GDP Growth of Apple Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GDP Growth of Apple Company - Essay Example nd services are primarily a luxury good for individuals within relatively developed nations, the focus that Apple should take is upon representing the main focus of their strategy and advertising to those that can afford such products and services. Naturally, this will encourage Apple to take a broad overview of GDP and purchasing power parity that exists within many different economies as a means of understanding what socio-demographic sectors and regions will most likely represent their consumer base. Taking the case of Europe as an example, one might be inclined to understand that the established and powerful Western European economies are the main areas in which Apple should focus its marketing. However, this is not quite the case. Due to the resurgence of Eastern Europe over the past decade, the overall purchasing power of these individuals cannot and should not be discounted. As figure 1 denotes, counties such as Latvia , Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland have noted some of the most drastic GDP growth figures over the past few years. As such, Apple would be highly remiss if it did not recognize these emerging markets and seek to represent a strategic focus on selling products and services to individuals within them. However, with that being said, it should also be noted that the economies of Western Europe cannot and should not be ignored either. As figure 2 denotes, after the 2007/2008 financial collapse that saw most of the world’s economies slow down significantly, Western European nations have posted impressive numbers for overall GDP growth. As such, a dual strategy should be employed by the firm as can be engaged through a relevant understanding of the statistics that have thus far been represented. One such approach would be to offer lower price products and services within the Eastern European markets while offering higher priced goods and service offerings to those individuals within Western Europe. What is being described and defined is not

Sex Sells in Advertising Essay Example for Free

Sex Sells in Advertising Essay Advertising is everywhere in today’s world. Advertisers constantly are increasing their ad’s appeals by continuing to push the envelope. Society allows this to happen because people are always ready for the next best thing. One way that advertiser’s use to catch their audience’s attention is sex appeal. Companies want to get the message across that by purchasing their specific product a consumer can increase how much others desire them. The clothing industry seems to use sex appeal quite often. Calvin Klein released an ad in spring of 2012 for their new line of jeans that were to be released. The ad portrays a male model with gorgeous, dark eyes and a perfectly toned and tanned body sprawled across what looks to be a mountain top. He’s wearing absolutely nothing besides a pair of fitted white jeans. There is quite a bit of contrast between his tan and his white jeans which pulls the viewer’s attention after being lost in the crevices of his sculpted body. He also has a beautiful blonde woman, again, perfectly tanned and wearing nothing but a pair of tight, low cut green jeans, lying in his lap. They look care-free and relaxed. Both are showing plenty of skin which appeals to a person’s sexual desire. I agree with Jean Kilbourne when she states that, â€Å"In the world of advertising, lovers are things, and things are lovers† (Kilbourne, Para 6). Kilbourne tells us that in society today people have an almost intimate relationship with their belongings and also have turned relationships into belongings. Companies feed off of a person’s predictability to buy an item that captures their desire to be desired. She makes a valid point that people tend to spend money on materialistic items because it continuously stays the same. Armani Jeans released a similar add in 2012. The ad shows a very handsome man lying with arms wide open on a fluffy rug. He has tight fitting jeans on, with the belt undone, and his shirt is wide open allowing the viewer to get a view of his perfectly sculpted chest and abdominal area. His facial expression tends to send the message that he is ready to fulfill anybody’s personal desires, thus appealing to the sexual need of the average Americ an. Jib Fowles would argue that appealing to a person’s sexual desires through advertisement can be tricky (Fowles, Para 22).People may have a negative reaction to advertisers trying to appeal to their need for sex. He explains that most of the time, ads are not directed at the desire of sex, but the desire of attention. However, attention and sex appeal typically go hand in hand. Society has based their views of people solely on looks causing everyday people to want to be more visually appealing compared to people from years past. The more skin a model shows, the more eyes he or she attracts, the more that people look at the model, the more the product is promoted. Though conservatives may disagree with this logic, it is true. Advertisers target certain groups through their ads. Sex, attention and affiliation are the way to go for most people between the ages of 17-21. True Religion Brand Jeans ad is of a petite blonde woman lying on the ground. Her low rise jeans allow the audience to see her tan line around her waist. Her breasts are showing due to the fact that she isn’t wearing a shirt, but they are not completely exposed. Her eyes are done with dark makeup making her seem to be seductive, yet mysterious. Behind her, a male sits propped up on his elbow, shirtless, his arms glistening. He has shaggy dirty blonde hair that frames his face perfectly. He’s got rough facial hair that is in perfect contrast to the rest of his face. He looks mysterious as well, but has a vibe about him that screams bad boy. Advertisers often use techniques that Fowles has outlined for his readers. When ads are designed, they often are not from just one angle. This ad uses six of Fowles fifteen advertising appeals. When you look at this ad you find the need for curiosity. Both the male and the female’s eyes are mysterious causing the onlookers to wonder. It peaks their curiosity. The ad features two people who are perfect. They both have flawless skin, are very attractive, gorgeous eyes, and amazing hair. This plays off the audience’s need for aesthetic sensations. Everyone wants to be viewed as flawless, sexy, and desirable. With flawlessness comes attention and sex appeal. Society focuses on beauty. The sexier a person is the more attention that individual receives. These two advertisement techniques tend to fall hand in hand. Last but not least, the audience experiences affiliation. By purchasing a pair of True Religion jeans, a person can feel a sense of belonging to a group (Fowles). Advertisers feed off of people’s need to be a part of a group. They long to be involved with others and associated with people who like them. Kalle Lasn compares the excessive branding and need for acceptance to being in a cult. Lasn states, â€Å"Dreams, by definition, are supposed to be unique and imaginative. Yet the bulk of the population is dreaming the same dream. It’s a dream of wealth, power, fame, plenty of sex, and exciting recreational opportunities† (Lasn, Para 34). Advertisers focus on the dream that Lasn is referring to. Consumers are provoked to buy things that portray wealth, power, and sexual appeal, thus allowing their selves to be grouped with others and be labeled; hence the cult that Lasn refers to. In the ad above, we see a popular rap artist, Nelly, lying carefree next to a beautiful woman. Nelly is wearing big bulky accessories such as his sunglasses and jewelry. He has very plain clothing on. The female however, is in a short, low rise skirt and matching short jean jacket with studs which pulls the audience’s attention to her. Her hair is laid perfectly, and her face is flawless. She’s gorgeous. Her leg is casually draped over him sending the message that maybe they are intimately involved. Apple Bottom Jean Co. definitely sends the message that looking sexy and getting attention goes hand in hand. Abercrombie and Fitch use the appeal of attention, affiliation, and sex. Their models are typically males, in their early twenties, wearing loose fitting jeans, and are shirtless leaving their perfectly sculpted body exposed. AF’s ads are normally shot with multiple models being grouped together smiling and enjoying life. This is sending people the messages that by purchasing this product, not only will the consumer look good and feel good but will be accepted by others. Kilbourne’s logic that people look for relationships with their possessions instead of people can be proven true when it comes to clothing. People tend to take immaculate care of their clothing when they spend a lot of money on it. The average pair of jeans from AF runs for $123 before tax so their consumers are more likely to take care of their product forming a special bond. This type of bond could also be construed as advertisers meeting the need for prominence as explained by Fowles. Fowles provides insight to meeting the need for prominence as, â€Å"the need to be admired or respected† (Fowles, Para 54). Again, all of the appeals have been tied together in one ad in order to get the companies point across. DKNY Jeans took a similar approach in advertising. Their ad for spring of 2012 focuses on an intimate relationship between a man and a woman on what looks to be a busy street in New York. She is blonde, petite, and has dark seductive eyes; while he is tall, rugged, and completely consumed by her beauty. DKNY appeals to the consumers need for prominence, sexual desire, and attention. Fowles states that tying all of these appeals together leads us into a full circle of advertising (Fowles, Para 78). Fowles makes an excellent point that you cannot have one form of advertisement without another. Every ad that has been analyzed has had sex and attention closely tied together. Society has made it so that if you’re visually appealing you obtain the attention you desire. Attention is typically closely tied into prominence. Prominence as earlier defined by Fowles is the need to feel admired and respected. Sexual appeal, attention, and prominence are portrayed in every ad. Kilbourne’s thought that people tend to make relationships with their objects is brought to life. Models in these ads often look intimate. They have formed a type of bond with the clothing that they are wearing allowing them to feel sexy and to pull the attention they desire. This is the full circle effect that Fowles refers too. Any way an ad is analyzed sexual desire is involved. Remember, sex sells.

GREECE :: essays research papers

Greece   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two most dominating city-states in Greece of their time, Athens and Sparta, were great rivals with two very different ways of life. Sparta’s overbearing military and Athens’ impartial justice system and government are models for many modern day countries. Even though these two city-states differ greatly from one another, they share many characteristics of their country and their time period.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Athens and Sparta were the two most powerful Greek territories of their time. Like most cities of the same country, they have the same Greek culture, worshipping the same Greek gods and speaking Greek. Like all Greeks, their people loved to talk and tell stories. Although they fought against each other, their citizens equally had great amounts of pride for their entire country as well as their city-states. The two rivals were both devoted mainly to agriculture and based their wealth, but not their success, on agriculture. Both also participated in the annual Olympics, an ancient Greek national athletic competition which is now a worldwide tradition. These to Greek city-states were the most feared city-states in all of Greece.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though Athens and Sparta were similar, they were also very different. Athens was the first democracy, and it was also the first to govern with trial by jury. Athens’ main accomplishment was that it had a very strong Navy. It was the command of the sea and the head of the Naval Alliance, or the Delian League. Athens was the most feared city-state to fight at sea. Its other achievements were that is had excellent forms of art, architecture, drama and literature, philosophy, science, and medicine. It was very wealthy and had beautiful, extravagant temples. The boys of Athens went to school between the ages of five and eighteen, where they learned reading, writing, mathematics, music, poetry, sports and gymnastics. The girls stayed at home and learned spinning, weaving and domestic arts. Athens had well educated men, a good sense of art, and an all-powerful navy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sparta developed the most powerful military oligarchy of their time. They had a very strong army and were the most feared city-state to fight on land. Sparta was a member of the Peloponnesian League and was the most powerful people in it. Its excellent military conquered many territories, which they controlled with slaves. Sparta’s sole achievement, other than military supremacy, was that its people possessed a simple life style, with no care for the arts of Athens. GREECE :: essays research papers Greece   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two most dominating city-states in Greece of their time, Athens and Sparta, were great rivals with two very different ways of life. Sparta’s overbearing military and Athens’ impartial justice system and government are models for many modern day countries. Even though these two city-states differ greatly from one another, they share many characteristics of their country and their time period.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Athens and Sparta were the two most powerful Greek territories of their time. Like most cities of the same country, they have the same Greek culture, worshipping the same Greek gods and speaking Greek. Like all Greeks, their people loved to talk and tell stories. Although they fought against each other, their citizens equally had great amounts of pride for their entire country as well as their city-states. The two rivals were both devoted mainly to agriculture and based their wealth, but not their success, on agriculture. Both also participated in the annual Olympics, an ancient Greek national athletic competition which is now a worldwide tradition. These to Greek city-states were the most feared city-states in all of Greece.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though Athens and Sparta were similar, they were also very different. Athens was the first democracy, and it was also the first to govern with trial by jury. Athens’ main accomplishment was that it had a very strong Navy. It was the command of the sea and the head of the Naval Alliance, or the Delian League. Athens was the most feared city-state to fight at sea. Its other achievements were that is had excellent forms of art, architecture, drama and literature, philosophy, science, and medicine. It was very wealthy and had beautiful, extravagant temples. The boys of Athens went to school between the ages of five and eighteen, where they learned reading, writing, mathematics, music, poetry, sports and gymnastics. The girls stayed at home and learned spinning, weaving and domestic arts. Athens had well educated men, a good sense of art, and an all-powerful navy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sparta developed the most powerful military oligarchy of their time. They had a very strong army and were the most feared city-state to fight on land. Sparta was a member of the Peloponnesian League and was the most powerful people in it. Its excellent military conquered many territories, which they controlled with slaves. Sparta’s sole achievement, other than military supremacy, was that its people possessed a simple life style, with no care for the arts of Athens.

Values- Allport-Vernon

Define Values. Critically evaluate â€Å"Allport-Vernon† classification of values. How values  affectthe business processes. Values represent basic convictions that â€Å"a specific mode of  conduct or end-state of  existence is personally or socially preferable to  an opposite or converse mode of conduct orend-state of existence† (Rokeach, 1973). When the values  are ranked in terms of  theirintensity, i. e. , when the value are prioritized in terms of their intensity, it is called valuesystem.Types of values include ethical/moral values, doctrinal/ideological (political,religious) values, social values, and aesthetic values. Values have both content and intensity  attributes. The content attribute signifies that amode of conduct or end-state of existence is  important. The intensity attribute specifieshow important it is. Ranking an individual’s values in terms of their intensity equals thatperson’s value system. Values build the foundati on for the understanding of attitudes and motivation of anindividual, since; value has a  great impact on perceptions.Values shape relationships,behaviors, and choices. The more positive our values, more positive  are people’s actions. Asignificant portion of the values an individual holds is established in the early years—fromparents, teachers, friends, and others. Allport-Vernon classification of values: 1. Theoretical: Interest in the discovery of truth through reasoning and  systematicthinking. 2. Economic: Interest in usefulness and practicality, including the  accumulation of wealth. 3. Aesthetic:Interest in beauty, form and  artistic harmony. 4. Social: Interest in people and human  relationships. 5. Political: Interest in gaining power and influencing other people. 6. Religious: Interest in unity and understanding the cosmos as  a whole. Work behavior across cultures and  businesses In every culture, there are different sets  of attitudes and values which affect  behavior. Similarly, every individual has a set of attitudes and beliefs – filters through which he/sheviews management situations within organizational context.Managerial  beliefs, attitudesand values can affect organizations positively  or negatively. Managers portray trust andrespect in their employees in different  ways in different cultures. This is a  function of theirown cultural backgrounds. For example, managers from  specific culturestend to focusonly on the behavior that takes place at work, in contrast to managers from diffused  cultures who focus on wider range of behavior  including employees’ private and

Assess the reasons why the 2nd Republic was so short lived Essay

In 1848, agitation arose surrounding Louis Philippe, which led to his abdication later that year and the setting up of a republic in his departure. The ‘Second Republic’ was fated for failure and only reigned for an ineffective four years- between 1848 and 1852- before Louis Napoleon destroyed the republic in order to declare himself Emperor. I am going to discuss the combination of factors which contributed to the collapse of this flawed republic. In early 1848, under the government of Louis Philippe agricultural and industrial problems resulted in rioting, unrest and unemployment. Louis’ legitimacy as king was beginning to be challenged and the middle class, eager for reforms caught hold of a revolutionary spirit performing in demonstrations including that of the 23rd February, where nearly 50 people were killed. Louis, feeble in the face of a revolution, abdicated and fled to Britain on the 24th of February 1848. The abdication of Louis-Philippe left a vacuum or power and authority. The legislative authority which was in session at the time would willingly have declared regency for the ex-King’s mother until his son was of sufficient age to rule, had not the Republicans inside and outside the Assembly acted so swiftly. The middle class became worried as they were in the minority compared to the working class and feared them. The middle class were accepting of the decision of regency but the ‘Paris mob’, the working class, were furious at the prospect of their uprisings being ignored. They wanted a total change, not another monarch. A part of the armed mob which had in fact caused Louis’ abdication, successfully burst into the Chamber of Deputies as the arrangements for the succession were being discussed and to prevent any conclusion being decided. It was clear to those deputies who dared remain, that a republic was not in order because most of the people wanted it, but that only a republic would calm the mob down. A primary reason for the failure of the republic was that it was only set up in response and placation of the working class, or the ‘Paris mob’. The Paris mob was not the majority of the population therefore; support for the republic was thin from the beginning. Sufficient resistance was not raised opposing its creation however, because the monarchists were far too divided to unite. For example, even if the Orleanists and Legitimists did unite to overthrow the republic, there would then be a state of anarchy as they both wanted such different ideals for France. A provisional government was set up with 4 Socialists and 7 Republicans. Controversy arose, thus hindering the success of the republic, as both the Republicans and Socialists wanted a republic but entirely different ones. The Socialists were unlucky in the majority of the government being Republican as it meant they were ousted on most occasions. For example, it was decided to set the election date on Easter Sunday; a set-back for the Socialists. This was because the Catholic Church disliked the Socialists and a majority of their supporters, the urban working class, would attend mass, hear a biased sermon (in those days the church was permitted to interfere politically) and thus vote against the Socialists. The election results for the now ‘Executive Committee’ reflected this, with 5 moderate Republicans, and no Socialists. The situation was not dissimilar to that in the period Louis Philippe and much of the constituent in the Assembly were lawyers, professionals and landowners. In fact, 165 of the 900 of them had been in the July monarchy under Louis Philippe. This enraged the Socialists who were desperate for reformation. They attempted an uprising but were quickly crushed and their leaders imprisoned. The first reformation made by government was concerning unemployment and they gave money, buildings and tools in hope people would create jobs for themselves and become self sufficient. The revolution however, increased unemployment and the government themselves developed economic problems. They needed to either cut spending or raise taxes, which would be a danger for their popularity. The Committee was emboldened by the settled state of Paris brought around by the payment of the ‘dole’ by National workshops and with their conservative nature of the moderate Republicans it was decided it was time to put the ‘masses’ back in their proper place and assert dominance once more. Thus, the ending of National Workshops came around as they had cost the country a great deal of money and attracted the poorest of society from everywhere in Paris in efforts to receive handouts. Men were instructed either to join military service or go to Algeria to work. The Republicans motives were clear; they felt threatened by the large number of able-bodied poor in Paris and feared the only way to prevent a potentially revolutionary group was to disperse them into the army or to do work in various provinces, forcing them to comply if they objected. Their reaction was predictably infuriated at the audacity of the Republicans and 20,000 armed rioters took to the street in a resistance known as the ‘June days’ which was regarded as more commanding than the one that forced Louis-Philippe into abdication. The government was prepared to use any force that was required in order to crush the revolt. General Cavaignac, with calculated and cold-hearted efficiency brought upon his troops and begun the task of quiet literally ‘clearing away’ the barricades street by street. Troops roamed the quarters in which the barricades had been and killed anybody whom they thought had been involved in the fighting against them. Ironically, thousands of the protestors were imprisoned or deported to Algeria in the end anyway. The June days were a landmark of the republic, four days of brutal fighting clearly revealed to all the violent nature of the republic. The Republicans felt they now had power over the Socialists and decided to crush them once and for all. Newspapers and clubs run by the Socialists were closed. The working-class became anti-Republican as they saw them now as oppressive and manipulative, both to the Socialists and also to themselves. The Republicans were doomed. They were upholding a flawed government with diminutive support. In November discussions of the Constituent Assembly finished and it was decided there would be a president elected for four year periods and of universal male suffrage. In December 1848 the elections were held for presidency. It was an impossible task to appeal to any more than a small minority of the electorate as a candidate due to the obvious lack of media facilities. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte spent most of his personal fortune however, in one of the first attempts at a national scale campaign. Local newspapers, badges, pictures and Napoleonic mementos were widely distributed. Napoleon had come to claim what he believed, by birth, to be his right. Used to Lamartine’s dreamy romantic idealism, France needed someone new and decisive which was a windfall for Napoleon. Many had believed the election to be a foregone conclusion and that the presidency would certainly go to Cavaignac. However, he had made enemies whereas Napoleon’s reputation remained untarnished. Despite lacking in charisma and being a poor public speaker, the leading politicians appeared fond of him and in a bid for power thought that they would be able to manipulate him as a puppet. His policies were of a strong government inside a democratic framework, his strong self image and his uncle’s Napoleonic legend appealed to all and most importantly, he had no association with the June days. He allured the masses in differing ways; The Royalists wanted him as a temporary monarch until the Legitimists and Orleanists resolved their differences; the clergy and army men thought he would uphold their privileges; the working class were enthusiastic on his ideas of social reform; the Frenchman thought he would reverse the Vienna settlement and the peasants wanted protection from the Republicans who were associated with violence. Napoleon becoming president was of no advantage to the republic and it could not last long under his power. Once president, Napoleon became greedy in his desire for power and decided his position was not authoritative enough. He wanted to remain in presidency longer than the four year stint and also demanded an increased wage. On the 2nd December 1851, after his demands were not met, Napoleon staged a coup to gain support and brought in troops to quash the opposition. An overwhelming ‘yes’ vote secured Napoleon with a ten year rule and another for France to become an Empire with Napoleon as emperor. On the 2nd December 1852 Napoleon declared himself Emperor and therefore dissolved the Second Republic of France. After less than 5 years the Second Republic had been brought to an end. The republican form of government had such revolutionary overtones inducing political, economic and social turmoil that it is not surprising that the men of property and power throughout Europe regarded Republicanism as a danger. The Second Republic had been established through public acclaim in Paris although had there not been a split of the Orleanists and the Legitimists and the Constituent Assembly a Republican constitution, then a Republic would never have emerged. Thus the republic had such few positive adherents that it was unlikely to survive any determined and well-organised attempt to overthrow it. The Second Republic failed to survive once a suitable solution had been found, in the Emperor of Napoleon. However, we should not credit Napoleon’s rise to Emperor as all due to the situation; he had made skilful and determined use of all that had been handed to him. I believe the failure of the Second Republic to be one of inevitability as it was too diverse in comparison to the previous reign of the monarch, to be wholly accepted. A plethora of hindrances faced the success of the Second Republic but I believe it to be mainly due to 4 factors; the sparse support for the republic in the first place (only the Paris mob), the Republicans destroyal of their own reformation, the workshops, the French people’s need for stability and Louis Napoleon’s overriding determination for power, which was the ‘final nail in the coffin’; of the Republic.