discrimination, was a reason for women†™s poor rates of pay. However, while girls are learning in new areas,  boys are not learning those subjects traditionally learned by women eg at present, only 15% of all boys do home economics. A further important issue to look at when considering the changing lives of women, is in the area of the household. The most striking change is the increased likelihood of families being formed of only mothers and children, which reflects to a large degree the large increase in divorce rates. The number of lone parents increased from 8% in 1981 to 21% in 1996, and the vast majority of these are women. One of the most significant features of one-parent families is their tendency to live in poverty, leading to many forms of social exclusion. The poverty largely results from the lack of a male income into the household, but is compounded by the lower propensity of lone mothers to be in employment as compared with married mothers. Changes in the welfare state are also important in that they have disproportionately affected women because more of them head single parent households and more live to pensionable age. Women in old age are thus particularly vulnerable to the risk of poverty. A further change in the household has been in attitudes towards housework. Men are now more likely to accept that women should not be responsible for all the housework. However, it does seem that while there has been a change in attitudes, this is not to a great degree played out in action. The UK is in contrast to some countries such as Sweden where there is more shared parenting and childcare is part of education for boys and girls. Changes in sexuality have been a further impact upon women’s lives. Giddens argued that there has been a ‘transformation of intimacy’ in recent years. It is widely suggested that women have made great advance towards equality with men in the area of sexuality. The sexual double standard, whereby non-marital sex was acceptable for men and not for women has reduced. Other changes include the much greater availability of contraception and safe abortion, which has made unwanted children much less likely. Furthermore, there has been greater acceptance of a wider range of sexual practices, such as gay and lesbian relationships. Feminist movements have also helped to change and shape women’s lives. The  1970s was the second wave of feminism in the twentieth century, the early one being instrumental in winning political citizenship for women. Many of the feminist ideas of the 1970s which had been considered outrageously radical when first expressed are now widely accepted. For instance, male violence is now recognized as a significant problem and the subject of serious discussion by the police as well as feminists. Equal pay is also an early feminist demand now accepted into mainstream policy initiatives such as Opportunity 2000. In Gender Transformations(1997), Walby reviews changes in patriarchy in the 1990s. Although she discovers plenty of evidence that patriarchal structures remain in place in Britain, she also finds evidence of important changes. In particular, she claims that there is evidence of a generational difference between older and younger women. Older women tend to be restricted by the constrains of private patriarchy, which was the dominant form of patriarchy in their early lives. They are likely to have few qualifications and therefore have limited opportunities in the labour market. Younger women, on the other hand, have benefited from some of the changes that have taken place. They are likely to benefit from increased qualifications and improved labour market opportunities. Walby thus points to polarization between the younger and older women, while convergence between younger women and men. In conclusion, there have been many changes in the transition to modernity, which have shaped women’s lives. While some of these changes have reduced gender inequality n recent years, especially in the field of education, the basic pattern of inequality remains in most aspects of the social structure, from paid work to the household divisions of labour, from sexuality to violence. This essay has pointed to many changes in women’s lives, but whether their lives have improved has been a matter of debate: Liberal feminists tend to see these changes as progress, while radical feminists tend to argue that little has changed and patriarchal domination remains firmly intact. Marxists usually claim that industrialization and the advent of capitalism led to a deterioration in the position of women and since the Industrial Revolution little has improved. Bibliography Mcdowell L ‘Father and Ford revisited: gender, class and employment change in the new millennium’ Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 2001 Walby Gender Transformations Abercrombie, Warde et al, ‘Contemporary British Society’ Haralambos and Holborn ‘Sociology’

Veet Promotion Campaign

To better understand the market and shape the key marketing problem, we conducted primary research to find out the general trends of hair removal among women in Singapore. From this we found a significant result of women in Singapore favouring razors over cream due to the main reason convenience. As such, the report seeks to explore different promotional methods that would allow us to help these heavy razor users to overcome their misconceptions of cream being inconvenient and subsequently to trial Veet ® hair removal cream.The promotional campaign incorporates intergrated marketing communications and features efforts including sampling, couponing, talks, and point-of-purchase displays, featured articles on blogs, mobile advertising, trade promotions and tie-in promotions. All in all, we hope that the campaign will successfully expose more consumers to Veet ® hair removal cream samples, convert them into Veet ® users and ultimately increase sales for Veet ® .Our overall ROMI sees a negative figure due to costs incurred from our sampling program but CLV is strong at 107 percent. Section Two: Situation Analysis 2A. Depilatory Industry The depilatories industry in Singapore is a steadily growing one, experiencing a 4% growth in 2009 to reach almost $4 million in total sales. Razors and blades for women are the fastest growing depilatories followed by hair removal creams. Depilatories (or hair removal products that remove hair to the level of the skin) include razors, shavers, creams, bleaches and pre-shaves.Currently, international manufacturers Procter & Gamble (S) Pte Ltd and Reckitt Benckiser (S) Pte Ltd have found dominance in the Singapore depilatories market with their popular brands Gillette and Veet ®  ®. However, with the increasing awareness of epilators (or hair removal products that remove the entire hair from the root), many women in Singapore are also turning to these methods, including the use of wax strips, epilators and lasers. 2B. Com pany & Brand History Company background Veet ® was first launched under the brand name, Neet, in Canada in 1901.It was later bought by Reckitt Benckiser Pte Ltd in 1960 and has since been sold in nearly 200 countries worldwide. Reckitt Benckiser is a British global consumer goods company, making and marketing household, personal and healthcare products. The company’s strategy is to have a highly-focused portfolio concentrating on its 17 Powerbrands which contributes to 62% of its net revenues in 2008. Veet ®  ®, one of its 17 most profitable and recognised brands, has two major products, namely hair removal creams and wax strips. Target marketVeet ®  ®Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s current target market consists of young female professionals and students aged 16 – 35 who are cost-conscious and seek convenience. Some may even be apprehensive of pain. This includes both first-timers who are seeking but have not yet tried hair removal products and also existing users of alternative hair removal products such as shavers and epilators. 2C. Marketing Mix Adopted by Veet ®  ® Veet ® has used the following marketing mix to develop a strong brand recognition, as well as competing for leadership position in the depilatory industry. Product Veet ® promises smooth, glowing skin in just 3 minutes.The hair removal cream/gel works by using an active ingredient to dissolve the hair and the specially designed Perfect Touch spatula enables quick removal of the cream for a smooth and long-lasting finish. The wax strips removes the hair shaft from the root by the mechanical action of removing the strip from the skin, comes in a 20s box. Place Veet ® is mass-marketed to Health & Beauty stores (Watsons, Guardian and Unity) and supermarket chains (NTUC Fairprice, Cold Storage, Shop N Save, Carrefour and Giant). It is also available online via the supermarket chain’s online shopping service. PricePrices of Veet ® ranges from $8. 45 for a 100gram hair remover cre am to $17. 20 for a 150ml hair remover gel. The Veet  ® wax strips (20s) are priced at $12. 90. Promotion In 2007 and 2008, Veet ® organized the Miss Veet ® Standout Challenge which selected 10 finalists to compete for the crowning through their catwalk and Q&A skills where notable personalities including local bloggers were guest judges. Brand Characteristics * Brand image: The product with its use of soothing colours and graphics of nature communicates an image of natural well being which appeals to the brand’s core customers – women. Brand personality: Veet ® relates to the personality of elegant, sensual, graceful and beauty. * Brand equity: The 3 green leaves on the Veet ® logo and the use of floral graphics on the product elude a natural feel to users. 2D. Internal Analysis for Veet ®  ® Veet ® Strengths Strong brand presence in Singapore market Procter & Gamble (S) Pte Ltd that manufacture Gillette series of razor brands and Reckitt Benckiser (S) Pte Ltd that manufacture Veet ® are the dominance brands in the market. Consumers trusted the brands as they provided relative good hair removing results.Strong brand equity allows Veet ® s to use sales promotion to build competition barriers that deter consumers from using private labels. Veet ® removing cream has smoother result as compared to other razors and shavers Clearly, we know the numerous side effects of using razors and shavers. Firstly, cuts happen when blade movement is perpendicular to the blade’s cutting axis. Following on, shaving of hair has been know for causing Hirsutism, a condition in which shaving certain parts of the body hair will result in hair stubbles and accelerates process of hair growth, causing a greater density of hair.Razors and shavers manufacturers through the years have been innovating new razor design to mitigate the problems but are unable to eradicate the shaving aftermath. By using Veet ® remover cream, consumers avoid the ris k of razor cuts, while growth hairs become finer. Veet ® remover cream contains moisturizing content that allows users to remove and moisture their skin at the same time. Veet ® dominates market share for hair removal cream Referring to appendix 456, the depilatories environment in Singapore is mainly dominated by razors and shavers brand (portions highlighted in orange).Following 53. 3% of the market share dominated by razors and shavers brands, Veet ® covers the next prominent portion of the market share (33. 6%). This proves that the next preferred depilatories after shaving is removal cream and/or waxing strips; and this market is primarily dominated by Veet ® . In terms of intratype competition, Veet ® faces weak competition from its rivalry brands, namely Nair removal cream, Marzena wax strip and other smaller brands that are currently sold in supermarkets and personal hygiene stores.Veet ® ’s high market shares also correspond to the net worth of the brand viewed by retailers. This implies that Veet ® distribution network, more specifically retailers, are more willing to cooperate with Veet ® in its upcoming sale promotion – since Veet ® ’s promotion will increase stock turnovers for the retailers. Veet ® Weaknesses Potential target market low expectation about Veet ® performance As highlighted in pointer three (3), consumers are more incline to use razors and shavers as they place focus on convenience when choosing depilatories.Consumers associate Veet ® with inconvenience as they have to apply the removal cream on intended areas and wait for six (6) minutes before washing the chemical away. This lengthy process as compared to shaving tends to discourage consumers from buying them. However, Veet ® ’s previous advertising campaign attempted to change consumer’s belief about Veet ® being an inconvenient product. The advertising campaign also aimed to change consumer’s focus on convenie nce to place heavier importance on the results of hair removing. Wide deviation in user’s review about Veet ® performanceRaise of social media importance will affect potential consumer’s expectation towards a brand and ultimately, affecting the consumer’s decision to purchase the brand. As a consumer engages in information search, it demonstrates her engagement with the brand in the HEM model. A search through users’ reviews in social media review centre explain that there is a huge different between the users’ rating. Some users rated Veet ® one (1) star as the brand did not remove their body hair effectively and it causes red chemical burns.Fortunately the bad ratings are neutralized as other users rate Veet ® five (5) stars as they love the product for being simple and easy to use. More importantly they love the brand because it produces better hair removing result than razors and shavers while not leaving chemical irritation on their skin . The two vast differences in users rating thus imply that potential customers still have to rely on other forms of peripheral cues to evaluate their product choices. Sales promotion will help to attract a portion of this market where consumers eventually have to purchase and experience hair removal results by themselves. E. External Analysis for Veet ® Consumer Evaluation Primary Research Method A primary research was conducted through an online questionnaire (Appendix 1) with one hundred women aging between 16 year and 35 year old. Through the survey, it will help us to gain understanding about target market’s depilatory products usage behavior and motivation. Veet ® Opportunity Veet  ® has relatively high brand awareness (Appendix 2A) According to survey results, Veet  ® products have high brand awareness. Consumers are able to recognize the product category that Veet ® belongs.With the high brand awareness, this shows that advertising efforts are showing positiv e results in the market. Market Share between Razor Market and Veet  ® Market – On Par (Appendix 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E) Majority of Veet ® target market have already performed some form of hair removal procedure as they are image conscious and are concern about how others view them if they appear to be untidy. Currently 18% of our respondents have not engaged in hair removal procedure and a significant portion of this group would either consider or may not do hair removal in the next three to six months period.This highlights that our promotional campaign should not direct at this group of consumers, as sale promotion is unlikely to change a consumer’s behavior. More advertising instead of sale promotion should be engaged to encourage this group of consumer to start removing hair through Veet  ® products. With the remaining 82% of the market that has started removing body hair, we learnt that that is an equal market share between Razor products and hair removal cream pr oducts. As covered previously, Veet  ® is the leader in the hair removal cream industry; therefore we can assume that Veet ® has a market share of 34%.More than half of our respondents who are using razors mainly are very likely to try Veet ® given that there is an attractive sale promotion campaign. With a higher perceive value, there is high potential to convert a portion of the razor users instead of non-hair removal users, to start using / trying Veet ® products. Veet ® Threats Key Performance Factor: Convenience (Appendix 2F) Consumers today are leading increasingly hectic lifestyles and these cause them to regard convenience as the key factor when choosing depilatory products.Consequently razors and blades continued to remain popular among consumers commanding a combine market share of around 40 percent in 2009 with Gillette Venus leading the pack taking 75 percent of the razor market. In addition, as consumers become more sophisticated, they are turning to products that promised a cleaner shave and even opted for products with enhanced functions like moisturizing effect or catered to sensitive skin. This explains why consumers are trading up other depilatories for Veet ® air removal cream which sees it clinching the top position with nearly 34 percent of the depilatory market share. However, there is still a large part of consumers who are still unaware of the convenience in using Veet ® which is well reflected in our primary research. We saw that 70 percent of the surveyed razor users have never use Veet ® before and hence have no knowledge about its convenience. Strong Price Competition from other Razor Brands The relatively low price of the Bic Soleil Shimmer Clic compared to other brands saw the fastest growth in 2009.We attributed this trend to the slowing down of the economy last year. The treat is not high since the sophistication and affluence of consumers would invest in a more functional depilatory with the recovery of the econ omy. Summarized SWOT Analysis Below is a SWOT diagram summarizing Veet ®  ®Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s internal and external analysis: Section Three: Targeting, Positioning, Objectives Setting, Budgeting 3A. Key Marketing Problem From our situation analysis, it is clear that while there is high awareness level for Veet ® hair removal cream.Being a market leader in the depilatories, Veet ® has generated adequate awareness for its hair removing products. However, Veet ® must compete mainly with razor product brands such as Gillette. The main threat that is stopping Veet ®Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s growth is that target market do not perceive Veet ® as convenience as razors. There is a need for our campaign to address this misconception about Veet ®  ®, and to further strengthen Veet ® positioning with the product benefit that razor product cannot achieve- benefit such bladeless solution to stubble free skin.Overall, the management team of Veet ® wants to find out: â€Å"What should be changed abo ut the current marketing efforts to increase the sales of Veet ® hair removal cream? † In our research to help Veet ® in this management decision issue, we will be looking into the following marketing research problem: â€Å"How can Veet ® promote trial of its hair removal cream in the hair removing market through a promotional campaign? † 3B. Segmentation of the Women’s Depilatories market in Singapore This research segments the women’s depilatories market in Singapore using a behavioural segmentation base.We have divided the market into several segments according to the frequency of using razors and the frequency of using Veet ® hair removal cream, as seen in the perceptual map in Appendix 3. The different segments as follows: 1) The Bladers: Heavy razor users who have never used Veet ® hair removal cream before. 2) The Biased: Relatively heavy razor users who use Veet ® only on special occasions such as parties. 3) The Balancers/Switchers: U sers of both razors and Veet ® . These consumers have no loyalty to either method and switch easily. ) The Professionals: High frequency Veet ® users who use razors occasionally to ensure better hair removal effect 5) The Cavemen: Non-users of hair removal products. These are hairy ‘monsters’ who have never shaved and also includes those who are ‘hairless’ and do not need to shave. 6) The Un-conventional: Non-users of razors and Veet ® but who are users of other hair removal methods such as waxing and lasers. 7) The No Bleeders: Our Veet ® lovers. 3C. Our Target Market Out of the different segments, we have decided to select ‘The Bladers’ as our target market for Veet ® hair removal cream.This is primarily due to the relative ease of conversions of ‘The Bladers’ into users of Veet ® hair removal cream, as compared to ‘The Cavemen’ who are non-users of hair removal products. ‘The Bladers’ alread y have a desire to remove hair, whereas â€Å"The Cavemen† do not even see a need to remove hair. This was based on our survey results, where we found out that there is quite a low percentage, 18%, of non-users who are willing to use hair removal products in the first place (Appendix 2D).However, there is a much more optimistic percentage, 58%, of current users of shavers who are likely or very likely to try hair removal creams since they already have a desire to remove body hair (Appendix 2E). Moreover, the market size for current users of razors is 32. 8% (Appendix 2C) while that of current non-users of hair removal products is only 18% (Appendix 2B). With a larger market, there is a greater potential to tap upon in the current market for users of razors. In addition, we did a targeting specified by personification for ‘The Bladers’.This person would represent the typical non-Veet ® user whom we hope to convert into a Veet ® user. Her profile is seen below: * Name: Rachel Quek * Age: 27 * Occupation: Marketing Executive * Hobby: Loves shopping, online shopping, going to the beach, clubbing, social networking * Personality: Fun, image-conscious, highly regards others’ opinions on her appearance, has a fear for pain * Shopping behavior for personal product: Loves trying products before deciding to buy * Current hair removal method: Uses Gillette Venus because of convenience * Monthly expenses on personal grooming: $300 Time spent on personal grooming daily: 2 hours on weekdays, 3 hours on weekends * Dressing habits: Frequently in dresses and above-knee skirts 3D. Positioning Statement Our positioning statement is: For women in Singapore who currently shave, who now seek a painless, smoother & longer-lasting hair removing effect; Veet ® is a bladeless hair removal product that moisturizes your skin – a total beauty experience that no woman should miss out on. 3E. Objective SettingThere is already high awareness of Veet ® hair removal cream in the women’s depilatories market in Singapore, with 95% of the market being aware of it (Appendix 2A). Yet, only 27. 9% of the market uses it (Appendix 2C). Through the implementation of our one-year campaign, we hope to be able to see an increase in this market share as we move ‘The Bladers’ up the Hierarchy of Marketing Communication Effects (HEM) from the ‘Awareness’ to ‘Trial’ stage (Appendix 4). However, ‘The Bladers’ currently either have no expectations or have a bad expectation of Veet ® where they think that it is inconvenient to use (Appendix 2F).For those who have no expectations, we want to push them to try our product through samples, creating expectations of convenience and pushing them to eventually buy since they have the assurance from trying the product first hand. For those who have poor expectations of the product being inconvenient, we need to give them samples to change this att itude and also further push them to buy our product. We have thus established our campaign objectives below: 1) To see 40 percent of ‘The Bladers’ being exposed to our campaign 2)To have 40 percent coupon redemption among all who received our sample and coupon 3) To achieve 20 percent of our target segment purchasing our tie-in promotion 4) To see 30 percent of the ‘The Bladers’ joining our contest 5) To collect a consumer database from our couponing system for Veet ® ’s future promotional campaigns 3F. Budgeting We will be employing the objective and task method of budgeting so that we can clearly specific what role each component of the marcom campaign satisfy for the brand and set the budget accordingly.The overall campaign budget will comprise fully of promotional dollars. The rationale of this decision links back to our objective of moving ‘The Bladers’ up the HEM from awareness to trial and therefore a heavy focus on promotion wi ll be a better plan. We did not specifically allocated portion of the budget for media and public relation (PR) spending since they consist of only a small percentage of the budget. They are still present in the campaign but act as a support for the main promotional campaign. Therefore they will be accounted under the under the promotion budget instead.That explains a 100 percent allocation of the S$400,000 budget to promotion. Promotion Budget Breakdown We strongly believe that it is crucial for our target segment to test our product before they can move from being ‘aware’ to eventually product ‘trial’. To accomplish this objective, the majority of the promotion budget will be devoted to heavy sampling (50 percent of promotion budget or S$200,000). A self created event will constitute one of the channels for distributing our samples and it will cost us S$10,000. We would like to incentivize our consumers as well and therefore 7. percent or S$30,000 will be allocated to a couponing exercise which will overlay sampling. A tie-in promotion with a complementary product will follow so as to induce purchase and further incentivize our consumers. This component will be given S$50,000 of the promotion budget. An online contest will also be running throughout the campaign but due to the relatively low investment involved, it will be weighted at 1. 25 percent only. S$80,000 will also be budgeting for trade allowances for our partner retailer’s involvement in our full campaign as well as slotting allowances given for erecting our point-of-purchase (POP).Our POP will be given S$15,000 in the budget. The remainder of the promotion budget will be assigned to media and PR efforts to drive the promotional campaign. (Please refer to Appendix 5 for full budget allocation) Section Four: Our Promotional Campaign 4A: Allocation of efforts in the overall Integrated Marketing Communication Campaign Advertising – (1% effort) Through our situat ion analysis, we learnt that Veet ® has very high level of brand awareness, and this is mainly pushed by Veet ® advertising efforts.In addition, the target market has relatively little target consumers who have not started doing hair removing procedure, advertising investment will not be effective as the market coverage is significantly lower as compared to putting the investment in converting current razor users. Lastly, given our campaign objective of moving ‘The Bladders’ from brand awareness level to trial level, advertising will not be effective to move the target consumers into actions – by getting them to start trying Veet ® product.However, we will engage trade promotion tools by getting our partner retailer to advertise Veet ® sale promotion to its customers. Personal Selling and Public Relations – (1% effort) As Veet ® belongs to the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) product category, it would unwise for our campaign to invest in sales people to encourage consumers to purchase Veet ® products. Moreover, hair removal procedure is considered a private personal grooming process. Therefore it is difficult to involve ‘The Bladders’ in an open environment for a hair removal demonstration.Little investment will be put into public relations as majority of the target market are aware of Veet ® usage. Direct Marketing – (5% effort) In our campaign, we will be adopting mobile advertising. The customer database will be collected through consumer’s opt in option when they send a SMS (Short Message Service) to obtain a SMS coupon. With the customer details collected, we will direct advertising messages via mobile services in the subsequent promotion campaign. Sales Promotion – (90%) Majority of our investment and efforts will be invested on Sale Promotion.Sale promotion will be the center of our campaign with the remaining IMC tools acting as a supporting role to communicate about the sales promotion to ‘The Bladders’. As consumers have the perception that Veet ® product is not as convenience as razors, the campaign will focus on changing this misperception by allowing ‘The Bladders’ to personally experience Veet ® product. In addition, ‘The Bladders’ will experience the smoother hair removal effects (stubble free), this will help to strengthen Veet ® ’s positioning. Shaping user experiences will be done primarily through sampling.With user experience appropriately shaped, couponing exercise and attractive contest incentives will be used to spur ‘The bladders’ to start trying Veet ® product. With the understanding of how investment will be made in this campaign, following is our proposed promotional campaign for Veet ® . 4B: Our promotional campaign for Veet ® Overview of campaign Our promotional campaign will be primarily revolving around bringing across the mindset of Veet ® hair removal cream as one that is convenient coupled with a plus point of better hair removal results to our target group ‘The Bladers’.The entire promotional campaign duration will be 12 months, and staged in three phases: (i) Feeling the stubbles, (ii) Long-lasting smoothness and (iii) The Veet ® Contest. Phase 1: Feeling the Stubbles Objective: Expose ‘The Bladers’ to our campaign and drive word-of-mouth As we are targeting ‘The Bladers’ who are already experienced customers in the hair removing market, they will be less likely to take notice of the convenience and added benefits of Veet ® if it is done through the mass media channels like commercials, ads or any other imagery that is forced upon them.Thus in ‘Feeling the Stubbles’, we will seek to first roll out the promotional campaign in a subtle manner with heavy sampling also known as tryvertising, by conveying the intended messages based on their experience with our product and also conc urrently incorporate mobile couponing as a piggyback to that to have a best reach to our target group. Diagram 2: Sample & Couponing Sketch The sample we will be giving out is a 30ml Veet ® hair removal cream tube that comes with the brand’s signature perfect touch spatula and tied together with the tube is a double sided information card.On the front side of the information card, it is a surface full of protruded patterns that resemble the stubbles after shaving with a razor following a tagline of ‘Feeling the Stubbles? ’ And on the flipside, it will feature our tagline of ‘Stubbles-Free in 3 minutes’ following our couponing exercise. Diagram 3: Mobile Couponing Process The recipients of the sample will be required to text in to our number with their name and identification number for a mobile coupon.The mobile coupon will then entitle them to a 10 percent discount on a full sized Veet ® hair removal cream at any of the stores of our partner ret ailer and also a contest entry chance. Each mobile coupon will come with a uniquely coded two-dimensional Quick Response (QR) code for tracking the redemption levels and from the codes to track which the efficiency of the sampling mediums deployed. The retailer will be incentivized with every mobile coupon redeemed. Sampling MediumsIn this heavy sampling exercise, we will be distributing our samples through three sampling mediums namely digital media platform, collaborative events and through our partnering retailer. The three mediums are The Sample Store, Corporate Luncheon and in the stores of Watsons. The Sample Store (www. thesamplestore. sg) is a local platform that distributes product samples online. Since its launch in 2008 it has since built a huge database of members both on its website and facebook fansite and still growing its popularity as many recognize it as one that operates on unbiased reviews that are given by members.Members who redeem any samples will receive them via mail. Other than having our samples be placed on the site, we will also want to minimize or prevent any possible clutter of the many different brands and products on The Sample Store. We will be working with the team over there with three additional features. First, we will have our product featured in The Sample Store’s blog as a new sample which members will be able to access directly to this page or link through the main site.Currently the site’s blog maintenance team has an updates indicator of how recent is the blog updated for the ease of members to track new entries. On the blog entry, there will be a link for the readers to direct them to page to grab our sample. Hello Rachel Veet ® Hair Removal Cream Sponsored Link The Sample Store Blog The Sample Store product placement Secondly on the actual product placement page, we will also be having our product be featured in the section of ‘Sponsored Link’ to further minimize the brand and product c lutter in our sampling exercise.Be it on the main page of ‘Samples’ or when members scroll through the pages of samples, the ‘Sponsored Link’ function will come in handy as it is a permanent display on the top of every page that effectively maximizes the chance of reach and redemption. Thirdly, we will also put up a special request to have our product placement be strategically located beside Gillette or any other razor products so as to have a better chance in reaching our target group ‘The Bladers’.Veet ® Corporate Luncheon is a series of collaborative events with the National Skin Centre’s Health Talk aiming at bringing these talks to the premises of 48 companies. These series of lunch talks will be done in a form of registered events in which employees register with the human resources department and there will be a seat limit capped at 50 for each session. During each hourly session, there will be a 40 minutes skin talk by the Nat ional Skin Centre’s dermatologists.Following up will be a 20 minutes product talk and interactive demonstration session by Veet ® whereby the models for demonstration will be picked from the audience. Thereafter, the dermatologists will wrap up the entire talk by testing the skin hydration levels of the models after using Veet ® hair removal cream product. Lunch will also be catered to encourage participants of the talk to clear any doubts regarding Veet ® ’s products while handling out Veet ® ’s samples. Sampling @ Watsons is the main highlight of the three sampling exercises as it is a highly targeted sampling exercise in conjunction with the ones mentioned above.From our primary research it shows that when ‘The Bladers’ want to make any purchase regarding personal care products, Watsons will be their first choice. Thus, to be in line with that, we will be making Watsons our exclusive partner for distributing Veet ® ’s samples acr oss Watsons’ good scalability of 101 outlets islandwide. Also derived from our primary research, we found that there are some complementary products that the razor-users are most likely to use before, during or after shaving. Diagram 6: Determinants of scanner-delivered samplingWith this information, we have designed a scanner-delivered sampling exercise whereby once any of these 6 items (body lotion, tights, sunblock, deodorant, razors and shaving aids) is purchased, a Veet ® sample will be automatically be presented to the customer. To gain retailer’s agreement and cooperation, a heads-on competition with other razors and shaving aids companies will be eliminated by having these two items as an exception. Only with purchase of other items on top of razors and shaving aids, will the customer be entitled the Veet ® sample.In addition to the scanner-delivered sampling conducted, we will be purchasing retail spaces at Watsons to have a point-of-purchase display at th e storefront of Watsons’ outlets. This will allow us to cast a bigger net to reach and expose our target group ‘The Bladers’ to our campaign should they coincidentally fall out of the sampling determinants during our campaign period. Diagram 7: Point-of-Purchase Display The display will be in line with the sampling exercise, seeking to convey the message of convenience being ‘Stubbles-free in 3 minutes’.Wobblers will be attached to the fixture indicating information including the mobile couponing exercise and contest entry chance. The entire Phase 1 sampling exercise will be held in a 4 months period, with the exception of the featured article on The Sample Store’s blog which can be posted up for the entire campaign. Couponing and redemption exercises will be conducted for a 5 months period. Diagram 8: Phase 1‘Feeling the Stubbles’ timeline 4B. Phase 2: Long-lasting Smoothness Objective: Build brand associations of better hair rem oving effect and experience After exposing our target group to the campaign in Phase 1, Phase ‘Long-lasting Smoothness’ will seek to build brand associations of Veet ® as one that provides a the total hair removing effect and experience. To be in line with that, we will be partnering with Vaseline a brand that is known for its long heritage of body lotions and the effectiveness of hydrating skin, bringing a great boost to both brands when seen as complementary products. Together, we will be offering a tie-in promotion bundle which includes a 400ml Vaseline body lotion and 100ml Veet ® Hair Removal Cream.Diagram 9: Vaseline and Veet ® bundle Pricing of the bundle will be at $15. 90, strategically seeking it to be lower than a separate purchase of either items and also importantly be lower than that of a combined purchase of razors or razor refills and Vaseline body lotion altogether. Based on the respondents of Phase 1, we will be deploying a closed-loop marketing tactic whereby we will be sending text messages to the people who redeemed our coupon in Phase 1 to inform them of the tie-in promotion.Similar to the point-of purchase display in Phase 1, we will be purchasing retail spaces at Watsons to have a point-of-purchase display at the storefront of Watsons’ outlets in addition to the closed-loop marketing text messaging. This will allow us to cast a bigger net to build brand associations of a total hair removing effect and experience to our target group ‘The Bladers’ should they not be in time to redeem our coupons during our couponing period. The same point-of-purchase fixture will be used from the previous occasion to lower costs.Wobblers will be attached to the fixture will be changed now to indicating information Diagram 10:Bundle Point-of-Purchase Display including the 15 percent savings with the special bundle pricing drawing comparison with its usual price, reinforcement of a total experience of long-lasting smoo thness and a contest entry chance. Bundle packages will also be concurrently placed on Vaseline’s shelves. Cards regarding contest information will be slotted in the bundles. The entire Phase 2 tie-in promotion will be held in a 4 months period after the sampling and couponing exercise of Phase 1.Diagram 11: Phase 2‘Long-lasting Smoothness’ timeline 4C. Phase 3: The Veet ® Contest Objective: Drive trial and traffic to Veet ® Singapore Facebook page. Build brand excitement and buzz Phase 3 of the campaign will act as a overlay campaign to both Phase 1 and Phase 2. To effectively drive product trial and building brand excitement, a Veet ® Singapore Facebook fanpage will be set up as currently Veet ® do not have any adoption of social media locally. Diagram 12: Contest Card SketchWhen the recipients of the samples make a purchase using the mobile coupon in Phase 1, purchase a bundle in Phase 2 or making a regular purchase after the 2 phases, the retailer wil l be handing out contest cards for every purchase. On the flipside of the contest card, it will visibly tell recipients that they have won one chance to ‘The Veet ® Contest’ by entering the scratch code on the contest card on Veet ® Singapore’s Facebook fanpage. Every additional purchase will entitle them an additional chance in becoming the grand winners of the contest.Diagram 13: Veet ® Singapore Facebook fanpage In addition, by liking Veet ® ’s page will entitle the contest participants 5 more winning chances to the contest. The top 3 winners of the contest will walk away with a $500 Watsons Gift Vouchers each and there will also be 5 winners who will walk away with a year’s supply of Veet ® hair removal cream as consolation prizes. Such information will also be detailed on the Facebook fanpage. At the end of the entire contest, announcement of contest winners will also be conducted via the Facebook fanpage.Phase 3 will be held as a sup porting role in the entire 12 months period, concurrently with Phase 1 and 2. Diagram 14: Phase 3‘The Veet ® Contest’ timeline Section Five: Conclusion 5A. ROMI and CLV (Appendix 6) Retail price of Veet ® hair removal cream is at S$10. Our profit margin for the product is at 40 percent or S$4. We will take annual discount rate to be at 12 percent and this will translate to 1 percent monthly discount rate. We are looking at a three tiers conversion model with light users purchasing once in two months, medium users once a month and heavy users twice a month. 1. Phase 1The sampling exercise overlay with couponing will see an estimated 40 percent conversion rate in total out of the sample/coupon given out over the four months. Of the 12,500 potential converts per month, we will be looking at 4 percent becoming heavy users, 16 percent medium users and 80 percent light users. This will transit to a monthly profit of S$32,000 but a negative return of marketing investment ( ROMI) of 56 percent. However, we are projecting a relatively high constant retention rate of the converts at 90 percent for heavy users, 85 percent for medium users and 80 percent for light users.Therefore this will give us a positive customer lifetime value (CLV) of 106 percent. 2. Phase 2 Our tie-in promotion with a moisturizer brand will see a conversion rate of 20 percent. However we foresee that three-quarter of them will be those who used the coupon in Phase 1 and are returning customers. Therefore we are looking at 1,560 new converts per month from the tie-in promotion. Although we will have a negative ROMI of 53 percent in this phase, we will be looking at the same retention rate for all three conversion segment hence getting a positive CLV of 124 percent. . Phase 3 The Veet ® contest will run from the start to the end of the one year campaign and we are expecting purely new converts (not from Phase 1 and 2) only from those who picked up a contest form from our POP at our partner retailers. Since we foresee that a percentage of them would be purchasing for the contest, we lowered their retention rate to 80 percent, 60 percent and 40 percent for the heavy, medium and light converts respectively.Given that our main intention of the contest is to create hype for the campaign and rewarding the real converts who purchase through Phase 1 and 2, we are expecting to see only 310 converts per month which will transit to a slightly positive ROMI of 5. 3 percent and only 25 percent in CLV. 4. Overall The overall campaign will see a conversion of 14,730 users per month and a total of close to 60,000 converts throughout the full one year campaign. Although we will be getting a negative overall ROMI of 55 percent and a slightly high average acquisition cost of S$5. 74 we will be achieving a strong CLV of 107 percent. . Best and Worst Case The best case scenario will see us having 25 percent more conversions from Phase 1, 50 percent more from Phase 2 and Phase 3 an d this will increase the ROMI to -44 percent and CLV to 162 percent.As for the worst case scenario, it will be the reverse having 25 percent lesser in conversions for Phase 1 and 50 percent lesser for Phase 2 and 3 will see us having a negative CLV for both Phase 2 and 3 but an overall CLV of 66 percent. ROMI will stand at negative 64 percent. 5B. Evaluation of Campaign The success of our campaign will depend on meeting our pre-set objectives. To have 40 percent coupon redemption among all who received our sample and coupon * To collect a consumer database from our couponing system for Veet ® ’s future promotional campaigns We can easily track this by tabulating the number of request for the mobile coupons. As the distribution of the samples with the coupons are highly targeted at ‘The Bladers’, we can foresee near to 100 percent of the mobile coupon being redeemed by our target segment. As for the database, when our consumer sends in a message requesting for t he mobile coupon, we would locked in their numbers and consolidate it into a database.This database will be straightaway put to use in Phase 2 of our campaign where we will send them a message informing about the tie-in promotion being offered in our partner retailers. * To achieve 20 percent of our target segment purchasing our tie-in promotion * To see 30 percent of the ‘The Bladers’ joining our contest The numbers for these two objectives can be tracked when our target segment sign up for the contest. When entering the contest on Facebook, they will be asked a simple question regarding when they were first exposed to the product.If they choose either through the tie-in promotion or through the sample with coupon distributed, we would know that they are our target segment ‘The Bladders’. As the contest card comes with a unique code for entering into the contest, a consolidation of the unique codes keyed in for each Phase of the campaign will indicate to u s the number of our target segment who participated in the online contest. * To see 40 percent of ‘The Bladers’ being exposed to our campaign The number of samples given out, coupons redeem and contest details will give us a rough estimate to how many of our targeted segment was in face exposed to our campaign.Appendix Appendix 1: Questionnaire Done Through Online Medium S/N| | Options| 1| Have you heard about the brand Veet ®? | Yes No| 2| Veet ® is product that| ShampooBody WashHair Removal CreamHand LotionNail Protection CreamFeminine Wash | 3| In the last 12 months, have you done any hair removing procedures? | Yes (Go to Qns 5)No (Go to Qns 4)| 4| Will you consider starting removing body hair in the next 3 to 6 months time? | Yes NoMaybe| 5| Which of the following hair removing method do you use dominantly? Razor blade (Go to Qns 6)Hair removal cream Wax Strips (Go to Qns 6)Saloon (Go to Qns 6)Others (Pls Specify: ______________)| 6| What is your reason for usi ng the particular hair removing method? | (Open ended answer)| 7| Given an attractive promotion, would you consider using Veet ® to remove body hair in the next 3 to 12 months? | YesNo (Go to Qns 8)Maybe(Go to Qns 8)|8| What is your reason for not considering using Veet ® to remove body hair? | (Open ended answer)| About Yourselves| | Age| 11 – 1515- 2021 – 2526 – 3031 – 3536 – 4041 – 4546 – 5051 – 55| | Occupation| (Open ended answer)| Amount of time spent on personal grooming daily (Weekday)| | | Amount of time spent on personal grooming daily (Weekend)| | | Amount of money spent on personal grooming monthly| | | Where do you usually purchase personal grooming products? | NTUCGuidanceWatsonVenusProvision ShopsGiantShop and SaveThe Market PlaceOthers (Pls Specify:________________)| | What are some products that you would usually purchase with hair removal product? | (open ended answers)| Appendix 2: Descriptive Survey Resu lts (Important insights) – Total Number of Respondents: 30 Appendix 2A: Graph Showing Awareness Level of Veet Hair Removal Cream 1.Have you heard of Veet Hair Removal Cream? Appendix 2B: Graph Showing market doing hair removal 2. Have you done hair removal before? Appendix 2C: Graph Showing Type of Hair Removal Method Used by Women 3. (For the 82% of women who have removed hair before) which type of hair removal method do you use? Appendix 2D: Graph Showing Percentage of Non-Users on Whether They Will Ever Do Hair Removal 4. Do you think you will ever do hair removal in the next three to six months period? Appendix 2E: Graph Showing Percentage of Razor Users on Whether They Will Use Veet 5. For current razor users) Will you use try using Veet hair removal cream? Appendix 2F: Summary of Reasons of Current Razor Users for Not Wanting to Try Veet 6. (For those who are unlikely to try Veet hair removal cream in Q5) Why not? * Inconvenient (Most responses) * I am unsure of the eff ects of using cream * May not remove all the hair as effectively as razors * Using cream makes my skin dry * More expensive * I am used to using razors already Appendix 3: Segmentation Map of the Women’s Depilatories Market in SingaporeAppendix 4: Graph Showing How ‘The Bladers’ Will Move Up the Hierarchy of Marketing Communication Effects (HEM) Appendix 5: Budget Allocation Appendix 6: ROMI and CLV Bibliography Veet Hair Removal Cream Review, retrieved on 19 October 2010, retrieved from http://www. reviewcentre. com/reviews74276. html Veet Bladeless Razor Review, retrieved on 19 October 2010, retrieved from http://www. viewpoints. com/Veet-Rasera-Bladeless-Razor-reviews Depilatory Industry Overview in Singapore, Euromonitor International: Country Sector Briefting, June 2010, retrieved on 22 October 2010

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Complimentary and alternative medicine in nursing - Essay Example Most conventional teaching curriculums in nursing schools do not cover alternative and complementary. This creates a discord in the practice since nurses lack adequate information on the use of the various complementary and alternative medicine. The report, therefore, argues for the need for incorporation of the medicine in the curriculum to improve the productivity of nurses. Nurses are important people in the dispensation of health care services. Nurses handle patients and often give advice to patients either in the course of their treatment or during discharge. Patients rely on their nurses for a number of factors key among which is the decision of the type of medicine to use in the treatment of particular diseases. However, nurses learn how to use conventional medicine a feature that makes complementary and alternative medicine a contentious issue in the practice. The discord that arises in the existence of the two types of medicine thus makes it important for colleges and universities among other institutions that train nurses to expand their curriculum in order to equip nurses with holistic information that enhances their suitability in the practice. Complementary medicine just as the name suggests is a type of drug that works concurrently with the conventional drugs. While chemotherapy is the conventional mode of treating cancer, a patient may decide to use marijuana or may decide to go through acupuncture that alleviate anxiety and vomiting and nausea all of which are side effects of the process. Alternative medicines, on the other hand, are a non-conventional medicine that functions as the conventional medicine. The lack of such medicines in the curricula of nursing school is a fundamental policy issue in the modern society. As shown in the above example, some patients often consider marijuana as a complementary medicine. The fact that marijuana is illegal according to the federal government

Marketing product Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Marketing product - Essay Example The essay shall explore the various ways that S&H Distribution Ltd (shoes & heels) can employ to maximize its profits and gain a bigger market share. According to the UK Chartered Institution, Marketing is the management process, which identifies, anticipates and supplies customers’ requirements efficiently and effectively (Blick, 2010, 20). International marketing is the mix of these activities in the national boundaries. Firms branching into new markets should have marketing decisions. Notably, managers should consider four elements including how to identify, price, sell and distribute those products (Joshi, 2012, 41). These essential elements of international marketing are called marketing mix or the 4Ps. They include product, price, promotion, and place. Firstly, the product comprises the tangible and intangible features that meet consumers demand in diverse markets. Secondly, pricing develop policies that in revenue and strategically shape the competitive environment. Thirdly, promotion means devise ways to strength the desirability of the product or service to potential buyers. Fourthly, place is getting products and services into customers hands via transportation and merchandising. Marketing has evolved significantly over the years. What was once a simple concept to determine, explain and execute has now become an essential tool for any organization that wishes to become successful. Initially, there were the 4Ps, which included price, place, promotion and product. However, as the evolution of marketing continuous, several aspects have been incorporated into the marketing mix (Rama Moahana Rao, 2011, 162). They include physical evidence, processes, and processes. These extended elements represent the ever-changing factors that determine the marketing products. The changes in customer behavior and demographics also contribute to the addition of the 4Ps (Hougaard & Bjerre, 28). It is quite difficult to measure

The differences between Christianity and Buddhism Essay Example for Free

The differences between Christianity and Buddhism Essay Basic Belief Systems Buddhism is different from Christianity in many ways. The Christian founder, Jesus Christ was the Son of The Father, God, while the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama was a normal human being, who achieved enlightenment through meditation and later on was referred to as The Buddha(The Awakened). This brings us to the first major difference, the existence of the supernatural. While Buddhism does not completely reject the Hinduism Gods, it does not see them necessary. At the same time, Christianity has its one and only God, who comes in three faces, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. Christian meditations are also very different from Buddhism ones, while Christians have an open minded meditations, where the mind can wonder off freely, Buddhists have a closed ends meditations, in which there is only one goal to the meditation and your thoughts are limited to concentrate only on certain things. The perception of life differs very much in two religions. Buddhists state that Life Is Dukka, life is pain and suffering, while Christians treasure life in every way, and believe that life is the most important thing that God gave us. These are the major differences between the two religions belief systems. Main Rituals and Symbols While both religions use their own rituals and symbols, these are very different from each other. Christianity uses symbols such as the Crucifix, Icons, statues, etc, the Buddhism followers are more used to symbols like The Dharma wheel, The victory banner, The knot of eternity, The conch shell, The lotus, The vase, The fish and The umbrella, which are The Eight Auspicious Signs. Christians usually use these signs during their ceremonies and processions, while Buddhists apply the signs in their life, or during meditation and study. The Christian rituals include the celebration of Christmas, Easter, Sunday Masses and other similar rituals and ceremonies, and Buddhists have their rituals too. They include Offering of Light, Offering of Flowers and Offering of Incense. All these offerings are presented to Buddhas statues to show that people still follow his teachings. This would be strictly prohibited by any real Christian religion,  as it involves creating idols, and is prohibited by the Bibles Ten Commandments. Chanting verses on the Buddhas Teachings is believed to give protection to those who listen to them., which is different from Christian chanting which is only used in Masses and are simply used to praise The Lord, All-mighty. Sacred Texts The sacred texts of Buddhism and Christianity do not have much in common. The Christian main book, the Bible consists of passages and chapters written before and after Jesus death. It consists of two main parts, the Old Testament, and the New Testament. The Buddhists sacred text is called the Pali Canon, which consists of three groups of discourses, called the Tripitaka, which consists of Sutra saying of Buddha, Vinya discipline of the brotherhood and Abidharma a set of creeds based on essential teachings. The canon includes poetry and prose, Buddhas conversations with others and myths about the life of Buddha. While the Bible teaches us the words of God, the teachings of Christ, talks about the Afterlife and Creation, The Pali Canon simply talks about Buddhas life, what he did, his thoughts, and reminds me more of a Biography, rather then a sacred text of a religion. There are other sacred texts including stories, myths and teachings of Buddhas disciples, but those are not considered as major and important as the Pali Canon. Christianity concentrates on The Bible more then any other minor sacred texts, while Buddhism considers all the minor texts as important as each other. The Christian Religion answers all the lifes fundamental questions. If you search within Christianity, you will be able to find answers to questions like what is the meaning of life and how the world was created and why and is there life after death? Buddhism does not give these answers, it concentrates more on self-perfection of the soul and achieving awakening, only then one can understand the mysteries of the universe, but not many can achieve this, while in Christianity all and everyone is able to find answers to these questions. Christians believe that God created the world, he created hell and heaven, the two places where a human soul will spend its  afterlife. Some believe that the meaning of life is for God to decide whether a person was good or bad and where will he end up, some think its is simply to help others during our lives. While no-one knows the right answer to these fundamental questions for sure, we may speculate or try to understand the Bible more closely to fin d the answers we seek. The main difference between Buddhism and Christianity in these questions is that Buddhists believe in reincarnation, where a humans soul will be reborn in a different body after death, and this process is only stopped by reaching Nirvana, a stage of complete enlightenment. Christians however believe that after death, the human soul will travel and be judged and either sent to Heaven, closer to God, or Hell, where Satan is. It is believed that Buddha achieved Nirvana, and therefore will not be reborn again, although some believe that Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of Buddha, but their numbers are few. The teachings of Buddha help Buddhists understand their purpose in life, to achieve Nirvana, enlightenment. This is achieved through deep meditation and self control, including self-denial. Meditation performs an important role in achieving Nirvana. Buddhist monks sometimes go and spend years living by themselves and meditating for most of their time, believing that such deep devotion will help them reach enlightenment and perfection. Some strive to become Buddha themselves, this is achievable through attaining enlightenment on their own, without the help of anyone else. This is considered the highest stage of awakening, and these Buddha are then allowed to go and teach others, and become spiritual leaders. It is obvious that both religions help individuals to answer lifes fundamental questions, and one cannot say for sure, which one helps more or is more right, everyone chooses for themselves, but Christianity is closer to me, and that is the path I choose to walk upon.

Emily Dickinson Publication As Auction English Literature Essay

Emily Dickinson Publication As Auction English Literature Essay One question that confounds readers of Emily Dickinsons poetry is why she was so reluctant to have her work known in her lifetime. Not even her family knew, until after her death, the extent of Dickinsons writing, that she had left behind 1,775 poems. Publication-is the Auction, poem #709, provides some insight into Dickinsons thinking. She compares publication to an Auction / Of the Mind of Man (1-2), and not even poverty truly justifies it. To sell what has been given you and is only yours while you are on Earth is like reducing the Human Spirit / To Disgrace of Price (15-16). In this poem, Dickinson equates the publication of poems to the selling of her self. Not publishing, then, is a form of self-preservation. When Dickinson writes in #709-Publication-is the Auction that it is better to avoid so foul a thing (4) and instead go White-Unto the White Creator (7), she compares her writing to Snow (8). She lets the reader know that publication represents a sullying of the Snow, a disgrace to what is divine and God-given (from the White Creator, who is himself pure). It is not only divinity contained in the poems, she argues, but also the Human Spirit (15). Although these are compelling reasons to guard against any adulteration of her work, these are not the only reasons Dickinson gives for not pursuing publication and the fame that (she feared?) might follow. In #1659-Fame is a fickle food, she compares fame to an overly rich and ultimately unwholesome meal. Here, as often in Dickinsons poems, the birds are possessed of a knowledge that human beings do not have. The birds look at the crumbs of fame and Flap past it to the / Farmers Corn- / Men eat of it and die (8-10). Those birds are a stand-i n for the poet, their song and her song, even their ironic caw, much her own. But Fame is a fickle food also speaks to a fear that fame would be transitory if it came at all. In poem #1763, quoted immediately below in its entirety, she states succinctly: Fame is a bee. / It has a song- / It has a sting- / Ah, too, it has a wing. It seems her emotions here are moving somewhere between longing and fear. And so the pull between publication (and the fame she seemed to believe would come with it) and the realization of her work on her own terms remained a preoccupation. As she recounted to T. W. Higginson (Dickinsons friend and adviser, he was the editor of the Atlantic Monthly), there were the occasional calls from editors who wished to publish her work. She wrote and told him: Two editors of journals came to my fathers house this winter, and asked me for my mind, and when I asked them why they said I was penurious, and they would use it for the world (405). The world that the editors would use it for, however, was not the world that most concerned Dickinson. The ambition in her to go beyond the concerns of this world, to even, perhaps, achieve a fame beyond this world, is but one of the more fascinating aspects of her. The power of this woman, whose life appears so circumscribed, who could say, I feel the presence of that within me, unseen, yet indescribably mighty, that can comprehe nd worlds systems of worlds yet cannot comprehend itself (241), is to be wondered at. is why it is odd to find a critic who would imagine that Dickinson possessed power in abundance but she confined it to the speaker of her verse (Bennett 43), so clearly does her power exhibit itself in all she does. Her originality caused William Dean Howells to welcome Dickinson as a distinctive addition to the literature of the world (Benfey 40). Emily Dickinson would not sell the substance of herself, her words. To her, her gift was greater than gold. When the world was ready for Dickinson the poet, it found her.

Code-switching and the use of different varieties of English in blogs in a multilingual context

Code-switching and the use of different varieties of English in blogs in a multilingual context Abstract This project paper attempts to rationalize the reasons as to why code-switching and different varieties of English are used in blogs among young adults who are proficient in the language. The varieties that were found in all 6 case study blogs differ very much in style and form, ranging anywhere from colloquial to formal, or written in grammatically correct English to simple use of the language along with mild to heavy code-switching. Three important questions were raised and answered in the paper, namely i) what are the varieties of languages used in the blogs? ii) to what extent does the code-switching take place (e.g. word, sentence level)? and iii) what are the reasons for the occurrences of the code-switching? 1. Introduction â€Å"The accent of ones birthplace lingers in the mind and in the heart as it does in ones speech† Rochefoucauld, Maximes, 342 Blogs are currently a growing trend, especially among the younger generation who are technologically savvy. Maintaining a blog is almost a norm and to some people, something that they cannot live without. Many of these youngsters regard blogs as their means of expressing their sense of independence and individualism. It is their private world a place where they are able to speak their mind without anyone questioning them (disregarding instances of comments being left by readers). However, just like the writers themselves who are different from one another, the language varieties that are used in these blogs differ very much in style and form, reflecting the writers individuality. The language can range from being colloquial to formal, or in cases where the writers are multilingual, display instances of heavy code-switching. These reasons for code-switching could range from trying to create a sense of importance about a certain topic or individual, to simply wanting to reflect ones individualism and background by using certain expressions that are intended to exclude or include certain speech communities. For example, a blog written in the Malayalam language is meant only for readers who are able to read and write in the language, and thus not for the purpose of general viewing. This study attempts to examine the use of code-switching in certain Malaysian blogs and examine the possible reasons for code-switching by individuals who are proficient in English. 2. Literature Review Haugen (1953, p.7) defines bilingualism as a phenomenon where â€Å"the speaker of one language can produce complete meaningful utterances in the other language†. As highlighted in Hakuta (1986), Mackey (1967) has also claimed that â€Å"bilingualism, far from being exceptional, is a problem which affects the majority of the worlds population† (p.11). This is a statement that I do not fully agree on, because bilingualism should not be considered a problem, but more a reflection of rapid globalization and an increasingly borderless world. Hakuta (1986, p.10) also explains that â€Å"the story of bilingualism is in part about the changing perspectives of social scientists, changes that occur not only as a function of trends in the profession but as a function of trends in society as a whole†. This is something quite relevant to the topic of bilingualism as it has a lot to do with the changing perspectives of society and how it really functions as a trend. In Paradiss (Ed.) (1978), it is claimed that â€Å"†¦since the role of individual idiosyncratic factors seems to be an important aspect of code-switching, in that among groups of approximately equal bilingual abilities, some code-switch more than others, a complete determination of the sufficient conditions for code-switching probably lies beyond the reach of behavioral sciences†. Paradis (1978) also further stated that â€Å"within a given linguistic community, there appears to be no single set of norms that determines how often, within a single sentence, languages may shifted, nor how many words or syllables must intervene between switches†. This is very true if bilingual communities such as within the Malaysian context are observed, where most of the people are multilingual and code-switching is an almost sub-conscious part of their lives. Dopke (1992), claims that â€Å"[c]ode-switching can arise as a result of changes to the participants in a conversation, the setting, the discourse type or the topic or by the speakers need to emphasize or clarify a point, to attract or retain the attention of the listener, to quote someone else or to simply exclude or include specific audiences†. For example, Pillai (2008) shows that code-switching in this context is related to the concept of power and solidarity, and reflects ones identity within a community. Adler (1977, p.154), points out that if a person were to learn â€Å"a language in his home country, and learns it well, he will be affected by it to some extent†. Adler (1977, p.154) further adds that â€Å"he will have to absorb at least part of the culture of the society whose language he learnsspeaking the language with natives will not only perfect his knowledge but he will also change [code-switch] more than would be the case otherwise†. This is due to the influence of other languages in his environment which affects his primary language. This theory would be used as the theoretical framework in the analysis of data from the case study blogs used for this project paper. In a study on the use of Tagalog-English in blogs written by Filipino bloggers, Smedley (2006) summarized that â€Å"†¦switching is not merely a product of how speakers attend to the orderly production of conversation, but also a product of how they attend to the inherent heteroglossic nature of language and exploit their linguistic repertoire maximally to make their communication as effective as possible, and to construct and negotiate multiple identities†. This is proven when an individual code-switch to further elaborate and explicate meanings through communication with others around them, for example when using certain terms or phrases unique to a certain vernacular language in a predominantly English conversation. This is an underlying premise of which I will attempt to examine in this study. Pillai (2008) also points out that switching can be at the micro level of accent switching in the Malaysian context where speakers do not change language variety but put on a different ethnic accent to reflect ones identity within a community i.e. to be included in various speech communities. It is also pointed out by Ibrahim (2005, cited in Pillai 2008) that there exists a â€Å"desire to use our own brand of English to construct a sense of belonging and identity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ; and â€Å"†¦to emphasize solidarity or otherwise, and to communicate a particular stance or emotion†. This is another underlying premise regarding code-switching that this study attemps to explore. Similarly, Lipski (2008) discusses the sense of identity as seen within the context of code-switching and bilingualism. This study will be based on the two assumptions. The first is the assumption by Adler (1977, p.154), that if a person were to learn â€Å"a language in his home country, and learns it well, he will be affected by it to some extent†. Adler further adds that â€Å"He will have to absorb at least part of the culture of the society whose language he learnsspeaking the language with natives will not only perfect his knowledge but he will also change [code-switch] more than would be the case otherwise†. The second would be a hypotheses by Smedley (2006) where he claims that â€Å"†¦switching is not merely a product of how speakers attend to the orderly production of conversation, but also a product of how they attend to the inherent heteroglossic nature of language and exploit their linguistic repertoire maximally to make their communication as effective as possible, and to construct and negotiate multiple identities†. 3. Aim This research aims to examine the extent of code-switching in blogs written by individuals who are proficient in the English Language, and to determine the possible reasons for code-switching. In relation to these aims, the research questions that are addressed by this study are as follows: 1. What are the varieties of languages used in the blogs? 2. To what extent does the code-switching take place (e.g. word, sentence level)? 3. What are the reasons for the occurrences of the code-switching? 4. Methodology In order to obtain the relevant data for this research paper, six (6) blogs were chosen three blogs each from writers of the two major ethnic groups in Malaysia, namely Chinese and Malays. The writers of all six blogs that were chosen are first, second and third year English major students from the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya. The main reason as to why only English major students were chosen is because they are proficient in the language, and thus would provide interesting data which may provide answers to the research questions raised. All six blogs were analyzed to examine the varieties of languages used, and the extent to which they were used as well as the reasons for the code-switching. The analysis was done based on two levels; i) intra-language (variations within English) code-switching at word and sentence level and ii) inter-language code-switching at word and sentence level. 5. Findings Discussion For this research, only data (blog entries) from the months of July to December 2008 were looked at and analysed. This is so that the data acquired is not too broad or too general, instead pointing out specific details which would help in the analysis of data. Three blogs by Malay bloggers and another three blogs by Chinese bloggers were studied and used as data. 5.1 Intra-language code-switching at word level †¦I wus lyk, black out . This sentence is quite interesting as it is made up of a few different varieties of English. The word â€Å"wus† is actually â€Å"was†, and this method of spelling and pronunciation is used mainly in African American Vernacular English speech. The word â€Å"lyk†, which is actually a short form of â€Å"like†, is used primarily in non-standard American English speech, where the word is inserted in the middle of sentences usually before a verb to describe ones emotional state or reaction. notice anything kewl~ today on my page The term â€Å"kewl† here is actually a differed spelling for â€Å"cool†, used usually in teenagers and young adults jargon. The term, in this context, brings about the meaning of â€Å"different and/or interesting or good†. The pronunciation for the word is as its written form. I fucking hate my fucking life . In this sentence from one of the bloggers entries, the curse word â€Å"fucking† is used twice to further illustrate her anger and frustration. This syntactical formation is generally considered non-standard in addition to being offensive or taboo. However, many youngsters these days use this term very freely and it is accepted among the youth today. So Ill say, screw you . Similarly, the phrase â€Å"screw you† is considered non-standard, although not as offensive as the earlier example. This phrase has a few attached meanings to it including â€Å"fuck you† and â€Å"to hell with you†. n btw, its from mahatma gandhi . In this sentence, the blogger uses the term â€Å"btw† which is an acronym for the phrase â€Å"by the way†. This acronym is non-standard English and is used only in written form. In addition to that, â€Å"n† is used in replacement of the more standard â€Å"And†, although it is not usually used at the beginning of a formal sentence. And the prick just went on . Although the blogger uses a generally informal variety of written English, she does code-switch to a non-standard term in between her words the use of the term â€Å"prick†, for example, is considered offensive and taboo in most cases. Here, it is used mainly to illustrate her frustration and anger. 5.2 Intra-language code-switching at sentence level I terribly hearts you . This is a unique way of youngsters nowadays to express their love or liking for something, usually towards non-animate objects, as seen here where the blogger expresses her liking for a TV programme. This style of writing is not accepted in Standard English; however it is so in modern teenagers jargon. What the heck . The phrase highlighted here is a very informal utterance which is used to simply demonstrate ones annoyance. This sentence is generally considered non-standard and is usually used to show exasperation or displeasure towards something, as seen in the example above. Oh no-ness . This phrase is considered ungrammatical in addition to being non-standard. Although for the most part the blogger uses standard and grammatically accepted written English, she chooses to switch to a less grammatical sentence structure, in this case most probably for the purpose of emphasizing her disappointment. 5.3 Inter-language code-switching at word level Nenek belanja all 8 of us to watch the movie . Here, the blogger code-switches from English to Malay to draw attention to the fact that her grandmother (whom she refers to as â€Å"Nenek† a result of her hailing from a Malay culture background) had treated all eight of her siblings and family members to a movie. This is an interesting feature as many people in Malaysia, regardless of their age, race and English proficiency level, use the term â€Å"belanja† quite often to replace the English equivalent â€Å"treated†. It is the main reason as to why the term, like many others akin to it, has a very Malaysian flavour to it. even my abah had forgotten that it was my bday ! Similarly, another blogger from a Malay culture background used the term â€Å"abah† to refer to her father. She does not use the English terms â€Å"father† (formal) or â€Å"dad† (informal), but chooses instead to keep the term she uses to call him â€Å"abah†. As seen in the examples here, words or phrases referring to kinship terms are generally maintained in written form. This can be due to the habit or familiarity with the concept (family members) which makes it easier to refer to them with the names as per given and called. Whatever la . The term â€Å"la† is a very typical Colloquial Malaysian English discourse particle which is used primarily used at the end or beginning of a sentence, though occasionally they are inserted in the middle of sentences. Influenced by the Malay languages â€Å"-lah† suffix, it is commonly used in English conversations for various reasons, such as to create a sense of Malaysian-ism for an individual or to alter the meaning or tone of a sentence (to stress a point, persuade, show an acceptance of an offer, show agreement or admittance, or to soften a brusque reply). plus, pray to Allah that those who r responsible for th death wil accept th biggest punishment in th world . In the sentence above, the blogger refers to God as â€Å"Allah†. This is due to her cultural background i.e. being a Muslim. Usually, Muslims tend to refer to God as â€Å"Allah† because that is the term used to refer to God in the Muslim holy book, the Al-Quran. Many Muslims grow up having to learn and read the book, as well as go for religious classes; all of which influences each and every one of them in terms used to refer to religious matters including the name for God. maybe theres hikmah in all of this . Here, the blogger uses the term â€Å"hikmah† to bring about the meaning of â€Å"silver lining†. The Malay language term was chosen and used most probably because of the cultural background (being a Malay) of the blogger herself, where this term is used more often as compared to the English language equivalent. In addition to that, the Malay term is preferred most probably due to the meaning it produces the English translation of the term does not fully explain and carry the meaning of the term as compared to Malay. First attempt to insert a new stick†¦patah . Here the blogger code-switches from English to Malay in one of her entries. This term is widely used in the Malay language, as well as Colloquial Malaysian English where it is used to mean anything that is â€Å"broken†. In the context of this entry, the blogger uses the term to refer to her ruined hand fan. wae-yo saranghae-yo!! This particular blogger code-switches from English to Korean in one of the entries. Although she is not Korean by heritage, she is interested in Korean culture and this is proven by her statement â€Å"i guess some of you already know of my fondness for all things Korean e.g. dramas, songs, actors, singers, food etc. therefore i wont say much.† Due to the nature of the topic discussed in this particular entry (related to the Korean culture, specifically music), the blogger chooses to code-switch between English and Korean, although only at word level, most probably because she is not proficient in the language. †¦listen to my plead of untaggin moi . This particular blogger as seen here, code-switches from English to French. There is no apparent reason as to why she code-switches in this context, although it can be deduced that she has had some kind of exposure to the French language to be able to code-switch freely. In addition to that, she might have chosen to code-switch in this context to create more emphasis on herself. Im trying to earn money to pay for my cravings for oyster mee suah . The blogger code-switches from English to Chinese in this particular entry, where the term â€Å"mee suah† is used, used to refer to a popular dish among the Chinese community. Due to the inexistence of the term in English, the blogger chooses to use the Chinese term to illustrate the concept. However, only people whom are familiar with the Chinese language and/or dishes would be able to relate and fully comprehend the bloggers thoughts and points. Uncle, please hor . In this sentence, the blogger inserts a Chinese discourse particle in an English phrase. The insertion of this term is to indicate a mode or sense of sarcasm as well as emphasis, where in this context the blogger is being sarcastic to a Chinese cab driver who was very rude to her. I busy ma . This particular blogger inserts the Chinese discourse particle â€Å"ma† at the end of her sentence. It is slot in at the end to stress her point, as well as a reminder to others that she was busy at the referred point in time. Stupidnya The suffix â€Å"-nya† from the Malay language is used very commonly among Malaysians of all race and cultural background not just when using Malay but also English. Here, the suffix is inserted alongside English words (usually adjectives, as seen in the example above). This is frequently done to put emphasis on the state of something or someone at a certain point of time. The usage of this suffix, in addition to other examples, tends to create a truly Malaysian feeling as only Malaysians tend to use the â€Å"-nya† suffix in this unique manner. 5.4 Inter-language code-switching at sentence level Habis cerita . As seen here, the blogger ends her primarily English language entry with this Malay utterance. In the context of this entry, the blogger used this phrase in substitution of â€Å"None of this would have happened† or â€Å"Problem solved†. This popular Malay phrase is used quite commonly among Malaysians to create a meaning close to â€Å"Not having so many problems†. The blogger probably chose to use the Malay phrase not only because she is Malay, but because the English equivalent to the phrase may not provide the exact intended meaning as compared to the Malay phrase. Soy Estudiante de Espana ! This particular blogger starts off her entry in Spanish, but continues in English, further explaining that she would be sitting for her Spanish examination later on that morning, which clarifies the reason as to why she code-switches from English to Spanish in this particular entry. Tiap-tiap hari lepas habis buka puasa mesti kemas rumah . For this particular entry, the blogger starts off in Malay and continues her post in English. Here it may be because of the nature of the situation itself where the practice of â€Å"Buka Puasa† is a Malay/Islamic culture, so the writer chooses to express this statement in the Malay language to make her point, as the custom of â€Å"Buka Puasa† is somewhat related to â€Å"kemas rumah† i.e. cleaning the house in preparation for the Hari Raya celebrations. aku tak tau knape†¦. aku sgt curious nk tau wether†¦ Although this blog is primarily written in English, this particular entry was in Malay with a few English words inserted here and there. The main reason as to why this entry was written in the Malay language is most probably due to the nature of the topic discussed in the entry: related to religion. Islam is almost always associated with the Malay language because the religion itself is taught in Malay, with translations of Arab phrases and terms into Malay. Thus, when one talks about matters relating to Islam, the use of Malay is, more of than not, preferred even by individuals who are generally proficient in the English language. Tidur, makan, TV, mahjong . This particular blogger does not code-switch as often as compared to the other five bloggers, except on certain occasions only. In this entry the blogger code-switches form English to Malay, albeit for one sentence only. She most probably did this to emphasize the activities that she had been busy with i.e. sleeping, eating, watching TV and playing ‘mahjong (a board game popular among the Chinese) all of which are forms of relaxation, which is something that is quite often regarded as being part of truly Malaysian. 6. Conclusion â€Å"Along with physical appearance and cultural characteristics, language is part of what distinguishes one nation from another† Finegan, Edward (2004) The varieties of English used in all six blogs range anywhere from standard to non-standard or colloquial, as well as grammatical to ungrammatical. In addition to that, other languages are also used alongside English in various entries of all the blogs. These languages include Chinese, Malay, Korean, French and Spanish. The code-switching that takes place in these blogs are not only at word level but also at the sentence level. In some instances, whole entries are in a different language altogether, with a few English words inserted in between lines. There are many reasons as to why code-switching occur in all the blogs researched. In some instances, it may be due to the individual trying to draw attention to something significant regarding certain matters. Here, when a person attempts to emphasize something that is regarded important and needs to be highlighted, code-switching happens either from English to the individuals mother tongue or in certain cases, from English to a foreign language(s). Another reason is as to why code-switching occurs in these blogs is the desire of an individual to stand out among many others. In this case, a person may use certain expressions and phrases which automatically include or exclude selected speech communities. These expressions and phrases may be within English itself where an individual may switch form a certain variety of English to another, or between a dominant language (English, in this context) to another. It is interesting to point out that all the blogs chosen for the purpose of this research were written by individuals who are quite proficient in English. This in mind, one would assume that the possible code-switching that might take place would not be as extensive as what is seen here. However this notion was proven wrong, as most individuals are affected by other languages existing around them in one way or another. In a multilingual context such as in Malaysia, it is clear that the assumption by Adler (1977, p.154) that when one learns â€Å"a language in his home country, and learns it well, he will be affected by it to some extent†. Case in point where the blogs that were analysed all had numerous instances of code-switching from English to ones mother tongue (Chinese and Malay). Here, it is apparent that ones cultural background affects ones speech not only verbally but also in written from. Smedleys (2006) claim where he argues that â€Å"†¦switching is not merely a product of how speakers attend to the orderly production of conversation, but also a product of how they attend to the inherent heteroglossic nature of language and exploit their linguistic repertoire maximally to make their communication as effective as possible, and to construct and negotiate multiple identities† is also proven right in this research. When an individual attempts to make a point clear or highlight a certain matter in argument, code-switching occurs. Knowledge of more than one language helps one to bring out the intended meaning of something during an argument, where it is presumed that with the use of more than one language, meanings can be emphasized and made clear. As a result, communication is made more effective. Smedley (2006) also claims that code-switching also occurs due to the desire of an individual â€Å"to construct and negotiate multiple identities†. 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