Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Existentialism

What if everything gets one nothing? What if it was true that man has the power to do whatever he pleases, but in the end all of it will mean – for lack of a better term – nothing? This school of thought is called existentialism, which is crucial in Tom Stoppard's play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead – an absurdly written response to William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern experience times of enlightenment, humor, and sorrow throughout their journey, leading them to ponder whether their livelihood actually has some sort of positive meaning. However, the ultimate gift of death crept up on them, without any explanation or hope, for all eternity. The ideas of existentialism are shown in the play through unstable identities, uncertain knowledge of the past, and anti-heroes which lead to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s ultimate fate – their feared deaths. Unstable identities in the play contribute to the idea of existentialism by making Rosencrantz and Guildenstern indistinguishable, emphasizing their need for meaning. When introducing themselves to the Player and the tragedians, Rosencrantz announces, â€Å"My name is Guildenstern, and this is Rosencrantz†¦I’m sorry – his name is Guildenstern and I’m Rosencrantz† (Stoppard 22). Their own deprivation of identity shows that the meaning in their individual lives is lost, making them into cynical, unrecognizable objects. In addition, they have lost their idiosyncrasies, creating a problem for other characters in distinguishing between the two. During a discussion about the King giving them an equal amount of money, Guildenstern exclaims that the king â€Å"wouldn’t discriminate between [them]† (Stoppard 104). To the King, Ros and Guil are simply two objects that are willing to assist in any way possible; to him, there is no point in getting to know them individually. The King’s lack of differentiation between the two shows that Ros and Guil have lost a deeper meaning to the King, leading to the bereavement of identity. The ambiguous identities of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern obliged their characters to embody no purpose, inflicting the idea of existentialism. Ros and Guil’s doomful deaths were caused by their nonexistent individuality. The pair’s past also lead them through an existential drift; without meaning in their past, the pair still have nothing to go on. The uncertainty of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s past supplements the idea of existentialism by making the play enigmatic. While walking along the path to Elsinore Castle, Ros and Guil attempt to comprehend what they are doing before making the expedition to the estate; Guil asks Ros, â€Å"What’s the first thing you remember? † and Ros replies, â€Å"Oh, let’s see†¦the first thing that comes into my head, you mean?†¦ Ah. It’s no good, it’s gone† (Stoppard 16). Ros and Guil are not able to recollect past events due to the fact that the prior matters adhered no meaning. Even when Ros and Guil are dying, they cannot recall what they have done to deserve this with Ros crying, â€Å"We’ve done nothing wrong! We didn’t harm anyone. Did we? † and Guil replies â€Å"I canâ₠¬â„¢t remember† (Stoppard 125). At their dying second, Ros and Guil are still unable to fathom what they have or have not done. Their past events are proven to be meaningless, leading them to an existential wandering containing no answers. Also through the use of anti-heroes, Stoppard made Rosencrantz and Guildenstern useless individuals who could not carry out a duty without the succor of one another. An anti-hero, in some cases, considers his or herself to be incapable of completing tasks while being corrupt, sullen, and disaffected. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern entrust each other to get through all dilemmas and yet they still become confused. When deciding what their next undertaking shall be, Guil asks Ros, â€Å"What are we going to do now? and Ros replies, â€Å"I don’t know. What do you want to do? † (Stoppard 17). Using a popular decision-making device, Ros and Guil reveal that they do not have the confidence to decide what to do and to execute the decision. Confidence is an indicator of optimism, responsibility, and initiative; Ros and Guil occupy none of these positive attributes, giving manifestation of anti-heroes. Also, Ros and Guil count on the King’s letter to get through the peregr ination, with Guil saying, â€Å"Everything is explained in the letter. We count on that† (Stoppard 105). Ros and Guil refer to the letter whenever a predicament arises, urging them to resolve the issue. With the letter epitomizing their fate, it is what they count on the most. The pair fails to envisage that one another and the letter were the ultimate factors that lead to their demise. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern live up to the idea of anti-heroes in existentialism by being each other’s hopeless backbones and depending on the letter, which leads them to their fateful deaths. Through the utilization of vacillating identities, unforeseeable knowledge of the past, and anti-heroes, existentialism augmented Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s ultimate kismet – their anticipated deaths. Tom Stoppard leads Ros and Guil through an obscure existence that turns out to encompass nothing. With this, the reader might ask, â€Å"What is life without purpose? † – And one can say that it is certainly no life at all.

Content Analysis Of Gender Stereotypes in Magazines Essay

It only takes a second to attach a strong feeling or idea to a character in a movie, advertisement, or video game. Many characterization used are based on the assumed stereotypes, and are usually one-dimensional characters. Typically, these characterizations usually come from inherited family values, education, and the media. While stereotypes existed long before mass media, the media machine certainly helped to accelerate the cultural growth of all kinds of stereotypes. It is beyond this paper to answer why magazines employ these gender stereotypes, instead this research is designed to analyze whether the content (writing, pictures, and advertising) in magazines employs the use of stereotypes in their depiction of gender. Initial Investigation Before conducting the research, I went to library and looked through two different magazines, Sports Illustrated (SI) and Chatelaine, which were both released in November 2011. SI is a sports magazine with a gender-neutral name, but there is one long-held view that women are not equal to men in the realm of sports. I’m not talking about the performance levels of athletes, but the idea that accomplishments of female athletes are not celebrated equally to those made by male athletes. As for Chatelaine, which means a woman who owns or controls a large house, it is a Canadian magazine focused on female interests, and according to the magazine, those interests are fashion, beauty and decor, to current affairs, health and food. The cover of SI shows a male basketball player in mid-air about to score a point, which isn’t anything that is grounds to claim that SI is gender biased. However, the editorial content on the cover provides more interesting tidbits as it promotes a list of the premier college basketball teams in the United States, but the list for women’s college basketball is half of the men’s league. Going through the 112-paged issue, I found there to be only five pages dedicated to female athletes. In fact, the first image of a  female in the magazine is an undressed lady sitting cross-legged on a beach. There is no mention of her interests, thoughts, or even her identity, as her only purpose on the page seems to be showing her body. To my surprise, this wasn’t an ad but an SI article that focused on tips for photographing swimsuit models. While the image can be interpreted as simply showing the end-product of a skill (photography), but it doesn’t remedy the fact that the skill involves using women primarily as sexual objects. Besides that, the ads in the magazine were for products, such as shavers, gadgets, and cars, which both sexes could be equally interested in; however, it is fascinating to note that the advertisements make those products seem to be solely for men. As for the other magazine, Chatelaine, it was actually more extreme in portraying gender stereotypes. One of the first things that I noticed was that it had a lot more advertisement. In fact, I would say that the ratio of ads in the magazine almost compared to the previous magazine would be three to one. Also, all the advertisements were for women products such as make-up or hair products. As for editorial content, I noticed the cover had the headline â€Å"The Most Talked-About Women in 2011.† This would certainly be proof or at least could be seen as hinting that women covet gossiping. For me, the most intriguing aspect for me was that it was a women’s magazine but had plenty of female stereotypes. Lastly, there was no appearance at all of men in the magazine. I did not have time to analyze all the articles but I saw no picture of a man except for one random shaving ad. Units of Analysis and Observation For this research, the unit of analysis or the major entity that will be studied will be magazine content. The portrayal of both sexes and the relations between them will be studied in magazines by examining three features, the pictures, writing and advertisements. Pictures can evoke strong feelings in people and they usually carry implicit and explicit messages, thus I will be tracking the messages that relate to gender stereotypes. Besides that, I will also be looking out for writing in the magazines’ editorial content that suggest gender stereotype. Lastly, ads will be looked as the type of product and lifestyle associated with said product that is being depicted may show gender stereotypes. For this research, the unit of observation are magazines as obviously will be making  my observations in magazines. What are the reasons for choosing this medium? Convenience, easy to secure, and also it is quite easy to analyse compared to other mediums. However, there is one important criterion for magazines, such as they have to be in English language as it will be important in identifying gender stereotyping in the writing. Though, there are criteria that are not important to me such as the genre (men’s and women’s magazine) and also, the magazines will not be filtered in terms of their release date Sample The next step is securing a list of the all unit of observation, the magazines. The sampling method that I would use is for this research would be random selection. My sampling frame for the research would be British Columbia, because of lack of resources. To acquire a list of magazines, I would first go to libraries and check the archives to get listings for magazines of all genres. As I already mentioned, I would be interested in looking at magazines that are also from the past. For this reason, I would rather go to a library than a store as their supplies will be limited. Thus, I would then choose from the archival listing of magazines in the libraries, and get the size of my list to 250, and then I would randomly select 100 magazines from that list to research. Variables In our research goal, we are analyzing the content of magazines for absence or presence of two variables; the use of male and female stereotypes in magazines. These two variables can be identified and defined by first coming to understand what the term, gender stereotype, means. Firstly, gender stereotypes are a social construct that depict men and women having a set of social and behavioural norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time. Many of our current gender stereotypes, such as men are stoic or women are rumour-mongers, have roots in ancient myths, religious accounts, and archetypes. Thus, these stereotypes have existed with mankind long before the advent of mass media. However as mentioned earlier, mass media has certainly had a significant role in the transmission of these values and thoughts across any society. More importantly, these gender stereotypes are harmful to society when  people often inaccurately categorize individuals according to their group membership because they assume stereotypes to be based on reality. Traditionally, it has been females who have suffered by being pressured to reach a perfect socially-accepted body image, but as media now fixes its gaze on the idealized super fit male bodies, males too are feeling the weight of this social construct. Thus, the use of female or male stereotypes in magazines can be identified by recognizing whether the depiction of either sex uses a set of socially constructed attributes, behavioural patterns, and roles. Thus, in the next section I will show instances or examples of gender stereotyping that will indicate the absence or presence of the two variables. Indicators For the first variable, the use of male stereotypes in magazines, it can be indicated by checking for common male stereotypical beliefs. For instance, men are usually portrayed as stoic and unemotional. Besides that, they are also typically defined by their possessions and their ability to gain these possessions through a successful career. Also, they are thought to be independent and heroic, coming to the rescue of any damsel in distress. Furthermore, they are usually depicted as physically strong and aggressive. Other than that, they are also narrated as having poor domestic skills such as cooking. Lastly, the male is sexualized by being pressured to have a bigger body size that is muscular or sexually potent. For the next variable, the use of female stereotypes in magazines, it can be indicated by identifying female stereotypical beliefs. For example, females are usually thought to be emotional and prone to mood swings. Besides that, they are defined by their beauty or their clothing. Also, they are usually dependant, reliant on others for support, and needs rescuing from males. Other than that, they are also depicted as being submissive, having to please others before they can please themselves. Also, they are usually depicted as limited to playing a domestic role as a housewife and caretaker of the family and household. Besides that, females are also sexualized by being pressured to have a slim and voluptuous figure. Additionally, there is almost a mirroring between the ways each sex is portrayed using stereotype. This is an interesting aspect that also actually makes the research more â€Å"smoother† and faster as it will be explained in the next section. Codes The next step is to codify the indicators that we have established so that they can be measured and quantified to answer the research question. These codes will be able to represent stereotypes for both sexes as we have noted the inverse relationship of the stereotypical attributes and behaviours for each sex. One key issue is that the following codes may embody more than one of the previous indicators. One of the first codes is suggestive body language. Indeed, the way in which the subject’s body is postured can either connote different stereotypes. Although this code will probably be primarily used in analyzing photographs or advertisements in magazines, written articles also may describe the body posing in a way that suggests certain stereotypes. For instance, the stereotype of a female’s submissiveness if the female subject, in the magazine content, has a reserved facial expression or a male’s dominance can be expressed by a male subject, in the magazine content, though a powerful stance. Another stereotype expressed through body language is the emotional state of a subject, as a male with a silent expression can show the stoic stereotype, whereas a female crying can show the overtly-emotional stereotype. Another code to systemize the indicators is idealized appearance. This may sound vague and similar to the previous code, but for our research purposes, this term will represent how the men and women are dressed and their physique as well. Clothes are regarded as a status symbol and one may associate an individual with a higher or lower social class by examining their attire. And when there is a lack of clothes, the focus of the magazine’s reader is drawn to the subject’s physical body. Thus, the stereotype being expressed here would be the objectification of each sex. Magazine content that embody this code frame the reader’s perception of information according to the contour of the model’s body contour, thus certain body sizes are considered idealized because they are shown more. The last code used for the research is stereotypical tasks. To explain, the actions of the male or female that are shown or described to be doing in the content of a magazine can connote several stereotypes. For instance, a female in a magazine may be shown to be working a traditional domestic role and a male may be shown as having a successful life by having a career that is high-paying. Another one would be females may be described as having a set of particular interests such as shopping or gossiping, whereas a male’s interests may be described as working out or professional. Besides that, the stereotypical task will also include what are they saying as as their expression of their thoughts can show any of the indicators. Analysis/Measurement The next step is to outline a way to make sense of the data that is being collected. I will do this by designing a tally sheet that separates unit of analysis from unit of observation while counting the frequency of the codes. The first column is for Magazine ID, each magazine that is randomly picked from the sample size, and each would be assigned its own number. The next three columns would be for the three codes discussed earlier. Then it would be divided into two columns as I want to see the code applied for each of the two variables (the use of male and female stereotypes in magazines). I wanted to account for two variables because I find this useful to see if there is an equal ratio of gender stereotypes or is it always extreme? Suggestive body language Idealized appearance Stereotypical tasks Magazine ID Male Female Male Female Male Female 01 23 7 8 55 40 22 02 40 11 20 17 23 28 03 09 23 18 14 15 17

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Certifications information security professionals. (job search) - Essay Example The availability of the certification ensures that the organisations do not have to undertake an extensive vetting for the candidates to assess their capabilities. The certifications and the job advertisement requirements do have significant differences in terms of the activities which ascertain the capabilities. While the accreditation is required for both of these jobs, further technical skills are also required to facilitate the selected nominee to carry out all the activities involved in the job. The technical knowledge and skill of an individual cannot be ascertained through the certification (Frank & Werner, 2011). The technical skills of the individuals are not assessed before certification, but the employers require ascertaining the technical skill to perform different activities which are not involved in the certification process. As a consequence of the evaluation of the job advertisement requirements and the certification requirements, an element of doubt arises upon the certification process. This is because despite the presence of certification, the job opportunities which are available have more requirements than the

The Impact of International Business Theory on Understanding Essay

The Impact of International Business Theory on Understanding International Business - Essay Example Basically, in political economy, but also in a business setting, the theory of inter-organizational bargaining can be utilized to characterize and make an analysis of business and government negotiation, policy formulation and trends (Aharoni, 1966). This theory places an emphasis on the relative bargaining resources and the stakes of every person involved in a bargaining scenario, hence deducing economical and commercial ideas from the analysis. Since any business can be involved in power relationships with competing companies, bargaining theory may include in both the MNC and the host government negotiations the capable reaction from other related MNCs (Audretsch, 1989). Vital phenomena such as the bargain trade limitations and performance obligations can be reflected by critical analysis using this theory. Policies of MNCs and host governments can be incorporated with power relationships resulting in compromising and working together as well as the rivalry with other MNCs. The bargaining theory model, hence is apparent and able to entail numerous considerations such as the ones already named. Firm strategies and the host government rules, laws, policies and regulations may emanate from the decision makers aspect of their own bargaining powers and those of other crucial actors, in addition to their analysis of opportunity costs and their ability to forego any dealings with potential rival MNCs wishing to operate in the host country (Blomkvist, 2012). Among the numerous actors who are important to policy making, MNC does comprise a specific vital group, changes the balance of payments, aid in the country’s overall development, develop and improve on the existing technology and have an impact on other policy fields.     

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IT, Big Data & Firm Organization - Essay Example According to Aluya (2014, 67-71), the reinforcement of organizational changes by firms can only be achieved through the adoption of computers and big data so that an organization can attain some level of success. Organizational change is paramount for success to be realized through investment in big data as this will prevent losses. Before the introduction of computerized systems and big data, managers used to depend on intuition, their past experiences as well as personal judgment in order to make the necessary decisions. This on most cases led into wrong decisions that affected the firms negatively. Connaughton (2014, 109-129) contends that the introduction of new methods such as prediction markets, big data, A-B testing and analytics has greatly assisted in lowering the cases of personal decisions that were initially made by the managers. The general application of big data with analytics has been attached to great potential in the healthcare care. The pairing of big data with cloud based systems ensures a cost effective means of delivering healthcare cloud services. This essay focus on the evolution of the use of big data in organizations in their quest for better storage and transmission of resources materials and information. The health care industry is one of the quickly changing industry owing to the ever increasing population that is increasing the demand for better health care services. As a result, companies in the health industry have to consider the introduction of the big data analytics so as to promote quick relay of information as well be in a position to offer better services. Big Data refers to data sets that are of great sizes beyond the ability of generally used software tools which are used to incorporate, capture, curate, mange as well as processing of data within a tolerable elapsed duration. The big data is composed of movement of dozens of terabytes to many petabytes of data at any

Economic Activity in Frace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economic Activity in Frace - Essay Example This was more that the OECD countries which had an average house hold income of 23,938 dollars per year (Gofen and Blandine, 27). Despite these high numbers, there is a considerable difference between the poorest and the richest in France. The top 20% of the population in France are able to earn five times more, than the bottom 20% of the population. The most relevant industry for the supply of ice cream laced wine is the hospitality industry (Gofen and Blandine, 21). This industry comprises of hotels, bars, discos, Casinos, etc. The hospitality industry in France is very stable, and the most lucrative. For instance, during the financial crisis, the hospitality industry was not affected. For example, France has the highest hotel penetration rate in Europe. This rate stands at 41%. The wine product sold by my company is a luxurious product, and hence the people of France can afford it. This is because they have a strong income per capita, and the target industry is performing

Signifiance of Frankenstein in the Romantic period or era Research Paper

Signifiance of Frankenstein in the Romantic period or era - Research Paper Example nation as the highest measure of human capacities because of its massive creative abilities and the way in which it gives us the capacity to reacting to sweeping change in every aspect of life. Sweeping change was something the Romantic writers were very familiar with. The Romantic Age also held nature in high esteem not only because of the creative element inherent in it, but also because of the capacity for the imagination to be discovered through contemplation of this nature. In other words, we create what we see so that it makes sense to us and nature provides us with the necessary room to roam. The complicated nuances of the thought during this period in time are best understood when applied to a text that reflects the Romantic ideals. By examining the prevailing thought during the Romantic period and examining the text of Mary Shelley’s novel, the concepts of the Romantic Period become clear. Looking at the Romantic Period through a literary lens, the world was seen as a place full of signs and symbols that were capable of transmitting meaning, perhaps even providing indications of the future. It was felt an individual, after having become familiar with this natural world, would become capable of knowing the events and actions of their times, the past and he future through their relationship with nature and their knowledge of the myths and legends of antiquity. â€Å"Walter Pater thought the addition of strangement to beauty (the neoclassicists having insisted on order in beauty) constituted the romantic temper. An interesting schematic explanation calls romanticism the predominance of imagination over reason and formal rules (classicism) and over the sense of fact or the actual (realism)† (Holman & Harmon, 2001). This explanation helps to classify Romanticism, but it does little to help us actually recognize it. Characteristics of the genre identified by Welleck (2003) include a â€Å"revolt against the principles of neo-classicism criticism, the rediscovery

People & Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

People & Organisations - Essay Example Maslows Hierarchy of Needs can be viewed in a pyramid form. From bottom to top the needs are as follows: These can relate to an organisation as well as the individual. Physiology for an organisation can be the basic necessities of a company. For example, a hotel must have a building capable of holding multiple rooms, electricity, heat, beds, and other basics. Security could be resources needed to continue the hotel business, such as employees, customers, and other resources. Loving and friendship could mean the employees relationships with each other, but even more importantly with the customer. Esteem could be an example of pride in ones work. Hotel employees coming to work and actually having pride in their job. Self actualisation is achieved with a successful company. For example, the Hilton hotels could claim self actualisation. 2) Apollo Culture (`Role Culture): ordered and structured organisation, operating within clearly defined and well-known rules and hierarchies; classic bureaucracy or public service organisation. 3) Athena Culture (`Task Culture): very different approach to the concept of management: emphasis is on achieving the task in hand through a problem-solving culture, with little concern about the organisational structure or rules; power and influence depends on expertise and achievement, and successful participation in team-work, not status in the organisation. 4) Dionysus (`Existential Culture): emphasis is on individualism, not on the organisation at all; the organisation exists only to enable the individual to achieve, not the other way round; typical organisational culture of professional practices such as a medical partnership or barristers chambers; no `boss at all in the normal sense, though for practical purposes one of the professionals will probably be elected or appointed by the group. (Handy, 13-36) Instead of directly describing all of these points

Are patents good or bad for Economics Term Paper

Are patents good or bad for Economics - Term Paper Example ‘Patent’ is the rights approved by the government that is bestowed to the inventor or patentee for special use of the invention for a restricted time period in the country or region, subjected to the prevailing law of that country or region. The duration for protection is generally 14 to 20 years including possible extension of 7 years (Bardowell, â€Å"Patent System†). The policy of patenting is an important part of the economy as it helps in the process of innovation and invention to the country. The paper aims to substantiate the importance of patents for an economy. For the society, the benefits are achieved when the invention moves into the public realm after a certain period of time after the invention. Also the invention is revealed to the society with the expectation that there will be improvement in the invention. The patentee holds no such intention of keeping it as a trade secret. The granting of patent may sometimes become risky for the government. The term for which duration of patents are restricted (20 years) is very elongated. For such approach, innovation or improvement on the invention might get hold for a long period of time. But granting patents always keep the government on the safe side with because they can control the innovation and invention, be it good or bad. The historical data shows that patents have always produced good results for the economy. In this section of the paper, an article from the magazine â€Å"The Economist† has been cited and analyzed. The article named ‘The good, the bad and the ugly’ has explained the traits of urge towards innovation in Britain. The objective of the article was to rate Britain as a knowledge based powerhouse among the world countries. The article establishes that for upgrading the economic growth, governments provide good reason to promote innovation. As patent is the heart of invention through innovation in the field of R&D, governments take initiatives in

Merchants Tale - Marriage Essay Example for Free

Merchants Tale Marriage Essay Geoffrey Chaucers presentation of marriage throughout The Canterbury Tales is, indeed, varied, abstract and supplemented by dispute over the sincerity of specific works. This literary inconsistency is strongly evident in The Merchants Tale, making it essential to address the disparity of its message on the topic of marriage. It could initially be assumed that the poem is not solely a cynical attack on marriage; Chaucer offers a somewhat objective overview of the issue, purveyed by the obvious difference in opinion of its characters, for example; the merchant in the prologue we wedded men live in sorwe and care1 and Januaries opinion in this world it [marriage] is a paradis2 or the differing judgements of both Justinus it is no childes pley3 and Placebo Dooth now in this matiere right as yow leste4 after Januaries consultation with them. By addressing the fact that the message fluctuates it could be argued that Chaucer offers multiple compatible interpretations. Should we interpret the opinion of Placebo in the same way as we should Justinus, or do the subsequent events of the Tale prove to us that we should primarily concern ourselves with the view of the more reasoned, objective character the name Justinus implies a judicial figure? Concerning an answer to the question, it is also important to address the relationship between Januarie and May, and the following cuckolding. Is it more a cynical attack on adultery than that of marriage? The fundamental basis for investigating the status of marriage in The Merchants Tale is to address the initial opinion of the merchant in the Prologue, and the subsequent irony at the beginning of the Tale. Chaucer directs the poem through the narration of the merchant, who has a clear cynical attitude towards his wife (in reaction to The Clerks Tale and patient Griselda), though not overly marriage in general: Thogh the feend to hire ycoupled were, She would him overmacche5 Here, he specifically links his wife with the devil, that she would defeat him if they were they coupled. He goes as far as demonising his wife and presenting her in an evil, even heretic manner. This is in stark contrast to his later comment, for who kan be so buxom as a wyf? 6, which emphasises the inconsistency of thought throughout the poem. The idea of a woman having dominance over a potent figure can be related to Mays apparent supremacy over Januarie and the Tale as a whole: And every signe that she koude make, Wel bet than Januarie, hir owene make7 She manipulates Januarie in the garden in a similar manner to the serpent (the devil) in Genesis, suggesting that May has crafty, cunning and stealthy attributes relative to a snake. Januarie is blind to her cunning in both a literal sense and a moral sense as Adam is initially to the serpents influence. Januarie is manipulated by his wife as Adam is by his. Chaucer also refers to the realisation of sin, as with Adam, Januarie becomes aware of nakedness with the literal return of his sight, viewing his wife, May, actively engaging in a sinful act of adultery with Damyan, further linking wyfs with the devil. These religious connotations and the vivid sensitive view of cuckolding (and adultery) suggest the Tale is providing a cynical attack on marriage for a clerical purpose. When this is related to Januaries ambiguous, yet seemingly devout, reasons for taking a wife it can still be believed that Chaucer is addressing a particularly religious theme, albeit this should be addressed with caution when consulting the merchants narration:

Coca Cola New Product Analysis

Coca Cola New Product Analysis The Coca-Cola Companys core undertaking is to benefit and refresh everyone it reaches. Founded in 1886, we are the worlds leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, which are used to produce nearly 400 beverage brands that make up for our wide portfolio. Our corporate headquarters are established in Atlanta, and we are holding local operations in over 200 countries around the world. Our activities cover all sectors of the beverage industry. We are the second leading player in functional and Asian specialty drinks, while ranking number one in value for the ready-to-drink tea sector (ref.1, p.1). description of the new product, strategic role in the future position of the company Bubble Buzz will be a bottled beverage and will be positioned as the only ready-to-drink Bubble Tea product available on the market. 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This product segment has shown a steady growth since 1999: an increase of 13.5% over a period of 6 years (Appendix A). The consumption rate per capita in 2004 has reached 3.94 liters, which represents a 4.0% increase compared to 1999 .The growth of this particular market is largely due to a slow shift in consumer trends. Trends: Through the early 1960s, soft drinks were synonymous with colas in the mind of consumers. In the 1980s and 1990s, however, other beverages (from bottled water to tea) became more popular. Coca-Cola and Pepsi responded by expanding their offerings through alliances (e.g. Coke Nestea) and acquisitions (e.g. Coke Minute Maid), but also by focusing efforts on portfolio diversification. Today, while the soft drink industrys value has increased in 2004, the volume sales of carbonated soft drinks has declined due to a large proportion of consumers who are opting for the trend towards healthier alternatives in the functional drink segment (energy drinks, smoothies, milk juice drinks, sports drinks) as well as bottled juices and water .Companies have been actively engaged in new product developments in order to counter the growing concerns about negative health impacts of high-fructose drinks, but also to increase the demand in a market where product offerings are quickly maturing .New flavor introductions and health-conscious formulations have been launched in an attempt to offset the decline in carbonated soft drink sales .The functional market is expected to show sustained growth and consumer interest in the future years as cons umption shifts to trendier, healthier and more sophisticated products . SWOT ANALYSIS (Strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats) Strengths Brand strength Effective stride in new markets Results of operations Strong existing distribution channels Weaknesses Reliant upon line extensions Reliant upon particular carbonated drinks Brand dilution Entrance into difficult non-core categories Saturation of carbonated soft drink segment Opportunities New product introductions Brand is attractive to global partners Strong competition Threats Potential health issues Free trade STRENGTHS Brand strength The Coca-Cola Company is the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world. The Coca-Cola brand is unarguably one of the most recognizable brands in the 200 countries where it sells its products. The strong brand name is one of the basis for the companys competitive advantage on several of its core markets. Effective strides in new markets Coca-Cola has partnered with several companies (such as the joint venture with Nestlà ©) in order to increase the ability to react to demands and changes in the markets of iced tea, coffee and juices. The developing markets are more complex than the carbonated soft drinks. Results of operations In 2004, net-operating revenues totaled approximately $21.9 billion, an 8% increase from 2002. Gross profit totaled $14.3 billion in 2004. The company generated $5,968 million from its operating activities and re-invests heavily into its business. The ability to generate significant cash flows is one of the its key strengths (ref.16). Strong existing distribution channels Coca-Cola has operations worldwide and is well established in its distribution channels (such as store retailers or vending machines). Therefore, a new product launch can typically rely on the existing distribution system in order to reach the majority of its target market while requiring no major supply / delivery developments. WEAKNESSES Relying upon line extensions Coca-Cola is relying on brand extensions increase sales in specific lines, particularly its long-time carbonated soft drink products (i.e. the introduction of Vanilla Coke helped maintain sales for the core Cola beverages). However, there is a strong risk of cannibalizing existing sales in the long term (for example, Bubble Tea might deter on sales for iced tea). Reliant upon particular carbonated drinks The long-time presence of Coca-Colas Coke beverage has established this particular line as a flagship product. While the core Coke products bring a solid base of sales and loyalty to the company, consumers expectations also become more and more anchored and single-lined, taking away freedom in the areas of line diversification and product modifications (taste, packaging, price). Brand dilution The tremendous amount of existing brands and new product being introduced by the company could diminish the value and differentiating strength of each product that is being manufactured. Entrance into difficult non-core categories The Coca-Cola Company is a truly global multinational business giant. While some categories of products are distributed in many areas of the globe (Coke, Powerade, etc.), geographical needs already require that these global brands are heavily adapted to their target region. Furthermore, many smaller and diversified product lines are more or less popular in one particular region over another. Therefore, the process of diversifying the production and marketing each product involves costly investments. These capital requirements typically increase as the product becomes heavily focused (for example, since the Coca-Cola brand is highly recognizable worldwide, marketing a bottle of Coke in Japan would be less difficult than marketing a bottle of Qoo in that same country Qoo being a lesser-known non-carbonated drink which was one of Coca-Colas newest brand introduction in 1999). Saturation of carbonated soft drink segment Due to the countless number of brands available on the market, it becomes increasingly difficult in the soft drinks segment to innovate and create new products that genuinely stand out from their competition. And as we have seen, an analysis of the industry has shown that growth in the soft drinks market becomes difficult and challenging when the conditions and consumer trends cause a market demand that stays stagnant. OPPORTUNITIES New product introductions The functional drinks market is one that particularly allows more innovation opportunities and gives greater freedom for creativity in the design, production, manufacturing, distribution, promotion and retailing choices and processes. Brand is attractive to global partners Because of the companys size (including value, brand name and operating revenues) and wide portfolio base, Coca-Cola enjoys a strong purchasing power over its suppliers, and also attracts large partnerships with various levels of consumer reach (e.g. Burger King, movie studio promotions, sponsorship agreements, etc.). Existing brand awareness also provides an international playing field for powerful marketing strategies. THREATS Strong competition Coca-Cola is competing in a global market that is characterized by an oligopoly between several (but few in numbers) competitors. The fight for market shares and sales in crowded markets becomes a complex one. Potential health issues The current trend of consumer and consumers groups awareness towards goods and services is both beneficial and threatening for companies in the food and beverages industry. Over the last few years, concerns over health issues have risen in the media through an expanded and ever-growing network of knowledge outputs (journals, TV channels, internet and so on). The move of the younger generation towards a healthier lifestyle call for careful planning and decision-making in new product developments. Large companies can also easily become the target of consumers apprehension. Free trade In an era of globalization, large international competitors can come out with comparative advantages (the constant fight to remain the first mover and market leader in a long-term spectrum). Issues arise when dealing with price competition and economic growth. Trade organizations are also faced with public pressure which can disrupt operations in one or more areas of the company. TARGET MARKET Segment identification: RTD (Ready-to-drink) bottled Bubble Tea, to be established within the Functional Drinks sector Segment needs: The product will cater to both physiological needs (hydrating and nutritional value) and social needs (perception of a social, fun drink with a sense of belonging within peer consumer groups) (ref.11, p.127). Segment trends: The current trends include a shift away from junk foods and carbonated drinks, a growing interest for healthier / beneficial products for the mind and body (ref. 10), the trend towards the availability of on-the-go products for those with an active lifestyle, as well as the trend for personalization through customization (or for beverages, through variety-seeking in a wide introduction of flavours ref.6). Segment growth potential: Statistical reports anticipate a segment growth of 1.72% over the next 9 years (2015) for the 10-29 years old subsets (ref.12). Refer to Appendix E. Size of the segment (population): 8,688,300 (329,600 L). Refer to Appendix E. Positioning strategy: The only RTD bottled bubble tea available. Funky eye-catching bottle, functional packaging, premium-priced, cool, new and unusual, unique drinking experience, aspects of play (tapioca pearls, oversized colored straw), variety of flavors, sweet, refreshing, for hip young people, healthier alternative to heavy-sugar drinks. The objectives of the marketing plan are strategically centered around 3 criteria: to create a strong consumer awareness towards a completely new bubble tea product from Coca-Cola, to establish a wide brand recognition through the capture of market shares in the functional drinks segment, and to become the top market leader in that particular segment within the forecasted sales figures. PRODUCT STRATEGY The core Bubble Tea beverage in a pre-bottled, ready-to-drink format. The actual product Packaging and labeling: see figure below Branding: colorful, aspect of play, round shaped, prominent Bubble Buzz logo written in modern font, catchphrases such as Think outside the Bubble and Get Your Buzz. Trade name: Bubble Buzzà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, a Coca-Cola product Brand personality: energy, funky, cool, functional, original, funny, healthy, etc. Brand equity: Coca-Cola provides a quality, consistent, innovative and accessible soft drink reputation. Augmented product Nutritional information, Status (social drink), Features promoting the website, Health benefit of a green tea base (ref.17) Marketing considerations Product life cycle: Bubble Buzz is a low-learning product. With a strong marketing campaign, sales [will] begin immediately and the benefits of the purchase are readily understood (ref.11, p.301). Since Bubble Buzz is prone to product imitation, Coca-Colas strategy is to broaden distribution quickly, which is currently feasible thanks to the companys high manufacturing capacity. Product class: Food beverage à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Soft Drinks à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Functional Drinks (refer to Appendix D2 for a break-down of the functional drinks market). Bubble Buzz follows the practice of product modification (ref.11, p.304): Coca-Cola is introducing an existing beverage (bubble tea) but redefines the drink with a new, more convenient package. Bubble Tea will now become a widely available drink in multiple retailing (distribution) channels. PRICE STRATEGY The price strategy that will be undertaken should consider the following aspects: Consumer demand The product lifecycle Potential substitutes Customer demand Customer demand is a crucial factor which is driven by tastes, income and availability of others similar products at a different price (mentioned later in the potential substitutes section). For a lot of consumers, value and price are highly related: the higher the price, the higher the value. Consequently, Coca-Colas intention to position Bubble Buzz as a unique, innovative and attractive product gives it a certain control over Bubble Buzz price. To be able to implement higher pricing though, the minimization of the non-monetary costs to customers should also be include along with awareness of the product (notably by advertising) and value (benefits) . The product lifecycle The company should take advantage also to the fact that the newer the product and the earlier in its lifecycle the higher the price can usually be. It ensures a high profit margin as the early adopters buy the product and the firm seeks to recoup development costs quickly and it also brings a certain prestige to the product. Potential substitutes Coca-Cola is constrained by the monopolistic market in which it competes. The main characteristic however is product differentiation. Other constraints (See Appendix M) PROMOTION STRATEGY Objectives: To initiate strong awareness about the launch of Bubble Buzz throughout Generation Y (10-29 years old) consumers as well as their parents. To win market shares over our top functional drinks competitor, PepsiCo. Message: The promotional outputs will convey the clear message that Bubble Buzz is a healthy drink for sporty and young people who simply enjoy taking care of their body and life. Concepts: Think outside the bubble: Be Bold, Be Original, Be Different, Be Yourself. A good spirit in a good body. For the out-of-the-ordinary individuals who like to challenge themselves. Media selection: Before choosing the appropriate medias, it is important to note that Generation Y consumers only give partial attention to media. However, they can be reached through integrated programs. They are typically using more than one communication media at a time; a behaviour that is often called multitasking. This group of consumers doesnt give its full attention to one single message, but rather uses continuous partial attention to scan the media. Marketers can still communicate with Generation Y by using a variety of targeted promotional tools. Another important tactic to reach our target market is through Viral or Buzz marketing, which Coca-Cola will heavily use in this campaign (campus, contests). Advertising: Refer to APPENDIX H for detailed explanations Output Examples Television MTV, Much Music, VrakTV, YTV Radio MIX96, CKOI 96.9, 94.7 FM, Universities Magazines For girls: Cosmo, Elle For boys: Sports Illustrated (or Kids edition) Internet Banners on select websites (gaming, sports, etc.) Official promotional website: www.BubbleBuzz.ca Outdoors Billboards and prints in select areas including: Campuses, transportation (bus, metro, stations) Tourist areas in high seasonal periods Outskirts of key cities in geographical reach Others Not relevant Personal selling Direct contact with retailers, sales kit strategies to be explained later in the text. Public relations Stands or special displays and events in schools, malls, sports events (i.e. 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games), sponsorship activities Publicity Conferences, press releases (print and online), buzz marketing through TV coverage Promotional Mix: Consumer oriented: Contests: Win another Bubble Buzz flavour, Uncover a secret code underneath the bottle cap and win sporting goods and electronics by logging on the website, Win a trip for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. (Arguments: It will increase consumer purchases and encourage consumer involvement with the product). Samples: distributed in supermarkets, school/universities. Samples are a way to avoid product resistance since people are not used to find bubbles in their drinks. Arguments: It will encourage new product purchases and it represents low risk for consumers since they get it for free. They have nothing to loose by trying it. Point-of-purchase: in supermarkets (to reach the parents of generation Y). Arguments: It is also a mean to increase product trial and provides a good product visibility. Others: In subsequent years, engage in product placement in TV shows or movies. Trade oriented: Allowances and discounts: case allowance (Arguments: The free goods approach will be used so it can encourage retailers to buy more of the product to get a certain amount for free). Cooperative advertising: to encourage retailers to buy our product and to maintain our high level of advertisement that consumers expect from Coca-Cola. Other considerations: Scheduling of the advertising: Pulse scheduling (promotional presence year-round, but emphasized and intensified before and during summer). IMC (integrated marketing communication) Target Audience: Intermediary: personal selling will be more often used Ultimate consumer: Coca-Cola will use more of mass media because the amount of potential buyers is large. PLACE (DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY) Bubble Buzz will be distributed through these channels: supermarkets, convenience stores, independent food stores, discount stores, multiple grocers, vending machines, direct sales. China is the target country were going to expand our product. Reasons: With a total population of 1,313,015,000 in the end of 2005 and 327,714,000 in our target market (age 10 to 25 years old), compared with the total population of Canada304,453 million, there definitely is a great potential worth to work on. absolute expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages is expected to increase from 1,777 billion in 2005 to 2,154 billion in 2010 (though the proportion of consumer expenditure on this part is decreasing from 28.39% to 25.75% ) Soft drinks industry is one of the fast growing industries in China, especially fruit/vegetable juice, RTD tea, and Asian speciality drinks and bottled water have shown a sharp increase during 1998 to 2003. Bubble tea was originated in Taiwan. Soon after its introduction in China, it became one of the most popular beverages sold in tea stores on the streets due to the similar taste and similar cultural background. So, it is a good chance for us to enter into this market. Since we are the top sponsor for the upcoming Beijing Olympic in 2008. With more opportunities to expose to the public, it is going to benefit our sale there. Our entry-strategy for entering China is through licensing. Reasons: We have already provided licenses for manufacturing our products in China (licensing the bottlers and supply them with our syrup required for producing). Therefore, added in one or two more products in our production chain would not be that difficult. It is relatively low risk when compared with direct investment there. It is low cost to export our new products there since we can maintain lower labour cost and lower material cost if we produce our products locally, especially in China. Changes to be made: Price: Price sold in China is going to change to accommodate the local desire. As we set our price sold in Canada $2.00. Compared to the price sold in the bubble tea store ($ 3.50), it is about 57.14%. So, with the information we gathered from the tea store in China  [1]  , the price sold there would be 57.14% of what sold in the tea store$12 Yuen in China currency. Then, it would be around $7 Yuen, about CAD$1  [2]  . Naming the product: In order to be recognized and accepted more easily for the local market, we need not only translate our product name but also make sure theres not hidden unintended meaning that would damage our product. Develop other flavours that would attract the local market: Since milk based bubble tea sell better in China, we will add in this product line. Also, we will avoid using too many artificial colors as they are not appreciated as much as in Canada. Moreover, people in China are becoming more and more health concerned, especially the amount of sugar and additives added in the drinks. We will make some changes in the ingredients used to appeal the local market, i.e. less sugary drinks. Promotion: In contrast to the radio ads in Canada, we will use more TV and Web advertisement there due to the highly exposed environment in China. Also, we will put more emphasis on the ads on the public transportation such as underground/subway system and bus service due to the more frequent use of the public transport service there. Also, since the outdoor display screen is quite popular in big cities, we will also take advantage of it