Development through life stages Essay Example for Free

Development through life stages Essay Discuss the nature-nurture debate in relation to the development of the individual (M1) Evaluate how nature and nurture may affect the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development of two stages of the development of the individual (D1). Nature can be loosely defined as genetic inheritance or the genetic makeup (the information encoded in your genes) which a person inherits from both parents at the time of conception and carries throughout life. Several things in an individual genetically inherits include; ranging from gender, eye colour, risks for certain diseases and exceptional talents to height. The concept of nature thus refers to biologically inherited tendencies and abilities that people have and which may get revealed later on as they grow up. Nurture can be defined as the different environmental factors to which a person is subjected from birth to death. There are many environmental factors. They include both physical environments and social environments. Some theorists believe that people behave as they do according to genetic predispositions or even because of ‘animal instincts.’ This is known as the ‘nature’ theory of human behaviour. Other theorists believe that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. This is known as the ‘nurture’ theory of human behaviour. (www.yourenglishlessons.wordpress.com) Nature refers to the inherited (genetic) characteristics and tendencies that influence development. Some inherited characteristics appear in virtually everyone. All children have a set of universal human genes that, when coupled with a reasonable environment, permit them to develop as reasonably capable members of the human species. Inherited characteristics and tendencies are not always evident at birth. Many physical features emerge gradually through the process of maturation, the genetically guided changes that occur over the course of development. Environmental support, and responsive care from others, is necessary for maturation to take place. Children’s experiences in the environment affect all aspects of their being, for example the health of their bodies or the curiosity of their minds. Nurture affects children’s development in many ways. With good environmental support, children thrive. Unfortunately, the conditions of nurture are not always nurturing. For example, children who grow up in an abusive family must look outside the family for stable, affectionate care. It is known that your genetics determine what you will look like and even your height. However your height  and looks can be changed if a person doesn’t eat properly or are in an accident. People can become anorexic, obese, anaemic etc. And all of these can affect how a person looks and their height. If a child is malnourished then this can cause their growth to deteriorate and they may develop problems like rickets. By looking at adoption studies it is shown that identical twins share similar intelligence whether they are brought up together or not. With this data we can make an argument that genetics has a greater influence in the intelligence of identical twins as well as the environment. Your IQ which is determined by your genes can also be af fected by the environment around an individual. If a person has not got as good school opportunities as another person with the same determined IQ, if they perhaps cannot go to a good as school as them or if their teachers are not as good as the other then they’re IQ will not be as developed as the other person which means that nurture also plays a part in a person’s IQ. (www.boundless.com) However in recent years there has been a growing realization that the question of â€Å"how much† behaviour is due to heredity and â€Å"how much† to environment may itself be the wrong question. Take intelligence as an example. Like almost all types of human behaviour it is a complex, many-sided phenomenon which reveals itself (or not!) in a great variety of ways. The â€Å"how much† question assumes that the variables can all be expressed numerically and that the issue can be resolved in a quantitative manner. The reality is that nature and culture interact in a host of qualitatively different ways. (McLeod 2007) Nature vs. nurture could refer to really intelligent people. One reason given for their being so gifted at learning and acquiring information might be that its in their genes. They have really intelligent parents; a high IQ i.e. their genetic makeup has enabled them to be intelligent. And likewise, you might argue the opposite for very unintelligent pe ople. (Nature) Whereas some people might argue that its how that person is raised. The child’s parents gave him all kinds of means to learn with, or encouraged his education from an early age, etc. The ‘less intelligent’ child’s parents, on the other hand, kicked him outside all day, kept him from school, called him stupid, etc. (Nurture) In my opinion, both nature and nurture have an effect on the development of an individual. Having read both sides, I personally believe that indeed nature does have a significant impact on the holistic development of the  individual. In my opinion, our personalities are related to our genetics. I have a very similar temperament to my father, which supports my view. My sister on the other hand, has a temperament which is very similar to my mum’s. Also, I believe that our intelligence is genetically driven. Some people are naturally more intelligent than others and this cannot be disputed. Of course, nurture with regards to intelligence and personality is also important. If a child experiences a lack of support with their education, they may not perform to the best of their ability. With that being said however, the level of support that the child receives does not actually alter their natural ability. Also, an individual may suffer a negative experience in their upbringing. This may result in their development being ‘altered’ or ‘different.’ Peer pressure also exists and therefore we must consider all of these extra factors regarding the development of individuals. Researchers have uncovered convincing links between parenting styles and the effects these styles have on children. During the early 1960’s, psychologist Diana Baumrind conducted a study on more than 100 preschool-age children (Baumrid, D. (1967) child-care practices anteceding three patterns of preschool behaviour. Genetic psychology monographs, 75, 43-88). Using naturalistic observation, parental interviews and other research methods, she identified four important dimensions of parenting; disciplinary strategies, warmth and nurturance, communication styles and expectations of maturity and control. Based on these dimensions, Baumrind suggested that the majority of parents display one of three different parenting styles. Further research by Maccoby also suggested the addition of a fourth parenting style (Maccoby, E.E. (1992). The role of parents in the socialization of children: An historical overview. Developmental psychology, 28, 1006-1017) The four parenting styles are: Authoritarian parenting: in this style of parenting, children are expected to follow the strict rules established by the parents. Failure to follow such rules usually results in punishment. Authoritarian parents fail to explain the reasoning behind these rules. If asked to explain, the parent might simply reply, ‘because I said so.’ These parents have high demands, but are not responsive to their children. Authoritarian parenting styles generally  lead to children who are obedient and proficient, but they rank lower happiness, social competence and self-esteem. Authoritative parenting: like authoritarian parents, those with an authoritative parenting style establish rules and guidelines that their children are expected to follow. However, this parenting style is much more democratic. Authoritative parents are responsive to their children and willing to listen to questions. When children fail to meet the expectations, the parents are more nurturing and forgiving rather than punishing. Authoritative parenting styles tend to result in children who are happy, capable and successful (Maccoby, 1992.) Permissive parenting: permissive parents, sometimes referred to as indulgent parents, have very few demands to make of their children. These parents rarely discipline their children because they have relatively low expectations of maturity and self-control. According to Baumrind, permissive parents ‘’are more responsive than they are demanding. They are non-traditional and lenient, do not require mature behaviour, allow considerable self-regulation, and avoid confrontation’’ (1991). Permissive parents are generally nurturing and communicative with their children, often taking on the status of a friend more than that of a parent. Permissive parenting often results in children who rank low in happiness and self-regulation. These children are more likely to experience problems with authority and tend to perform poorly in school. Uninvolved parenting: An uninvolved parenting style is characterized by few demands, low responsiveness and little communication. While these parents fulfil the child’s basic needs, they are generally detached from their child’s life. In extreme cases, these parents may even reject or neglect the needs of their children. Uninvolved parenting styles rank lowest across all life domains. These children tend to lack self-control, have low self-esteem and are less competent than their peers. It is extremely important for a parent to demonstrate good parenting skills. How parents interact with their child affects their development in a significant way. How a child is brought up could affect the child’s social skills, they could turn out to be too shy, suffer anxiety, get nervous around people or even become mute depending on their situations at home. If a child is bought up in a home with violence, they could grow up thinking that it is the normal thing to do. Similarly, if a child is brought up in a very stable and loving household, this could  enable them to be happier and enjoy life more and this could also help bring out their personality and feelings. I believe that this suggests that a person’s personality does take an effect on how they deal with their environmental surroundings and the person that they will grow to become. Nurture can significantly impact an adult’s emotional and social development. If someone was treated badly as a child, this may reflect on their personality and behaviour as an adult. The individual may be withdrawn and depressed. This could be caused by the negative experiences they had in their childhood. Also, if an adult is obese it may be as a result of nurture. If a child is brought up being allowed to eat nothing but junk food, they will consider this type of eating as ‘normal’. As a result of this, nurture has a significant impact on the physical development of a child and indeed an adult, with regards to obesity. We could argue however, that obesity is genetic and that is where nature is to blame. In a study that included more than 5,000 identical and non-identical twin pairs, researchers found heredity to be a much bigger predictor of childhood obesity than lifestyle. They concluded that three-quarters of a childs risk for becoming overweight is due to genetic influences, while just under a quarter of risk can be attributed to environmen t. Either way, both nature and nurture can have an impact on the physical development of an individual. (www.webmd.co.uk) I believe that if a child has grown up in a ‘rough area’ then it will be more likely that they might get into trouble with the police, in school etc. This may be because they have seen older children or maybe even adults do something they shouldn’t and this influences them to do the same. Drink and drugs may influence antisocial behaviour. If antisocial behaviour is seen as normal you may end up repeating the cycle. However, it is the parent’s responsibility to make sure that their child is safe. Therefore, I believe that environmental factors can change how a child behaves depending for example on where they live and what kind of people they are exposed to. I personally do not believe there is a correct answer to this debate. There is no way to prove how much influence each has in forming who we are, so we have to rely on logic and researc h that has been conducted regarding the issue. But each side has different interpretations of what evidence is available. I do believe however, that both nature and nurture play a significant part in our personal development but I believe  that they are equally as important, there is no ‘better’ theory. I believe that you are born with certain genetic traits and predispositions which influence how you react to your environment. Your environment shapes the person you are because it presents you with choices, challenges, and opportunities. Your genetic traits provide you with strengths and weaknesses. It is how you utilize those strengths to overcome the challenges, and take advantage of the opportunities, and of course the choices that you make that ultimately make you who you are. How does nature/nurture affect the development of Miya at 5 years old? Nature has a significant impact on the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development of Miya. During this stage of childhood, Miya will be going through a p eriod of growth. Miya’s physical development will be determined by her genes and this cannot be controlled. Growth is pre-determined by nature and therefore, it cannot be changed or stopped. Nurture also has a significant impact on Miya’s holistic development during this stage of her life. Parenting has a huge impact on her intellectual, emotional and social development. If Miya is fed a lot of junk food by her parents, then nurture would be responsible for her becoming overweight. Unless Miya is genetically programmed to become overweight, this would be at the fault of her parents for allowing her to eat too many unhealthy foods, and not providing her with a balanced diet. Also, nurture will impact significantly on Miya’s intellectual development. If she is encouraged to complete her homework e.g. by doing reading or simple maths with her parents, Miya will benefit intellectually. Also, if Miya’s parents did not take the time to do these activities with Miya her intellectual development may negatively be affected by nurture. In terms of emotional and social developmen t, nurture is significantly important at this stage of Miya’s life. If Miya is shown love, she will feel emotionally secure and accepted by her parents. Miya will be able to trust her parents and will expect affection and love from others if she is used to getting that at home. On the other hand however, if Miya experiences abuse from her parents, this can have devastating consequences on her emotional and social development both at this stage in her life and in the future. If Miya experiences abuse, she may have problems trusting people and this could continue on to her adulthood. How does nature/nurture affect the development of Miya at 14 years old? Nature/ Nurture have a  significant impact on Miya’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social development during this stage of the lifespan. In terms of her physical development, Miya will be going through puberty during this stage of her life. Puberty is controlled by nature. Puberty is genetically programmed, Miya cannot change that puberty will happen as it is determined by nature; the individual cannot change that it will eventually occur. Nature also affects Miya’s intellectual development. Miya will have a specific IQ which will determine her natural intelligence. Of course, through nurture, Miya can make the most of her IQ e.g. by encouragement to study, parents providing resources etc. but, her IQ cannot actually be changed as it is determined by nature. Miya’s IQ will be developed by nature, but it will be supported through the nurture she receives in her life. For example, by her parents and teachers supporting her to achieve her best possible outcomes in school. Nurture will have a major impact on the emotional and social development of Miya. During this time, peer pressure and the influence of her friends will be huge. As a result of peer pressure, Miya may engage in activities that she otherwise may not have considered (drinking, drugs etc.) With regards to her development, this may have a negative impact as Miya will most likely not be truly happy with the decisions she makes. The internet and social media will also have a significant impact on the development of Miya both socially and emotionally. Facebook will be a very important part of Miya’s life as she will want to keep in contact with friends by using this social networking site. If Miya uses Facebook correctly, it could be a positive experience. However, sometimes Facebook can result in bullying which could negatively impact on her social and emotional development at this point in her life. Nurture can also have an impact on the type of friends Miya may have. If Miya’s parents are strict, they may choose who she is allowed to/ not allowed to be friends with. This will affect Miya’s emotional and social development. If Miya is not allowed to socialise with certain people, she may become upset with the decisions her parents have made for her. Miya may rebel against her parents if she feels she hasn’t got enough freedom. If her parents are too strict, she may withdraw from talking to them as she might feel they will ‘judge’ her. As a result of this, Miya may not discuss concerns/worries she has and this could have a very negative impact on her emotional development. On the other hand  however, if Miya’s parents set reasonable boundaries the relationship may be better. Miya may feel more comfortable talking to her parents if they are not too strict. Also, Miya may be happier socially too. If she is allowed to socialise with who she wants, she will not feel the need to rebel against the restrictions that her parents create. References: McLeod, S. A. (2007). Nature Nurture in Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html (accessed 17/11/14) https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/intelligence-11/measuring-intelligence-62/genetic-and-environmental-impacts-on-intelligence-243-12778/) (accessed 19/11/14) http://yourenglishlessons.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/nature-vs-nurture-are-we-really-born-that-way/ (accessed 19/11/14) http://www.webmd.co.uk/children/news/20080211/nature-trumps-nurture-in-child-obesity (accessed 24/11/14)

Chevrolet brand analysis

Chevrolet brand analysis Arguably, some have continuously emphasized that Chevrolet might not have probably been started in the United States of America, but given its associated innovative linkage with the American giant car-making company General Motors. Although evidence has shown that his involvement in the auto manufacturing was very brief, Louis Chevrolet a Swiss-born, car race driver and also as entrepreneur, has practically lends his name to the millions of Chevrolet customers. Louis Chevrolet is said to be born in a town called La Chaux-de-Fondson, in Switzerland in the year 1878. As young as he was then, the man called Chevrolet had always had a strong passion for anything in automotive and was part of the good reasons that made him to excel in his auto mechanic work. Precisely in the year 1899, Chevrolet got a job to work for a car manufacturing company in Darracq, it was in this job that Chevrolet thoroughly got his automotive education specifically in the area of combustion engine. This interest ing job was seen as the opportunity that gave Chevrolet enough money that assisted him in immigrating to the North America. There in New York, the energetic humble man continued his experience in the automobile workshops in New York and also started to race many Buick cars. During this racing career, Chevrolet met William Durant, the known founder of the General Motors. After this unification, both Chevrolet and Durant formed the Chevrolet Motor Car firm, specifically in the year 1911. But this relationship wasnt long enough due to their individual creative differences. Notably in these differences is that Chevrolet was quoted as wanting to specialize in the high-end luxurious cars, but Durant on his own part wanted to continue his style of producing affordable cars that the common people could afford. After this discrepancy couldnt be resolved, Chevrolet ad to eventually sell his own interest and shares in the Chevrolet company to Durant in the year 1913. Notable among the brands that Chevrolet offered to its customers are the pickup trucks, midsized Bel Air, truck based vehicle for Suburban passengers, panel vans, Camaro, Impala and Malibu, etc. Below is a picture of one of the earliest Chevrolet cars: 2.0 Executive Summary This case analysis practically presents a detailed and comprehensive look at operations of Chevrolet brands, specifically the Daewoo GM brands on their European brand policies, market analysis and the internal and external core competencies. A glance at the coming reports shows that the case analysis is divided into five (5) sections, with the first section talking about the marketing situational analysis of Chevrolet Daewoo Europe brands, starting with brief introduction of GM and Chevrolet alliances. Internal and external analyzes of Chevrolets current situational analysis and its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Section two talked about the identification and definition of currents problems as it affects Daewoo European brand and the likely impact that this Midas group could positive have on it. Section three concentrates on the generation of alternative solutions that could help in solving the problem. Section four is more on the evaluative procedures of the newl y generated alternatives. Section Five spoke on the recommendations from the Midas group and how they have successfully arrived at those alternative recommendations. Section six is on implementations procedures and the basic requirements for successful implementations. Section seven conclude and gave a brief description of the case study reports. Importantly, under the core competence explanations this case study critically describe those competence strategy that Daewoo Europe possesses, its value chain analysis in Europe and the combined SWOT analysis that will assist in creating the needed essential strategic policy recommendations that will positively positioned GM Chevrolet and Daewoo Europe in this vise global competitions. In presenting these core strengths, necessary examples were given as they relate to GM, Chevrolet and Daewoo European markets ad competitors strengths. To better achieved the desired results; the Midas group primarily concentrate on areas on improvements in product development and related technology and engineering processes that might influence Daewoo brands image in Europe. However, the abilities that could helped the Midas brand team to achieving the corporate target that was given to them includes but not limited to the threats and some crippling internal product weaknesses that arise from competitive costs that requires GM strategic attention. The team realized that GM needs to reposition itself as the company that has global innovative strength to compete with its competitors. Especially in Europe the team realized that Daewoo brands have continually been plagued with many issues including ranging from lack of internal cost control and managements shortsighted strategies. To effectively reactivate this, part of the teams suggestion is that GM Chevrolet brands in Europe need to close the existing gap that is between the reliabi lity of its products perception and its actual market innovations and quality for its vehicles. The company was advised to involve all its staffs to be more dedicated on products excellence in every units of its operations rather than involving in a slow and bureaucratic type of decision making. Finally, the identified that Chevrolet Europe need to critically redefined its concentration on issues that affects its Europe markets core competencies and how it could be repositioned to suit General Motors Corporation Global strategies, this they believe will ensures that Chevrolet Europe and GM in general will remain a very viable and good contender in this ever changing automobile industry. 3.0 Situational Analysis 3.1 External environmental analysis 3.1.1 General environmental analysis In this case, Europe is the largest passenger car producer in the world. Of the 42 million passenger cars produced worldwide in 2003, 41 percent were produced in Europe. Western Europe alone accounted for 36 percent of worldwide passenger car production. Europe is also the global leader in new passenger car registrations, representing 43 percent of all new passenger car registrations worldwide. (Exhibit 1) 3.1.2 Industry Analysis The European passenger car industry distribute Five Western Europe countries-Germany, the UK, Italy, France, and Spain-recorded about 74 percent of new European passenger car registrations in 2003. New passenger car registrations in 2003 increased 0.6 percent over 2002. This increase followed two consecutive years of declining new car registrations. Total new passenger car registrations in Europe in 2003 were 4.4 percent lower than 2000 registrations. Industry analysts in Europe were forecasting a 1 to 2 percent annual increase in new car registrations for 2004 and 2005. (Exhibit 1) 3.1.3 Market Analysis From this case, as we know, the Europe passenger car market is highly competitive. Some 20 automakers offer more than 50 brands in over 200 models. Eight automakers are prominent in Europe: the Volkswagen Group, the Peugeot Group, Renault, Ford, GM, Fiat Group, DaimlerChrysler, and BMW. These automakers commanded 83.9 percent of new passenger car unit sales in 2003. Nine brands marketed by these eight automakers accounted for 69.2 percent of new passenger car unit sales in 2003. The European passenger car market is typically described by car size and body type. Small cars( including microvans and compacts) have an interior volume under 3.12 cubic meters and are referred to as city cars or small family cats. Medium-size cars have an interior volume between 3.12 and 3.40 cubic meters and are called large family cars. Executive cars are defined as a passenger car larger than a large family car, but not SUV. Small cars accounted for 34.2 percent and medium-size cars accounted for 46.1 percent of annual new passenger car registrations across Europe in 2003 with only modest differences between countries in Western and Central Europe. In general, European passenger car buyers tend to perceive automakers and brands on the basis of national origin and manufacture. The largest European automakers have strong national identifications. To German-based companies, German brands stand for quality and technology. To France-based companies, French brands stand for innovation and comfort. To Italian-based companies, Italian brands stand for style, but suspect quality. As a further generalization, European automakers brands evidence prominent market shares in the countries for which they are strong identified. Finally, European car buyers also have distinct perceptions of cars and service based on continent of origin, namely, Europe, America, and Asia. (Exhibit 3) 4.0 Internal Environment Analysis 4.1 Evaluation of the Mission and Evaluation of the Objectives In this case study, the brand strategy manager Barbara Riibel was charged with the responsibility of convening a group called the Project Midas marketing group mainly in the early part of year 2004. The primary purpose of this group gathering together was to brainstorm and craft out a strategic positioning state ­ment on how to positively position the Chevrolet brands in Europe. Very important is that this marketing team has to engage this task without changing the existing Daewoo GM product lines, Daewoo model characteristics, existing GM retail prices, European dealer practices, or the existing distribution channels. This Midas marketing group has to specifically design for Chevrolet a new saleable brand positioning strategy upon which the European market could be expanded. Importantly, the current Daewoo brand positioning in Europe has been confirmed as having a unique situation and tactical challenges that demand urgent response. Doing this will require this team to strategically think on how to re-specify the current Daewoo brand positing without having to ordinarily change or halt the existing product lines. They are required to carry on with the existing product models, and also maintain the same types of dealers with their current operating policies and practices. Meanwhile, based on the current news from European car industry, Daewoo markets and consumers insights research have been left unattended to for a long duration prior to the initiation of this Project Midas team. Finally, the primary task of the Midas team is to create strategies that will resonate the European car buyers; and put in place policies and strategies that will complement the known General Motors global image through its multi-brand portfolios in the mind of European buyers; and finally to implement branding strategies that will assist the Daewoo Europe to be consistent with the global perceptions of GM and in particular the Chevrolet brands. 4.2 Evaluation of the Functional Areas Europe is the second largest global regional market for GM Corporation after North America. About one-fifth of total company unit sales are derived from Europe. GM in Europe reported net sales and revenues of U.S. $27.5 billion in 2003 compared to U.S. $23.9 billion in 2002. Financial stability returned to the brand in late 2002 following the formation of GM Daewoo Auto Technology and GM Daewoo Europe. Unit sales increased to 132,200 passenger cars in 2003. A sizeable portion of this sales gain came from southeast European countries. In this case, the GM Corporation has three main passenger car brands; they were Opel/Vauxhall, Saab, and GM Daewoo. Opel/Vauxhall accounted for 87.1 percent of GM Europe unit sales in 2003. This brand is sold in 30 European countries (the Vauxhall brand is sold exclusively in the UK) and features 16 models in the small, compact, and medium-size car segments. Saab registered 4.5 percent of GM Europe unit sales in 2003. The Saab brand is sold in 33 European countries and features two models in the medium-size car segment. GM Daewoo represented 8 percent of GM Europe unit sales in 2003. This brand is sold in 32 European countries and features six models, five in the small/compact car segment and one in the medium-size car segment. Chevrolet Human Resources department campaign and they realized that there are succeeding in cutting bureaucracy and problem-solving on the spot because they tried to incorporate 7,000 Go Fast workshops, savings of $500+ million. Chevrolet wins the award for general excellence in Workforce Management Optimums in 2004 they campaign in order to turn managers into strategic partners. The centralization that cut across GM give room for talented people in organization to rise to the top 180% they also double the number of women at the top 450 they introduced globally standard training program. 4.3 Evaluation of Marketing Strategies The Chevrolet brand was virtually unknown among European car buyers in early 2004. Research in Europe indicated that less than 1 percent of European car buyers were aware of the Chevrolet brand name and bowtie logo. From this case, we can see the European passenger car market is traditionally segmented on the basis of car owner social status and value orientation across national boundaries. The traditional blue collar segments include skilled blue-collar workers who are flexible in their brand selection and willing to spend money on cars. This segment represents 12 percent of car owners. The GM Chevrolet brand is identified with the smaller lower middle class in this segment. Because Chevrolet is new brand to European people, so, it target market is lower middle class. 4.3.1 Product Development Strategies The product development was Successful in engineering from decentralized structures with eleven (11) different engineering centers in US to formed one globally integrated products development organization. The On Star pioneering dramatically developed two new technologies in 2009 with pilot program, MapQuest and the On Star Stolen Vehicle Slowdown Service. 4.3.2 Pricing Strategies In this case, we can see the Chevrolet brand implement low price policy. For example, the Matiz car price from 8,000 to 10,300 and car type of Kalos price from 10,000 to 12,500. However, the Chevrolet brand car quality is not very good. The customer satisfaction was given more concentration in 2006 and this is done increasing the campaign of dealer customer service satisfaction. 2. In 2008 Chevrolet attained to the second of top 3 spots in J.D. Power survey on customer satisfaction related to dealership work, the Chevrolet attained these honor of all 8 brands above industry average. 4.3.3 SWOT ANALYSIS Strength The GM Chevrolet has a large scale in its company operations which primarily includes its over 21,000 General Motorss dealerships worldwide. Its current growing businesses especially in Latin America and Asia Pacific regions are very high and profitable. These among many other strengths formed the basis upon which it practically benchmarked its quality and cost improvements processes via outsourcing with those companies that are highly skillful in those processes. Only in 2006 Chevrolet recorded an increased of about 25% of the parts that were used in its US assembled cars parts came from the overseas plants. Very good among the company that Chevrolet associated with was Cerberus, a relationship that eventually leads to better improvements for Chevrolets operations. Chevrolets value pricing strategy, a policy that involves eliminating those frequent incentives program that were used in the past also generate high profit improvement through cost reductions. Chevrolet radical policies in its products development processes also assisted it in better recognitions. Importantly, only in 2007 it spent $8.1B for research and development, manufacturing and redesigning engineering, products development engineering, designs and other developmental activities. Record also shows that Chevrolet recorded the highest in the annual car productivity improvements among all the automakers between 1999 and 2004 making it the fourth largest producers of cars in the world. Chevrolet associations with the noble On Star communications, an automotive industrys leader in telemetric provisions and the control of electronic stability was also another huge success for the GM brands. The appoint of new management teams has also helped Chevrolet and GM in general to be able to establish new strategies that uplifts it organizational culture and better source of funding. Chevrolet ability to rise in the credit ratings of GMAC was also a big plus that has positively uplifted its global image. Chevrolet and GM management policies of depending on only one globally based budgeting and decision making processes has strategically assisted in its ability to long term operational efficiency. The stability in Chevrolet could also be attributed to the companys policy of solely depending on US engineering companies. Its ability in forming strategic alliance with companies such as Daewoo, Fiat, SAIC, Isuzu, Suzuki, Saab, and the AvtoVaz, has tremendously lead to the high education it got on global entrances. Last but not the least is that GM brands were able to strongly captured the majority of US market share. Weakness Decreasing in the value of market share was a major issue that Daewoo brands was facing in Europe as at 2004, eventually eroding its sales to a ground level of about 23% loss in market share. Due to this continuous loss in market shares, Daewoo eventually increase the level of debts that was hanging on GM brands. This issue of debts is outside the problems that are arising from the resale values that accrue to Daewoo from rents of fleets, and other corporation usage. Similarly while the company was trying to increase its incentive programs, it noticed its market perceived value greatly depressed. Other cost related issues that faced the company includes sudden increase in staffs health care cost and retirees benefits claims. Its Europe work force was also at the verge of Ageing in population. Some of the internal causes are not even that major, but what about issues of poor quality performances of Daewoo products in Europe markets. These quality performance problems led to the recall s of many cars, further declining the companys financial performance. Many experts including Midas team also argued on issues arising from pricing strategies, unwarranted vertical integrations that was implemented by the company due to the managements abuse of government assistance and over attachment to bureaucratic culture. Opportunity Most among the many opportunities that GM brands got includes the recent increase in the demand by consumers for the modern electric, hybrid or hydrogen cars that are produced with cells. The potential markets for the new products are estimated to be about 4.5M units that will be purchased in the year 2013. The recent increase in its level of technological development of cars as also put GM brands over its major competitors. GMs ability in utilizing viable global designs through its dynamic engineers that have been putting their talents together has helped the company in reducing its brands lifecycles and achieving lower costs with higher qualities. Also GM has started a new policy of engaging in new individual products brand positioning strategies that will help it in distinguishing its most known eight vibrant brands globally. The company has also started building new opportunities via a strong positive consumer confidence in the brands by expanding its markets to the most profitab le emerging markets globally. It has also started forming strategic alliances with best companies On-Star system, Apple or Google etc. Recently the global corporate management of GM have also announces its decisions to produce new types of model styles in its series of brands. This they said is prior to the knowledge that they got from joint ventures that they did with Toyota. Threats The unending increases in the prices of raw materials and transportation costs between 2007 till date have serious negative impact on GMs ability to expand its operations. The effects of the global financial crisis have also led to the decline in customer demands for GM products. The continuous increase in pension debts and the sudden decline in infrastructural spending by the USA economy have also negative impact of the future development of Daewoo Europe, Chevrolet and overall brands of GM. The recent in global increase in other countries currency valuation against the US dollars has led to serious high cost of exportation, and if not properly managed, this may further jeopardize the company future hope. The existence of foreign firms like Toyota, Peugeot, etc that are manufacturing in the United States and in Canada potentially threatens the future survival of GM brands. Major GM competitors like Toyota and Honda is said to have a better perceived value in terms of reputation in better product qualities if compared with GM brands. Some recent legal suits against GM brands also threaten its current positive images around the world. Complains against the Chinese producers lack of the required intellectual property rights as astringed by government and its major competitors is a major concern for the GM management. The need to probably eliminate some of its fleets due to recent increase in environmental requirements is another major future concern for the management of GM. The legislation and regulations by the US Federal law makers on emission standards are also major issues of concern for the GM management to urgently attend to. Below is exhibit 11 that aptly captured the SWOT analysis of Daewoo Europe: 5.0 Identification of Problem/Opportunities Evidence from the automobile industry has shown that despite the overwhelming large scale levels of operations that the GM Company has, still the company is said to have series of many areas of concerns which required immediate attention for it to be able to sustain its long and short term values for its customers, stakeholders and the shareholders. Very important is that in 1999 the known Daewoo Motor group of Companies was declared as being bankruptcy mainly because of its heavy debt that has burden its capability. Over the next two years, the company lost its momentum in Europe as well as other markets. Financial difficulties and an inconsistent marketing strat ­egy across Europe eroded unit sales in 2001 and 2002. Product issues remained in the development and quality arena while its car prices had increased. No significant marketing initiatives had been undertaken and brand advertising was limited. According to one General Motors executive at the time, GM Daewoos image is still the seller of cheap imported products. We need to focus on the strengths of the brand and avoid selling on price. This loss is the result of poor product quality, lack of consumer appeal, lag in alternative fuel technologies, inefficient plant production, and a saturation of similar car models amongst their brands. Due to these factors, consumer perception has plagued the companys sales, resulting in a steady decrease in market share across all platforms. 6.0 Development of Strategic Alternatives A critical analyzes of the case study reports revealed that the reports primarily explored what specific potentials that the GM Daewoo customers might probably want from any type of car brands. The findings revealed that GM Daewoo European customers mainly want a reliable brand that will go out of its know culture and bring for them a product that is very distinctive in quality, value and durability. In such all what the EU Daewoo customers want is reliability of a brand. Their major concern for this is that they generally believe that as car buyers they have their independent rights in expecting the best from a brand that they will buy with their hard earned income. What mainly forms this notion is that the potential customers of GM Daewoo are anticipating a brand that would deceive or stereotype perceptions. Rather, what they want is a type of brands that would positively embrace and engage their individual desire and personal expressions for the brands. GM Daewoo Positioning Study: Based on the outcomes of the Midas team that was headed by Barbara Riibel, who happen to be the brand strategy manager for EU markets. The Midas group conducted their study with 35 consumer they called the focus groups in five major European countries. Under this heading, they have six positioning strategies and concepts to be tested. These concept terms includes Smart, Easy, Honest, Peoples Car, Spontaneous and the Challenger. For each of these concept terms, the Midas team identified some target insights, the attached emotional benefits, the expected functional benefits, and the expected brand attitude. For visual perusal of the outcomes of their findings, below is Exhibit 12 which noted the strengths and the weaknesses of each strategy. However, the Midas team strongly suggested that the Chevrolet Daewoo Europe company should emphatically adopt the Challenger concept as its first choice. Next to the Challenger strategy is the Smart as the second choice . Although this case analysis shows that no action was eventually taken on the outcomes of the teams findings because of issues surrounding brand conversions from the GM Daewoo to that of Chevrolet Daewoo. 7.0 Evaluations of the Strategic Alternatives From this case, as we know, one of the Chevrolet main plans is product reliability; this involved the consumer perception and production facilities. All products throughout GM indicate a quality assurance problem and it lack quality control systems. almost half of GMs models are said to be below average in reliability. This research recommends that Chevrolet should continue to expand on its successful, Go Fast internal campaign that kills the slow, bureaucratic process which were disclose as a fundamental weakness in the SWOT analysis. Therefore, the GoFast program is a single designed introduce to fix a problem on the spot to be able to destroyed future meetings. In March 2004, Chevrolet recovers savings of over $500 million from the implementation of GoFast. Research shows that Chevrolet is know for a history of cars leaving their plants with unaddressed problems in order to reduce the number of reported defects. There are series of report like inadequate seatbelts, faulty brakes a nd missing bolts. Recent there is a lawsuit; this involved downgraded report on vehicles since 2005. Chevrolet tried to introduce a kind of more quality check points in the production with an open platform for the employee to show their concerns and make ensure each vehicle produced is flawless. The consumer have more interest in residual value when they buy a car or when leasing it out and it most be noted that American cars have not go to the level of top ten for Kelly Blue Book resale value in many years. Chevrolet posted lower resale values for some years because of its overproducing of vehicles to gain market share. By so doing, less attention was given to high quantity instead its builds high quality small vehicles, in order words inefficient SUVs. Was opposed, in 2007 only one out of the Chevrolet company car received a reliable rating, this was published by consumer Reports. And also the Chevrolet cars were rated two lowest reliable cars. The Chevrolet cars was demanded to reduce, so the company car was devalue and they have to sells many cars to rental fleets, and this further undermined the GM vehicles resale value. Chevrolet further continue to reduces the cars prices by given high discounts, this problem destroyed on the face of their customer and also tarnished customer perception and affect resale value. The Japanese that are automakers and the leaders in reliability ratings, the Chevrolet should used the strengths of these Japanese companies to form a competitive parity and competitive advantage. The fuel-efficient vehicles are a reliable segment of the automotive market reported by the Consumer Report tests. The Hybrid and high MPG models these includes Honda Fit, Smart ForTwo Scion xD,and Toyota Yaris all these cars was able to earned above average predicted reliability rating. Chevrolet strategies a way to introduce or develop more fuel-efficient vehicles, that will bring back or encourage the consumer perception of its product reliability. This research recommend that Chevrolet should do something to over come the weak consumer perception through implementing public relations and advertising campaign, Chevrolet must show the customer that the company has overcome the problems of the past and confused them the problem have been fixed and taken care of, the company needs to show that they have improved in reliability within consumer reports. 8.0 Recommendations and Implementations Looking at the analyzing make from the internal structures GM through some case studies, company data, and good journal article, to maintain long team growth and stability they must address many things in the company. Chevrolet must look in to consolidating its brand portfolio. Will be a great success for the company in order to gain market share and build a stronger brand image. In this case, Chevrolet Europe must address how to make customers more confidence in their products, to increased investment in advertising, because this case we can see increased advertising investment can make their own brand awareness higher, greater, and in increased advertising investment at the same time, their products must carry out strict quality control, because the quality is the life of a product, there is no guarantee of product quality is no way out. Furthermore, should do their Chevrolet brand in Europe customers attach great importance to product quality and product positioning, product positioning if a very accurate, then the product will get customers of all ages. Finally, the Chevrolet company should launch a new product, the entire European car market and car manufacturers to do the survey, so that you can identify the market demand, accurate positioning of the product price, to win the European market.

The Light In The Forest :: The Light In The Forest

The Light In The Forest  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Conrad Richter's book, The Light In The Forest, is about a boy from Pennsylvania who was adopted into an Indian family. After a long period of time, True Son had to go back to his white family. The ordeal in the story is that he wanted to go back to the Indians and not stay in the white village. When he came back, he made a big mistake and got kicked out of the Indian village. In my opinion, Cuyloga made the most difficult decision in the novel when he decided to send True Son away at the end.    My first reason why it was difficult for Cuyloga to make this decision is that he loved his son, and he wanted him to live. He knew True Son didn't mean what he did, but it just happened. So he decided that since he was the father he should take full responsibility for True Son's action. When he wanted the Indians to fight True Son, they didn't. So instead he told True Son he had to leave and not come back. If he came back, he would be killed. Parents have to make difficult decisions for their children because they care for them. If they didn't make decisions, something could happen to the children.    Secondly, it was a difficult decision because Cuyloga thought if he stood there and watched them kill True Son, he couldn't face his family at home. His family would be mad at him if he let the Indians just kill him. He thought if he spared him his life and never saw him again, everything would be okay because he'd be much safer. He chose to make him leave because he cared for True Son. I would have done the same thing for True Son's sake. At least I'd know he was alive and not scalped.

Life In The Hood :: essays research papers

He lay in his bed motionless, reflecting upon his life and how it had changed so quickly. He had lost his mother to an evil cocaine addiction a year earlier and was left to take care of his younger brother. The rent was 3 months over due, the phone was cut off, and the electricity was most likely next. He had reached the point were he was fed up with life. Why had he been put in this position? He put most of the blame on his mother for she had been the one who had spent all of their money on drugs. But still he didn’t understand why he had to be responsible for his mother’s actions. What really enraged Maurice, was how selfish his mother was. She would rather get a quick high than ensure that her family was taken care of. But these thoughts occurred in his mind night after night. And each night he would come to the realization that he cannot escape from the grips of poverty. The only possible option for him was to work hard for the pennies that he was being paid. The alarm clock was blasting. Maurice woke up and looked at the time. It was 9:32am and he was a half hour late for work. In a panic he put on his shoes and ran out the door. He knew once he got to work Tony, the restaurant manager, was going to chew him out. He had been late earlier that week and Tony told him that if he was late one more time he was going to give Maurice the axe. So he began thinking of a good excuse to tell the boss why he was late. But his attention soon shifted when a 1999 Mercedes Benz SLK 400 sitting on twenty-inch chrome rims pulled over about 50 yards in front of him. His sprint slowed to a walk the instant he laid eyes upon the jet-black beauty. He kept walking towards the car trying to see who the owner was. To his amazement a young man, around his age, stepped out of the car. He knew at that point this guy didn’t earn his money the true American way; hard work and discipline. He had to have been a â€Å"Mob Pawn†. They were called this because the mob used them to do most of the work and were sacrificed in many situations just so they could win the â€Å"chess match†.

Facts About Orthoptera :: essays research papers

Facts about Orthoptera Where they live.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Field crickets, the familiar black or brownish crickets are often abundant in meadows and fields. Also in dwellings or in small clusters in the ground. Tree Crickets are more often heard then seen. Usually colored green these slender crickets live in shrubs and trees. Mole Crickets can burrow rapidly through moist soil. They also can live in caves, hollow logs, beneath stones, and other dark moist places. Grasshoppers are also part of this group. They often become very abundant, and migrate in tremendous swarms. Destroying nearly all plants in their path. They like to live in wet grassy areas. Locust also contribute to Orthoptera. Locust plagues have been recorded since the beginning of history and are still one of the worlds major insect problems. Cockroaches are in this group too. Their are an estimated 3,000 cockroach species in the world. About 55 live in the U.S., and only 4 species ar common household pets. German cockroaches or Croton bugs, are common in the U.S. especially in the northern states. They commonly enter the house in bags or boxes from grocery stores. They tend to cluster in warm moist places around hot water pipes. They stay hidden when they are not eating. Eat   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crickets will eat holes in paper or in garments especially those soiled with persperation. They also eat young roots and seedlings, peanuts, garden crops, grain, clothing, and sometimes other insects and even each other. Grasshoppers are a different story. They eat crops and destroy millions of dollars a year in them. Cockroaches are just a pest and they eat almost any thing. Cockroaches feed on a great variety of foods, meats, cheeses, sweets, and starches(like the starch in clothing or in the glue like that in book bindings, and stamps.). When abundant they may also eat human hair, skin and nails. They secrete sticky, odorous fluid that may be lift on foods or materials. Movement   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cockroaches move very swiftly. They have 6 legs with 3 joints, as muscles contract at the base of the body the legs move. This motion causes a roach to lurch forward in rapid motion. Crickets have wings so they may fly. The movement of the crickets aren't the same as the grasshopper's. The grasshopper is an insect that can leap about 20 times the length of its body. If a human being had the same leaping ability as the grasshopper they could jump at least 20 feet. Helpful things they do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Russia roaches have been regarded as an antidote for dropsy. Also in Southeast Asia, and China the bits of meat plucked from around the legs of

Spain’s Golden Age Essay

Spain was at its most glorious stately topographic point in the seventeenth Century. at the clip when Miguel de Cervantes wrote his authoritative novel. â€Å"com/english-4-b-calpac/">Don Quixote† . The state had established its settlements all over the universe. commanding Mexico. Peru. Cuba. the Americas. and even traveling every bit far as Asia. in the Philippines. Silver and gold poured in to catapult Spain in economic and political luster. doing it the world’s world power at that clip. Historians call this period the aureate age of Spain. However. it was besides during this glorious epoch that Spain had ruthlessly suffered its inevitable licking. the most popular of which is the devastation of the Spanish armada in 1588. by English forces. Because of this. the state found itself in an untypical. conflicting period. a period wherein a new age was lifting to the surface. a period wherein the state was suspended between magnificence and debasement. While the cause of Spain’s diminution is problematic. one thing is historically certain: its male monarchs were holding problem with pull offing the huge districts. and legion counter events. like the pestilence in Castille that claimed many Spanish lives. contributed to the country’s saddening destiny. Catholicism. Spain’s dominant faith was besides on the diminution. spurring struggles against other faiths like Islam and Protestantism. stemming from the campaigns in earlier history. These notable historical happenings are apparent in â€Å"Don Quixote† . since the novel illustrates the extremely diverse Spanish sociological and political experience at that clip. However. it is Cervantes’ personal experience. sociological and political. that serves as the most powerful beginning of the novel. It contains elements in analogue with the novelist’s ain life ; for case. the Algerian plagiarists looking on the Spanish seashore. the Moors being exiled. the Spanish captives neglecting to get away are similar events in Cervantes’ ain life. Spain: The seventeenth Century Superpower Page 04 The sociological and political construction of seventeenth Century Spain had a direct. powerful influence in the authorship of Spain’s authoritative aureate novel. The Romances: Spain’s seventeenth Century Literary Tradition The dominant literary tradition in this â€Å"golden age† was the knightly love affairs. Spain’s Arts and Humanities were loaded with popular Hagiographas of knights continuing gallantry. The chief characters of these narratives and poetries were knights who set out protecting and salvaging those who are weak. who go from one topographic point to another to make good workss. The love affairs contained melodramatic tones and overdone heroic efforts that the emotions illustrated seemed to be excessively sentimental. and the events portrayed seemed to be excessively heroically impossible. The chief character of the fresh â€Å"Don Quixote. † was besides a knight who set out to salvage people. but he was portrayed in a humourous visible radiation. and his escapades were played out in such a pathetic manner that it was clear the novel is a lampoon. a jeer of the knightly love affairs so popular in Cervantes’ clip. The novel. in this context. was a vituperative commentary of the literary tradition of the love affairs. The upholding of knightly ideals in the novel. nevertheless. produced another commentary on Spain’s seventeenth century literary tradition. this one being rather positive. Cervantes was careful non to assault the codification of gallantry because he himself believed in it. The ideals may be communicated in a humourous mode. and through a humourous character. but the message was quite apparent: the belief in knightly ideals is ne'er incorrect. â€Å"Don Quixote† was a novel that educated its readers at the clip when they most needed such an direction. The diminution of Spain was evident. and yet its literati favored romantic literature which subscribed to impossible efforts and overdone Spain’s Golden Age Page 05 characters. The broad credence and phenomenal success of â€Å"Don Quixote† merely proved that Spain’s literary market genuinely appreciated the enlightenment provided by Cervantes. Springboard for the Novel. â€Å"Don Quixote† The historical context and the literary civilization of Spain in the seventeenth century served as major prompters for the authorship of â€Å"Don Quixote. † We can clearly see that Miguel de Cervantes was greatly influenced by the sociological. political and literary conditions in his clip that he incorporated and used these real-life elements in his novel. Cervantes relied on his societal and political experience to bring forth a literary work that reverberates with sociological and political subjects. subjects which are in perfect consonant rhyme with his real-life scene. Spain’s double status of magnificence and debasement in his clip prompted Cervantes to research the subjects of human individuality and morality. supplying a commentary on the societal mores. More significantly. the novel is rich with historical influences. of events that really happened in seventeenth century Spain. The literary civilization of seventeenth century Spain. on the other manus. played a cardinal function in the authorship of â€Å"Don Quixote. † for really obvious grounds. The knightly love affairs popular at that clip made the novel an interesting. extremist read because it departs from its expression. The characters. Don Quixote and his loyal squire Sancho Panza. embody the knightly ideals upheld by the love affairs. but they besides destroy the image of the impossibly heroic knight by being humourous imitations of gallantry. Furthermore. their pathetic escapades make a jeer of the overdone heroic efforts portrayed in the love affairs. These influences are strongly pronounced in the text of â€Å"Don Quixote† thereby turn outing that Miguel de Cervantes was a author who used his aureate age experience to compose a aureate novel. Spain’s Golden Age Page 06 References Barrio. J. F. ( 2007 ) . The aureate century. Si. Spain. Retrieved November 17. 2007 from SiSpain. org. & lt ; /http: //www. sispain. org/english/language/golden. html/ & gt ; Phillips. B. and Davidson. S. ( 2007 ) . SparkNote on Don Quixote. Retrieved November 17. 2007 from cgi. sparknotes. com. & lt ; /http: //www. sparknotes. com/lit/donquixote/ & gt ; .

Case Study Dove Evolution of a Brand

Q1: What was Dove’s market positioning in the 1950s? What is its positioning in 2007? Dove back in the 1950’s had one product that was the â€Å"beauty bar†, it was positioned upon its function as a superior product that doesn’t dry out the skin the way soap did. It was marketed through a mix of marketing communication tools like the TV, print media and bill boards. The advertising message was â€Å"Dove soap doesn’t dry your skin because its one-quarter cleansing cream†. All of these ads were illustrated with photographs that showed cream being poured into a tablet.In addition; the ads were shot with natural looking women rather than models to convey the benefits of the product. Dove in 2007 had a mix of personal care products in addition to the soap, such as deodorants, hair care products, facial cleaners, body lotions and hair styling products. It was positioned as aesthetic need for consumers; it didn’t focus on the functional bene fits but on the need to feel good by representing a point of view about the concept of beauty.It delivered this message through campaigns such as Real Beauty and Self-Esteem that questioned the true meaning of beauty, and the high standard that media set to the concept of beauty. Dove used in its campaigns oversized models and elderly women in order to convey the message† Dove shifted from broadcast media to digital media, such as YouTube videos and written blogs. A short movie called evolution was the proof of success as it was viewed 3 million times during three months (it is viewed 15 388 230 times today! . The wide exposure of the digital controversial campaigns gave dove free media on TV, blogs, social networks. TV shows like Today show and Good Morning America talked about these campaigns and Oprah Winfrey show was inspired by the self-esteem campaign and dedicated an episode to discuss the self-esteem concept with centre attention on the dove campaign. Q2: How did Unile ver organize to do product category management and brand management in Unilever before 2000? What was the corresponding structure after 2000?How was brand meaning controlled before 2000 and how is it controlled at the time of the case? Before 2000, Unilever lacked a unified brand identity and brand managers were allowed to set the direction in each geographic region. There was very no control of the brand across the regions where Unilever products were marketed. For example, Unilever produced ice cream under the wall’s brand in the UK and most parts of Asia, The Algida Brand in Italy, Langnese in Germany, Kibon in Brazil, Ola in the Netherlands, and Ben & Jerry’s and Breyers in the United States.Unilever organized their marketing using a brand management system, offering multiple brands within product categories. Each brand operated independently with its own brand manager who had the responsibilities of a general manager. In February 2000, Unilever initiated a five-ye ar strategic plan called â€Å"Path to Growth† in order to centralize the company’s brand portfolio and to create a unified global identity. Unilever reduced the number of brands from 1,600 to 400 and changed its brand management strategy.Under the new Masterbrands strategy, global brand categories were established for each Masterbrand, which were responsible for creating a global vision and inspiring cooperation from all geographic markets. Under this strategic initiative, the responsibility for a brand was split between two groups: Brand Development that is responsible for advertising, strategy, innovation, and long-term market share; It is global in scope. And Brand Building that is decentralized according to region; accountable for growth, profit, cash flow, and short-term market share.Before 2000, according to the traditional media that has been used and the fixed message of dove as, the brand meaning was tight and centered on a specific concept that dove is a uni que soap that is ? cleansing cream or moisturizing cream. In the time of the case study, and after the exposure of the creative campaigns, the brand meaning is open because of the unique message it delivered which was a point a view, this provoked discussions and debates about the real beauty of women. Q3: Spend a little time searching blogs to get a sense of what people are/were saying about Dove.What does this discussion contribute to the meaning of the brand? I searched many blogs talking about dove, in particular the self-esteem and Real beauty campaigns. I noticed that a lot of bloggers counted on statics that were published by dove about self-esteem and beauty and show an emotional link to the campaign, for example a blogger named Jennifer Beer wrote after addressing some of dove’s facts about self-esteem: â€Å"When I read these statistics, it made me cry. As a mother of a daughter I'd hate to see er become part of these statistics, so I will make sure to tell her eve ry day how beautiful she is† In addition, the blogs illustrated a great engagement of the audience in the campaign, a blogger named Blythe Newsome said in the beginning of a blog that was describing her experience with dove self-esteem campaign: â€Å"When I heard about the Dove Self-Esteem Movement I knew I wanted to get involved†. Another blog I found on wordpress. com, praised Dove for using ordinary women as models in its advertisement to change women’s attitudes about beauty as well as how they perceived themselves.I found a sarcastic funny blog at Bros fail blogs wondering how will dove’s â€Å"real beauty campaign† looks like if it was for men, with this picture attached to the blog! I think all of the blogs that I reviewed reflects the massive success of the campaigns, the amount of exposure that they received over the free digital media is phenomenal weather it’s a positive feedback or a funny picture! Such exposure would help any co mpany gaining a market share and retaining the message of the brand because of its controversy and open end horizons.Those discussions and reviews contribute powerful meaning to the brand in a positive way. Q4: Footnote 1 of the case leads you to a blogger who asks, with reference to the age of YouTube advertising, â€Å"Is marketing now cheap, fast and out of control? † Footnote 2 refers to Dove as having started a conversation â€Å"that they don’t have control of. † In â€Å"When Tush comes to Dove†, Seth Stevenson writes about the â€Å"risky bet that Dove is making. † Do you see risks for the Dove brand? Seth Stevenson’s article, When Tush Comes to Dove suggests that Dove is taking too much risk.The brand’s nontraditional marketing may lead consumers, or potential customers, to believe that Dove products are for unattractive, over-weight women, or those who don’t consider themselves to be beautiful. I don’t think th is might happen, because the message doesn’t send a counter message that beautiful women aren’t beautiful! The message brings up the issue of beauty for specific segment of women. In addition; such campaign would add to the value of the brand because of the contribution in the awareness of the people as part of its social responsibility obligations.Furthermore, dove is the pioneer in the market to launch such campaign, and it might create a new trend for competitors to follow. I believe dove took the first mover advantage out of these campaigns. Let’s assume that it this negative effect that Stevenson’s talked about would occur, according to Exhibit 4 a total of 18% of respondents think that they are beautiful, sexy, attractive, pretty and stunning. If they consider the received message as negative and stopped using dove products; it wouldn’t be a great loss comparing to the 82% that will get a positive message.