Capital Ones Essay Example

Capital Ones Paper The Falls Church Virginia based company started the jump from a regional bank leader to a credit card industry leader when cofounders Richard Fairbank and Nigel Morris began their unique try-it-then-track approach. They believed that using a one-size-fits-all marketing strategy was outdated and began using information to tailor specific products to specific consumers for regional Signet Bank in 1988. Fairbank and Morris believed that with pricing, fees, balance limits and other options, they could tailor a card to a specific consumer whether they were high risk or pure platinum. This new strategy became so successful that the credit card division spun off to form the corporation Capital One in 1994. Marketing Environment Buying power defined as total personal after-tax income available to spend on goods and services, went up for most Americans in the 1990s. (Table 1: U.S. Population by Race, Buying Power and Income) This prompted a national buying spree. But with a slower economic environment in 2000 and 2001, many people were struggling to make their monthly payments. Credit card delinquency began to rise, with an industry average of over 6.4%. However, rather than using blanket formulas when issuing cards, which most credit card issuers were doing, Capital One kept a tight rein by offering their customers lower credit. They were also requiring well-balanced credit ratings. Maintaining this cautious fiscal policy through the years has helped Capital One achieve an annual charge-off rate of only 4.42%, the lowest rate of any major lender. We will write a custom essay sample on Capital Ones specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Capital Ones specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Capital Ones specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The overall conservative lending practices of Capital One prove that they are knowledgeable with how to protect the bottom line at a time when more and more consumers are concerned that credit card companies are not doing enough to protect their security. Since September 11 consumers are willing to give up some privacy for the sake of increased security. This is an opportunity for Capital One to establish increased security as a marketing tool to ease consumers fears. With the American publics increased debt, growing pressure on household budgets and the increase in cost of living, credit cards are obviously deemed a convenient way for consumers to acquire short-term loans. (Table 2: Average Credit Card Rates) In this country, credit card use spreads across race lines with over half of all Americans carrying some form of plastic. (Table 3: Card Ownership by Ethnicity) With expectations of low rates and flexible payments along with the convenience of being able to use their cards in conventional stores, over the phone and on-line, credit cards have become a norm when it comes to buying and purchasing all kinds of goods. Capital One is integrated in a very competitive industry. Citigroup, MBNA America, First USA/Bank One and Discover are listed as major competitors who use a variety of ways to market their credit cards. By focusing on brand strategy, affinity marketing (when a card company gives customers the opportunity to get a card from an entity that means something to them) or an information-based strategy, each takes a slightly different approach in attracting new customers. (Table 4: Estimated Credit Card Market Share-4Q01) Strategy Capital Ones business mission is founded in its core competency. Leveraging information to create the right product for the right customer at the right time is its mainstream objective. Company co-founder Richard Fairbank says the company is really a marketing company that happens to market credit cards. Capital One clearly makes their marketing objectives and goals known. Through the best technology money can buy, the company continues to harness information to target specific customers with specific products. They seek customers across the credit spectrum through mass customization of products that meet peoples individual needs and wants. They strive to offer divergent product lines that deliver value to a wide range of customers. By concentrating on the latter, Capital One will test many products over and over again to make sure the right cards are offered to their customers. For example, In 1994 Capital One ran 230 product tests. Six years later, the company reportedly ran 42,000. Example tests ranged from finding out if consumers responded better to blue or white envelopes to whether a fisherman would make his payments on time if his credit card featured a fishing motif. Because of such testing dedication, Capital One offers 6,000 kinds of credit cards and 12,000 products today, distributed through different channels with slightly different pricing, pitches and packages. Capital Ones product evolution dates back to being the first credit card company ever to offer temporary low percentage balance transfer rates. However, even though this campaign was so successful with increasing its customer database and creating many imitators, customers jumped to another credit card company when the introductory rate had expired, looking to keep a standard low rate. Recognizing this as a negative impact on sales, Capital One abandoned their transfer campaign and instead appealed to the same demographic with a new locked low rate card. Organization Capital One is constantly reinventing itself. Each year 75% of what the company markets to customers is new products. Keeping up with their competitors Capital One is always fine tuning its products and discovering new ways to market them. The core of Capital Ones organizational philosophy is Customer Service Marketing (CSM). Each product is created and tested by an internal team consisting of Operations, Information Technology and Marketing. These teams work together as cross-functional units to ensure collaboration for every product rollout. Without this 3 Man Team the perfect product would never be found for their customers. Taking a more scientific approach to marketing, Capital One empowers this 3 Man Team to develop new product ideas that are tested and potentially worked into their product line. Every idea starts with one or a series of tests. If the product passes the test Capital One prepares it with efficiency and ease. The flow of information between IT and the business side and the customer is constant, says Jim Donehey, Capital Ones chief information officer. The feedback from constant testing allows the company to reevaluate their success and productivity along with their products. Capital Ones day-to-day operations are not based on systems projects, but more business projects where everybody works together. Capital One also divides their marketing department into three segments: building brand equity, growing the business and targeting emerging markets. These three areas are overseen by the following: William J. McDonald, SVP: Brand Management: In a position created in 1998 to develop a brand identity and clear up consumer confusion over the companys name, McDonald joined the firm. His responsibilities include the marketing, advertising and global brand positioning of Capital Ones businesses. Peter Schnall, SVP, Marketing and Analysis: For the U.S. business, Schnall is responsible for the marketing, credit policy and portfolio management of Capital Ones credit card business. Larry Klane, EVP, Marketing and Analysis: In identifying overlooked demographics, Klane is responsible for Capital Ones young adult business, underserved businesses, and new business development. One of Capital Ones organizational strengths is the strong configuration between marketing, sales and information technology. Capital One is by far the best from an information-based marketing standpoint. They are world class in their ability to generate insights on consumers, according to Bob Zizka, Managing Vice President of First Manhattan Consulting Group. The Bottom Line In 2001 Capital One reported annual profits of $642 million on a net income of $6.8 billion. For each of the past ten years, Capital One has exceeded earnings and predicts growth of 21.6% in 2002 and 20.2% in 2003. (Table 5: Capital One Revenue Trend, Table 6: Capital One Earning Progression) This growth can be directly attributed to its marketing strategy, with a budget of over $1 billion. (Table 7: Capital One Financial Earning Model) Because of aggressive marketing tactics and an innovative information based strategy, Capital Ones success continues with a new account growth rate of 20-30%. Marketing Systems Capital One receives more than one million phone calls each week. Before the caller hears the first ring, high-speed computers swing into action. With meticulous data on the customers household and their spending habits, the computer predicts the reason for the call and routes it to the correct customer service representative 70% of the time. This transaction takes place in approximately 100 milliseconds. This $10 million system is referred to as Information Based Strategy or IBS, a proprietary information system that enables the company to create products for appropriate customers and to ensure that their needs are being serviced efficiently. Using IBS to generate constant innovation, Capital One links its database to prize-winning information technology and highly sophisticated analytics to scientifically test ideas. The results of these tests tell Capital One how to market and tailor products to the individual customer. A FORTUNE 500 company, Capital One is one of the major financial services providers on the Internet, offering instant approval, online account decisions, online retail deposits and a growing number of customers serviced online. In fact, in 2001, the company acquired 1.4 million new accounts from their web site alone. Many in the financial industry refer to Capital One as a cutting edge company for the information age. Because of its progressive efforts in informational technology, customer inquiries and information are a priority. The success of the IBS system can be seen in the fact that half of all customers buy something other than credit cards from Capital One in the first year. With call representatives empowered to sell and adjust rates and fees, Capital Ones call representative are their front line sales force. The company continuously experiments with different programs and products along with reinventing telemarketing scripts to keep their sales force intuitive when on the phone with a customer. These scripts help Capital One tailor its offerings to fit a potential customer scripts they know will make customers happy with the Capital One Credit Card. Whats unique about Capital Ones customer service department is that their sales force is not measured on actual sales, but are judged on t heir ability to meet the customers needs. A system like this is a first in the credit card industry. Capital One reaches out to the consumers desire to make smart decisions about credit cards and loans through scientific well-researched methods. Knowing the customers spending habits, Capital One offers programs directed at a very specific audience. Targeting a wide range of customers across the country and with a growing international presence, Capital One has room to grow as more than a leading financial services company. Stretching to auto loans, home loans, and insurance will help increase profit and recognition. Capital One reaches prospective customers through 300,000 million direct mail pieces each quarter. Even though it is stated that direct mail pieces generate only a .6% response, Capital One gains a majority of new customers through this useful distribution tool. Capital Ones use of mail can also be seen in their strategic business partnerships. Billing inserts promote companies such as JCPenney, Liberty Mutual and EarthLink. Late in the fall of 2001 Capital One unveiled its now familiar television advertising campaign, Whats in Your Wallet created by advertising agency DMBB. This campaign was created as a brand strategy technique to build an identity for the low-profile company. There isnt a day that goes by that you dont see a Capital One advertisement, but there is more than just television to make the company stand out. Boasting 3 of the top 10 banner impressions on the Internet, they delve into a multitude of advertising outlets attracting customers through specials and deals relative to their lifestyle. (Table 8 and 9: Top 10 banners viewed from home and work) Capital One always makes a statement that meets customers expectations. Conclusion The $600 Billion credit card industry is one that has been revolutionized by the use of integrated marketing. Capital Ones ever-changing strategy of mass customization of products and pitches along with their continued conservative fiscal policy will be crucial for their continued success. The company continues to grow its U.S. and international credit card business and looks to broaden their product offerings with loans, insurance and potentially car sales. Capital One feels they can apply their strategy to any form of business because customers are finding what they need in a credit card company and are happy with the results. According to company co-founder Richard Fairbank, This is not about credit cards. This is about changing the world.

Free Essays on Ludwig Beethoven

The rise of Ludwig van Beethoven into the rank of history's greatest composers was paralleled by and in some ways a consequence of his own personal tragedy and despair (Internetpg. 1). Beethoven's family was of the Flemish origin. His mother, Maria Magdalena, died after a long illness when Beethoven was only 17. He was not the only child in this family though. He had 2 brothers and 1 sister, both to which were disorganized and unruly. His family was always in constant need of funds. (The World1963) Beethoven showed his extraordinary musical talent at an early age. His father hoped he could induce his child's development and make him more like Mozart, and possibly bring in some money for the family which was desperately in need. (The World-1963) As a child, Beethoven never was too interested in music even though he had the talents. Both his father and grandfather were experienced musicians and wanted him to be one also. At the age of four, Beethoven's father began to teach him the violin and piano, but wasn't successful in doing so because of his addiction to alcohol. His training was soon taken over by his father's friend, Pfeiffer, but also, because of alcoholism, his lessons were just as irregular as before. Later, his grandfather's friend taught him until he resigned in 1781 and Beethoven's tuition was taken over by Van der Eeden's successor, Christian Neefe. This man was not only a good teacher, but also a friend. (The World-1963; Sally Patton-pg.73) Beethoven's first composition was published in 1783. Then, in 1784 he attained his first independent position of a court organist and violinist, and in 1787 he was sent to Vienna to study. Here, he had the opportunity to play for Mozart who liked the work of Beethoven and told his friends "Watch that young man." (Sally Patton-pg.73). Beethoven studied with a man by the name of Joseph Haydn, but it didn't work for very long because they couldn't get along. He began to study... Free Essays on Ludwig Beethoven Free Essays on Ludwig Beethoven The rise of Ludwig van Beethoven into the rank of history's greatest composers was paralleled by and in some ways a consequence of his own personal tragedy and despair (Internetpg. 1). Beethoven's family was of the Flemish origin. His mother, Maria Magdalena, died after a long illness when Beethoven was only 17. He was not the only child in this family though. He had 2 brothers and 1 sister, both to which were disorganized and unruly. His family was always in constant need of funds. (The World1963) Beethoven showed his extraordinary musical talent at an early age. His father hoped he could induce his child's development and make him more like Mozart, and possibly bring in some money for the family which was desperately in need. (The World-1963) As a child, Beethoven never was too interested in music even though he had the talents. Both his father and grandfather were experienced musicians and wanted him to be one also. At the age of four, Beethoven's father began to teach him the violin and piano, but wasn't successful in doing so because of his addiction to alcohol. His training was soon taken over by his father's friend, Pfeiffer, but also, because of alcoholism, his lessons were just as irregular as before. Later, his grandfather's friend taught him until he resigned in 1781 and Beethoven's tuition was taken over by Van der Eeden's successor, Christian Neefe. This man was not only a good teacher, but also a friend. (The World-1963; Sally Patton-pg.73) Beethoven's first composition was published in 1783. Then, in 1784 he attained his first independent position of a court organist and violinist, and in 1787 he was sent to Vienna to study. Here, he had the opportunity to play for Mozart who liked the work of Beethoven and told his friends "Watch that young man." (Sally Patton-pg.73). Beethoven studied with a man by the name of Joseph Haydn, but it didn't work for very long because they couldn't get along. He began to study...

Operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operations management - Essay Example Some brands offer luxury other offers sturdiness. The presence of company in different countries also creates many problems. The operations of Toyota are susceptible to political and economic fluctuations. Because of the dispersed manufacturing the company faces different problems in different countries. The problem of competitors and safety issues rise regularly. The recent safety issues with Toyota cars caused significant financial issues to the company. There are issues regarding location of retail showrooms and supply chain management issues. The company follows Just in Time inventory system (JIT) in which management of supplies is extremely important. Also with different safety rules, manufacturing regulations, tax legislations and environment concerns in different countries Toyota faces many operational challenges and this paper will discuss these challenges with great detail. The strategies to address these issues will also be discussed in the paper. These possible solutions m ight help Toyota Motor Company solve its operational problems. Key Operational Challenges faced by Toyota The automobile industry all over the world is facing problems due to economic recession and environmental concerns. Toyota faces multifaceted problems due to its presence all over the world. Design issues, pricing and product development issues are the main operational challenges Toyota is facing today. ... 2005). Usually there are teams that work on new products as a whole but in Toyota teams work on subsystems like hardware, software and suppliers. Then all these subsystems are combined to form a new product. In this way the development process is speeded. The problem in this system arises with regards to the suppliers. Product development cannot be completed if suppliers are not equipped to supply different parts that are needed to develop the new product. For this reason supplier development is also necessary. This is an operational challenge for Toyota as it is very difficult for development teams and suppliers to be on the same page. Suppliers are to be trained and they should be equipped with proper technology in order to ensure that they are able to meet the demands of the newly developed product. This is a serious challenge for Toyota. Because of supplier issues inventories of Toyota are increasing and storage cost is also hiking even though Toyota is famous for its Just in Tim e inventory system (JIT). Toyota will have to rely on suppliers because it is not feasible to develop everything on their own but supply chain management issues are also a major challenge even for a big company like Toyota. Complexity Problems in Toyota The complex products of Toyota are a problem. The manufacturing units are dispersed all over the world and because of this sophisticated technology have to be made available everywhere. Alongside making complex products for its diverse clientele Toyota also has to manage its worldwide sale. The complexity problem becomes an operational issue when a car is developed and the technology used in the car is not available in some of the manufacturing countries. Now in order to make similar cars in those countries the technology is required

Overcoming Shyness Via Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Overcoming Shyness Via Writing - Essay Example This granted me the ability to edit my thoughts and create much more informative or effective thought patterns that I often translated into effective verbal speeches. More importantly, the exercises and assignments in this course gave me an opportunity to improve myself as an analytical writer. That is because the exercises and assignments demanded that I have a thorough understanding of the topic offered up for discussion. As a writer, this class helped me improve my brain functions as well as my written and spoken speech skills. I had no idea before attending this class that there were so many different writing styles available to people. Oftentimes, I would just use the normal, everyday practice of writing notes or using text messaging when communicating with others. Through this class, I learned how to express myself through the written word in different styles. Which I will admit, made me seem like a more interesting person than I actually was. I also learned that using different styles for different occasions signifies a high sense of respect and value that one has for the person I am communicating with. Not being a native speaker of the English language, I will have to admit that the topics being discussed in class, and assigned for the written assignments were somewhat alien to me. That unfamiliarity proved to be a problem for me as the class progressed because I needed to spend quite some time familiarizing myself with the topics up for discussion. However, I will admit that this challenge also proved to be beneficial to me because it helped me improve my writing styles and skills. I learned how to write in a specific style depending upon a specific writing format and also the kind of information that I needed to present.  

A brief critical analysis of Asymmetric reactions to work group sex Article

A brief critical analysis of Asymmetric reactions to work group sex diversity among men and women, by Chatman & OReilly (2004), Academy of Management Journal, Vol.47, No.2, 193 208 - Article Example male dominated work environment, while women were more likely to be democratic toward men when the work group was female dominated (Konrad, Winter, and Gutek, 1992). The authors note that previous studies have relied on information that was gathered in environments where there were very few instances of female presence (p. 194). The issue of female underrepresentation in the work groups has also been a concern for feminists and researchers for a number of years (Syed and Murray, 2008) (Francoeur et al. 2008). The authors extend this hypothesis to include environments that are male dominated, female dominated, exclusively male or female, and a balanced number of men and women. By adding these other factors the study has not only separated itself from previous research, but enabled the examination of the issue of group sex diversity from various angles while avoiding a focus on similarity-attraction predictions. Chatman and O’Reilly put forth a study using deductive reasoning and a set of hypotheses that examine the relationship of men and women to the gender proportion of their work groups. The authors begin the study by examining general observations about gender in the work groups and go on to narrow their observations and previous research into a set of hypotheses. The first, hypothesis 1, is concerned with male and female preference for inclusion in higher status work groups and secondly, hypothesis 2a proposes that men and women in groups that are dominated by their own gender will be more committed to the organization. In addition those in groups that are dominated by their own gender will express a higher positive affect as proposed in hypothesis 2b. Lastly hypothesis 2c suggests that those in groups where their own gender is dominate will believe those groups are more cooperating than groups dominated by the opposite sex (p. 196). The authors conducted a quantitative study examining 189 professionals of both genders who were surveyed about their beliefs

Explicit Sexualization Of Both Men And Women Media Essay

Explicit Sexualization Of Both Men And Women Media Essay It is quite evident that gender, sexuality and advertising are all directly linked with one another.7 Marketing minds have finally realized that sex sells. Advertisements in mainstream magazines have increasingly relied on explicit sexualization of both men and women to sell products. Ads sell a great deal more than products.    They sell values, images, and concepts of success of worth, love and sexuality, popularity, and normalcy.    They tell us who we are and who we should be.    Sometimes they sell addictionsThey provide impossible body images for women to strive towards, and sadly, many women do The female body is repeatedly objectified in advertising, and whenever a human is turned into a thing, violence is going to follow.    Rapes and beatings often result from the dehumanization of women Slide 2 In this advertisement for Calvin Klein Jeans, the female model is depicted lying on vacant beach. This type of advertisement creates many troubled stereotypes and ideologies for our modern day society. This image can be critically evaluated using Goffmans (1979) model of gender advertising. Goffman claims that image advertisements often place women in subordinate positions.   He also discusses a set of codes called, ritualization of subordination.   This concept addresses the physical position of a woman in an advertisement. Women are often seen on their side or lying on their back.   What is Calvin Klein selling in this advertisement? This is a clavin klein jeans addà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It conveys a lot of message to the consumersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The woman is lying on her back. All you need is the touch that transforms the gender oppressive product into a gender celebratory productà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ You can see the main focus in this add is Brad Pitt and not the watchà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As he is wearing the watch his fans would think that he wears such kind of watches which is not true because he is just advertising for it and this causes people to buy this watch. Its like cheating on the people and the fans and misleading the consumers. Play station 2 What better way to sell one of the hottest video game machines around than sex?http://www.americaninventorspot.com/files/images/Play_Station_Two_Sexy_Woman.jpg There is no image of PS2 ( the good which they are trying to sell ). The female in the picture is source of attraction to the consumer to buy this product. The product is a gaming console mainly for the young people who can easily be distracted through such ads. Slide 3 Figures 1 and 2 use the same approach of photographic imagery of the sea and shore, the colours blue and white associate with water hence the fragrance name Cool Water and the text for the advert. Figure 1 shows an attractive, confident female model passive on the shore resting her head on a rock and gazing at the reader. Figure 2 shows a muscular male model in water, who is active (splashing water) and seems he has just jumped out of the water. Although the adverts appear to be similar on the surface, the adverts have been gendered to send a clear message to the desired reader. The message from Cool Water for Women clearly states that as a woman, this product will make you look and feel fresh, cool, relaxed and confident, so confident that you do not need to wear anything else but the fragrance. This plays on the ideology that most women do not have the self confidence to show their body but using this product will restore that confidence. The Cool Water for Men implies that not only will the product make you as a man, feel cool and fresh, but it will give you full of energy so that you ready for any action. This aggressive targeting has mainly had an impact on women more than men as they have become extremely self conscious, and research proves that women spend more money on looking good than men. Billions of Pounds are circulated each year in the beauty industry alone. Men dream of being James Bond or aspire to his charisma, and those who see him as a role model will copy his image. Advertisers have emphasised that Omega is James Bonds choice of wrist watch brand, and the advert states that Omega is the sign of excellence; connotating that James Bond only wears the best and so should you. It plays on mens desire of becoming a hero as we see a scene from a Bond film in the background explosion in the air. The message is very clear; men who wear the watch can relate to James Bond, become suave, sophisticated, and successful. In contrast, figure 4 demonstrates that women are more laid back, and prefer indoor events. The indoor dà ©cor in the background resembles a sophisticated, upper class restaurant. The advert emphasises that this gold, slim Omega watch, is Cindy Crawfords choice. She is wearing a red dress associated with the lady in red (attractive). Her watch is worn as part of her outfit, almost as if it is gold jewellery. The message conveyed here is as if Cindy is speaking out to the reader saying, look at what Im wearing. She appears to be wealthy and attractive and is urging women that it is a must have piece of jewellery that will make you look like a million dollars. It is clear from the above examples that men and women are targeted according to their social beliefs and attitudes towards their self perception brought on by advertisers and society, enforcing them to adopt certain buying behaviours to influence purchasing decisions. These certain methods have had negative impact on women than men as we are aware that women appear more emotional and unconfident in contrast to men. Women are increasingly concerned with their physical appearance due to the pressure of looking good by society. Klein is not alone in his use of controversial images in advertising. After all, the whole point of advertising has always been to attract attention, and fashion advertising is notorious for its exploitative use of young men and women. But one senses that there is a new conservatism among consumers, who are fed up with X-rated images hawking everything from beer to video games. In continuing to push the envelope, designers like Klein may find that they have pushed the patience of their consumers too far. A possible backlash to this campaign occurred in 1999, when Klein launched an ad campaign for his childrens underwear line. The campaign involved three different photos, two depicting two little boys playing on a sofa and clad only in CK underpants and the third depicting two little girls playing on a sofa and clad only in CK undergarments. These images appeared as full page ads in the New York Post and prominent magazines, and as a huge billboard in Manhattans Times Square. Due to public furore, these ads were pulled 24 hours later. A Calvin Klein spokesperson claimed that these ads were intended to capture the same warmth and spontaneity that you find in a family snapshot. The general public disagreed, with numerous experts citing that these ads were pornographic because they featured high definition, sexualized images of young children. In many cases, those who were against the ads cited Kleins previous track record as sufficient proof that these images were exploitative. Chocolate man ad too sexy for Indian audience A deodorant advert that showed an apparently irresistible chocolate man being gnawed on by scantily clad women has been banned in India. An advertising executive in the country explains why it was so offensive. The Indian blogosphere is having a tantrum over the decision to withdraw a commercial for Axe Dark Temptation deodorants for men, which are flavoured with a hint of chocolate. Created by Argentinean advertisers and aired on Indian television, the ad shows crowds of attractive young women nibbling and licking at a young man wearing the deodorant. Although parts of the clip had already been censored to appease the regional audience, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) received so many complaints about the ad that they decided to remove it. It follows a collection of commercials flaunting, amongst other things, sexy underwear and flavoured condoms, which have been taken off air or censored for being indecent, vulgar and repulsive. Slide 4 This slide includes the knowledge issue. Through these real life examples we came up with knowledge issue which says To what extent is the use of sexuality in advertisements ethical? There are different opinions of people and different ways of knowing. Reason Emotion Perception Language Reason Money Better profits and sales Brand name To attract consumers More knowledge issues What responsibility, if any, does a company have for honestly educating the consumer about its product? Should advertisers be allowed to suggest that a product will make a person more sexy/interesting/beautiful/successful/etc? Is it ethical to use celebrities to sell products they probably dont even use themselves? Is it the buyers responsibility to be aware of these strategies and not allow them to manipulate their emotions? Language Communicating a message Cause Influence purchasing behavior thought patterns Effect Persuasive Informative Enabler Language is the key criteria for effectiveness of these three aspects. Message must be communicated in a language which is comfortable to the audience and influence them in a positive manner. At the same time it will be more effective if the communication is persuasive and informative. Language to be used in an advertisement should be determined based on the product and the user group  for the product. For instance, advertisement for a luxury good should be publicized in English whereas same for a necessity is preferred to be done in local language for greater communicability and mass reach. Two Indian Americans, Aradhna Krishna and Rohini Ahluwalia of University of Michigan and Minnesota, respectively, examined the role of language in advertising in India. Their results indicate that multinationals marketing products, among bilingual populations, should pay special attention to language. They determined how the language hits viewers mind in relation to a product category. This happens as different products have different user groups. They found that participants perceptions of advertisements changes significantly when different languages are used.   While Hindi is associated with belongingness (close, personal, friendly, family), English is associated with sophistication (global, cosmopolitan, urban, upper class), they wrote. They found that whereas detergents can be advertised effectively in Hindi, English is preferred for Luxury items like chocolates. Airtel, Coca Cola, Fevicol are some of the brands which advertise in local language in two and three tier cities. But as far as Cadbury is concerned, they prefer Hindi or mixed language. The researchers also found that people responds favorably to mixed-language advertising. A classic example for mixed-language advertisement can be that of Frooti the first tetra pack fruit juice of India by Parle Agro Foods. They use the jingle Mango frooti, fresh-n-juicy with their Hindi advertisement effectively. Whereas use of Bengali language by all major advertisers for their products during Durga Pooja in Kolkata (rather whole Bengal) can be an example for use of local language to influence masses. History of Women in Television Advertisements (AOK) There are many different stereotypes of women in advertising. Throughout history there have been many studies that proved women were mainly portrayed on television advertisements as housewives or occupations that are subservient to men. Studies also show the disproportional ratio of women to men in TV advertisements. In the 70s, it was reported that women were found on camera only 21 % of the time. Allan and Coltrane conducted a study that showed inversely, in the 80s female appearance on TV advertisement were 5.8% less compared to the 50s! (Pierce, 1999) In 1996, the Kaiser Family Foundation and Children Now calculated that women were on camera 42 percent of the time. Though this was an increase percentage wise from previous decades, gender inequalities still are rampant. This fact is proved a study conducted by Professors Daniel J. Bretl and Joanne Cantor of the University of Wisconsin (1995) which found that 90% of voice-overs used in advertisements were male, despite some of the products were aimed predominantly to females. Effects of Advertising on Women Advertising has many effects on society as a whole. As a result of not being in as many commercials, at very young ages boys and girls conclude that girls are valued less than boys. The commercials that females are mostly in are ones that portray them as them and thin and beautiful while some how also being subservient to men. The negative effects of advertising on women fall into a huge range of problems. The most common would affect be the constant increase of womens struggles with dieting and eating disorders. As, Wilson and Blackhurst point out, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦fifty-six percent of all women are on diets (Pipher, 1995) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and eighty percent of girls have dieted by the time they reach eighteen (Brown, 1993). Unfortunately as girls were raised, they were always taught to be submissive and dainty. It almost seemed like they are told their opinions dont matter and that they should just sit there look pretty or be fragile like glass dolls. Many ads use this to their advanta ge. They make girls think that the only thing they should do is work on their appearance, because their opinions dont matter. This results in several girls falling into depression or developing eating disorders. The inner struggles of keeping the pain in cause some girls to want to commit suicide before wanting to be fat. A Charlotte, N.C. real estate firm says business is booming, thanks to their sexy new marketing plan that involves hiring models to pose in listings photos of luxury homes. During the boom years of 2006 and 2007, Peters and Associates Real Estate was the No.1 seller of high-end homes in the Charlotte region. Then the market crashed and real estate sales dried up for most of 2008 and 2009. Peters and Associates owners Nick and Miriam Peters then decided to spice up their marketing and have been having tremendous success ever since. The couple creates an image by spending thousands of dollars on clothing and cars; and they photograph their listings with sexy, attractive people. Peters caters to high-profile and high-net-worth individuals, such as professional athletes, coaches, entertainers, executives and other VIPs. These clients are looking for a lifestyle and amenities much different from the average homebuyer. The buying experience for Peters clients begins with being picked up at the airport in an exotic car and then whisked to a luxurious spa for a relaxing day of pampering, or to a private club for a round of golf. Once they are totally refreshed, they are ready to tour homes. How effective is the campaign? Peters did a controlled online test, with one listing showing the typical real estate pictures. Visitors to that listing stayed an average of 40 to 60 seconds. Visitors to the listing with lifestyle photos stayed an average of 4 to 6 minutes. Statistics suggest that the more time a potential buyer spends looking at a listing, the more likely they are to request a showing. Peters listings used to get three to four clicks a week, and now they get 10 to 20 a day.

History Of Birth Control :: Contraceptives, Birth Control Essays

History of Birth Control Although birth control has been practiced since ancient times, the first organized efforts developed during the 19th century as population increased dramatically because of improved medical care, nutrition, and sanitation. However, birth control met with resistance. In 1873 the United States Congress enacted the Comstock Law, which prohibited the distribution of birth-control devices and information. During the early 1900s, American nurse Margaret Sanger led the birth-control movement in the United States. She and others opened clinics to provide women with information and devices. Although frequently jailed, she and her followers were instrumental in getting laws changed. In subsequent years, laws against birth control gradually weakened, and more effective methods were developed. Now a days there are several different methods of birth control. The first that I am going to talk about is called the rhythm method. As its synonym implies, this method is based on the assumption that, for each women, there is a rhythmic pattern of menstruation and ovulation that can be identified by keeping a careful record of the dates of menstruation. A second assumption is that ovulation occurs 14 days before the onset of the next menstruation. The rhythm method is the most commonly used of the natural methods. To be used successfully a record should be kept for at least six menstrual cycles. The fertile period is then defined by a set of rules for example: The length of the shortest cycle less 18 days marking the start of the fertile period and the length of the longest cycle less 11 days marking the end of the fertile period. This is the only birth control method that has received the Catholic Church’s seal of approval. The next natural way of avoiding the use of contraceptives is called the Basal body temperature method. In a normal, ovulatory cycle the temperature of the body measured on awakening, called the basal state, rises by 0.2C to 0.5C during two or three days following ovulation. This rise is defined as one in which three consecutive daily temperatures are at least 0.2C higher than the six daily temperatures preceding the shift. This rise reflect the secretion of progesterone from the corpus luteum. The unplanned pregnancy rate of this method is about 11.