Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Globalization - Essay Example Collectively, they explained the dynamics of the global business landscape and the variables that drive the numerous processes at work within it. Concepts such as culture, technology, knowledge and the legal and political diversities found in various national economies all combined to demand new and complex requirements for multinational companies. These has called for their transformation as truly global organizations through changes in their organizational structure and the adoption of new business strategies in order to address the unique challenges and issues posed by the global environment. Before this module began, I have an inkling on what globalization is and its impact on both organizations, national economies and consumers. But my knowledge was limited to the superficial, abstract and general concepts. For instance, I know that globalization threatens local companies and could endanger their very survival because of the superior strength of the resources available to multinational companies that are invading the local market. But this module enlightened me further on the fact that it is not always easy for multinational companies to do this. ... † (p8-9) Secondly, there is the form of globalization that relates to the way organizations structure, control and manage their value-chains in terms of global operations. This is done â€Å"according to the availability of resources, cost levels, skills, quality and a host of other variables. (p. 9) These two forms of globalization supposedly were responsible for the emergence and the perpetuation of multinational companies who have already surpassed small national-economies in revenue generation. The third form, is characterized by how globalization adversely impacts several areas such as the democratic system, the environment, national cultures and identities, among others. (p. 12) The sheer complexity of the globalization economic model, hence, calls for a multidimensional approach by which stakeholders navigate its processes. Stonehouse, Campbell and Hamill emphasized, for example, that it should already be obvious how multinational/transnational companies must never adop t a global strategy that is primarily characterized by global standardization because it will fail. (p. 8) Companies have to make some fine-tuning in their strategies every time they enter a market. The reason is that each country has its own national circumstance. This can also be demonstrated in the numerous organizational configurations developed in order to pursue different objectives and address specific areas in the global business environment (see figure 1). Motives, Strategies and Organizational Configurations (Source: Bartlett and Beamish) As I saw from the diversity in organizational structure, I understood the sense in rejecting a global standards in strategy. For example, the Centralized Hub organizational model may work in some economies or markets with fierce competition but may not

Planning, preparing and creating a Business Research Paper

Planning, preparing and creating a Business - Research Paper Example â€Å"An effective work environment is vital to the success of small businesses and large corporations alike†. Business environments have been changed a lot in the recent past because of Globalization, Privatization and Liberalization. It is easy for an entrepreneur to set up business in overseas countries easily at present because of the changing business environment. In other words, before starting a business, an entrepreneur should evaluate the possibility of competition not only from the domestic firms, but also from international firms as well. The business idea should be selected after the careful evaluation of all internal and external parameters of business. The fluctuations in world economy in the recent past have affected almost all types of businesses badly. The waves of recession not only created problems to poor countries or developing countries, but it has created big problems to even developed economies like America Britain etc. Before starting a business in the changing business environment, an entrepreneur should take extreme precautions. This paper analyses various dimensions of starting a business like planning, preparing etc. Lots of people have very good business ideas, but they often fail to implement their business ideas successfully because of the poor planning and implementation. Many people stay away from because of the financial constraints even though they have better business idea. As stated in the earlier, money is the last thing required to start a business. It is not necessary that a person with enough financial capabilities may become good entrepreneurs; at the same time there are many successful stories of entrepreneurs who started their business without enough financial resources. Innovative business ideas and proper implementation of the business ideas at the right place at the right time with the help of the right people are the major success factors of a business. The entrepreneur should be accurate and realistic while presenting of his business to the public (Start Up Planning). Conceptualization of business is an important aspect as far as an entrepreneur is concerned. The meaning of business, product/services, customers etc should be well defined before the start of the business. The entrepreneurs should find answers to the following questions before starting a business; what business are we in? What do we want to do? What are we committed to? What results do we want to achieve? The answers to these questions help shaping the mission and the vision of a business before starting it. Shaping a mission and a vision helps the small business owner to remain focused and this will bring results in his work. The mission and vision should be fully understandable and viable to the customers since it is the customer who ultimately decides the success and failures of a business. For example, in order to start a baby cloth store, the vision and mission should be focussed entirely on the wellbeing of the babies. The vision should offer complete comfort and a germ free, healthy dressing experience to the babies. It should ensure protection of the babies from the changing climate conditions. Moreover the vision should ensure cheap price along with better quality of the products, as these are the two main factors mostly the customers are looking for. â€Å"If you’re thinking about starting a small business, you should start by weighing the pros and cons, so that you can make a wise decision†

Delivering Banking Facilities for the Disabled

Delivering Banking Facilities for the Disabled Healthy Banking:  The way towards increased financial inclusion Contents Abstract Introduction Recommendations A. Sight Impaired B. Hearing loss C. Physical disabilities Conclusion References Abstract The Bank of Mauritius’ initiative ‘Banking Your Future’ to promote a fair and inclusive banking sector has been launched in June 2014 to investigate the 100 possible ways in which the banking sector could be improved. Based on the above project, this report aims at analyzing the nature, dynamics and degree of financial exclusion of people bearing a disability and examines the significance of access to banking facilities within this group of people that is more often than not marginalized. Thus, this study further explores Pillars 1, 5 and 6 of the eight pillars set out in the Task force produced by the Bank of Mauritius in June 2014. These include, accessibility of banking to all, fair treatment of customers and customer protection respectively. In simpler terms, this report explores how the delivery and operation of banking facilities could be developed and/or improved to attend to the constant needs of people with a physical or learning disability with the view to promote their financial inclusion in the banking sector. Introduction Banking is a fundamental part of the fabric of routine life for most people, nevertheless certain people in Mauritius are deprived the access to a bank account and to fair banking services due to the difference they present. Indeed, 4.8%[1] of the Mauritian population has been recorded as having a disability in 2011. With an ageing population, the statistics look set to grow further. This group of people therefore embodies a substantial segment of any bank’s consumer base and it is in the interest of these institutions to satisfy the needs of their clients. People with a disability require access to banks and their services in order to become autonomous by managing their finances as well as to keep track of their regular benefit remittances. For many of them, finance issues are a substantial source of worry and stress at the time when they should be concentrating on their health rather than their financial stability. Sadly though, some providers are not very effective when dealing with people having health difficulties. To this issue, this research aims at promoting the financial inclusion of the disabled population by identifying how banking institutions could improve their services to alleviate the problems faced by this minority population that is too often left behind. Supporting disabled people is not just about doing the right thing for consumers facing hardships but can be beneficial for banking businesses as well. Not only will such an initiative reduce debt, improve staff contentment and breed customer loyalty but will also guarantee regulatory compliance. It is to be highlighted that banks are in a good posture to help make a change since they have the tools to provide support to these people. Therefore, throughout this report some measures that could be implemented by banks to help and support disabled people pertaining to their personal finances will be discussed with a view to stimulate accessibility of banking to all, fair treatment of customers and customer protection. Recommendations The recommendations throughout this report will be subdivided into distinct sections relating to a specific health impairment namely sight, hearing and physical limitations. A. Sight Impaired The Population Census conducted in 2011 showed that approximately 14000 people had a sight problem even when wearing glasses. This situation undeniably has a severe impact on their everyday lives and with years going by like in the blink of an eye this number is certainly on the rise. Indeed banks are not oblivious to such an issue for they have invested in talking ATMs, whereby what appears on the screen is read aloud by the machine to facilitate the daily transactions of people suffering from sight impairment. However, not all banks in Mauritius have taken such an initiative thereby penalizing their clients. Thus, these speech enabled ATMs ought to become more pervasive throughout the island while providers not extending such a service to their clients need to consider this enhancement that could make easier the lives of people having sight problems. JAWS[2] and earphones could be introduced in Mauritius so that blind and low-vision users can conduct ATM transactions in such a way that they have a feeling of privacy and security during the process. It is to be noted that navigating around an ATM pad is facilitated by the fact that the number 5 has an elevated dot so that the central number on the number pad can be located by touching it. This is the case with most if not all ATMs found in Mauritius. Moreover, some ATMs also have other tactile support for instance an elevated circle that indicates ‘OK’ thereby confirming the transaction while an elevated cross denotes abortion of the transaction. However, certain ATMs lack these latter facilities as the ‘OK’ and ‘Cancel’ buttons both have a slit rectangle on the pad making the difference between both imperceptible. Moreover, it should be highlighted that people having sight problems, especially those affected with blindness, may not even be able to get to a branch on their own. To such an issue, banks could send booklets, bank statements and pamphlets, whenever these are required by the client, in larger text prints for those whose eyesight is damaged, Braille for those who can read Braille as it should be noted that not everyone can read Braille, particularly if sight problems have developed in a late stage of life- , or simply as an audio CD so that those concerned do not have to provide additional effort on their own. Visually disabled users also encounter barriers such as access to internet banking transactions. It will certainly sound pretentious and expensive to include to these recommendations facilities like computer voice recognition softwares to facilitate the use of online banking services by people having sight impairment. Such an initiative may lead to a tradeoff between easing the use of online banking and the bank’s security system. However, what is more accessible to banks is changing the formatting of their websites by altering the display in such a way that the websites are more easily read. This could be in the form of text size where propositions at the top of the page could include normal, large and extra-large which could spearhead into a change in the text size throughout the website. Visually impaired people require patient human contact and continuous customer care. Implementing the above recommendations will not only promote the financial inclusion of people suffering from sight impairment but will also provide a competitive edge to the banks providing such facilities. B. Hearing loss According to the population census of 2011, there are more than 4000Mauritians with some form of hearing problem. Banks are considered as service providers, according to The Equal Opportunities Act 2008, and are consequently required to take actions to make sure that their services are as accessible and fair as possible to customers suffering from hearing loss so that the latters are not given a less favourable treatment as compared to non-disabled customers. Deaf customers report that banks tend to discriminate them against other customers, consequently making them feel aggrieved and embarrassed by banks’ indifference to their hearing limitations. The plight of deaf bank customers include banks’ over-reliance on telephone use for security issues, unfair treatment, the absence of hearing aid systems and poorly trained, dismissive and discourteous staff. Also, deaf customers protest that their communications frequently go unanswered and that they are requested to call in to discuss their issues. Recommending a relative or friend to address the bank on their behalf is not always the best solution due to confidentiality matters and this will not promote the financial inclusion of deaf customers but will make them over-dependent on third parties. It is to be highlighted that measures taken by banks in Mauritius to satisfy the needs of people with hearing loss are apparently inexistent. To this issue, in order to increase the financial inclusion and promote the fair treatment and welfare of people with hearing loss, the following measures could be considered with the hope that these recommendations do not fall on deaf ears. The text relay service can be a crucial aid for people with hearing problems. It is a service whereby the customer can call any of the bank agents’ numbers using text relay and when the call is answered, an operator will join in and communicate the request of the customer- received in written-form to the bank in oral form. As wisely said by Israelmore Ayivor (Shaping the dream), â€Å"Don’t despise little things that contain tiny miracles. Enjoy little actions!† Similarly banks need not take noticeable actions to help their customers suffering from hear loss. Indeed, an efficient Note Writer at the counter could facilitate the communication with an individual that cannot communicate orally. This particular teller could jot down the transaction’s purpose, fees and issues on paper so that the customer understands what the transaction consists of and what is required from him. Similarly, when dealing with people having hearing impairments simple actions that may seem futile could facilitate the transaction between both parties. Indeed, the bank staff should make sure they are in a well-lighted zone where the deaf customer can see their faces during communication. Looking directly and speaking directly to the disable person instead of his interpreter will make him feel valued during the transaction. Staff at the counter ought also to avoid putting their hands or any document in front of their face or mouth when speaking. Moreover, counter staffs could be initiated to sign language. If at least two counter staff trained for sign language are present at counters, this will undoubtedly be an advantage for the client but this will also be a serious competitive gain to the bank itself. However, notice often need to be given if the service is needed. In the same optic, since disabled people prefer transacting from home, an online service could be implemented whereby with a computer and a webcam, the disabled customer is able to speak to a bank staff that is trained for sign language and can thereby communicate a request or make a bank transaction. Pertaining to advertising campaigns made by banks, visual advertisements ought to be subtitled so that deaf people don’t feel excluded and can thus understand the advertisement with the same ease a non-disabled customer does. Hearing loss is an emergent problem so it is vital that banks take actions to ensure people having hearing disabilities can access their services without hindrance for if only a few thousand of the population suffering from hear loss took legal action against the pitiable treatment they receive, these financial institutions could end up paying substantial compensation to customers with hearing impairments. C. Physical disabilities There exist several types and degrees of physical disabilities. It is widely thought that people with physical disabilities require a wheelchair. However, this is not always the case since people suffering from arthritis, heart or lung conditions and those having undergone amputations also have difficulty with moving, sitting or standing. Indeed according to the population census conducted in 2011, a rough 42% of the disabled population are physically impaired and require assistance in their routine life. Banks in Mauritius do cater for the needs of people with such difficulties. For instance, the large Mauritian banks design their branches in such a way that their services are more accessible to their customers having physical disabilities. Indeed, ramps have been included in their architectures to facilitate access to wheelchairs and some banks make it a must to provide level access to their clients while meeting spaces are large enough to accommodate wheelchairs. Sadly though this architecture is not found in smaller banks. Therefore, ramps should be available on bank premises where steps are the only means of access. However, there are still gaps that ought to be filled in order to promote the financial inclusion of having physical problems. In a first instance, queuing aisles should be designed wide enough for wheelchairs for some of the aisles present in our banks are rather narrow. Moreover, banks should consider investing in providing comfort to people in physical discomfort. Wheelchair lifts could be installed where client service is not done on the ground floor while specific washrooms should be accessible to the public for some people may be physically unwell when attending a bank branch. It should be noted that certain people do not suffer from apparent physical disabilities but are naturally short in height without mentioning those born with dwarfism. For them and for the disabled population using wheelchairs, banks should consider low level teller counters in their branches as well as at least a low-level ATM machine that could be easily accessed by such people with measures that assure privacy and security during the transaction process. Given that all these recommendations are taken into consideration in a near future, people with physical difficulties will certainly feel more included financially and will find banking services more accessible and fairer bearing in mind that customer protection ought to be one of the prime objectives of a bank. Conclusion Barriers are hindrances that prevent people with disabilities from doing many of the routine activities, like daily banking transactions, that most of us tend to take for granted. A disability can occur to anyone at any time. In fact, as the Mauritian population greys, many of us could eventually face some kind of physical or mental limitation. This foresight report therefore, looks out to banking in the future years and defines the revolution that could ultimately lead to healthier banking practices. To this issue banks are called to recognise the needs of disabled clients and use judicious endeavours to improve their access to banking services. This report thus sets out potential actions that banks could and should explore and adopt for a brighter future. These changes will certainly present increased facilities for the disable population while presenting opportunities for the Mauritian banks to develop competitive assets, but they will also present considerable challenges to these institutions. It will be essential for the Mauritian banks to make a collective step to forge new policy frameworks and develop actions so that people having some kind of disability can feel financially autonomous thereby rebalancing fairness among clients in banking activities. Not only will such measures promote Pillars 1, 5 and 6 of the eight pillars set out in the Task force including, accessibility of banking to all, fair treatment of customers and customer protection respectively but these will fundamentally help meeting essential human needs. As from tomorrow and ever after, open your eyes to the world surrounding you, hear the cry of those who need you and walk together towards something new, something true: Healthier Banking- the way towards increased financial inclusion. References Global Rainbow Foundation. (2011) Handbook of Rights for Person with Disability in Mauritius Government of Mauritius. (2008) National Policy Paper Action Plan on Disability: â€Å"Valuing People with Disabilities† Jones. P., A., (2009) Still banking on a fresh start Livingstone. J. (2007) Banking matters to me: The experiences of people with a learning disability seeking to use banking products and services. Friends Provident Foundation. ISBN 978-1-906249-01-4 Livingstone. J., Dean. L. (2008) Banking on good decisions: How can the Mental Capacity Act help you with your bank, building society or post office account? Mental Health Foundation. ISBN 978-1-906162-17-7 MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (2012) Statistics Mauritius: 2011 Housing and Population Census. Volume IV: Disability REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS (2011) Population Census: Main Results RNIB. (2012) Safe Statistics and key messages about sight loss Samuel. C., (2009–2010) Making Bank Notes Accessible for Canadians Living with Blindness or Low Vision. THE BANK OF MAURITIUS (2014) Banking Your Future: Towards a fair inclusive banking sector THE CO-OPERATIVE BANK (2013) Talking ATMs for the blind and partially sighted: Because banking with us should be as easy as possible for all Westpac Banking Corporation. (2008) Day-to-Day Bank Accounts: Easy banking for customers with disability. WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION. (2014) Country Cooperation Strategy at a glance: Mauritius. [1] Republic of Mauritius 2011 Population Census whereby 3.6% are aged between 15-59 years and 17.5% forms part of an elder population [2] Job Access With Speech (JAWS) screen reader

Lollos dream :: essays research papers

One day Lollo was having intercourse with a donkey, suddenly he realized that he was doing a donkey. the ass and the lapdog jumped on the masters lap, and the ass killed himself because he was jealous that the lapdog was sitting on its masters lap. this was very upsetting to the master, so he killed himself because of his sudden loss of his manipulative donkey, which caused a sudden fluctuation of money. Many people cried over their deaths. The lapdog was left alone because so many people killed themselves. Since he was so deprest and lonely, he began a sudden art of masturbation, which he continued to do by himself until he realised that he could engage in sexual intercourse with dead asses and people. This caused in a battle of harmony and peace in this sick, inhumane, and corrupt world. I hope we should never live through this experience again! If you don't have much money but you do wand to train you're pet stop buying codestones and buy dubloons. Those are at least 4 times as c heap it take 2 or 4 hours longer but its much cheaper. Play games every day, I make 5000+ every day just buy playing destruct o match, kiko match, poke match and Swich-a-Roo. Just find easy games that give a lot of np. I also look for bargains on the shop wizard and sell things for a little more then I buy them for. When things are cheap buy a couple of them and put them in your safety deposit box. At one point or another they'll probably go up. If not at least you'll have some thing to fall back on. My last tip is to get free stuff. Get an omelette from Tyrania, and your free Tombola and Fruit Wheel Spins.

Red Bull Marketing Essay

From 1987, Red Bull was launched in Austria with the tag line â€Å"Red Bull verleiht Fluuugel† (Red Bull Gives You Wiiings). It wasn’t until 1992 that Red Bull began to roll out in other European countries. â€Å"Part of the growth strategy was to enter new markets slowly and methodically in order to maximise buzz and build anticipation† Keller, K. L (2008 *A) By 1997, Red Bull was available in 25 markets globally, including Western and Eastern Europe, New Zealand and South Africa. Over the decade since its inception Red Bulls sales by 200%, from 1. million units to over 200 million units, and by 2004 the company had worldwide annual sales of nearly 2 billion cans in 120 countries. The Marketing Strategy used by Red Bull was not to pound the market with their presence but to be seen as an exclusivity, and to be perceived as the drink for all occasions when needed. In this way, marketers left empty cans in nightclubs, placed samples and dispensers in universities and allowed the value of Red Bull to spread via word of mouth. Red Bull marketed the following properties: * Improves Physical Endurance Stimulates Metabolism and Eliminates Waste Substances * Improves Overall Feeling of Well-being * Improves Reaction Speed and Concentration * Increases Mental Alertness These characteristics of the Red Bull product opened itself up to a whole range of potential consumers and marketing situations. Because of its properties, Red Bull used the slogan â€Å"Revitalizes Mind and Body†, and positioned the drink using a premium pricing strategy, marking the price up by at least 10% on the most expensive competitors product. Norbert Krailhamer explains: We are much more expensive that [cola]. This is OK because ours is an efficiency product, so we can charge this price premium, which is the secret of its success†¦ Due to the respect for a price premium brand†¦ we can charge what is fair for the benefit† Keller, K. L (2008 *A) A large portion of Red Bull’s success has to do with the use of the distinctive Red Bulls and Rising Sun logo and slender 250mL can as seen on their sponsorship sign writing and general advertising. It is debatable whether or not Red Bull would be as popular and successful without this insignia. Evidence of this can be traced to the introduction of Red Bull in Germany , where the demand was so great that they sold out of canned stock and had to switch to glass bottles to keep up with the demand. As soon as the bottles were introduced the demand dropped. The success of Red Bulls marketing strategy can be highlighted with the bungled entry of Red Bull into the United Kingdom in 1995. The marketers believed that the United Kingdom was too different from the Austrian market, so altered the marketing plan. The changes occurred in three distinct ways: â€Å"Extract: 1) the company marketed Red Bull as a sports drink, not a stimulation drink; 2) it did not pursue a word-of-mouth strategy, choosing instead to sell via the largest beverage channels; and 3) it created new advertising and focused on billboards rather than electronic media. As a result, Red Bull was considered a failure in the United Kingdomafter losing more than $10 million during the first 18 months in that market. † Keller, K. L (2008 *A) 1. Introduction: Red Bull GmbH, the Austrian based energy drink manufacturer is a remarkable brand that has grown to surpass some of the worlds most established brands. After founder Dietrich Mateschitz returned from Asia with the rights to patent Red Bull and alter it to suit the Western market, he had a defined idea in his mind as to what he wanted to achieve with the energy drink. After trialing more than 200 designs and finally cementing the right combination of caffeine, taurine, carbonation and flavoring the â€Å"original† Red Bull flavor was established. What follows is the amazing story of how Red Bull was marketed in Austria and then from 1992 onwards into the rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and the United Kingdom. Some of the key stones in the Red Bull brand marketing triumph has been the simplicity of their marketing approach through application, the positioning of the product and the clever ways in which they have side stepped traditional channels when bringing the product to the market and building the buzz and anticipation of Red Bull rather than just solely relying on the decision making derived from traditional advertising methods. The diversity of the Red Bull brand has allowed itself to move with the market and remain the worlds most popular energy drink. Looking at the brands tangible flexibility can even be posed at the move in the market to sugar free beverages and the quick and succinct way that Red Bull acted in order to uphold its position and remain creditable at the same time. As of the 2009 financial year, Red Bull GmbH had net sales report of 3. 3billion dollars and now has 3900 employees worldwide. Source: BNET – Resources 2. Brand Positioning and Values From the day of inception, Dietrich Mateschitz had a clear plan for how he wanted to establish Red Bull. The current positioning has left Red Bull in a very strong position among the market place and the values that it represents are continually being lived up to through its corporate presence in our daily lives. The position of Red Bull is: â€Å"Revitalizes Mind and Body† this tangible benefit, direct from Red Bull endorses the product to satisfy consumer needs before they have even made a purchase. Red Bull has also positioned themselves as the â€Å"Premium Energy Drink† above all other energy drinks in the market. The key word in this phrase being ‘premium’ as Red Bull has an exclusive appeal and a higher market price than its competitors; factors that have been thought through very thoroughly by the Red Bull marketing team. The â€Å"Premium Pricing Strategy† that Red Bull has incorporated, dictates that Red Bull will be priced at a rate 10% higher than the most expensive competitors price to ensure the class standard of the Red Bull name and set the standard for all of the rest of the competitors. In addition to the Premium Pricing Strategy, Red Bull introduced the Seeding Program, whereby initially Red Bull would only be stocked in the best and most classy establishments, whether this be exclusive clubs, nightclubs, bars, sporting events and related events to build the necessary hype or buzz about Red Bull, and to enable the word of mouth from the social elite to filter down into the working class. Once the market place was saturated with Red Bull buzz, the general market received the product too. In addition to the Word of Mouth strategy, Red Bull would supplement this with event sponsorship, athlete endorsements, sampling, point of purchase marketing and select electronic advertising. This allowed Red Bull to cover the necessary avenues which potential consumers were likely to come into contact with the brand and go on to purchase the drink. The values of the Red Bull brand are derived from the benefits of the drink itself: * Improves Physical Endurance * Stimulates Metabolism and Eliminates Waste Substances. Improves Overall Feeling of Well-being Improves Reaction Speed and Concentration * Increases Mental Alertness The Red Bull brand encourages the consumer to go to their potential and offers an aid in doing so. But offering these benefits in their product, Red Bull values the extension of horizons and energetic approaches to life. This can be summed up through their corporate sponsorship of Extreme Sporting events, individual athletes, the creation of events or the sponsorship of teams. The reasoning behind this is that these events are fast paced, high energy, thrilling and require exactly what Red Bull has to offer. By encouraging these types of events and endorsing the elimination of comfort zones, Red Bull is positioning itself as a goal, a motivation and a stimulant that can be harnessed to achieve any goal. Red Bulls success can be likened to the single-minded approach they have used n order to connect with their target market; 14 – 19yr olds and then the next highest penetration 20 – 29yr olds. Red Bull is an active product in today’s trendy lifestyle habits and is being reflected through their values and displays encouragement of abnormal sporting activities. . The Red Bull Air Races† in Perth Australia; and sponsorship of Mark Webber and Formula One. From a nationality point of view, Red Bull chooses the idols of sport and eye catching events to promote itself as well as support the people in question. This is seen all around the world and has been a strong driver in the popularity of Red Bull in certain areas of the world. Because Red Bull is a stimulant drink, it makes sense to market to the whole variety of consumers in the market place. In its 23 years of operations, the initial people who would have used Red Bull for â€Å"party energy† at nightclubs and parties will now be moving through to the quieter portion of their lives, however this does not mean they will no longer need Red Bull. Working long or irregular hours, studying and going the added distance is still important; therefore Red Bull has applied its benefit across several generations and the cycle continues. 3. Brand Characteristics Red Bull is now a very distinctive product in the market place and can be recognized based on some key points. Two Red Bulls and Rising Sun Logo * Slender Silver 250mL can (with silver and blue pattern) The name Red Bull * Endorsed Events or Persons i. e. Mark Webber As opposed to other energy drinks on the market it is the most represented and advertised product on supermarket shelving in Australia, (per unit) and is represented by an 80:20 spread of cans to bottles in the standard 250mL variety(1). Dominant characteristics of Red Bull include its involvement in Extreme Sports, high-energy events and the encouragement of athletes and the involvement within comfort breaking activities. It is important to note that the Red Bull marketing strategy encourages the promotion of the brand through non-traditional channels and is not seen in the same context as traditional carbonated drinks, or energy drinks. This fact makes adds to the characteristics of the brand. People recognize Red Bull based on its involvement and support in events and occasions. Rather than times, controversies or lengthy advertising campaigns which try to deliver a message over a long period of time. The marketing message for Red Bull has remained consistent throughout the 23-year reign it has had in the marketplace; adding to the resilience of Red Bulls brand characteristics. The Red Bull Australia website promotes Red Bull as: â€Å"Red Bull  ® Energy Drink has always been and always will be more than just a hot secret for the night owl and the non-stop party-animal. It is appreciated by a wide range of people, such as the overworked taxi driver, the stressed manager, the exam-anxious student and the pressured journalist†¦. It is used by surfers in the summer and snowboarders in the winter. For day or night, for job or fun. People who need more energy learn to value Red Bull ® Energy Drink. And the number of people who do is increasing all the time. † Red Bull Australia 2010 The Red Bull Australia website explains, through a marketing set spiel the characteristics of the brand and the direct benefiters. The exert highlights very clearly the intentions of the brand and the way in which it is appreciated. 4. Product Benefits and Consumer Satisfaction Red Bull markets itself on the two phrases â€Å"Gives You Wings† and â€Å"Revitalizes Mind and Body†. This can be demonstrated through its ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, Sucrose Glucuronolactone, Glucose and B-Group Vitamins. These six ingredients all combine to give Red Bull the kick that consumers need. * Improves Physical Endurance * Stimulates Metabolism and Eliminates Waste Substances * Improves Overall Feeling of Well-being * Improves Reaction Speed and Concentration * Increases Mental Alertness As stated earlier the benefits listed by Red Bull allow themselves to be focused on a wide variety of people, whether they be office workers, truck drivers, athletes, students or partying. The given benefits of Red Bull provide the reasoning to buy and continue re-buying. Consumer satisfaction based on the product benefits is evident through the sales figures that Red Bull has been generating, with positive growth of 10% or more per annum. Performance the American Market shows the Market share of Red Bull compared to its competitors: Based on its 42. 6% share of the energy drink market sales in 2006, it is evident that Red Bull is a satisfying and enticing product. A large portion of Red Bulls ability to satisfy both physically and mentally comes from the consumption of the drink and seeing the performance of those around the consumer who are either consuming Red Bull or endorsed by Red Bull. This positive reinforcement from the elements encourages the consumer to drink more and to be brand loyal to Red Bull. 5. Brand Communities Red Bull’s mass sponsorship and consumer loyalty would work considerably well with a network of dedicated Red Bull Communities, rather than just the Red Bull sponsored, run and presented events. The basic criteria for the Red Bull Brand Community have already been met with the purchase of a Red Bull Product, as they have features and needs that are common to the other consumers who had purchased Red Bull previously. Ways that Red Bull could maximize on this could be through loyalty reward schemes, groups, emailing lists, gatherings, committees or clubs. While the idea of a Red Bull Brand community is appealing the practical application of one of these communities would be an expensive and difficult task to manage. The on paper, and metaphorical idea of a Brand community is a safer, more cost effective and ultimately simple Utopia when thought through. The Brand Community idea is one that should have been conceived during the introduction to the market or while the market was considerably smaller and more manageable. Red Bull uses the basic premise of Brand Communities already with their Red Bull Events and Sponsorships, in which it is then upon the individual to become a consumer and subscribe to these communities. The stress between the brand, the individual and the culture in which both exist is not under any amount of tension in the current marketplace and does not need to be altered at any point in the near future. The Brand Community, which Red Bull could potentially highlight, contains around 1 Billion people globally and would require large amounts of money to communicate to all of these people, let alone bring attention to it and get consumers to act upon it. 6. Brand Equities Red Bull has at its disposal a large set of Brand Equity that it uses to distinguish itself from other energy drinks and its competitors. These include its logo, its amber coloring, its taste, advertising, packaging, pricing and its reputation as a reliable and beneficial product for onsumers. In comparison to its competitors, Red Bull prides itself on being an al rounder energy drink that can be consumed anytime, in the right conditions, at the right place and the right time. Which has worked well for Red Bull as they have positioned the brand specifically to suit any occasion and to answer â€Å"Yes† to any of the Three Right questions. The development of these brand equities has been a continuous run through the development of Red Bull as a brand and its establishment in all the countries it now occupies space in. The Red Bull logo is a key device in the success of Red Bull and is possibly the strongest asset that they have in terms of Brand Equity. Many comparisons of competitor energy drinks such as Rockstar, Monster and Sobe No Fear yielded results that consumers could not differentiate between the Red Bull and its competitors while using unmarked cups and blindfold tests according to Helium Comparison Tests. In a real market perspective this fact is worrying that competitors are fabricating similar tasting products and that they are indistinguishable from one another. However this instance is found across all products in any category when basing comparisons without brand equities such as packaging, logos and distinctive colorings. Red Bulls marketing strategy has ensured that the strength on the product based on its merits receives the credit it deserves. The initial slow entry into markets, creating buzz and desired anticipation of the products has proven valuable for Red Bulls long term existence and has given merit to them too, in that they did ot let down the people who had tried the product based on hype and anticipation, creating return buyers and brand loyalties. Red Bull’s price premium is considered a winner with the market place as people believe that paying for benefit is better than paying for volume, as can be seen with competitors such as Rockstar who sell only the 500mL cans of energy drink and who deliver solely on their marketability rather than on product benefit such as Red Bull has done. The pricing premium has ensured that Red Bull be taken on its quality rather than on a commodity measurement ike quantity. This perceived value given to it and received by consumers tightens the consumer’s loyalty to the brand. Red Bull has seen a long run of marketing in sporting events and endorsing athletes to create awareness to potential consumers of its benefits in sporting activities, on and off the field. This spending on endorsements and events is evidence to the wider community that Red Bull is not just about profiteering, but supports the sporting world and provides entertainment and encouragement to those people who would like to strive to this level. However know where does Red Bull market itself to state that it will put you in this position. The clever marketing strategies which Red Bull have used remain honest and aim solely to promote Red Bull in a positive light whilst involving the consumers it is reaching out to. The Brand Equity that Red Bull keeps is a well-earned set of criteria that has been nursed from the beginning of the brand back in 1987 in Austria. The expansion of Red Bull into more than 120 countries is a sign of strength and highlights the diverse regions of differing brand equities among varying cultures. The underlying success of Red Bull remains in the marketing strategy that put it ahead of the competition in the first place. Without this, the basics of brand equities would not exist and Red Bull would follow the same course of one of its competitors. Because of this I believe that Red Bulls greatest brand equity is the brand itself and its history among the market over the past 23 years. Combining all of the elements discussed previously and essential make up of campaigns, strategies, advertising, targeted markets, successes and failures. This long history will benefit Red Bull in the long term, as it will become even more cemented into the grain of society and stay as the go to energy drink, rather than the fad competition products which have entered into the market in order to unseat the firmly held Red Bull. As for the continuing growth of Red Bulls Brand equity listings that is to be foreseen in the future, but there is little doubt that it will continue to build positively as the Red Bull product range changes to suit the coming changes to the current market. When it does I have no doubt that Red Bull GmbH will be ready for it. . Conclusion The Red Bull Branding Story follows a long timeline of success and obstacles that Red Bull GmbH has turned into triumphs. Red Bull have managed to turn a small Austrian drinks company into a global giant as one of the fastest growing brands and now staying true to one of the most popular of the 21st Century. Over the course of the 23 years that Red Bull has been manufactured, we can see a growing trend and the synthetic need created by Red Bull for energy stimulation drinks; and now the popularity of them to a point where we could no longer exist without them. Red Bull has become part of pop culture and every day slang and jargon, which intensifies its impact on the market and its sustainability in the consumers mind. As far as brands go, Red Bull has remained faithful to its consumers and to its own marketing goals, with little to no changes to the marketing strategy, the product packaging and flavoring, besides of course the Sugar Free Red Bull. This steadfast approach to marketing has clearly worked and a comparison of Red Bull and other Energy drinks shows that these brands lack the same commitment that Red Bull has.

What is Cryptography?

Technology has developed throughout the years, which has been shown by changes in different aspects of how people live their daily lives. One example could be the means of transportation which started from horses during early times to carriages, invention of automobiles, aircrafts, submarines and many more which we use at present. Through centuries, sending of messages has also evolved from messenger mail to electronic mail via the World Wide Web. Along with these are rising security threats to senders and receivers of those messages who fear that their mail would be opened by someone else.It is and has been the same problem ever since. How can these security threats and privacy invasions be avoided then? The main topic of this research is the importance of a science that helps everyone. It could be in terms of technology to the benefit of computer enthusiasts and industrialists, or simply for protection of the privacy of each citizen. The following pages would give the readers a bri ef introduction of the subject at hand, Cryptography. Along with its definition, history, forms and uses, readers would also be able to learn how important this science is and why each person should use it in their daily communication.According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, Cryptography is the enciphering and deciphering of messages in secret code or cipher, the computerized encoding and decoding of information. It is also known as secret writing. Derived from the Greek words kryptos, which means hidden and the grafo, meaning write, is the transformation of data into a secure message, so that unintended recepients would not be able to understand or use them. (Wikibooks, Inc. , 2007).Cryptography is used to hide information by means of encryption, therefore making data unreadable to those who don’t have the secret key that can decipher or decrypt the message into an understandable one. Encryption is done when information is transformed into something which others m ight see as useless. This is called ciphertext. The act of transforming the said information into an understandable format with the use of a cipher or secret key is called decryption. (Wikibooks, 2007) The use of cryptography is seen today through its many uses.These include the security of ATM cards, electronic commerce and computer passwords. These are used for access control and confidentiality of secure information. (Cryptography, 2007) Such techniques like microdots and combining words with images are used by cryptographers to hide information from unintended recepients. (Pawliw, 2006) The earliest known use of cryptography is Classical Cryptography. It shows that it has been thousands of years since cryptography was first done. History has stated that the first proof of the use of cryptography dates back to 2000 BC.It has been related with the Egyptians’ practice of hieroglyphics which consisted of complicated pictograms seen carved into monuments of Ancient Egypt. Thes e pictograms were hard to interpret and only a chosen few knew what their real meanings were. Some time within 500 and 600 BC, Hebrew scholars made use of simple substitution ciphers like the Atbash Cipher in order to solve these encrypted messages. According to Wikibooks, the first known use of a modern cipher was by Julius Caesar (100 BC to 44 BC):â€Å"†¦who did not trust his messengers when communicating with his governors and officers. For this reason, he created a system in which each character in his messages was replaced by a character three positions ahead of it in the Roman alphabet. † (Wikibooks, 2007) By the time of World War II, there has become a great use of mechanical and electromechanical cryptographic cipher machines, but the usage of these was very impractical. During this time, there were various developments in both mathematical and practical cryptography.When the period of modern cryptography began, Claude Shannon, father of mathematical cryptograph y, published the paper Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems in the Bell System Technical Journal in 1949. Shortly after that, along with Warren Weaver, he published the book Mathematical Theory of Communication as well. Because of those publications, a solid theoretical basis for cryptography and for cryptanalysis was established, which made cryptography known only by secret government communications organizations such as the NSA.It was only in 1969 that the public again saw developments in the field of cryptography: â€Å"First was the DES (Data Encryption Standard) submitted by IBM†¦ in an effort to develop secure electronic communication facilities for businesses such as banks and other large financial organizations†¦ it was adopted and published as a FIPS Publication (Federal Information Processing Standard) in 1977†¦has been made effectively obsolete by the adoption in 2001 of the Advanced Encryption Standard†¦DES was the first publicly accessible cypher algorithm to be ‘blessed' by a national crypto agency such as NSA.The release of its design details by NBS stimulated an explosion of public and academic interest in cryptography. † (Wikibooks, 2006) Here are the important terms related to Cryptography in detail; Encryption is the act of hiding information using cryptography. Processed information in this manner is said to be encrypted. Decryption is the process of translating encrypted information. The Key is like a password used to encrypt and decrypt information. A transmission channel used to transmit information in secrecy is called a Secure Line, while a Public Line is the opposite.An example of which are public pay phones and the Internet. (Wooledge , 2000) There are several types of Cryptography being used today. In order to further explain the types of Cryptography, Wooledge compared the Key to a key to a door. First among these is the Symmetric Cipher, which can sometimes be called a symmetric key. Most of the time, it is used for simple types of cryptography because a same key is used to encrypt and decrypt the secret message.â€Å"Everybody who should have access to the room is given a copy of the key†¦put new information in, take old information out†¦if you send somebody a copy of the key by way of the Post Office, somebody working at the Post Office could intercept this key†¦allow them to access this same locked room, and do the same things with it†¦letting them read everything you locked up with that key, even letting them modify it. â€Å"(Wooledge , 2000) The Public Key Cryptography is more complex because in this type of cryptography there are two keys used and together, they are called a key pair.The key used to encrypt is called the public key, which can be given to anyone in order to send information to the owner of the private key, which will be used to decrypt information sent to him. The most common example of this is the use of electronic mail over th e internet, also known as email. The public key is an email address which one gives out to his friends. This allows them to send information to the holder of the secret key, the owner of the email address, the only one who has the password to open and translate the information sent to him or her.(Wooledge , 2000) A One Time Pad is used to send high security messages such as national secrets and is considered the only perfect encryption in the world. In this type of encryption, both the sender and receiver has a copy of the pad to be used as a symmetric key to hide and unhide a message sent over a secure line and destroys them after it has been used. A good example of this is the one seen in Mission Impossible movies, wherein Ethan Hunt receives messages that self-destruct. (Wooledge , 2000)For the sake of totality, it would be best to include Steganography, the science of hiding information from people who would spy on a person. This type of encryption is designed not to let spies k now that there is indeed a something hidden in a certain message. It is very effective, but only used occasionally. (Wooledge , 2000) Along with the internet, there is a large growth in the variety of forms of electronic communications, making its security very important. There are a number of enumerated uses for Cryptography such as protection of e-mail messages, credit card information, corporate and other important information.(Jupiter Media Corporation, 2004) After a brief background on Cryptography, readers would come to know why it is important to use them in their daily activities. The following are common concerns, goals or objectives that answer the above stated question. Message Confidentiality; Encrypted messages would only be understood by intended recepients of a certain message. If a sender would want to hide certain information from the public or from someone in particular, it would be best that cryptography is used.In that manner, only the receiver would have the key to translate the message into a useful and understandable one. Message Integrity; If an encrypted message is intercepted and changed during the sending process, it would easily be known by the receiver, which secures its integrity. Sender Authentication; It would be possible to make sure of the identities of both sender and recepient of the message. With cryptography, the recipient would be able to verify the true identity of the sender, along with the origin and destination of the message.Sender Non-Repudiation; This would prevent a sender from denying an intention to send and that he or she is the true sender of the said message. (Wikibooks, 2007) Though these cryptographic procedures are effective enough to achieve the goals, and concerns mentioned, it is still important for receivers and specially senders to practice caution such as creating a password with a very strong integrity, logging off private systems when they are not being used by the owner and keeping all private inf ormation to oneself. (Pawliw, 2006) Works Cited Cryptography. (2006).In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary [Web]. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved January 24, 2007, from http://www. m-w. com/cgi-bin/dictionary? book=Dictionary&va=cryptography Cryptography. (2007). In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia [Web]. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. Retrieved January 24, 2007, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Cryptography Pawliw, B (2006, January 13). Cryptography. Retrieved January 24, 2007, from Search Security. com Web site: http://searchsecurity. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci214431,00. html Wikibooks, (2006, November 1).Cryptography/History of Cryptography. Retrieved January 24, 2007, from Wikibooks, the Open-Content Textbooks collection Web site: http://en. wikibooks. org/wiki/Cryptography/History_of_Cryptography Wikibooks, (2007, January 10). Cryptography/Introduction. Retrieved January 24, 2007, from Wikibooks, the Open-Content Textbooks Collection Web site: http://en. w ikibooks. org/wiki/Cryptography/Introduction Wooledge , G (2000, October 11). What types of cryptography are there?. Retrieved January 24, 2007, from wooledge. org Web site: http://wooledge. org/~greg/crypto/node5. html