Analyse Marcelo Brodskys Work Buena Memoria From the Perspective of Essay

Analyse Marcelo Brodskys Work Buena Memoria From the Perspective of Memory Work - Essay Example This essay stresses that general Jorge Videla seized power in another coup. Marcelo Brodsky, an Argentine who was both a human rights activist, and an artist, and who was residing in Argentina by this time, went into exile in Barcelona. It is while there that he took keen interest and learnt photography. He returned to Argentina in 1984, after the fall of the dictatorial leadership. The memories of the atrocities meted on his people were still fresh in him. In 1996, Brodsky thought of creating a memory bridge between his own memories and the future generations This paper makes a conclusion that the analysis of the importance of Marcelo Brodsky’s work from the memory perspective. It has been demonstrated beyond doubts that an individual memory can be presented artistically, and be carried forth to generations. This can be shared with other people who may not have been there when the events occurred, but can create a lasting impression, and at the same time communicate the past to them. This in turn brings in transition, and builds a memory bridge from the living memory to the post memory, which benefits generations. It also emphasizes the fact that for a community to effectively handle its present and future predicaments, it must have a special place for the historic events, which would help them make sound judgements. These historical events are the button that must be handed over in an effective manner to other generations.

Shale gas Essay Example for Free

Shale gas Essay Would you make if you were Jane Barrow? Why that one? If I were Jane Barrow, I would suggest shale gas as the best. Since the industrial, electric power and residential make a large contribution for the use of natural gas, the stakeholder in these parts are very important. After multiattribute risk analysis, the chart from Exhibit 10 shows they are care about using energy produced in their own jurisdiction. From the Exhibit 3, with the increasing need of natural gas to satisfy consumption, more and more net imports have been done. Shale gas has the largest production capacity per day which is suitable for these stakeholders’ objective. This feature will satisfy most of the stakeholders. Although the project is the most expensive one, its huge production makes the profit the largest among these three. So after comparing these projects, I would make the recommendation for shale gas project. Which one of the three options is the most practical and economical? In my view, coal bed methane is the most practical and economical option. Among these three projects, tight sands gas has the best geological condition as in a remote area in West Taxes where fewer people live and it is least costly and has most profit per thousand cubic feet. However, since it has the lowest production capacity per day, the total profit is the lowest. The project of Shale gas, which locates in Pennsylvania, is the most expensive one, but the total profit is the highest. However, this project needs a lot of water from Delaware River that may affect the live of resident near the river. Since the affect of hydraulic fracturing is still unknown, the relative apartment and the residents nearby may against the action. The project of the coal bed methane is the best because it requires less fluid during hydraulic fracturing and is easily drillable which means it is relatively safe and has moderate cost. Rocky Mountain region, the project locates, has a population of 2000, which is suitable. The production capacity per day is well too. So after comparing these projects, the coal bed methane project is the best. What are you most worried about in this decision? The affect of hydraulic fracturing is still unsure. Once there’s an accident happens, it will be terrible as the press may aggressively propagate the fact and the relative apartment such as EPS may suggest prohibit the hydraulic fracturing method, which may bring a huge loss to the company not only the profit but also the reputation. Besides, the project may be resisted by the residents nearby since the shale gas project needs a lot of water from Delaware River. The lack data and analysis of the project may bring unpredictable risk to the company.

Consumer interaction in contemporary advertising design

Consumer interaction in contemporary advertising design ABSTRACT This paper offers an insight into the role of the consumer in modern advertising. It charts the role of advertising in society from the earliest known origins in Ancient Egypt to the creative revolution during the 1960s right up to modern day viral campaigns. A range of topics are discussed from why companies lose power over their brands to how the individual changed modern advertising. It considers the ways in which, successful brands have utilised the consumer in their campaigns and goes on to deliberate ethical boundaries in the business of advertising. Encompassing a range of authors and correspondents views on the subjects it demonstrates the need for businesses to consider and act upon consumers desires and suggestions in modern society. Furthermore it discovers the necessity to ensure that the consumers views are used as inspiration throughout the creation and development stages of advertisement design in order to guarantee its goals are met. The paper concludes that particularly now, in an economy where there is very little venture capital, brands should embrace consumer-generated content and utilise it in a manner that will aid growth and development. It references industry experts and their views on the subject and establishes a means by which businesses of all sizes can gain from consumer interaction in advertising design. INTRODUCTION Advertising design refers to the creation and development of visuals to be used in the advertising process. It is used attract audiences by pushing creative boundaries and appealing to their emotional senses in order to sell. Advertising and advertising design have come a long way since their beginnings and that is no more apparent than in recent times with introductions of new media but how exactly has advertising changed in recent times? Why was it necessary? What effect have relatively new introductions such as the Internet had on advertising and to what level is the consumer involved when considering advertising campaigns? Pivotally, are advertising agencies still able to engage with consumers and sustain their interest? This paper will discuss the many viewpoints concerning the need for consumer interaction within advertising design, what happens when it is ignored and offer case studies as to how it can be use effectively. Despite much literature on the matter issues still exist with the implementation of consumers through all stages of advertising design. It is hoped that this paper, despite limitations of time constraints and access to large samples of primary research, will assist as a guide to designers and the use of consumers within the sector. CHAPTERS A Brief History of Advertising Design The creation of advertising can be traced back as far as the ancient Egyptians who used papyrus to make sale messages and promotional posters. There are surviving signs from ancient Babylonia and ancient China during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1050 771 BC) advertising the sale of wine at trade fairs. Other examples have been discovered in the ruins of Pompeii, promoting a range of activities from political campaigns and theatre performances to sporting events and drinking establishments. Papyrus was also used in both ancient Greece and ancient Rome to advertise articles that had been lost and found. During the middle ages, where it was uncommon that the population in mass would be able to read, vendors would use symbolism to promote their trade. For instance a cobbler may have used a picture of a boot or a blacksmith a horseshoe to advise customers of their location. (Landa, 2004) The year 1450, and trained Goldsmith, Johannes Gutenberg invents a printing press, the first of its kind to utilize movable, metal type. Its release in Germany and popular rise throughout Europe allowed the widespread distribution of information to the public. It is this that can be accredited as the beginning of mass media (Kreis, 2004) As a discrete form, however, advertising is generally agreed to have begun in the seventeenth century with classifieds and line-ads appearing in weekly English newspapers. (Wilson, 2009) Simple description, accompanied with a price indication, generally for books and newspaper, which due to advances in the printing press were becoming more affordable, served their purpose until false advertising became a prevalent issue, from which regulation of content was introduced. 1836 and French newspaper, La Presse, became the first media of its kind to introduce paid advertisement space. Due to this successful concept, the paper was able to lower its retail price, resulting in wider readership and an increase in revenue. Four years later, in Boston, MA, Volney Palmer established what was to become known as a predecessor to advertisement agencies. Around the same time French news agency, Havas, extended its services to incorporate advertisement brokerage. These forerunners to advertising agencies worked as brokers, selling advertisement space in newspapers. It wasnt until 1869 and N. W. Ayer Son of Philadelphia became the first full-service agency, which could be likened to those of today, in that they assumed responsibility for advertising content. (Landa, 2004) It was towards the end of the nineteenth century, with an emergence of more full-service advertising agencies, that the business of advertising became an institution in its own right. (Wilson, 2009) It had its own creative values and working models, as well as being considered as one of the few real career opportunities for women at the time. This was due to the fact that it was women who were responsible for the majority purchasing within the household. The advertising agencies soon realised the invaluable input of womens insight through the creative process. In fact it was Helen Lansdowne Resors foresight that turned Woodburys soaps attention away from sole promotion of its medical properties to line itself with the consumer. Her tagline; A skin you love to touch, implied a romantic desire and is credited as the first utilization of sex in advertising. (Reichert and Lambiase, 2003, p. 44) Advertising agencies became the response to an ever growing and often crowded marketplace. Manufacturers and sales people realized that promotion was vital to the success and longevity of a product. The agencies began to sell themselves as experts in constructing goods to consumer communication, which if employed, would leave the businesses to concentrate on the manufacture and growth of their goods. The Great War saw a number of advances in advertisement to the mass market with the arrival of propaganda ads on all sides. It was the British government, who were at the forefront of the propaganda battle, using advertisement to persuade civilians to fight as well as an attempt to lure America to join them. It is written in Mein Kampf that Germany lost the war because they lost the battle of propaganda. (Kick, 2001) The most important affect the First World War had on advertising was the mechanization of industry and the resulting increase in expenditure that gave birth to a new concept; the desire to create need within consumer. It is this notion that has been the dominating force in advertising since the 1920s. Into the 1920s and the first radio stations were established by manufacturers in order to sell more radios to a greater number of people. Soon many not-for-profit organisations also began setting up stations, such as schools and civic groups. The practise of sponsoring a program became popularised which usually meant the mention of the single sponsoring business as an introduction to the show. However, it was soon realised that an increase in the number of advertising spots available would create an increase in revenue. Station owners began selling time allocated slots to multiple businesses rather than selling the rights to whole programs. This practise was proving very effective until 1929 when the Wall St. Crash hit, which put an end to widespread affluence. This was followed by the Great Depression and the Second World War, which meant that it was not until the 1950s that customers had enough disposable income to respond to the marketers creation of need concept, which had been established through the twenties. Post War affluence had prevailed, as did a wealth of goods for which a feeling of need for the consumer had to be created. Perhaps the most predominant product to be seen as a necessity was the television. No home could be without one and of course, where the televisions went, the advertisers soon followed. It should be noted that due to Britains government control over broadcasting, they were a decade or so behind the US in allowing commercial TV stations to air. To this day the UK and Europe still have tighter control over the amount of editorial sway that advertisers possess over a programme. This is partly due to corruption within the US model that enabled sponsors to interfere with the storylines of quiz shows in order to make their goods more appealing. (Stafford and Faber, 2005) 1960s America and Doyle Dane Bernbach introduced what is said to be one of the finest advertising styles in modern times. So much so that its creation sparked a period known in the states as the Creative Revolution. Set in a sea of hard sell, the agency used wit in addition to a certain amount of self-ridicule in order to advertise the now iconic, Volkswagen Beetle. The taglines Live Below Your Means and Think Small created the appearance of a company that was willing to make a pun about itself and its product. The car and its advertising was adored by the children of the revolution who saw it as a rejection of their previous generations materialism. (Consumer Guide Automotive, 2007) This form of societal advertising paved the way for some of the most creative and long-standing advertising models, which are still in use to this day. Continuing with the American timeline, the late 1980s saw the introduction of cable TV, and significantly, the introduction the music video with MTV. MTV altered many advertisers mindsets and paved the way for a new model where by the consumer actively watches because of the message, rather than it being a by-product of the program. (Williams, 2003) As cable TV and more commonly in the UK, satellite TV, became more widespread channels emerged which, devoted themselves entirely to advertising product, such as shopping channels. Moving into more modern times and the Internet has created a fantastic medium for advertisers to operate solely on advertising revenue. At the turn of the century, many online businesses, including giants Google, began using un-obtrusive, and contextually relevant advertisements to aid the user. Importantly this is a major factor in the increasing trend of interactive marketing. (Kuntz, 2008) Now, well into the 21st Century and a somewhat recent innovation for the advertising world is guerrilla marketing, which is an unconventional means of advertising aimed at gaining maximum results from minimal resources. The phrase, coined by Jay Conrad Levinson, relies on the use of unexpected and unconventional campaigns in order to create a buzz, in turn becoming viral. Guerrilla marketing may involve PR stunts, product giveaways, poster campaigns, as well as creative use of modern technology, in truth anything required to get maximum results from minimum resources. (Drake and Wells, 2008) Analysis of Brand Is a brand a product, a service or company? Is it a logo, a marketing strategy or an attitude? (Mono Design, 2005, p. 8) The origins of the term brand and its modern definitions can be viewed as somewhat elusive due to its generalised use. The term itself derives from the practise of permanently stamping or marking something under a persons ownership. For example, a herdsmans would brand his cattle with a hot iron to display them as his possession. It was also, as Jane Pavitt writes (2000, p. 21) a means of signalling disgrace. Up until modern times criminals would be marked using hot iron or tattoo as a sign of infamy. This can be traced as the origin of the term branded a liar. Branding can therefore be principally known as the process of attaching a name and a reputation to something or someone. (Pavitt, 2000) The primary and most recognisable feature of a brand is a name or logo, which is used to denote its origin. It is this name or logo an individual or business will use to indentify and distinguish themselves from competitors. It is widespread belief that brand is far more than a name or trademark however. It is the representative image for a product within its market. A brand owner must create a desire that connects the associations and attributes of the product from their own view, or desired identity, to that of the consumer. (Wheeler, 2009) This is referred to as brand image. It is this image of special or unique attributes that make the brand a primary advertising element due to its ability to demonstrate what an individual or organization can offer in the marketplace. The process of attaching values to a product or service, either physically or by suggestion, is called branding. Branding is also defined as the method used to build consumer awareness and extend customer loyalty. It requires owners to seize every possible opportunity to communicate why an individual should choose their brand over a competitors. (Pavitt, 2000) A brand is a persons gut feeling about a product, service or company. (Neumeiner, 2006) Due to the multitude of choice created by competitors, those looking for a market foothold must aim to connect emotionally with consumers and become, in their eyes, irreplaceable and in doing so create long-term relationships to ensure brand longevity and staying power. People trust strong brands and believe them to have superior status. How a market perceives the brand will affect its success. In Designing Brand Identity (2009, p. 2) Wheeler references David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance statement that, Brands have three primary functions. These are to navigate the customer in selecting one product or service from a wealth of choice. To reassure and comfort the customer, through communication of quality, that they have made the best selection and to engage, using distinctive imagery and the previously discussed associations, to enable customers to identify with a given brand. And to have the brand work to enable identification, which is referred to as brand identity. The final point here is of significance as brand identity is a tangible proposition. The identity aims to stimulate recognition, to amplify differentiation and to create accessibility for the consumer. Brand identity takes disparate elements and unifies them into whole systems. (Wheeler, 2009) The ability to create and maintain a strong brand is referred to as brand management. It is brand management, which is of vital importance when considering consumer reaction and affect on marketing the brand. Marketing the Brand When considering marketing their brand, whether for a start-up, a non-profit or a product, the owner must first consider a strategy. The best strategy is developed as a creative partnership between the client, the strategist, and the designer. (Wheeler, 2009, p. 12) A brand strategy will provide the owner with a dominant and unifying plan around which, all actions, communications and behaviours are centralised. The best strategies are so straightforward that they are easily communicated to all levels of employees and consumers but are also so differentiated and powerful that they stand above the competition. The strategy is built on a vision that aligns itself with the owners strategies and develops from their culture and values. At the forefront of the strategy is the ability to ensure a deep understanding of the consumers needs and perceptions. Brand strategy aims to define position and a competitive advantage as well as creating differentiation and a unique prospect for the consumer. An individual rarely develops the brand strategy. Generally a team of people, which may include the CEO as well as heads of advertising, public relations and sales departments combine to head its creation. Global firms will by and large hire in strategists with outside experience who can creatively aid a firm in articulating what is already there. Brand strategy is critical to a business success and longevity. Companies frequently survive and prosper because they have a clear brand strategy. Companies falter because they do not have one. (Wheeler, 2009, p. 13) Following on from the strategy and in its support is a positioning strategy that both exists and in doing so evolves to create openings in a saturated market, which the brand can exploit. It does this by taking advantage where it can of technology, changes in demographic and importantly, consumer trends. It aims to find a gap in the market in order to appeal to the public in an alternative, fresh and alternative manner. Positioning, as a branding concept was developed by Al Ries and Jack Trout in 1981. (Harris, 1998, p. 27) They defined it as the foundations on which a company should build their brands, strategize planning and extend relationships with their customers. Positioning takes into account the four principal dimensions, which affect sales, product, place, price and promotion. Ries and Trout believed that for successful brand strategy that the owner must cement their position in the consumers mind. This, they believed, should be done by considering the consumers needs, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of their own business and understanding the competitive landscape. Ries and Trouts beliefs continue as a guiding staple pin throughout marketing, branding and advertising. To further grasp the importance of brand and its position within marketing it is fitting to consider a case in context, that of Levis. The past ten years have seen a steady movement away in customer purchasing from established denim-wear brands such as Levis and Wrangler to a contrasting base of manufacturers. Designer labels and smaller independent, street-wear manufacturers have been acquiring a larger market share despite the fact the in many cases these manufacturers are not primarily focused on designing jean lines, seeing them rather as an accompanying product to clothing lines, which are of greater focus. It is felt that consumers are drawn in by the individuality and distinction of small-run lines, as well as the perception of celebrity through associations with their parent-label. (Mono Design, 2005, p. 74) Levis tackled this shift in consumer behaviour in a positive manner by opting to reinvigorate and expand their own product lines, creating designs that did not just reflect emerging trend but actually drove them. Levi enlisted the expertise of London-based design agency, Kitchen who began working with Levi Strauss across the continent to aid in the reinvention and repositioning of the Levis brand image. They did this by consulting the customer at stores and consumers in third party research to gain a better understanding of their mind-set when purchasing a pair of jeans. Kitchen discovered a need for Levi to fully immerse themselves in culture and the environment around them. (Mono Design, 2005) Although predominantly consumer based, the rebranding exercise aimed to stretch further, by raising the profile of the repositioned image in the press and by doing so educating retailers about the visual direction and expectations of the brand. Directly due to consumer input, the forefront of the campaign was presented as a limited collection of books that made use of unexpected materials and experimented boldly with a number of conceptual formats. The idea behind the individual designs of the books was that each theme would be representative and reflective of the product it was promoting. For example, the book released alongside the premium product line featured a quality, embossed leather cover, where as the press book for the vintage clothing line featured earthy colours and an individually distressed cover. Although distribution of the revitalised brand image was overseen by the Brussels based, head office, the true manifestation and grasp of the identity occurred in the outlet stores, which are somewhat varied in style themselves. Retailers were given the power to dress their stores in a manner that they felt was appropriate to the product lines they stocked and the environment around them. The books and promotional material encouraged creativity and inspiration due to the individual and experimental surrounding concepts. Consistency of the message was achieved, which maintained a modern, revitalised and innovative approach to marketing the brand. (Mono Design, 2005, p. 82) How Companies Started to Lose Power Over Their Brands: The Need For Personality Early 2005 and Apple was set to release its latest addition to the iPod family, the Shuffle. Shaped like a stick of gum, it was set to become the smallest music player created. The iPod has been market leader since 2000 and broke ground with its innovative scroll wheel interface. However, Apple had once again set themselves up to break convention with the Shuffle by completely redesigning the interface and removing the screen. It was clear from early test reviews that if customers were to ever be attracted by an iPod without a screen that the marketing behind it must be something special. The feature, which caused real stir about the shuffle, was its size and the fact that it was probably going to appear too small for some users. (Bhargava, 2008) Apple therefore took it upon themselves to add a note of advice to UK consumers within the products disclaimer manual, Do Not Chew iPod. These four words soon caused mass, viral debate through blog postings and online reviews. Was this a light-hearted pun or a true disclaimer to protect the company? In truth, Apple had used an untouched part of the marketing language in a fresh and unexpected manner that created a huge amount of buzz. It was a fitting tagline that demonstrated the personality of the product as well as Apple themselves. This is just one of the many facets that has helped the iPod become CoolBrands fourth place in their 2009/10 respected, marketing league table, with Apple one place above and their revolutionary iPhone in the top spot. (CoolBrands, 2009/10) Personality is the unique, authentic and talkable soul of your brand that people can get passionate about. (Bhargava, 2008, p. 6) It does seem, however, that until recent times Apple were one of the few companies that would commend and promote such a display of personality through an untouched medium, such as a disclaimer at the bottom of the instruction manual. There was a day when consumers choice was limited, when there werent hundreds of television channels, tens of thousands of magazine publications and primarily the Internet as a base to gain information. Since there were fewer choices, it wasnt necessary for companies to provide so many choices. However, those times have now passed and consumers are far savvier, demanding options in both product and brand. Consumers also have more choice when deciding to buy from large, industrial producers or the trend to buy from small, local producers. They [customers] realize that paying less for something made by a giant, faceless corporation is often less rewarding than paying more for something made by a small company. (Calagoine, 2005) Consumers have the power to decide what to buy, where they buy it, how much they should pay for it and whether or not to believe the marketing messages behind it. Consumers hold supreme power over business and their products because they possess the ability and desire to voice their opinions with others through a multitude of devices. An example of the users new found power can be found in the ability to block pop-up ads while browsing online, thus selecting which marketing messages to receive. In todays era of social media, full of portable, personal and individualized mediums, with accessibility a key player in promotion, companies and their brands are becoming shaped not only by an individuals perception but equally their communications. Historically, advertisers have thought of themselves as top-down communicators, in control of what information is released, to whom and when, as well as the channels of communication themselves. (Spurgeon, 2007) It is clear that appearing faceless and unapproachable doesnt work in modern times. Consumers must now be considered as primary creative contributors through the development, communication and marketing processes. Companies have come to realise that personality and character are key elements behind the brand and its image. Marketing is not about selling. (Kotler, 2000) Both sales and marketing use similar approaches. When considering a sales campaign, the focus is product based. However, a market-driven business focuses on the consumer. Marketing aims to penetrate the psyches of consumer and this is what companies like Apple have utilised in order to create an almost character like representation. The previous example of their pun-disclaimer was just a tit-bit in a wealth of marketing, but it is encompassed by an identity that consumers already associated with the Apple brand. The disclaimer was confident, bold, and different, just like Apple. Brand owners must now concentrate on being responsible not just for releasing fantastic product, but creating passion and enthusiasm for their customers to buy into. They must tell a story which consumers understand and appreciate and most importantly, pass on to others. How The Individual Changed Advertising: The Viral Boom Before the Internet, businesses had two real choices to attract attention. They could buy up expensive advertising placements or get third-party commendations through the media. The web has changed all that. (Odih, 2007) Prior to the Web, traditional, directionless advertising through television, radio and newspapers ware the only established methods to create publicity. However, this made individualised and personal advertising messages rather difficult, which, as mentioned above aids in the creation of a personal and accessible brand. It should be stated here that mass advertising still exists in a successful and appropriate manner today, for example Carling advertising their Lager during half time of a football game through television. This is because, although a stereotype, men watching football on the television will often do so while drinking lager, it therefore makes sense that as a product that sets itself up to appeal to a mass market, Carling should advertise to the mass, male market of football enthusiasts they wish to attract. When considering the millions of other businesses, independent retailers, not-for-profits and entrepreneurs, traditional advertising is so broad and impersonal that it is largely ineffective. (OShaughnessy, p. 490) For these subjects however, the web has created a fantastic opportunity to promote themselves to the individual with target messages that cost a fraction of the traditional, mass-market approach. It may be argued that traditional advertisers employ what David Meerman Scott refers to as one-way interruption. (2007, p. 7) Meerman paints a picture of an advertising agencys creative team sitting in an office and conjuring up ways to interrupt an audience so they become engrossed in a one-way message. Continuing from this example, in the middle of a television show, it would be the creative teams job to craft an advertisement that would gain the viewers attention, when they would prefer to be doing something else, for instance, watching the intended show. This example and in fact all examples of traditional advertising, rely on holting an individual in what they are doing so that they will pay attention and soak-in a message. This, it is argued, is where the web differs. The web and online advertising has the ability to, instead of interrupting an individual, actually deliver useful content exactly when the consumer requires it. Furthermore, for the first time, consumers not only decided when they want to receive advertisements, but they also possess the ability to enable growth and longevity of an advertisement and therefore the product or service it would be promoting. This, it is claimed, is due to the development of viral marketing. Viral marketing is now an everyday term, which suggests passing something on, it is word of mouth marketing. (Kotler et al. 2008, p. 856) Its aim, from the view of the advertiser, is to create something that grows as it is passed from person to person and is often utilized in a similar manner to snowball sampling. From an audiences viewpoint, viral marketing empowers them by giving them a choice whether to buy into something and in turn help it grow or alternatively click off and choose to ignore it. The huge rise in video-sharing websites such as YouTube and Veoh spawned a new level of accessibility for marketers, which was stumbled upon somewhat by chance. Early 2006 and home-made videos of bottles of Diet Coke exploding when mixed with Mentos mints began to appear on the Web. Neither Coca Cola nor the Mentos brand owners could control either the use of their product or the distribution of the destructive nature of the images. Replication of the experiments using the two brands was ripe and with the means to share these experiments through the web, the videos snowballed. Thousands of videos were uploaded tallying up millions of views. The finest examples were rapidly powered through viral-dissemination and soon topped most-watched lists on video-sharing sites. Mentos was said to be the happier of the two brands about this popular display of its brand and new found association with youth-culture. Christina Spurgeon (2007, p. 3) quotes Vranica and Terhune (2006) and states that the media exposure was worth an estimated $10 million USD, approximately more than half their yearly advertising budget. They also took immediate steps to expand on this undeveloped market and newfound publicity by partnering with YouTube to host a contest for the finest Coke-Mentos video. Coca-Cola too explored the consumer-generated promotion by creating an unrelated competition in order to further build the Coke brand. (Spurgeon, 2007) It was sporadic revelations such as the success of the Coke-Mentos videos that set in marketers minds the power and influence of the user in the management, interaction and productivity of media. Utilising the Consumer in Viral Campaigns One of the finest examples of viral marketing and its manipulation is that of MSN.com and its free email service, Hotmail. (Sweeney, 2006, p. 54) Since its creation, every email sent using a Hotmail account has contained a tagline informing the recipient about the service. It currently reads: Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail: http://www.hotmai.com. This unobtrusive message enabled Hotmail to inform hundreds of thousands of potential users to the service they offer. As many great advertising campaigns do, the message went deeper. Hotmail itself does not actually retail products, however, the technique was used to create mass exposure for the Microsoft Network site. This is because users would generally log onto their Hotmail account through a link on the Microsoft Networks site, in turn creating exposure for MSN.com and their ot

Placebos: Can a Sugar Pill Cure? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Placebos: Can a Sugar Pill Cure? Placebo: the word is Latin for "I will please." Originally it started the Vespers for the dead, often sung by hired mourners, and eventually "to sing placebos" came to mean to flatter or placate (1). Later, the term was used for any kind of quack medicine. Today, it is a medicine that has no value in itself, but improves a patient's condition because the patient believes it to be potent. Belief in a swallowed sugar pill or saline injection has been shown to produce real reactions. 80% of patients given sugar water and told it is an emetic respond by vomiting (1). People often show an allergic response to something they believe they are allergic to, even if it is only plastic flowers. Does this strong reaction hold true for more serious medical conditions, then? There are three explanations as to why placebos may work. The first, called the opoid model, says that the positive response is a result of endorphins released in response to swallowing a pill, etc. The second is the conditioning model, which holds that the important factor is not the medicine, but contact with a medical professional. Because patients are used to getting better after they go into a doctor's office and talk to someone in a white coat, they are psychologically conditioned to get better after contact with the medical environment. The last is the expectancy model, in which patients improve because they expect the placebo to have a certain effect. There are even more arguments, though, as to how the placebo effect has been exaggerated or fabricated. Some studies include additional treatment along with the medication, sosimply being in a study may produce results (1). Some studies on placebos often show similar rates of success for a drug and a placebo, but do not include a control in which no treatment is used. In such studies, it is impossible to tell what improvement was actually due to the placebo and what would have happened anyway (3). Patients may also tend to report improvement because they think this is what is expected. This is especially true with poorly designed response forms with more options for improvement than worsening. Many illnesses, like colds, improve by themselves given time. Others, like depression and chronic pain, fluctuate. Thus improvement in these types of illness might well have happened without any medicine or placebo.

Refugee Blues and Disabled Comparison Essay

The subject of war and the loss of human life has had a deep influence on poetry of the first half of the 20th century. Many poets from around the world had felt the direct impact of earth-shattering wars and went on to express their opinions through their works. It was during wartime eras that the poems â€Å"Disabled† and â€Å"Refugee Blues† were written by Wilfred Owen and W.H. Auden respectively. Both of the given war poems are considered to be some of the most significant pieces of poetry of their time and the fact that they were written during times of worldwide conflict explains their brutal honesty, grim atmospheres and the poets’ desire to convey both shock and sadness through their interpreted image of war. â€Å"Disabled† was written by Wilfred Owen when he was in England to recover from war trauma. The title gives a glimpse of what the poem is about – a lonely soldier forced to be amputated. Although it is only a single piece of his str ing of anti-war poems, â€Å"Disabled† is arguably one of his most effective and significant works. The context of the poem takes place in Britain during its involvement in the Great War and tells a story of a disabled (hence the title) soldier who resides in a hospital. To shock the readers, Owen reveals that the soldier is actually a young adolescent, aged 17-19, who returning from the Western Front, was forced to have his limbs amputated. In contrast, â€Å"Refugee Blues† is a poetical work of W.H. Auden in 1939 – the year World War Two broke out. The name of the title is a reference to an old musical genre – blues. They were originally sang by early African slaves on American soil. The songs of the particular genre were mostly about sadness and depression. This, combined with the term ‘refugee’, create an interesting title, that is useful to identify what type of person is the protagonist and why the structure of the poem is reminiscent of a (blues) song. Although compared to â€Å"Disabled† it is slightly less heavy in terms of tone and atmosphere, the second (or third) reading of the poem should convince most readers that the horrors of war are actually very prominent and are shown through the terrified eyes of an innocent citizen. The story within tells about a German Jew and his wife, both taking numerous attempts to escape their homeland in hopes for salvation as their life becomes that of downward spiral following the rise of the fascist regime. Although the poets Wilfred Owen and W.H. Auden express their attitudes differently, it can be considered that both voice their opinion on the same side of the arguement. As said above, both â€Å"Disabled† and â€Å"Refugee Blues† share anti-war ideals, however they refer to different issues. This is most probably because, the two poems were written during different political eras, the Great War and the Second World War. â€Å"Disabled†, written in 1917, addresses the brutality experienced by British soldiers on the Western Front and how the youth was fooled into volunteering by the older members of the nation’s upper class who did nothing but scrutinized them, living in their safe, comfortable English homes while their sons died in the name of â€Å"patriotism†. Nonetheless, Owen’s poetry expands on that point to show that it is not only old men who do the trickery, but it is also ordinary people who encourage and ultimately, let down the soldiers. An example of that would be â€Å"Aye, that was it, to please the giddy jilts†. This only us what led the disabled trooper to his tragedy, but to make his existence in this world even more depressing and sad, Owen goes on with â€Å"How cold and late it is! Why don’t they come?† The readers are shown that after the war ends, whether the soldier is dead or alive, there won’t be much good left to him, as their somewhat ignorant society decides to abandon the men who put their lives on stake for their flag. Perhaps this serves to state that true patriotism is ultimately pointless and obsolete, or that no matter what form it takes, it does more harm than good by painting a false image of â€Å"glory† in people’s minds. It can be said that â€Å"Disabled† is written to show how soldiers adapt to a wartime/post-war society. The poem is a reflection of Owen’s surroundings while in fighting in France and resting at the military hospital in England. A widely-considered opinion that soldiers are state-sponsored killers is being turned down by the poet to show how these young, inexperienced and unwilling men are being put in position that is a matter of life and death, from which, most who manage to return are either scarred mentally or broken physically. Looking at the language of the poem, Owen’s overall attitude can be interpreted as more pessimistic, as he leaves a rather sour taste about the subject of war. W.O. tries to convince the readers that the war does not necessarily make one a hero, and neither does it bring true pride to combatants, rather using it to lure the men to their death. In fact, if there was anyone to feel a sense of glory or pride, it would be those who didn’t participate or lacked the courage to face the horrific effects of war, which is the idea Wilfred was trying to bring across to future generations. It should be noted that this poem, among his many others, was written during the brief period in-between Owen’s deployments to France, which gives it a feeling of raw energy that came from his recently-seen experiences at the front, which resulted in the brutal honesty of the poem. Whereas W.O. wrote about volunteers and how they were ignored and exploited by citizens, Auden seems to be more concerned about innocent people rather than troops, specifically minorities, almost as if â€Å"Refugee Blues† is the flip-side of â€Å"Disabled†. There is only one occasion in the entire poem where the soldiers (who serve the regime) appear – at the very end. Their primary purpose there was to destroy any sense of optimism l eft in the poem. The quote to represent that is: â€Å"Ten thousand soldiers marched to and fro: looking for you and me, my dear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The fact that none of the soldiers were described or weren’t given any personal development is a rather bland effort by Auden (in my opinion, of course) because it is well known that despite a high morale, there were members of the Wehrmacht who did not see eye-to-eye to Hitler or his policies and were renegades and deserters. Therefore, it is implied that Auden saw all German soldiers within the same group – anti-Semitists. On the other hand, he had a good arguement for the plight of refugees, after all, they were German nationals no matter their religion/ethinity, but were hunted down anyways. This shows how inhumane the regime was to their countrymen and allows the reader to understand that racial and religious topics could be used to kill innocents, rather than to promote peace. Regarding attitudes, the two poets ultimately bring the same me ssage: they wished to bring an end to the wars that revolved around their lives. Differences, however, should be noted between the two: Owen displays his attitude quite clearly, criticizing the Great War at every possible turn – literally and figuratively. This is because of his prior military history and the fact that he was fooled into serving by being a staunch supporter of his country – he should have known better. W.H. Auden is indifferent to what happens to the troops, instead, he writes from a civilian’s point of view to represent their agony. There is still some optimism in him, however. For example in the quotation: â€Å"But we are still alive my dear, we are still alive†. He isn’t as harsh a critic of war as Owen due the fact that the latter served as a Sergeant and went through though times such as defending trenches from bombings and seeing his men die, all experienced first-hand. Another reason could be that the Second World War was just beginning when the poem was written (1939) and its main focus was on the Holocaust. Therefore the comparison between the two should not be about war, but about inhuman conditions and about betrayal – Jews in â€Å"Refugee Blues† and soldiers in â €Å"Disabled†. Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be assumed that Auden wasn’t exposed to war – he was a civilian asset for the Republic during the Spanish Civil War as well as travelling to China during their war with Japan to write â€Å"A Journey to War†. Poems â€Å"Disabled† and â€Å"Refugee Blues† employ slightly different structures. â€Å"Disabled† is written in regular stanzas consisting of six to eight lines each. The stanzas are used by the poet to tell a narrative that takes time in past, present and future. Every stanza switches between past and present to describe his life in a â€Å"before† and â€Å"after† scenario. This way of poetic storytelling is quite effective, because in this case it allows us to see how far armed conflicts and wars evolve average individuals. The last stanza is written in a future tense in order to show what it (future) would bring to the disabled veteran’s life. It can be said that not much good will come out of it. In a way, Owen makes the atmosphere seem somewhat dystopian, seeing how there was very little reason to continue to live for that soldier, and how his future is already predicted and how he will have to follow regulations set by others†¦ for doing nothing, other than serving his country. This makes it shocking, considering WWI happened before. Another noticeable feature within the structure of â€Å"Disabled† is that it contains a stanza that stands out from the norm. This referred stanza is used to show that there actually were people who could show a sense of appreciation, for example a man in line 2. This is demonstrated in the lines: â€Å"Only a solemn man who brought him fruits†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Thanked him†¦.†. This quotation is important because Owen embraces the fact that among the spoiled, hypocritical and ungrateful citizens, there were certain individuals who remained committed and loyal to their heroes no matter how ugly the war was going. This stanza lasts only three lines to reflect on the point that the soldier’s life only had very rare and brief moments of hope and that the rest of his time in the institution was boring and agonizing, just like the length of the poem. Regarding rhyming, â€Å"Disabled† is inconsistent in that aspect, as it lacks a rhyming pattern to unify and join the stanzas together. For example: the first stanza rhymes as A,B,A,C,B,C while the second stanza is A,B,C,B,C,D,B. Perhaps the inconsistency of the rhyme is intended to represent either the volatile nature of war or the uncertainty regarding the soldier’s future, although the latter is an unlikely theory. With â€Å"Refugee Blues†, the structure of the poem is fairly simple – Auden wrote it as a recreation of blues song. Every stanza within the poem consists of three lines. The poem’s narrative goes within a chronological order, although the stanzas all represent flashbacks, it is most likely that they are in order. Auden’s poem follows a simple rhyming pattern – A,A,B for most of the time. At the end of each stanza, there is a third line which acts as a summary for the two previous lines and uses repetition. All third lines in the poem include the words â€Å"my dear† to represent a long-lasting hope within the hopeless atmosphere. One of the similarities between the structures of the two poems is that both â€Å"Refugee Blues† and â€Å"Disabled† contain at least one stanza which is three lines in length, albeit for different reasons – Owen wrote it as unique stanza to stand out since it is of lighter tone than the rest of the poem, while Auden constructed his poem to contain no more than three lines for the sake of structuring it as a blues song. On the other hand, there are much more contrasts between the two, for example â€Å"R.B.† rhymes most of the time, thanks to its organized structure – the fact that each stanza is only three line long helps maintain the pacing while reading it and therefore, the words rhyme as they s hould. â€Å"Disabled† is less restrictive and relies less on rhyming. Owen’s piece contains average stanzas with six to eight lines in length. Lastly the other noticeable difference is that â€Å"Refugee Blues† has a narrative that follows a chronological order, while W.O.’s poem switches between past and present with each stanza. Both poets W.H. Auden and Wilfred Owen use an expansive variety of different language techniques, such as metaphors, personification, senses, repetition and similes. Most notably, both poems feature similes and repetition. In â€Å"Disabled†, similes are used to create an irrational comparison between the protagonist and unrelated, vile, almost animalistic (to display how low he had sank on a social level) things, in this case, disease. A prime example of that would be the quotation: â€Å"All of them touch him like some queer disease†. This quote conveys the poet’s feelings towards how many war veterans were undeservingly alienated from their society. Alternatively, W.H. Auden uses the same technique to compare the extent of liberty given to an animal (fish) and a â€Å"sub-human† (as believed by fascists). To show the misery the Jews had to face, this point is given directly from the protagonist. As shown in the subsequent lines: â€Å"Saw the fish swimming as if they were free†. From here we can observe the fact that the poem’s main characters – the Jewish refugees had little to no rights at all as their agony made them wish to live as animals – fish in the harbour. Although this being a somewhat far-fetched attempt, it can be possible to infer that Auden may hold the value of freedom as above of civilization and progress, since it could be assumed that the characters would much rather live a primitive, yet free life than holding a place within an established society. It is ultimately clear that average, innocent citizens, as well as front-line soldiers had their lives greatly affected (in a negative way) by unnecessary wars which doomed their future, and although subtle, similes are a powerful way to depict their struggles. UNFINISHED(repetition/improve similes and do comparison/personification/senses/metaphors)

Euthanasia Essays (980 words) - Euthanasia, Medical Ethics

Euthanasia Essays (980 words) - Euthanasia, Medical Ethics Euthanasia The term Euthanasia has become well known throughout the country. The word is derived from ancient Greek eu thantos, meaning easy death. Today, euthanasia is referred to as mercy killing. There is much controversy over whether or not the practice is just. Euthanasia raises many religious, medical, and ethical issues. Euthanasia can either be active or passive. Active euthanasia occurs when a physician or other medical personnel induces death. An overdose is administered to the patients in the form of insulin, barbiturates, or morphine, and then followed by an injection of curare. Passive euthanasia, on the other hand, is allowing the patient to die due to lack of treatment. This includes taking the patient off their support system, or respirator. Passive euthanasia also includes stopping the food supply intravenously to comatose patients (Comptons, 1). Debate has flourished against those who accept passive euthanasia, but reject active. Questions are asked why one form is accepted and not the other. The distinction that is made between the two of them is that active is murder, while passive is merciful. Turning off support systems is a positive act of death (Singer, 76). In the Encyclopedia of Bio-ethics, some religious views of euthanasia were given. Hebraic and Jewish denominations strongly oppose the practice. They believe life is a precious and divine gift, and that it must be sustained if possible. Death must never be hastened by intention. Physicians who kill patients in order to spare them pain are considered murderers (554-555). Judaism also rejects euthanasia. They do, however, accept two forms of eu thantos: caring for dying patients, and letting terminally ill persons die. Early Christians opposed self-induced death out of suffering and despair. They also condemn such practices such as infanticide and abortion (556). Roman Catholics permit terminally ill patients to die by forgoing life-sustaining measures. Catholics also allow the refusing forms of treatment that would secure a precarious and burdensome prolongation of life (557). Personal views regarding euthanasia are often influenced by their religious beliefs. With a controversial topic, such as euthanasia, there are strong opinions accentuated. Euthanasia is strongly affiliated to medical and ethical debate. Opponents and advocates of euthanasia have several significant points regarding their view of the practice. Humans have a natural inclination to continue life (Baird, 98). Opponents believe that euthanasia acts against nature. Like animals, humans fight for survival. It is our goal to protect ourselves from harm and do whatever possible to stay alive. When euthanasia is implicated, it goes against our concept for survival (98-99). Those against the practice also believe that some might abuse euthanasia and use it for self-interest. The cost to keep a person alive through means of modern technology can be very costly. Families might, despite their love for the patient, consider the money being spent for what may be a hopeless cause (Baird, 97). Opponents argue the possibility of s pontaneous remission. In many cases a patient recovers with no explanation. With euthanasia, these miraculous recoveries would not exist because there would be no expectation of them happening. If the patient is put to death then they have lost their right to recovery and life (100). Another argument regarding abuse is the professional aspect of euthanasia. In the medical profession, doctors are committed to saving lives (Baird, 100). With euthanasia, death is no longer natural; it is a result of a medical decision. Several questions are asked regarding when, why, and under what circumstances medical personnel should implement the practice. Each patients case has different factors that make the decision to put him or her to rest difficult (Thomasma, 247-248). Proponents feel that euthanasia is an admirable concept; however, the request for death from a patient should be evaluated seriously before administered. Advocates feel that it is a patients right to choose whether or not to remain living. The concern about following a patients request lies on their psychological state. It must be considered whether the patient is feeling depressed and that is why they want to die, or if it is to relieve the pain. Before euthanasia is implemented the question must be asked if it is in the patients best interest (Battin,120). The use of living wills has become popular in