Thursday, December 19, 2019

Comparative Essay; to Kill a Mockingbird and the Colour...

One Will Take What He Is Given The purpose of Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is to demonstrate the hardships that are met when ignorance and tradition bring about the influence of sexism, racism and genuine prejudice to the general public. Ignorance is the root cause of prejudice as it prevents one to see beauty, so when it comes to dealing with the discriminating behavior held in this social order, the vast majority of people are judged by the label and stereotype society has given them, not by the kind of person they are inside. Nevertheless, through these corrupt societies, the protagonists are able to experience incredible journeys of courage, growth and love. Bravery and love is†¦show more content†¦They believe that since she is a woman, she is not intelligent or worthy of respect. An example demonstrating her stepfathers inequality towards women is when he believes that Celie is incapable of learning; therefore deciding to pull her out of school. However, Shug Avery gives Celie the love and attention she deserves, unlike these men. Although unconventional, Shug acknowledges Celie’s presence and see’s in Celie what no one does; a beautiful, intellectual and independent woman. The color purple was chosen by Alice Walker in order to demonstrate Celies struggle with men and also represents Celies appreciation towards herself. Since purple is a very omnipotent and dominant color, it is considered to be a color that is to be an emblem of rank or authority. Normally, royalty or someone with a high social class would wear purple in order to represent their dominance and power. When one of Mr. _’s sister’s offers to buy Celie clothes, Celie replies â€Å"I think about what color Shug Avery would wear, she like a queen to me. So I say to Kate, Something purple.† (The Color Purple, pg 20) Being very vulnerable and weak at the beginning of the novel, Celie idolizes Shug Avery, â€Å"The Queen Bee†, and craves for a similar assertiveness. She considers Shug at equilibrium with royalty, assuming Shug would wear something purple to represent her aristocratic ways and to show off her superior attitude towards the

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Entires of an American Soldier fictional Essay Example For Students

Entires of an American Soldier fictional Essay These are journal entries of an American Solider named Private John G. Watson who was sent to Afghanistan to fight the war on terrorism. These are the last few entries in his journal before his convoy was ambushed and he was killed. He was only 21. August 2, 2001: So, I just got my draft slip in the mail. Looks like I am on my first assignment already. I mean, I just joined the army 5 months ago. President Bush is sending troops out to Afghanistan to fight the war on terrorism. He is sending us out there to find the terrorists that were responsible for the devastating attacks on the world trade center on September 11th. All my friends that have joined the army with me are going as well, we may even be in the same convoy. I am really not ready for this, I am very nervous about this. But it is my duty as a solider of the American Army. Well, I better get some sleep; I leave tomorrow to go out there, to that frightening Middle East place. August 3, 2001: This morning a bus came to the barracks to pick us up. The bus was full of guys like me. The youngest guy was only 20. Not much younger than me! We are risking our lives to preserve the lives of the other millions of Americans that would rather sit at home and hope for peace, to us where we are doing something about it. I cant believe I am doing this. Right now I am on a C-130 cargo plane with about 70 other soldiers. We are heading out to a US base near Lwara in Afghanistan. We still havent received our specific orders. We dont know who will be in each platoon. Well, we are almost to the base now, I will write back once I get the chance. August 4, 2001: The flight was over 12-hours, I tried to sleep, but I couldnt with all the thoughts of what may happen to me out here. So, when we landed we didnt land on a runway it was more like a desert floor. When we got off the plane the heat hits you like a punch in the stomach. We were directed to our barracks and to our bunks. Then, the commander, Col. Nathan R. Barten, talked us to about our mission out here. We each then got our orders. My friend Steve and I got an assignment driving in a hummer with a gun mount as part of a convoy. Some of my other friends are in the same convoy as me, but some of them were just in as foot soldiers. I was glad that some of the guys I knew were in the same group as me. This makes me feel a bit better knowing I wont be alone. Tomorrow we learn about all the equipment that we will be using out here along with all the  training and survival tips we need to know as well. August 5, 2001: Today was a very interesting day. We spent most of the day learning about our equipment. In my training I learned about the controls and techniques of driving a hummer. But I had never learned how to drive this type before. This was one of the newest models, with a gun mount and rocket launchers. I learned about all the driving skills that I would need to use in a combat situation. We even took a bit of target practice with the mounted gun. The sun was unbearable throughout the whole day. One of the most important things that we were told by Col. Nathan was to stay hydrated and to preserve the water we have. .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 , .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 .postImageUrl , .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 , .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75:hover , .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75:visited , .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75:active { border:0!important; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75:active , .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75 .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6f294e3413930b27c2a3cbfd429d3e75:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: During the 1940s, American society became increasingly consumerist and more competitive than ever before EssayAfter we did the training with the hummer we had a lecture about all the dangers of the desert out here. This was chilling stuff. One of the scariest things he told us was about the dangerous animals that live out here. He asked us, How many of you checked your boots before you put them on? No one did, and then he showed us this very poisonous scorpion that almost killed one of his other men because he didnt check his boots before he put them on. He showed us all types of different animals and insects; spiders, snakes, beetles and lizards. He showed us one spider t hat was big as a freaking dinner plate! Scariest looking thing I have ever seen in my whole life. Now I feel really paranoid about sleeping out here. August 7, 2001: Yesterday we just did more technique training with the hummer and some stamina drills. Yesterday 6 soldiers passed out from heat exhaustion. It gets to be about 100 degrees Fahrenheit out here in the peak of the day. Today they gave us a day off. They let us relax from the few days of hard training. Though there is not much do to out here, in fact nothing to do out here, we still had a great day. Some guys just slept or wrote home to love ones and some of us got together to throw the football around. Today at dinner, which is just an MRE prepared in large doses, we were told the real reason we had the day off today. It looks like tomorrow we are actually going to go out on mission. After dinner we had a briefing about what each platoon would be doing. I think that we got lucky; my convoy is just escorting a large truckload of cargo and troops out to another base. Hope all goes well tomorrow. August 8, 2001: We woke up early this morning, before the sun rose. It was cold, so cold you could actually see your breath. Everyone did what he or she were suppose to do, gear up and get into their places. We left early to avoid any hassle from the enemies. We drove fast to shorten  the time. I lead the convoy because the hummer that I was driving had a GPS system in it. About 5 hours into the drive we were going through a small town when we started to take fire from a building. I did what I was told, to keep driving no matter what. The firing continued, then I heard shots coming from atop me, my gunner was shooting at the building where the firing may have come from. I also heard it from behind too. Steve came down from the gun to reload it. When he peaked back up and behind he yelled, Stop! I looked behind me to see that the other trucks had fallen way behind. I turned around to go back and help protect it. It turns out that the truck full of men had got one of its tires blown out. We were tak ing some pretty heavy fire from the villagers. Dont they know that we are trying to help them? As I pulled up to the truck I found that the other hummer that was protecting the back of the convoy had flipped over. I told Steve to stay and help protect the truck as I went to see if the others in the hummer were all right. I ran up to the flipped hummer, as I did I saw the two men inside start to crawl out. They had blood on them, just cuts and bruises, no bullet wounds. I helped them out and we ran over to the truck and they jumped in the back. I went to the front to check on the progress of fixing the flat tire. They had gotten it fixed and we all ran back to our vehicles to continue on. As I jumped in to hummer, I sat there and listened for a second. There was silence. The gunfire had stopped. I then realized that it had stopped as soon as I pulled up the truck. We must have killed them. I put it out of my mind and we continued towards the base. When we arrived at the base, the two from the flipped hummer were taken to hospital. We reported in, and we accessed the damage. There were about 50 bullet holes in my hummer alone. We were told that we are going to stay the night here, then drive bac k tomorrow morning. I hope that I can sleep tonight. .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 , .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 .postImageUrl , .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 , .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1:hover , .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1:visited , .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1:active { border:0!important; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1:active , .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1 .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua6caaabe2b961f5f708378e043bb15c1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Red Tree analysis essayAugust 9, 2001: It is early morning, I didnt sleep well because I was too nervous about today. I have a really bad feeling that I cant shake. As backup, we are going to head back to our base along with another hummer. Hope this goes smooth. I woke up the voices of several people talking, I heard someone say, Hes not going to make it. As I woke up I was told not to move, I had been badly wounded. I asked for my journal to write down my last thoughts. They told me  that I dont have long. I asked about my comrade Steve. They told me that a bullet wound in the throat had killed him. This war is horrible; we are trying to fight an invisible enemy. Now, I am going to die too. Are we going to be known for what we had done? Had we done anything of importance? We had given our lives to keep others safe. I wish the people safe in their homes could see what we are sacrificing for them. At 5:24pm on August 9, 2001 Private John G. Watson was pronounced dead from loss of blood and third degrees burns to over 40% of his body. As he was heading back to his base his hummer was ambushed. His hummer was hit by a swarm of bullets. Private Steven E. Sampson was hit in the neck from a bullet and was killed instantly. John was hit in the arm twice but he continued to drive. A small grenade flipped the hummer and caught fire. Unfortunately, the base was 2 hours away still and not much could be done till they arrived at the base, which was too late for John. He was declared dead shortly after treatment was attempted on him. In his last few minutes he managed to write the last portion in his journal. John was never announced as a hero of the war, just another casualty

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Red Bull Report free essay sample

Marketing Analysis of the Most Famous Energy Drink Brand Red Bull? s sources of brand equity. Red Bull is one of the most famous brands in the drink industry. With an innovative product Red Bull was able to sell millions and millions of cans and to draw profits of dizzy amount. But as often it is not only the product which determinates the success or failure of a company. And of this Red Bull is a very good example. Although nowadays Red Bull has to compete with the biggest drink companies in the world (Coca Cola, PepsiCo), it detains in its segment almost everywhere more than 50% market share. It is true that Red Bull was the first large and international energy drink producer, but for their leadership they did and still do a lot of accurate marketing actions in order to preserve and improve their awareness and image and as consequences their position. We will write a custom essay sample on Red Bull Report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Like mentioned the marketing actions of Red Bull were very accurate and coherent themselves. Dietrich Mateschitz, the founder of Red Bull, was spending about two years to create the product and their packaging. He conceived an advertising strategy with basically two slogans (â€Å"Red Bull gives you wings† and â€Å"Red Bull revitalizes body and mind†), which are still in the Red Bull ads nowadays. The message of the ads is always the benefit of the product. This red line has been seen from the beginning until today. Red Bull focused a lot of the functional side of the drink. Also because of that Red Bull is practicing a premium price, they argue that it is easier to believe in an efficiency of a product if it is more expensive than their competitors. A lot of marketing actions of Red Bull wants to show people the different use opportunities of their drink. It should not be only a mixer or a clubbing drink. Therefore Red Bull defined 5 potential users: students, drivers, clubbers, business people and sports people. Red bull was able to get in some way mystic. But why? First of all the category of drink (energy drink) was completely new. Then Red Bull has a clever distribution and a new-market-enter concept. First they are available in â€Å"in† bars, discotheques and stores. They sponsored peers to take Red Bull in the public (confiding in the word-of-mouth) and only in a successive moment Red Bull is available in the discount stores, when a lot of people already know it. They call this concept â€Å"seeding program†, that were able to create a wave of buzz around the drink before and the first time of its apparition. Also the only available packaging (cans of 250 ml without reducing the price if taken in great quantity) contributes to the mystification and success of Red Bull. Red Bull is very active in the event and sponsor marketing, taking a lot of attention if this kind of event or sport (sport sman) fits well together with the message of Red Bull as an energetic drink. So the sports are often extreme sports or related to speed (see Formula 1). All this things were contributing and still contribute to the brand equity. The company has always take care a very lot of their image and awareness. So Red Bull is an example of a good, successful and advised marketing. Do these sources change depending on the market or country? The Red Bull global marketing strategy is to use similar techniques everywhere, without differentiating the product or the brand characteristics depending of different countries or different markets. The Red Bull now-famous package is similar everywhere, characterized by the blue and silver small can (250 ml), which allows the company to give a different idea of drink to consumers. In fact this small can signal that the product is different and stronger than traditional soft drinks. The demonstration of the power and success of this can comes from the Red Bull attempt to commercialize a different package for its product. The company developed a glass brown bottle that had to be sold in places where cans were not allowed; it was introduced in Germany when Red Bull was launched in this country, and the quick demand of the product outpaced supply, so the company was forced to sell glass bottles. As soon as glass brown bottles were commercialized, sales fell off. Dietrich Mateschitz, the company founder, wants Red Bull to be drunk by everyone and everywhere; he wants consumers to drink it whenever they need a lift, whether it is morning, noon or night. This is another point of strength of Red Bull marketing strategy, because the company doesn’t define a specific demographic or psychographic segment as its target market. Red Bull doesn’t want to focus on a narrow consumer target, and this ensured to the company to be able to grow into numerous market segments. Moreover Red Bull’s advertising doesn’t specify any consumption occasions, which further facilitated an elastic positioning. In fact, at the beginning, Red Bull consumers in Austria were dancers, clubbers and ravers who used the drink to stay fresh during late-night parties. This was a very good publicity for the company, because this party-association created a significant buzz around the drink. Red Bull was used primarily as a mixer, a strategy allowed from the company useful to make Red Bull to be present in every kind of place and to be drunk in a lot of contests; in fact Norbert Kraihamer, Red Bull’s Group Marketing and Sales Director, said â€Å"We are not against mixing, but over time we must make sure that the product is regarded as much more than a mixer†. The Red Bull intention has always been to communicate to everyone and in every country same concepts, and to do it the company used animated television spots adopted uniformly across the company’s global market. Said Kraihamer: â€Å"Even in a country where they speak a different language, we send the same message using the cartoon†¦. The power of our marketing mix works†. The mot â€Å"Red Bull gives you wiiings† became a well-known sentence in all over the countries where the drink was sold. Usually the company used a â€Å"pre-marketing† strategy to establish awareness in markets where the product were not yet sold. It consisted in sponsoring events that took place in countries where Red Bull was not available, because like Kraihamer said â€Å" we want to be recognized as the pre-eminent brand, even if we are not there†. Only once Red Bull tried to go over his traditional marketing entry strategy and it was a big mistake. It happened when they were introducing the product into the United Kingdom in 1995. In fact, marketing managers wanted to change the idea of â€Å"stimulating† drink in that one of â€Å"energy† drink. It was a failure. In England consumers were very familiar with sport drinks category, dominated from decades by another brand, Lucozade. Management also changed the word-of-mouth strategy which characterized the awareness of the product until then. All preliminary steps were skipped and Red Bull started to be sold in the largest supermarkets and convenience stores, delaying every kind of buzz that has always been the strength of the brand. The last mistake in which UK management incurred was to introduce a new advertising concept; instead of the usual slogan they used a new one: â€Å"Never underestimate what Red Bull can do for you†, which not really clarify what was the company positioning. What is more, they focused advertising efforts on billboards that were not as effective in communicating product’s benefits as electronic media. After necessary changes, between 1997 and 2001 Red Bull was able to gain the 48% of the energy and sports drink market. Another different, but successful marketing entry strategy was applied during the introdu ction of Red Bull into the US market in 1997. The company used the so-called â€Å"cell† approach, consisting in dividing key markets in the country into targeted geographic segments, rather than attempt a nationwide launch. Even if the entry strategy was different from the usual one, Red Bull didn’t change the sources of brand equity that have always dictated the success of the company by giving to all consumers the same idea of what Red Bull drink was, and which were its benefits like functional product. Red Bull’s Marketing Program Analysis in terms of how it contributes to its brand’s equity. When a new product is launched on a market, first thing to do is to choose brand elem ents, identify points of difference and points of parity. Unless we do that, we can’t start thinking about marketing activities and so on. The reason is very simple. Everything must fit each other. The message that we are sending through our marketing program must reflect the desired perception of our product that we want to fix in consumers’ minds. The truth is that marketing communication is the main source of consumer’s knowledge about the product. There can’t be any misunderstandings or contradictions between this and the brand image. In our opinion, in case of Red Bull’s marketing program, everything was carefully planned. It contributed to build strong brand equity. Everything was important: pre-marketing, sponsorship and way of advertising. First of all, they managed to build one scheme of introducing their energy drink, which they copied in each country. It is how they made the product recognizable in every country in the same way with the same associations across the cultures. It also allowed lowering the costs of expanding, because the product did not need additional adaptation to another country. A very important point of their strategy was to make a buzz over the Red Bull energy drink before launching on a new market. People were talking about this drink, wondering what it is exactly, an atmosphere of excitement was created. This marketing trick was increasing brand’s equity. Firstly, the brand was known before entering the market. Secondly consumers were aware of its benefits and unusual ingredient which was kind of mystery. Of course sometimes the rumors were negative, but still everybody was just waiting to try â€Å"this new thing†. Word-of-mouth communication was the key of their marketing program. Slightly controlled, by for example placing empty cans in clubs and pubs to build an illusion of popularity, it helped to build brand equity based on consumers’ own impressions. As they said: â€Å"we do not market the product, we let the consumer discover it†. Thanks to that, Red Bull users are more convinced of the effect that the drink brings, as it seems to come from them-selves and from peers, not â€Å"from the TV screen†. That kind of media is maybe the oldest one, but the most efficient. It does not mean that they completely resigned from advertisements. In fact, TV commercials are still one of the most efficient ways of influencing consumers as they can reach the biggest spectrum of them and they allows for sight, motion and sound and so they stimulate many human senses. Of course Red Bull had some TV spots, but very simple one. A cartoon always based on the same scenario two people, one advising to another lacking the energy to drink Red Bull and the line: â€Å"Red Bull gives you wiiiings†. It could fit consumer of every age. It allowed the brand not to be classified for only one target group. Although these are young people of 14-19 years old, who are the biggest group of buyers, this openness for people of every age brought by marketing program is the point of difference. Other products of the same category are focusing on specific target group or specific occasion of usage. Red Bull case is different. They wanted to make a product for every occasion. And so advertisements where never specifying the proper time of drinking. They were emphasizing the purpose of using – whenever people are mentally or physically fatigue – these were the only two dimensions characterizing a Red Bull consumer. Thanks to that brand equity increased as it better cover the market. Sampling was a crucial part of the Red Bull marketing program. Energetic people conv incing others to try and drink Red Bull at the right time and at the right place – every aspect of a product trial was carefully planned. Thanks to that brand’s equity increases, because people can try the product just â€Å"in time† to see how it works, to feel benefits and so to spread the good word further to friends. The most important thing that contributed the brand equity was their approach to sponsor sport events. By sponsoring individual athletes or international competitions and events, they were showing brand’s involvement in viewer’s country. This pre-marketing strategy helped to establish awareness of the product and good associations with the brand before entering the market. The whole Red Bull marketing program was well-considered. Marketers have chosen various communication options, which shared common meaning but simultaneously were complementary, to build strong and unique brand equity. They did just one mistake during launching the product on the UK market as they thought it differ from another. Fortunately, they realized their mistake very quickly and they took necessary steps to fix the situation. Future Scenarios for Red Bull How to maintain its momentum? How to develop its extension? What would its marketing strategy be? Red Bull, in spite of its premium marketing strategy, will figure lots of new challenges in the future. Even if there have been some mistakes in the direction’s choices, as the launch in the UK or the attempt to commercialize the tea â€Å"Carpe diem†, it’s clear that they have invented not only a new category of food: â€Å"Functional†, but also a very good way to enter in people’s mind, focusing on each costumer. However, there is a question: how to keep this little empire on the top? Now, more than ever, it is important to focus on its core product, as had happened in the first years. The reason for this is simple: too many big competitors on the market as well as small ones. Consequently to this situation, Red Bull has lost a big market share due to others brands attempting to copy Red bull’s marketing strategies to enter the various segments. Another problem is the major cost they have to support for the different advertising campaigns: more than the 30% of the revenues, in spite of the big competitors like Coca Cola and Pepsi that just spend 9% of them. This is a necessary cost, if Red Bull wants to remain a top brand in its sector. Anyway, as we could see from the results, all attempts to launch new products or to try common marketing strategies have failed or didn’t have much success. A good example of that are the â€Å"Carpe diem† tea and eventually the fast-food chain with the homonymous name. The costumers’ awareness has been build trough the years focusing on every â€Å"cell† they got in; now that all this work has been done, they can’t just adopt big brands strategies. They have to continue to keep the image in people’s mind, the one of their first and so innovative product. In these last years, we’ve seen the scarce answer that the market has given to product as â€Å"Red Bull Light† and above all the â€Å"Red Bull Cola†. This last one, even if it has been presented trough the usual channel used by Red Bull, like the â€Å"Red Bull Teams† out of Universities and Colleges, it had no success. It has been for sure a too big challenge for them. They moved too much from their border this time; it is the reason why in many European Countries the product has not even been launched. It means they’re very scared of the present situation since the big competitors are taking more and more shares of Red Bull’s market. If they want to try to move in new sectors or to create a new product for different segments, they should create other brands. In the present situation they’re giving an image of dispersion, just losing more space without any profit. On the other hand, the evolution of its marketing strategy being a sponsor of extreme and high-speed sports and also the decision to buy a soccer team and to create a F1 team, makes us understand that its basic values are still the same. We can see how it sponsors athletes, who are the best in their ranges, even if their sports are still not so famous, or are not given any particular recognition to. Thanks to that, in the future, Red Bull will have best champions in new, very fashion and extreme sports. To be remembered, the Red Bull project to develop an air team; this requires a lot of money, but gives an enormo us payback in awareness and image. The brand is also very good in creating new events and contests, so to give them a very personal mark. These are the best occasions to strengthen again the relations with its core classes of costumers, like sportsmen and clubbers. At the end, we can say that Red Bull is still doing a really good job thanks to its creativity and fantasy, but it should take care not to get confused and disoriented because of many competitors trying to take its place. Stay focus and remember not to mix new and old challenges. That is the only way to get into the worldwide trade and extension.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

A Practical Guide The 5 Best Ways to Save for College

A Practical Guide The 5 Best Ways to Save for College SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips So you want to be proactive and save for college. Maybe you’re a high school student who wants to build up a college fund for yourself, or maybe you’re a parent or family member who wants to save for a young loved one.No matter your situation, you’re taking a proactive step in making college a little bit more affordable. In this post, I’ll discuss the things you need to know in orderto build, keep, and grow college savings. We'll discuss the fivebest ways to save for college to lower student debt on graduation and take a load off your mind. First, though, I'll talk about the question you should be considering before you implement your savings plan: how much should you be putting away in the first place? Read on to find out! How Much Should You Save? As you might imagine, the answer to this question will be different for everyone. I'll talk about the costs of college, how they're expected to change, and some common savings goals before moving into the nitty-gritty of savings calculations. College is already pretty expensive, with costs varying based on factors like school type, financial need, and academic merit. On average, it costs about $45,000 to attend a private US college for one year, whilethe cost of attendance at an in-state public school averages about $23,000. You can read more about estimating your own expenses with our college cost guide. Although it'scurrently pricey to get a college education, expenses are only increasing year by year. If prices increase at a rate of 5% annually, the total cost of 4 years of college in 18 years could be: $237,000 at an in-state public university $464,000 at a private college or university These sticker prices are definitely intimidating, but it's important to keep in mind that most families aren't shelling out those total amounts in cash in order to pay for school. As of a few years ago, this wasthe average percentage breakdown of how families paid for college (according to the College Board): 5% contributions from relatives and friends 9% parent borrowing, like with a private or PLUS loan % student income and savings 18% student borrowing, like with a Direct loan or Perkins loan 27% parent income and savings 30% grants and scholarships like the Pell Grant Hopefully, this breakdown helps assuage any fears you may have about the process of paying for college. Although it isn't difficult to come up with a currentnet price estimate of college expenses, it may be challenging to do this for students who will attend college in 5, 10, or 15 years. According to one survey, most parents say they hope to pay at least half of their children's college expenses; in the following examples, I'll work with these figures and savings goals to show you how much, exactly, you should stash for the future. Calculating Savings Maybe the most tedious part of saving for college: figuring out what you're comfortable putting away. Ultimately, theamount you decide to save will depend on your family income and expenses. You don’t have to have four years’ worth of expenses (tuition, room, board, fees, etc.) saved up by the time your student’s 18, especially if your family has alower income and you expect toqualify for financial aid like the Pell Grant. It’s hard to predict what sort of aid you willget thatfar in the future, but you canstart with an estimate of what your family will have to pay out of pocketgiven current costs. Once you've come to a savings goal - let's say your full expected family contribution (net price) for convenience's sake - you can figure out how much to put away every pay period. Just divide your total expected contribution for fouryears of collegeby the number of pay periods until your child leaves for school. Here's a basic savings formula for how much you should save per month, assuming your money wouldn't be earning any gains or interest: Monthly savings = Total savings goal à · (Years until college x 12) Let's see how this looks in action: If you have a newborn baby, you'll have 18 years to save for college. You have the advantage of time on your side, but you also know that college costs will rise significantly over the next couple of decades. You estimate that thecost of attendance at a private college will cost about $460,000 by the time your child goes to school, and you want to save half that amount: $230,000. If you stashed your cash in a 0% interest account, you could save $230,000 in 18 years by setting aside $1065 a month If you stashed your money in an account with an average annual rate of return of 6%, you could save $230,000 in 18 years by setting aside $500 a month $500 a month is a lot more reasonable than $1065 a month, but it still may not be withinyour budget. What happens if you save less per month, over 18 years, in that same 6% yield account? If you save $100 a month, you would have $47,000 in 18 years If you save $250 a month, you would have $166,000 in 18 years Ultimately, any amount that you choose to put away will help empower your child (or yourself) to pay for college in the future. As you can see; however, you can grow your money much more effectively if you save early, save often, and save in an account with a high rate of return. Ways to Build Funds To students and parents alike: the earlier you start building a college fund, the better. Strategies for fundingcollege will vary based on who, exactly, is trying to save for school. Whether you're a parent or a student, you can start working on a funding source. For Parents It’s never too early to start a college fund for your future student. In fact, the earlier you start, the easier it will be to save a significant amount. Perhaps thebest way to save is to set aside a small percentage of your income every pay period. You canwithhold it and put it aside in a big chunk at the end of the year. Alternatively, you canhave a set amount or percentage automatically deposited in a separate account every pay period. The amount you choose to set aside will obviously depend on your income and family expenses. For Students There are many different ways for you to start building up a college fund for yourself. The more you save now, the less you may have to worry about your tuitionbills or student loan payments later. Student Jobs You can start working in many states at 14 or 15, which potentially givesyou 3-4 years to build up some savings for college. This isn’t the right choice for everybody - you shouldn’t put a job ahead of your studies or extracurricular activities - but it can be a good way to start putting money away for the future. Assume that you'll start off working part-time and at federal minimum wage - not super appealing, I know, but that'sthe unfortunate reality of getting a job as a teen. If you work full-time for twomonths during the summer (40 hours per week at $7.25 per hour), you could earn up to $2,320 before taxes. Do this for three summers during high school, and you could earn almost $7,000. That's a significant chunk of money, but it requires a lot of time and energy on your part. Starting early; however, could provide opportunities for advancement (i.e. salary raises) and work experience that may help you get a more appealing job once you're in college. Check out our article talking about when you should (or shouldn't) get a job as a student. Family Member Contributions Some students may be fortunate enough to have family members whoare willing to help with college expenses. If you’re still in high school but want to start building your college fund, ask family members for contributions in lieu of traditional gifts for birthdays or holidays. Scholarships You don’t have to wait until you’re accepted to college to start applying forscholarships. There are a lot of programs out there open to high school students, and some are open to even younger kids. To start your scholarship search, check out our posts on the top scholarship programs for high school juniors and high school seniors. Spend a few minutes researching scholarships in your area that may be eligible for. Even small scholarships add up if you’re diligent about applying broadly. Where to Keep Your Money Money may not grow on trees, but that doesn't mean it can't grow. Now that you have a plan for bringing in college money, you’ll need a plan for saving in a smart way. If you let your money just sit in a checking account or a low-interest savings account, you could be losing money due to inflation in the long run. Don’t let all your hard work go to waste! There’s no one right savings plan for everyone, but there are a lot of different options available, each with its own pros and cons. I’ll present them all here so you can pick one or more that may work for you. Savings Accounts You can open a savings account in a matter of minutes at any bank. If you're looking for something a little more specialized, check outCoverdell Education Savings Accounts - they're custodial accounts that are meant specifically for education costs. Pros If you put your money in a savings account, it'll beeasily accessible and very liquid. It's not difficult to find free accounts with no fees. Your money will grow, particularly if you find a high-interest account. Finally, savings accounts are very flexible, meaning anyone can open an account to use for any other person's education. Cons It can be tempting to dip into college savings if you have easy access to it. Any interest gains are taxable, but thatmay not matter too much at the moment because interest rates are so low - you probably won't be gaining much from interest. 529 Plans 529 plans are education-specific investment accounts - there are many different types of plans out there, so it might take a bit of research to find one that's a good fit. Pros Many 529 plans offer serious tax benefits: when used to cover educational expenses, any investment gains aren't taxed. Any adult can open an account and name any other individual as beneficiary, making the plans very flexible. There's a penalty for dipping into the account for non-education expenses, which hopefullyleads tosuccess in reaching savings goals. Finally, there are high lifetime contribution maximums (this depends on the state, but the maximums vary from 200k-400k). Cons If there's any sort of emergency and you need access to funds you've stashed in a 529 plan, you'll be charged a hefty penalty. The plans themselves often come with fees or other charges. Finally, because 529 plans are custodial investment accounts, they're not viable options for teens who want to save for college themselves. Other Investment Accounts There are other ways to invest college funds in the market besides 529 plans, including brokerage accounts and IRAs. Again, there are a lot of different options out there, so the most important thing is finding an account that works best foryour savings goals. Pros There are a lot of investment account options out there, so you havea lot of control in how you invest your money. Depending on the type of account you choose, your funds should also be more easily accessible than if they were in a 529 plan, which meansyou wouldn't have to pay a penalty for using the money for non-educational expenses. Cons Choosing and managing an investment account takes more workand initiative than just sticking your funds in a savings account. Any gains from an investment account without the benefits of a 529 will be subject to tax, which you may have to pay on top of account fees. You also have to be 18 to open an investment account, meaning teens can't save for college this way (at least not on their own). Finally, some investment accounts can be very volatile, which subjectsyour savingsto quite a bit of risk. CDs A CD is another type of savings account - you receive a certificate when you deposit your money for a specific length of time, at a specific interest rate. You can get your money + interest rate when your CD â€Å"matures,† after the designated time period ends. Pros Because your money isn't invested in the market, you don't have to worry about your savings losing value. CDs have better rates of returnthan many savings accounts when you choose a long-term CD, making them good options for parents with young kids. Cons CDs are more conservative options than most investment accounts,and as such, they tend toresult in lower rates of return over the long term. In reality, the rates of return barely keep up with inflation. Gains are subject to tax. Finally, because long-term CDs keep your money locked in for extended periods, they're not good options for students heading off to college in the near future. Trusts "Trust" is a pretty broad term, encompassing many different things. Essentially, a trust is a fund made up of different assets that are held and managed by someone (a trustee) for someone else (a beneficiary). It's possible to open a trust for the purpose of covering college expenses. Pros You can use trusts to minimize estate taxes (if you have to worry about that), get professional management of funds, and have total control over money if you’re saving it for a minor. Cons To open a trust, you generally need a pretty large lump sum - you can't just slowly contribute over time. They're also expensive to maintain and manage. Ultimately, they're probably best for wealthy families who already have trusts in the works for children or other beneficiaries. Overwhelmed By These Savings Strategies? This info should hopefully keep you grounded. Whether your child is heading off to college next year or 18 years from now, the thought of saving up enough money can be pretty daunting. This is a lot of information to take in, so here's a breakdown of simple steps you can take to get started with a successful college savings plan: You don't have to orchestrate some complicated strategy all at once in order to save for college. If you want to start saving but don't have time at the moment to research different savings or investment accounts, it's okay to put that stuff on the back burner. Justspend a few minutes opening a simple savings account at your current banking institution - that's all you have to do to open a dedicated college fund. Once you have more time, you can start looking at savings plans that will help you grow your money most effectively. You don't have to throw all your extra funds into college savings from Day 1.Managing a household budget is a delicate balancing act for many families. If you are ready to start a college savings plan, begin by putting aside 5% of your income. If that's too much (or too little), you can adjust as necessary. Remember, you can always contribute larger lump sums if you have extra funds available. If you don't meet some arbitrary savings goal, that doesn't mean you've failed. FewUS families can afford to cover all college expenses upfront, but any amount that you save up canhelp cut down on things like student debt and even stress over making payments. Fewer than half of all families with kids sock money away for college - you're already at an advantage by setting up a dedicated college fund. What's Next? Although it's important to have a college fund to cover large educational expenses, your personal savings arenot the only way to pay for college costs. Federal and institutional financial aid may cover a large fraction of these expenses, but only if you submit the right applications at the right time. Check out our guide to applying for financial aid for more information. Did you know that some schools offer much better financial aid packages than others? If you want an education for a bargain, learn more about the 27 colleges with the best financial aid programs. Finally, you may be interested in private scholarship programs to help bridge the gap between what you owe and what you can afford. Read more about the top scholarships out there for high school juniors and high school seniors. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Free Essays on How Do We Find God

How Do We Find God? Or Do We â€Å"Our discovery of God is, in a way, God’s discovery of us. We cannot go to heaven to find him because we have no way of knowing where heaven is or what it is. He comes down from heaven and finds us.† Thomas Merton from Experiencing God By Dennis Billy, C. SS. R This poem tells us the most important thing about God, that he finds us when it is our time. No one can try to go and find heaven, they never will. We need God to come down and take us to heaven; he needs to show us the way. When I read this poem, it made me really think. Over the summer, I had to go to two funerals that were for very different reasons. The first one was for my Aunt who was very young and diagnosed not even a year ago with cancer. She was suffering and needed to find heaven very badly, but God let her hold on until my cousin, her daughter, graduated from High School. Finally it was her time to â€Å"meet God†; he came down and took her away ending her suffering. The second funeral was for my Grandfather’s nephew, Tony. God didn’t want him to be taken away, but Cousin Tony took it upon himself to meet with God. Tony decided that he was suffering too much and needed to see God to resolve all his problems. I know in the Catholic Religion suicide is regarded as a sin, but I know that my Cousin Tony didn’t mean to sin. He just needed a way to escape all of his â€Å"problems† and be with God in his time of need. Going through what I went through this summer made me realize that when it is your time to go, God will come and get you and that you shouldn’t take it upon yourself. The only way you will get to heaven is if you have someone guiding you and only God can be the one to guide you, he is the only one that knows the way.... Free Essays on How Do We Find God Free Essays on How Do We Find God How Do We Find God? Or Do We â€Å"Our discovery of God is, in a way, God’s discovery of us. We cannot go to heaven to find him because we have no way of knowing where heaven is or what it is. He comes down from heaven and finds us.† Thomas Merton from Experiencing God By Dennis Billy, C. SS. R This poem tells us the most important thing about God, that he finds us when it is our time. No one can try to go and find heaven, they never will. We need God to come down and take us to heaven; he needs to show us the way. When I read this poem, it made me really think. Over the summer, I had to go to two funerals that were for very different reasons. The first one was for my Aunt who was very young and diagnosed not even a year ago with cancer. She was suffering and needed to find heaven very badly, but God let her hold on until my cousin, her daughter, graduated from High School. Finally it was her time to â€Å"meet God†; he came down and took her away ending her suffering. The second funeral was for my Grandfather’s nephew, Tony. God didn’t want him to be taken away, but Cousin Tony took it upon himself to meet with God. Tony decided that he was suffering too much and needed to see God to resolve all his problems. I know in the Catholic Religion suicide is regarded as a sin, but I know that my Cousin Tony didn’t mean to sin. He just needed a way to escape all of his â€Å"problems† and be with God in his time of need. Going through what I went through this summer made me realize that when it is your time to go, God will come and get you and that you shouldn’t take it upon yourself. The only way you will get to heaven is if you have someone guiding you and only God can be the one to guide you, he is the only one that knows the way....

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Industrial Revolution in the Late Nineteenth Century Assignment

Industrial Revolution in the Late Nineteenth Century - Assignment Example This plan, therefore, played a significant historical role because it contained communism in Western Europe (Divine G-10). Gulf of Tonkin Resolution The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution took place in 1964, after an American destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin was attacked by a North Vietnamese. As a result, President Johnson convinced the Congress to pass a resolution empowering him to attack Vietnam through the armed forces. This resolution was not only used by America as retaliation but also heightened its involvement in the Vietnam War. THE ESSAY Industrial Revolution in the Late Nineteenth Century In the late nineteenth century, the American economy marked a complete turnaround following the tremendous industrial revolution that took place around that time. Some of the major factors that contributed to these developments include new innovations in the business strategy and technology. These developments led to new ways of farming and manufacturing and, most importantly, increased the effici ency of these economic activities. Railroad was one of the important breakthroughs during this era of industrial revolution, which enhanced movement of people as well as goods, and stimulated a range of economic activities as well as business strategies in America. This essay will discuss the developments of the industrialization during the late nineteenth century, pointing out their benefits and drawbacks. Following the great industrial improvements after 1815, the market demand for different commodities led to innovation of speedy mass production and standardized methods of production. The first innovation in textile manufacturing was a fully developed factory system. This included invention of spinning machinery and the first cotton mills... In the late nineteenth century, the American economy marked a complete turnaround following the tremendous industrial revolution that took place around that time. Some of the major factors that contributed to these developments include new innovations in the business strategy and technology. These developments led to new ways of farming and manufacturing and, most importantly, increased the efficiency of these economic activities. Railroad was one of the important breakthroughs during this era of industrial revolution, which enhanced movement of people as well as goods, and stimulated a range of economic activities as well as business strategies in America. Following the great industrial improvements after 1815, the market demand for different commodities led to innovation of speedy mass production and standardized methods of production. The first innovation in textile manufacturing was a fully developed factory system. This included invention of spinning machinery and the first cott on mills that used power loom. This technology enabled use of a single factory to convert fiber into cloth. The technology greatly enhanced efficiency in the cloth industry.