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Story Analysis

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Story Analysis

The degree of attention given to people matters. The story builds on how the women have attention to things happening as compared to the children. Illusions being a factor to consider scares many people. People, specifically mothers, feel insecure about their safety as well as their children. The story builds on different perceptions held out by the personas in the story. She is not cautious in her speech while the other women worry if the children might listen to their conversation.

Attention to humanity is a key feature in today’s lives. The kid noticed that the woman is missing the fact that other people had ignored. The child finds out that the woman who went into the forest never came, he says, “That woman never came back”, “I watched for her, and she never came”. The clarity of children mind defines them being the most humane creature. The feeling of care towards someone is an act of generosity.Being there for someone is humane. Taking risks to get someone out of danger is a great act of generosity and care. The story defines personas as being generous and kind as they go to look for the unknown woman. The woman in the team asks the way the lady went shows concern as she says, “Which way did she go?”, “did you find her”. Contrary, some show no interest in it highlighting the nature of the unjust, unkind and heartless human creatures to exist. The speaker highlights that others entered into their car showing no interest or concern; some stayed at the edge of the field full of fear of getting lost.

The art of living your own life and enjoying the little thing you have is evident. The famous artist with her lavish lifestyle attracted jealousy to the persona of the story. Living a life full of illusions is a dangerous thing to do. Having a life full of maidens always acting at your command portrays dictatorship. The woman in the story had posse and a bunch of free spirits, among others making her issue the command to them as they act as her slaves. “Go get me carved oak dresser….”, this shows the life lived by most people below the feet of others acting brutally to them. A life full of immorality and deception is depicted in the story. The’ posse’ could rob homes and bring out valued possessions. This defines jealousy and lust from the persona. She admires the life full of crime, sexual immorality and above all, power. Being wild for the persona is a personality she admires.in the darkness she enjoys being in the dark as she switches off the light. She claims that it felt so nice and calmer being there alone in the forest as it felt it was home to her. “The wood didn’t feel dangerous; I liked it in the woods”. Being wild is a dangerous virtue, better be ethical in life.

The story brings about the beliefs of different people. Persona J feels like some people might be alive and dead at the same time. She is an illusionist as she comes up with different perceptions about the subject. She claims that “it wouldn’t take long for a body to become forest again”—standing firm to what you believe is important as it defines your true position and perception towards life. Great things happen to people as they stand firm to their beliefs; this may, however, destroy or build their personality greatly. In a group of people lays out many opinions about an instance. The story defines how the women have a different perception on the disappearance of the lady in the trees.one should always practice patience with others during a conversation because no matter the age bracket, maturity varies. In the story, J seems to be living in her world full of fantasies and great illusions of how things happen. She speaks of a scary thing to the others, and this startles them. “I’m telling you something wonderful, don’t make it dreary please”. In conclusion, it is all about what people define in a situation. The different fears experienced by people might be illusions created in mind.

Reference Article

Hunt, Story by Samantha. “Go, Team.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 14 Feb. 2020, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/samantha-hunt-go-team/605554/.

Tyrant TV Series Analysis

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Tyrant TV Series Analysis

Hegemony has been a trend of leadership mostly in the nations from the East. Generations have been made to grow up accepting and adhering to these philosophies, notwithstanding the change in the arrangement of initiative delineated by countries from different areas of the world. This paper is going to talk about a film whereby the majority rule government is the guideline of law, to a few countries apportionment has never been a decision. Their social and political conviction has made them adhere to their lifestyle. It is in such countries that the part and worth of a lady have not yet been increased in value. Ladies are still viewed as subordinate to men; they have not been given an equivalent risk as far as choice making. Some have been abused sexually without getting equity. Similarly invested people have attempted to emerge and change the circumstances however their voice has constantly wound up being smothered by the oppression tenet. There has dependably been the decision class and the rest. This circumstance is best delineated in the TV Series “Tyrant” by Gideon Raff.

Dictator, a film about being a Centre East Guardian, includes two fundamental characters that are Adam Ryner by the name ‘Bassam’. He speaks to the informed class that has confidence in vote based system and human rights. His sibling Ashraf Barhom by the name “Jamal” speaks to the present state of affairs that needs to proceed with the standard and maintain the autocracy and uncivilized nature of his father. It is a genuine impression of the family, political and social wrangles that happen in many countries of the East. It likewise reflects at the anguish continued on by regular folks generally ladies and youngsters who are intended to experience hard time for the purpose of survival. The impact of America as a country on the political and social life of the Centre East nations is additionally apparent (Raff, Gideon et al. ‘Tyrant TV Series 2014, episode 1).

Bassam, a child of the imperial family and the decision class picks not to become in the methods for his father by choosing to go to America where he gets instruction and turns into an expert specialist. He becomes under a fair society carrying on with the American lifestyle. It is amid his time there that he gets a wife and a family including a child and little girl. Both have been raised in an alternate way of life and know minimal about their homeland. Bassam knowing extremely well about the sort of fascism life back in his local home picks not to advise his family anything including it and continues reminding them that their house is in America. At that point comes a period when he needs to return to his local home in the Centre East to go to a family wedding. He is not happy with the calling however has no decision yet to convey his family with him. It is likewise a flawless open door for his wife and youngsters visit their relative. At last, it just so happens to be more than simply a typical visit since his father bites the dust amid that time along these lines he needs to stay longer. Political pressure emerges and makes him mull over backpedalling to America. At long last, he chooses to stay keeping in mind the end goal to help his sibling administer the country in the wake of assuming control from his late father (Raff, Gideon et al. ‘Tyrant TV Series 2014, episode 5).

Bassam tries to persuade his sibling another arrangement of administration that includes majority rule government and human right adherence, yet society sticking does not make a difference. Jamal, having been raised in a remorseless type of initiative promises to copy his father with a specific end goal to abstain from being known as a chicken heart. As a consequence of the distinctive methods for methodology to matters including their general public, a clash of investment rises and Bassam tries to topple his sibling’s rule. This is for the sake of sparing him from his savagery that may in the long run conflict with him. In spite of the distinctions, Jamal’s trust towards his sibling is clear as he counsels him on key choice making issues furthermore takes after his sibling’s conclusion at the cost of that of his legitimate consultants. Jamal delineates a ruler who has inherited the sort of guideline from his father. He uses power to manage any clash that emerges.

When demonstrations are held in the streets, Jamal deploys the military to calm them down without necessarily listening to their plight. His brother Bassan tells him to be close to the people, listen to them more and try to use democracy in solving issues. He even has to convince him to set up a term for leadership and a free and fair election. As it is evident, Bassam is trying to integrate the American culture to his homeland. His ideas are great, but to a society that does not understand peace and democracy, counter –hegemony proves to be a hard thing to integrate. On one occasion where Jamal the president and his brother Bassam decide to go to address the citizens over a mass protest, they encounter a hostile rebellion. The presidential motorcade is stoned(Raff, Gideon et al. ‘Tyrant TV Series 2014, episode 6). This forces Jamal to order the police to shoot the people attacking them as they drive away from the crowd. He then tells his brother that things cannot work the American way.

Bassam finally decides to take his cause. He gathers like-minded individuals from his brother’s army men and advisors and tries to convince them to overturn his brother’s reign with the aim of bringing order and a new form of leadership. This attempt depicts the western orientalism over the Middle East nations. In this case, the west is in attempt to ‘Westernize’ the East. The western nations have always had their opinion towards the ruling governments of the Middle East. They have frequently tried to impose their will on them by indirectly fighting the dictators from power and overturning their rule. Resistance has always led to conflict and war in an attempt by the leaders to secure their reign.

In all this conflict of interest, the myth of power that is behind the ruling class and inheritance of power, there has always been a group that has suffered more that being women and children. In the film ‘Tyrant’, women go through lots of sexual harassment and experiences several family challenges. Jamal, who is depicted as a dictator chooses to have a relationship with any woman despite their marital status (Raff, Gideon et al. ‘Tyrant TV Series 2014, episode 7). The husband of the woman has to bring her wife to the palace in which Jamal harassed her sexually. She is then taken back home by her husband. There is nowhere to report such and therefore the couple has to keep it to themselves or face a serious punishment. Jamal goes to the extent of sleeping with his son’s bride on the wedding day claiming that it is their culture to ensure the woman is pure before being married to the royal family. These incidences go unreported and as the husbands are killed in various circumstances by the government the burden of upbringing of the family remains to the woman. They do not even have a source of livelihood. It results to a life of poverty and hence has to rely on the government for survival.

In the end, Bassam on his failed attempt to overturn the leadership of his brother ends up being jailed and awaits punishment. Anyone who dares to go against the dictatorship rule ends up suffering; this creates fear to individuals who want to bring any form of liberation to the nation. The occurrences of this film are a clear reflection of what transpires in many nations ruled under dictatorship.Work cited:

Gramsci, Antonio.  “Hegemony, Intellectuals and the State.”  Storey, John, ed.  Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: A Reader.  NY: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1994: 215-21.

Raff, Gideon et al. ‘Tyrant (TV Series 2014– )’. IMDb. N.p., 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

Tyrant. America: Gideon Raff, 2014. film. Retrieved from http://www.tvmuse.com/tv-shows/Tyrant_36559/. on Dec 15, 2014.

Mangroves

Mangroves

Student’s Name

Date

Institutional Affiliation

Abstract

Mangroves are unique coastal ecosystems distributed almost exclusively in subtropical and tropical regions. Mangroves are important as they sequester more carbon per unit than any other ecosystem and serve to enrich and nurture coastal biodiversity. As such, they play a crucial role in climate change mitigation and contribute to biodiversity conservation. However, in recent years, these ecosystems have been significantly damaged and degraded, thus resulting in the loss of carbon sequestration capacity and the release of blue carbon into the atmosphere, further increasing the levels of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

Introduction

Mangroves are unique woody plants that occupy the interface between land and sea. As these plants grow in tropical and subtropical regions, they are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America. Mangroves are especially important as they provide unique ecosystem services such as mitigating climate change. Mangroves sequester more carbon per unit than any other forest ecosystem, thus significantly reducing the amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Donato et al., 2011). The carbon sequestered is stored in their soils as blue carbon, creating a unique environment in which specific animal and plant species thrive. Besides mitigating climate change, mangroves also provide environmental regulating services such as land stabilization, coastline protection, and water quality maintenance (Koh et al., 2013). In addition to these environmental services, Mangroves also provide cultural and provisional services such as fuel source and construction materials among others. It ensures populations reliant on this ecosystem have a steady source of resources and income.

Despite their significance, these ecosystems have been slowly degraded through direct and indirect human activities. It has resulted in significant ecosystem damage, loss of habitat for species dependent on this ecosystem, and significant adverse impacts on carbon sink capacity (Carugati et al., 2018). Deforestation poses the biggest threat to these ecosystems as forested mangrove regions have been cleared to pave the way for infrastructure development, urbanization and aquaculture and agriculture activities. Other factors that have significantly degraded these regions include increased human population, local exploitation, uncontrolled coastal development, and gas and oil exploration pollution. Other threats to mangrove ecosystems include climate change and rising sea levels.

This paper aims to highlight the role mangroves play in the carbon cycle and understand how they are being harmed. As previously stated, mangroves are effective carbon sinks as they sequester carbon dioxide and store them in soil sediments and their biomass. This form of stored carbon is known as blue carbon and is beneficial in ecological roles such as transferring nutrients across this unique ecosystem (Macreadie et al., 2019). Besides storing blue carbon, mangroves are also important in the carbon cycle as they export dissolved organic carbon. The destruction of mangroves is therefore disadvantageous as it directly affects organic carbon pools. Disruptions in the organic carbon pools negatively affects atmospheric composition. Moreover, mangroves provide a wide range of environmental benefits and services; as such, there is a need for relevant shareholders to come up with laws and practices that better preserve this unique ecosystem.

How Mangroves Are Being Harmed in Different Regions

The highest diversity of mangroves in the world is found in Southeast Asia. This region has approximately 6.1 million hectares of mangroves, accounting for close to 35% of the world’s mangrove vegetation (Suratman, 2008). Despite the extensive diversity of mangroves in Southeast Asia, the greatest threat to Mangrove ecosystems in the region is deforestation. Countries in this region have lost between 20% to 85% of their mangrove cover in the last 70 years. For instance, between 1976 to 1991, Thailand lost 65% of its Mangrove cover to deforestation. Equally, countries such as the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia lost significant potions of their Mangrove forests to deforestation (Suratman, 2008). In recent years, the decrease in mangrove forest cover in this region is attributed to increased seaport infrastructure, land development, and the prominence of agricultural activities such as shrimp farming. With added pressure for economic growth in the region, it is estimated that the region will continue to experience a significant reduction of mangrove ecosystems.

Africa has the second-highest cover of mangroves; however, its diversity formation is low. Mangrove ecosystems in the region are prominent in central and west African countries such as Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, and Nigeria. A mangrove area change analysis carried out between 2000 and 2010 found that the average deforestation rate in this region was approximately 1.8% per year. This average represented an individualized loss of 6% to 35% when broken down. For instance, the Republic of Congo experienced a 35% loss of mangrove cover; Cameroon had an 18% loss while Gabon had a 19% loss of mangrove cover (Ajonina, 2014). Also, a study done in Nigeria’s Niger delta found that between 2007 and 2017, the region experienced a 12% loss of mangrove forest cover (Nwobi, 2017). The biggest threat to mangrove ecosystems in the region is deforestation due to oil exploration, expansion of urban areas, increased agricultural activities such as palm plantations, and the over-exploitation of mangrove wood and non-wood products. Moreover, people in this region significantly rely on mangroves as timber and fuel.

In South America, the most extensive mangrove forest cover is in Brazil. Degradation of mangrove forest covers in the region range from moderate to severe, with regions with the highest populations experiencing severe loss of mangrove cover. It is estimated that 40% of people in Brazil live in coastal regions; thus, mangrove degradation in these regions is severe. Moreover, 42% of the country’s population lives in the country’s southeast region; hence, this region experiences significant deforestation fueled by factors such as urbanization, pollution, and infrastructure development (Ferreira, 2016). Other factors that have resulted in the loss of mangrove cover in the region include the prominence of aquaculture activities such as shrimp farming.

How The Carbon Cycle Is Affected

Mangroves are made up of complex structures that enable them to sequester carbon dioxide and store them in their biomass and soil sediments. As such, mangroves store up to 20pg of carbon dioxide, with 75% of this figure stored in the soil while 25% is distributed between their below and above ground biomass (Donato et al., 2011). As such, the destruction and deforestation of this ecosystem will directly affect the carbon cycle since the oxidation of blue carbon will directly result in a significant release of the carbon dioxide stored in soil sediments and biomass (Sippo, 2020). The release of carbon dioxide will not only increase the amounts of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere, but it will also increase the rates of climate change.

The destruction of mangroves adversely affects the natural distribution of organic carbon pools. The most vulnerable carbon pools include the soil carbons present at 30cm from the top and the above-ground carbon (Donato et al., 2011). The disruption and release of carbon gases from these natural pools are especially disadvantageous as, with time, it can affect the natural atmospheric composition. Other than the potential for carbon emission, the destruction of mangroves can also result in the loss of above-ground biomass. During their growth, mangroves convert carbon dioxide into biomass. When mangrove forested areas are destroyed, it results in the loss of biomass that then increases the amount of carbon gases released into the atmosphere (Alongi, 2020). An increase in the amount of carbon dioxide gases in the atmosphere results I climate change.

Conclusion

Mangroves provide various benefits such as environmental, cultural, and provisional services. These services encompass benefits such as mitigation of climate change, land stabilization, coastline protection, and enhancement of water quality, among others. There is a need for relevant shareholders to increase their efforts to protect such a beneficial ecosystem. Moreover, the leading cause of mangrove degradation is direct and indirect human activities; hence, there is a need for laws and practices that protect mangrove forest zones from economic development and urbanization. Lastly, governments and relevant institutions should develop conservation laws that encourage communities reliant on this ecosystem to use its resources sustainably.

References

Ajonina, G., Kairo, J. G., Grimsditch, G., Sembres, T., Chuyong, G., Mibog, D. E., & Marine, K. (2014). Carbon pools and multiple benefits of mangroves in Central Africa: assessment for REDD+.

Alongi, D. M. (2020). Global significance of mangrove blue carbon in climate change mitigation. Sci, 2(3), 67.

Carugati, L., Gatto, B., Rastelli, E., Lo Martire, M., Coral, C., Greco, S., & Danovaro, R. (2018). Impact of mangrove forests degradation on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Scientific reports, 8(1), 1-11.

Donato, D. C., Kauffman, J. B., Murdiyarso, D., Kurnianto, S., Stidham, M., & Kanninen, M. (2011). Mangroves are among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics. Nature Geoscience, 4(5), 293-297.

Ferreira, A. C., & Lacerda, L. D. (2016). Degradation and conservation of Brazilian mangroves, status, and perspectives. Ocean & Coastal Management, 125, 38-46.

Koh, L. P., Kettle, C. J., Sheil, D., Lee, T. M., Giam, X., Gibson, L., & Clements, G. R. (2013). Biodiversity state and trends in Southeast Asia. In Encyclopedia of Biodiversity: Second Edition (pp. 509-527). Elsevier Inc.

Macreadie, P. I., Anton, A., Raven, J. A., Beaumont, N., Connolly, R. M., Friess, D. A., & Duarte, C. M. (2019). The future of Blue Carbon science. Nature communications, 10(1), 1-13.

Nwobi, C., Williams, M., & Mitchard, E. T. (2020). Rapid Mangrove Forest Loss and Nipa Palm Expansion in the Niger Delta, 2007–2017. Remote Sensing, 12(14), 2344.

Sippo, J. Z., Sanders, C. J., Santos, I. R., Jeffrey, L. C., Call, M., Harada, Y., & Maher, D. T. (2020). Coastal carbon cycle changes following mangrove loss. Limnology and Oceanography, 65(11), 2642-2656.

Suratman, M. N. (2008). Carbon sequestration potential of mangroves in Southeast Asia In Managing forest ecosystems: The challenge of climate change (pp. 297-315). Springer, Dordrecht.

Figure

Global Distribution of mangrove cover.

Mangrovess

Mangroves

Student’s Name

Date

Institutional Affiliation

Abstract

Mangroves are unique coastal ecosystems distributed almost exclusively in subtropical and tropical regions. Mangroves are important as they sequester more carbon per unit than any other ecosystem and serve to enrich and nurture coastal biodiversity. As such, they play a crucial role in climate change mitigation and contribute to biodiversity conservation. However, in recent years, these ecosystems have been significantly damaged and degraded, thus resulting in the loss of carbon sequestration capacity and the release of blue carbon into the atmosphere, further increasing the levels of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

Introduction

Mangroves are unique woody plants that occupy the interface between land and sea. As these plants grow in tropical and subtropical regions, they are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America. Mangroves are especially important as they provide unique ecosystem services such as mitigating climate change. Mangroves sequester more carbon per unit than any other forest ecosystem, thus significantly reducing the amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Donato et al., 2011). The carbon sequestered is stored in their soils as blue carbon, creating a unique environment in which specific animal and plant species thrive. Besides mitigating climate change, mangroves also provide environmental regulating services such as land stabilization, coastline protection, and water quality maintenance. In addition to these environmental services, Mangroves also provide cultural and provisional services, thus ensuring populations reliant on this ecosystem have a steady source of resources and income.

Despite their significance, these ecosystems have been slowly degraded through direct and indirect human activities, thus resulting in significant ecosystem damage, loss of habitat for species dependent o this ecosystem, and significant adverse impacts on carbon sink capacity. Deforestation poses the biggest threat to these ecosystems. Over time, forested mangrove regions have been cleared to pave the way for aquaculture and agriculture. Other factors that have significantly degraded these regions include increased human population, local exploitation, uncontrolled coastal development, and gas and oil exploration pollution. Other threats to mangrove ecosystems include climate change and rising sea levels.

This paper aims to highlight the role mangroves play in the carbon cycle and understand how they are being harmed. As previously stated, mangroves are effective carbon sinks as they sequester carbon dioxide and store them in soil sediments and their biomass. This form of stored carbon is known as blue carbon and is beneficial in ecological roles such as transferring nutrients across this unique ecosystem. Besides storing blue carbon, mangroves are also important in the carbon cycle as they export dissolved organic carbon. Therefore, the destruction of mangroves is disadvantageous as it directly affects organic carbon pools and thus negatively affects atmospheric composition. Mangroves are a source of various environmental benefits and services; as such, there is a need for relevant shareholders to come up with laws and practices that better preserve this unique ecosystem.

How Mangroves Are Being Harmed in Different Regions

The highest diversity of mangroves in the world is found in Southeast Asia. This region has approximately 6.1 million hectares of mangroves, accounting for close to 35% of the world’s mangrove vegetation (Suratman, 2008). Despite the extensive diversity of mangroves in Southeast Asia, the greatest threat to Mangrove ecosystems in the region is deforestation. Countries in this region have lost between 20% to 85% of their mangrove cover in the last 70 years. For instance, between 1976 to 1991, Thailand lost 65% of its Mangrove cover to deforestation. Equally, countries such as the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia lost significant potions of their Mangrove forests to deforestation (Suratman, 2008). In recent years, the decrease in mangrove forest cover in this region is attributed to increased seaport infrastructure, land development, and the prominence of agricultural activities such as shrimp farming. With added pressure for economic growth in the region, it is estimated that the region will continue to experience a significant reduction of mangrove ecosystems.

Africa has the second-highest cover of mangroves; however, its diversity formation is low. Mangrove ecosystems in the region are prominent in central and west African countries such as Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, and Nigeria. A mangrove area change analysis carried out between 2000 and 2010 found that the average deforestation rate in this region was approximately 1.8% per year. This average represented an individualized loss of 6% to 35% when broken down. For instance, the Republic of Congo experienced a 35% loss of mangrove cover; Cameroon had an 18% loss while Gabon had a 19% loss of mangrove cover (Ajonina, 2014). Also, a study done in Nigeria’s Niger delta found that between 2007 and 2017, the region experienced a 12% loss of mangrove forest cover (Nwobi, 2017). The biggest threat to mangrove ecosystems in the region is deforestation due to oil exploration, expansion of urban areas, increased agricultural activities such as palm plantations, and the over-exploitation of mangrove wood and non-wood products. Moreover, people in this region significantly rely on mangroves as timber and fuel.

In South America, the most extensive mangrove forest cover is in Brazil. Degradation of mangrove forest covers in the region range from moderate to severe, with regions with the highest populations experiencing severe loss of mangrove cover. It is estimated that 40% of people in Brazil live in coastal regions; thus, mangrove degradation in these regions is severe. Moreover, 42% of the country’s population lives in the country’s southeast region; hence, this region experiences significant deforestation fueled by factors such as urbanization, pollution, and infrastructure development (Ferreira, 2016). Other factors that have resulted in the loss of mangrove cover in the region include the prominence of aquaculture activities such as shrimp farming.

How The Carbon Cycle Is Affected

Mangroves are made up of complex structures that enable them to sequester carbon dioxide and store them in their biomass and soil sediments. As such, mangroves store up to 20pg of carbon dioxide, with 75% of this figure stored in the soil while 25% is distributed between their below and above ground biomass (Donato et al., 2011). As such, the destruction and deforestation of this ecosystem will directly affect the carbon cycle since the oxidation of blue carbon will directly result in a significant release of the carbon dioxide stored in soil sediments and biomass (Sippo, 2020). The release of carbon dioxide will not only increase the amounts of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere, but it will also increase the rates of climate change.

Moreover, the destruction of mangroves adversely affects the natural distribution of organic carbon pools. The most vulnerable carbon pools include the soil carbons present at 30cm from the top and the above-ground carbon (Donato et al., 2011). The disruption and release of carbon gases from these natural pools are especially disadvantageous as, with time, it can affect the natural atmospheric composition. Other than the potential for carbon emission, the destruction of mangroves can also result in the loss of above-ground biomass. During their growth, mangroves convert carbon dioxide into biomass; hence, the destruction of mangroves results in the loss of biomass, thus increasing the amount of carbon gases released into the atmosphere.

Conclusion

Mangroves provide various benefits such as environmental, cultural, and provisional services. These services encompass benefits such as mitigation of climate change, land stabilization, coastline protection, and enhancement of water quality, among others. There is a need for relevant shareholders to increase their efforts to protect such a beneficial ecosystem. Moreover, the leading cause of mangrove degradation is direct and indirect human activities; hence, there is a need for laws and practices that protect mangrove forest zones from economic development and urbanization. Lastly, governments and relevant institutions should develop conservation laws that encourage communities reliant on this ecosystem to use its resources sustainably.

References

Ajonina, G., Kairo, J. G., Grimsditch, G., Sembres, T., Chuyong, G., Mibog, D. E., & Marine, K. (2014). Carbon pools and multiple benefits of mangroves in Central Africa: assessment for REDD+.

Donato, D. C., Kauffman, J. B., Murdiyarso, D., Kurnianto, S., Stidham, M., & Kanninen, M. (2011). Mangroves are among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics. Nature Geoscience, 4(5), 293-297.

Ferreira, A. C., & Lacerda, L. D. (2016). Degradation and conservation of Brazilian mangroves, status, and perspectives. Ocean & Coastal Management, 125, 38-46.

Nwobi, C., Williams, M., & Mitchard, E. T. (2020). Rapid Mangrove Forest Loss and Nipa Palm Expansion in the Niger Delta, 2007–2017. Remote Sensing, 12(14), 2344.

Sippo, J. Z., Sanders, C. J., Santos, I. R., Jeffrey, L. C., Call, M., Harada, Y., & Maher, D. T. (2020). Coastal carbon cycle changes following mangrove loss. Limnology and Oceanography, 65(11), 2642-2656.

Suratman, M. N. (2008). Carbon sequestration potential of mangroves in Southeast Asia In Managing forest ecosystems: The challenge of climate change (pp. 297-315). Springer, Dordrecht.

Figure

Global Distribution of mangrove cover.

Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny

Name:

Affiliation:

Course:

Instructor:

Date:

Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny

America Head West

Multiplying millions

As of 1840, the United States population had increased to about six times during the American Revolution.

The country’s protectorate had vastly expanded to approximately twice its initial size.

Reason for westward migration

Mountain men migrated westward to trap and trade

Missionaries went to spread Christianity

Lumber-jacks and miners migrated to capitalize on the natural resources in the region.

Major Western Trails

California Trail

The Santa Fe Trail

Led from Independence

Missouri

To the Santa Fe town, the capital of New Mexico

Oregon Trail

Independence

Missouri

Willamette Valley

The Mormon Trail

Illinois

Utah

The Gold Rush

Gold Fever

A carpenter discovered gold in the American River at John Sutter’s sawmill in northern California in 1848.

People came from far away following the new from American sailors and dreamt of striking it rich.

Rush to California

Mass migration to California of miners and business people who made money off the miners

A massive 80,000 people migrants left for California

Booming Cities

San Francisco

Stockton town

Significant effects of Westward Migration

The western trails declined significantly after 1869 when railroad tracks finally ran unbroken from the east to the West Coast.

The Oregon Treaty

Polk was pledging war with Great Britain to refuse to surrender all of Oregon to the United States.

Following his presidency victory, Polk concluded a treaty with Britain that set the boundary between the United States and British Canada at the 49th parallel.

Communication Links

Butterfield Trail

Pony Express

Page 301 Section Review

What is Manifest destiny? Americans believe that they had the right or rather the duty to expand across the westward part of the North American Continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Many farmers and entrepreneurs headed west in the 1840s and 1850s trade and farmed the vast, rich land of which earlier migrants spoke. There were higher chances of reaping tremendous benefits in moving to the West than staying at home.

The Oregon Trail became so heavily traveled that many travelers were inspired by golds, rich farmlands, difficult economic times in the east, among others.

How might migrants’ attitudes on the Mormon Trail have been like and unlike those of other travelers West? Those moving to the West intended to make money, while the Mormons went for religious purposes, although all went for a given purpose.

How did the gold rush affect the US, California, and the people of both places? People became wealthy as a result of excessive amounts of gold in California and improved the economies of both the US and California.

How many migrants followed the overland trails to the West? Approximately 350,000 migrants.

What effects do you think the migration that began in the 1840s would have on Native Americans? The American travelers crossed the Native American protectorate causing the natives to fight along with the Americans.

Shein Fashion Retailer Marketing Mix Strategies

Marketing Across Borders

Student’s Name

Course and Code

Instructor’s Name

Date

Question One (a): Shein Fashion Retailer Marketing Mix Strategies

Shein is the largest cross-border Chinese E-commerce company. The company adopts a path-breaking marketing mix strategy that covers price, product, promotion, and place.

Shein’s Market Strategy: Product

The fashion retailer has a wide range of products for men, women, and children. Shein employs an inclusive and diverse approach in stocking its products; it provides products for all body sizes incorporating the often overlooked plus-size women. Additionally, the fashion retailer offers unlimited product options to its customers; the company launches an average of 150 000 products annually. The inclusivity and diversity of Shein’s products contribute to its most significant share of the young generation market and the general global population. Its extensive customer base contributes to its vast sales volume, ultimately contributing to its financial success.

Shein’s Market Strategy: Pricing

Shein offers the lowest price than other fashion retailers attracting customers at all levels of disposable income. Additionally, Shein frequently offers discounts to customers. The company operates various discounts strategies such as discounts for downloading applications, purchasing through influencers, and rotating sales discounts. The heavy discount and low prices strategies increase the sales volume contributing to the fashion retailer’s high-profit margins.

Shein’s Market strategy: Promotion

Shein employs a unique marketing strategy. Unlike most companies that use celebrities for product promotion, Shein employs customer review as a product marketing technique. The company depends on reviews from satisfied customers and lesser-known influencers to promote its products. Additionally, the fashion retailer depends on reviews by buyers on their E-commerce site who describes product qualities in detail. Word of mouth and reviews from product consumers on social media increases customer base and purchase (Buttle and Groeger 2017), ultimately contributing to a rise in the company’s revenue and profit margin.

Shein’s Market Strategy: Place

The fashion retail company has a comprehensive coverage; it sells to over 220 counties and regions globally. The company has a well-established social media site such as YouTube and Tik Tok to reach out to its existing and potential customers. This makes the fashion retailer relevant to young consumers and convenient for other customers. Winning social media war and being a preferred shop by the younger generation and the bulk of the society is essential in today’s business. This contributes to the growth and the financial success of Shein fashion retailers.

Question One (b): Shein Fashion Retailer Market Segment

Market segmentation is essential in targeting individuals who are likely to become customers of the company, and it involves splitting consumers into groups with similar characteristics (Hunt 2018). Shein fashion retailer intended market segments are demographic and behavioural segmentation.

Demographic Segmentation

Demographic segmentation involves splitting consumers based on identifiable people-based differences such as income, age, gender, religion, education level, occupation, among others. Shein fashion retailer employs demographic segmentation through pricing, promotion, and products. For instance, the lower pricing of the company products targets customers with low income. The overwhelming use of social media in marketing and advertising targets younger individuals.

Behavioural Segmentation

Behavioural segmentation involves splitting consumers based on the behaviours they display regarding the product. It evaluates how customers interact with the company application, brand, and products through studying customer product ratings and reviews, spending, browsing and purchasing habits, and customer interactions and loyalty to the brand. Behavioural segmentation is evident in Shein fashion retailers’ use of E-commerce sites and promotional products. For instance, the fashion retailer uses commercial sites to understand how customers react to its products. Additionally, the company base various promotional products on customers browsing and purchase habits.

Question One (c): Shein Fashion Retailer Competitors in Perceptual Map

A perceptual map is essential in understanding how consumers rank a company’s products in terms of their characteristics and comparisons to the competition company’s. Zara, a Spanish clothing retailer, and ASOS British online fashion and cosmetic retailers are the major competitors of Shein in the Perceptual Map. These companies offer a wide variety of men, women, and children wares globally. However, Shein retail company is still the global market leader in the fashion retail industry. Therefore, for these companies to effectively compete with Shein worldwide, they should have a specific target customer in their production, invest more in social media marketing, and invest in product differentiation.

Unlike other retail companies without a specific target customer, Shein targets generation Z globally through the pricing and promotions of its products. Thus, for fashion retail companies such as Zara and ASOS to effectively compete with Shein, they should develop products with a specific target group in mind. Additionally, Shein is known for vigorous social media use and marketing compared to other fashion retail companies. Social media provides a powerful platform for companies to keep in touch with existing and attract customers; hence, these companies should invest more in this platform to increase their customers’ base. Shein is globally known for producing inclusive and diverse products, majorly the plus size women’s clothing. This differentiates it from other fashion retailers in the apparel industry. In this regard, for other fashion retail companies such as Zara and ASOS to effectively compete with Shein in the global market, they should produce products that stand out to their target audiences.

Question One (d): Shein Fashion Retailer Ethical Issues

Several ethical issues surround the operation of the Shein fashion retailer. There is a question on the company’s labour conditions, product type, information disclosure, and pricing.

Labour Conditions

Shein Fashion Retailer has not provided public information on the working conditions along its supply chain and the steps it intends to take to improve its employees’ working conditions and curb forced labour. According to the United Kingdom Modern Slavery Act 2015, companies over a specific size must clearly state on their website the steps they are taking to combat forced labour in their organisations. This act will be necessary to have Shein fashion retailer outline its labour conditions and steps towards curbing forced labour on its website.

Information Disclosure

Institutions and individuals raise questions on the lack of crucial information about Shein company on its websites, accusing the company of lack of transparency. For instance, the company declines from providing its annual returns to institutions such as Reuters, stating it does not disclose its revenue publicly. The United Kingdom law requires companies with more than 36 million pounds of goods worldwide to provide their financial information on their websites. Analysts estimated Shein company to be worth over $ 15 billion. Hence, the act will be necessary to have the company provide its financial information.

Low Prices

Shein company’s low clothing prices have attracted the attention of labour watchdogs such as Worker Rights Consortium that questions the company’s ability to produce merchandise very cheaply and the quality of the products. Shein dresses and shoes cost as low as $9 and $15 respectively. The United Kingdom Unfair trading regulations protect consumers from unfair commercial practices such as poor-quality products. Therefore, these regulations will be fundamental in handling the allegations that Shein produces low-quality products sold at low prices.

Product type

Consumers globally have accused Shein of producing offensive products such as Islamic prayer rugs as decorative mats and a necklace in the shape of a swastika as a Metal Pendant Necklace. These scenarios depict a company that’s is not diligent in its product creation and service provisions. The United Kingdom Unfair Trading regulations protect consumers from unfair commercial practices. Therefore, the law provides a ground for curbing incidences of production and release of products that consumers consider offensive.

Question Four: Product Adaptation

Product adaptation is essential in ensuring the products meet the local cultural and legal requirements. By definition, product adaptation is the process of modifying an existing product to meet the needs of consumers in a particular market. Customers’ preferences and competition conditions differ across countries. Thus, for international brands to be successful, it is essential to introduce product adaption in the overseas market. Product adaptation will be essential in meeting the cultural requirements of the overseas market and for the company’s competitive edge.

Cultural requirements in the overseas market play a significant role in the success of international brands’ products. Fundamentally, the multinational company should consider a country’s cultural beliefs before deciding on product standardisation or adaptation. Companies that offer industrial products, automobiles, and credit cards or products for the younger generation can succeed without product adaptation. These products are less cultural bounds. However, product adaptation is essential for companies that offer consumer products such as foodstuffs as these products are culture-bound. Cultural consideration is fundamental in the food industry’s decision in adopting product adaptation or standardisation. For example, international food companies operating in a Muslim culture will offer different foodstuff to subsidiaries of the international company in a Christian culture. Designing and adopting products that meet the cultural requirements of the overseas market plays a significant role in the success of international brands in these countries.

Secondly, product adaptation and standardisation play a vital role in the ability of an international company to gain a competitive edge in overseas markets. Product adaptation is an essential strategy in dealing with competitive threats and achieving a competitive advantage in overseas markets. For instance, companies can identify the aspects of their products to improve to eliminate threats and gain a competitive advantage. International companies that join overseas markets are venturing into markets with other already established companies; hence, adopting products that speak to members of that country is crucial for the success of the international companies. Competition is stiff in the food industry in most countries. A global brand joining this industry in an overseas market should consider product adaptation. Consumers tend to shy away from unfamiliar food products, hence, the need for companies to modify their products to fit the needs of the consumers in these industries.

Competition in the contemporary business world lies majorly on customer satisfaction. Therefore, this business needs to provide customers with products that satisfy their needs effectively. Price, quality standards, and consumers’ tastes and preferences differ across countries. International brands joining overseas markets should consider this as customers play a significant role in organisational success. For international companies joining the food industry overseas, product adaptation is crucial. Unlike other businesses, the success of the food industry depends entirely on customer satisfaction.

Question Six: Marketing by Attraction

Customer satisfaction and brand loyalty play a significant role in the success of international companies. However, attracting and retaining customers remains a significant challenge for money companies in the competitive and globalised economy. Multinational companies should adopt strategies that enhance customer attraction and retention. Most global companies adopt various marketing strategies to build customer base and loyalty. One of these strategies is marketing by attraction. By definition, marketing by attraction is a culmination of marketing efforts to draw customers to the company and brand. It involves adopting measures that show buyers the desirability of the products and set the company apart from competitors.

Companies can attract and build customers loyalty through inbound marketing. Business engages in inbound marketing, using social media such as blog posts to attract and keep customers informed about the brand. For instance, when a company consistently informs customers of its products, it will be their first choice when they need a product that aligns with the company. For example, the Home Depot company uses this strategy to draw customers and build loyalty. The company provides weekly classes on how to use their equipment. This keeps customers informed about the company and the product and aligns the company as the first choice when an individual needs such products.

Secondly, companies can develop attraction marketing through lead generation. Every day a new generation of consumers join the market; companies can create strategies that draw this group to their products before they begin the buyer’s journey. A company can share accessible and educational information about products that target individuals who are yet to join the purchase economy. This creates the companies’ products and brands on these people’s minds. For instance, a company can run a weekly advertisement that targets young adults but still inform them of its products to create awareness.

Attracting marketing involves appealing to the emotions of the consumers. To effectively achieve this strategy, companies should develop and share a story with the market, be accessible and visible to customers, and be a leader in the industry and society. Customers are the backbone of business success. Therefore, a business must develop strategies that draw customers to the company and brand.

References

Buttle, Francis, and Lars Groeger. 2017. “Who says what to whom in what channel? A rules

theoretic perspective on word-of-mouth marketing.” Journal of Marketing Management 33 (13-14): 1035-1059. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257x.2017.1325390

Hunt, Shelby. 2018. “Advancing marketing strategy in the marketing discipline and beyond:

From promise, to neglect, to prominence, to fragment (to promise?).” Journal of Marketing Management 34 (1-2): 16-51. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257x.2017.1326973

MacDonald is a successful fast food restaurant

Marketing

Name

Institution

Marketing

Getting a successful brand is an important part of being successful in restaurant business today (Alan, 1996). MacDonald is a successful fast food restaurant that has been in the market since it was formed by two brothers in 1941. Its main branding strategy has been transforming over the years because of varied market prospects and competition. Their branding strategies includes, family oriented environment, the also offer food at low prices to ensure a wider coverage can afford their meals. They also stress on giving their customers the value of their money. Their last current strategy is offering a wider variety of food to cover foods that children may need, and people with special diets. These strategies work very well in increasing their market and maintain their customer base. However, MacDonald has failed to take advantage of social media to capture the attention of the young people. I would recommend that they try to brand their business as a modern restaurant by associating it with Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. This way they will get to know what young people want.

The video game endorsement offer best aligns with Lebron James brand is Microsoft Xbox Live. This is because this deal offered him revenue sharing, meaning that he would get half the revenues that his brand would earn. The value of Lebron James at the time enabled him to make decisions that were riskier. The Xbox Live brand took more time to make and more resources, and his earning depends on how successful the game will be. However, with a good brand like him, he is almost guaranteed to success of the game and, therefore, he will make a lot of money.

I have been using crest throughout my life, it is maturity stage in PLC. The brand has remained almost constant in the PLC it forms an S curve on the graph. This is because there were times it was the market, but this was not constant. It has managed to remain in the market for a long period while other brands have joined the market and then left due to poor performance. To remain in maturity stage of PLC crest has to be ahead of its competitor. This can only happen by ensuring that it continues to come up with unique brands of toothpastes. They can try to widen their consumer base by exporting their products to countries they have not reached yet. They can also make products that are unique while at the same time maintaining the original types if crest to maintain its old consumer base.

Tommy Hilfiger needs a line extension in his products. There should be a new product of hair shampoo, body powder and bath soaps. This is because this designer has managed to develop the best designs so far. People and especially women trust his products and, therefore, there is more opportunity in designing more products for women. The strategy to promote the new product should be having the product endorsed by a celebrity that people like. In the past Beyonce has endorsed Tommy Hilfiger products, which is why they have gained so much popularity (Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, 2010). He can have Beyonce to endorse the new products so that the consumer base that likes her can be attracted to buying the products. Another celebrity who has more fans like Lady Gaga can endorse the products. This is likely to attract even more consumers considering she is the most powerful celebrity of today. The other strategy that can be used is naming the products Tommy Hilfiger. This is because his name is a brand and attracts many people.

References

Alan, T. (1996). Food retailing in Australia – three retailers, three strategies. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 24, 8, 6-16.

Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. (2010). Tommy Hilfiger. New York: Assouline.

strategies used by Nakamichi Corporation together with a SWOT analysis for the organization

Marketing

Presented to

Date

Executive summaryToday’s business environment has seen many corporations searching for innovative strategies in order to win the growing demand for goods and services. Many managers try and design a systematic marketing framework for their new products aimed at winning buyers. Nakamichi Corporation is a manufacturer of high quality audio and video systems. The corporation wishes to introduce a new portable audio system into the market. In order to design the marketing plan, several factors are put into consideration. A situational analysis of the current audio systems market is carried out identifying the main competitor brands for the corporation. Second, market segmentation and positioning is analyzed. This identifies the strategies used by Nakamichi Corporation together with a SWOT analysis for the organization. Third, an analysis of the internal and external factors affecting the buyers’ decision to purchase the new product is taken. The report ends with strong recommendations for the marketing mix strategy.

Table of Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Executive summary PAGEREF _Toc337319466 h 2Introduction PAGEREF _Toc337319467 h 4Situational analysis PAGEREF _Toc337319468 h 4Segmentation and Positioning PAGEREF _Toc337319469 h 6Portable audio player market segmentation PAGEREF _Toc337319470 h 6Positioning strategies adopted by competitors PAGEREF _Toc337319471 h 7Influence of external factors on purchase process PAGEREF _Toc337319472 h 11Influence of internal factors on purchase process PAGEREF _Toc337319473 h 12References PAGEREF _Toc337319474 h 15

Introduction Nakamichi Corporation is among the world’s best manufacturers of high quality audio, video and multimedia equipments. The corporation produces quality home audio and mobile sound systems and continues to introduce new products into the market. The company was founded in 1948 by Etsuro Nakamichi and started with the manufacture of portable radios, speakers, and communication equipments (Nakamichi, 2012). Nakamichi Corporation is in the process of launching a new portable high quality audio player by the end of the year 2012. Disruptive technological innovations offer a big change in the products and services offered in an organization. Companies that come up with quality products, simple in use, and more efficient always succeed in their marketing plans for the new product. In addition, these products target new customers since they are new in the market and are designed in the current technology (Christensen, 1997).

Coming up with a perfect marketing strategic plan for a new product needs the marketer’s knowledge of the current market and other companies offering similar product. The marketing of a new portable high quality audio player by Nakamichi Corporation is a challenging aspect since some well companies like Sony, LG, Samsung, and Kodak have already overtaken the market. In order to plan for the market of the new product, Nakamichi Corporation should ensure it wins many customers. In most cases, companies face issues associated with their flexibility on politics, operations management, and social culture (Kim and Mauborgne, 2005).

Situational analysisMarketing design assist in the successful implementation of planned strategies and achievement of goals and objectives. A perfect marketing plan enables an organization enter into a competitive advantage with the rivals and eventually win the market (Kotler & Keller, 2009; 61). The market structure adopted by an organization acts as an element of undertaking need analysis of the market share. In this, the market structure has to segment the potential market of the organization products for effective analysis of the needs, and formulation of measures that need adoption by the company. Nakamichi Corporation plans to introduce a new portable high quality audio player in the market. Many companies have introduced portable audio players in the market. Moore and Pareek (2010) argue that, human beings instinctively aim at satisfying a variety of intrinsic needs in all aspects of their life. These needs include social needs (for example, acceptance), various types of physical needs (for example, shelter and food), and individual needs (knowledge need). In 1979, Sony produced the first portable music player commonly known as walkman that was highly demanded by customers. The player was simple, and an individual could listen to music while travelling (Sony, 2011).

The portable audio player market has shown tremendous growth with a predicted increase in the number of units. Nakamichi Corporation should get into the market fast using different solutions in order to capture the growing demand. Many brands have come into the market likely to create a lot of competition on the portable audio player. Ipod is one of the brands capable of bringing competition into the market. Ipod is a portable audio player from Apple Company. The gadget has many accessories and is preferred by most customers. It is an innovative product that disrupted the music industry upon its arrival. The aim of Apple Inc was creating a technologically advanced device with unique features to hit the unexploited market. Consumer needs in a product vary largely. Some consumers aim at products with appealing quality regardless of price, while others look at the price of the product (apple, 2012). IPod product from Apple Inc is one of the top competitors for Nakamachi Corporation.

Mobile phones also are a threat to the portable audio system’s market. The introduction of mobile phones has hit the market since almost every grown up person owns a mobile handset. Most of these handsets have music players and radios whereby people can listen while working or walking. The technological know-how in the portable audio market creates a barrier for Nakamachi’s entry into the market. Individual with mobile handsets that have music players will find it hard purchasing another portable audio device. Nakamachi Corporation faces a hard task of marketing their new products and encouraging buyers to buy their products only.

The following brands have overcrowded the digital market. Ipods are used by most students since they can listen to music while studying. On the other hand, mobile handsets are produced with many accessories that are pleasing to consumers. All these products are portable ,and made fromm quality manufacturers. The introduction of the new portable audio player by Nakamichi Corporation must have unique marketing strategies in order win the competition from these two brands.

Segmentation and PositioningPortable audio player market segmentationMarketing entails product image creation with the aim of attracting more customers. Marketing of portable audio system by Nakamachi will involve the creation of an image of the music system for the potential buyers in the prevailing market. The plan has guided principle that price, availability of a service, and visibility of an advertising media have no influence on consumers ability to make a choice of a given product. Consumer’s choice has the reliability on the ability of the consumer to develop a desirable, distinctive, appealing, believable, simple, and valid image of the product being offered (Mercer, 1996). The market structure adopted by Nakamachi will act as an element of undertaking need analysis of the market share. In this, the market structure has to segment the potential market of the organization’s product for effective analysis of the needs, and formulation of measures that need adoption by the company.

In addition, the market structure formulates an effective strategy for undertaking business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) marketing respectively. The differences between business-to-business and business-to-customer communication modes, channels, and content have an association to interaction levels involved (Nwanko & Gbadamosi, 2011). When it comes to B2B, Nakamichi Corporation will look for potential intermediaries of the new portable audio system. The marketing system employed identifies the buyer behavior, and incorporates the buyer in price negotiation, as well as setting. The parties involved will have a closer relationship that aids in sharing of ideas between the two parties, and resources allocation may take place in unison. On the other hand, the B2C marketing will see Nakamichi involve the final consumer of the product. In this system, the parties involved have no closer relationships, and consumers are never involved in price setting and negotiation.

Positioning strategies adopted by competitorsApple Inc. is one of the competitors that market the iPod using different marketing segmentations and strategies. The company outsources its product in different countries worldwide and also assembles it in various key manufacturers. Foxconn International Holdings assembles iPods while its components are manufactured by different companies in China (Buetow, 2010). However, Apple Inc product design and marketing strategies are carried out at their company headquarters in United States. Figure 1 shows the product differentiation process used by Nakamichi competitors in the portable audio system.

Promotion

New segment

New offering

Figure I: Apple Inc product differentiation process

Market segmentation in an organization involves dividing prospective market into identifiable materials. One of the product segmentation and positioning theory argues that market segmentation involves forming segmented groups that have similar wants. This theory, by Philip Kotter, Claims that marketing can be more essential if more concentration is on a particular product segment. Nakamichi marketing team should identify the most attractive parts in their marketing plan and concentrate on them effectively. This ensures an organization defeats its competitors since they always go after a certain market segment. Moreover, competitors in their designs of the marketing segment and product positioning think about these three steps (Kotter, 1999).

Mass marketing: In mass marketing, the organization makes an effort of attracting eligible buyers to use a product that has been mass produced. The product is also distributed through mass distribution channels.

Product differentiated marketing: The organization will produce more than two products for the whole market. The products have different characteristics, and are not designed for specific group thus providing alternatives to buyers.

Target marketing: In this the organization has varied market segments but focuses on one segment. The organization then develops the selected product to meet the target market needs.

In a typical market transaction, the value created is satisfaction of the parties involved in the business transaction. This satisfaction is derived from the expectations each party had prior to the transaction, and the ability to give what is expected. Therefore, exchange is the main value derived in the transaction process. Included in the exchange process are the products that the concerned parties expect from each other. These products act as indicators of the values of the transaction that takes place. Approach to segmentation occurs in two different ways. The first method considers the market to consist of consumers who have the same characteristics. In this method the main organization’s task is identifying the consumers who have specific differences. This is the breakdown method. On the other hand, the second method, known as the build-up method, consists of consumers with different characteristics. Most organizations use this method since it is the most recommended. If Nakamichi Corporation could adopt this method it would defeat the competitors in a very perfect way (Hunt and Arnett, 2004).

Nakamichi Corporation SWOT Analysis

Strengths

High brand value

A designed innovation in the digital world

The effects of achievement of other company products like home theatres, radio cassettes, etc

High customer loyalty Weaknesses

Changing market conditions for portable audio systems

Poor management due to workers shifting to well paying organizations

The marketing strategies are not within the expectations of customers.

Limited personalization on the product.

Opportunities

Nakamichi Corporation’s relationship with other companies is good

Good pricing strategy wining the competition

The company is technologically advanced compared to other companies selling audio systems

Increased demand by students and sport users. Threats

Low end portable music players

There is high interest of other established portable music markets

Competition from smart phone and other mobile operators

Availability of online music resources through personal computers.

Table 1: SWOT analysis for Nakamichi Corporation (retrieved from Market Publishers, 2012)

Influence of external factors on purchase processMarketers worldwide face many challenges in understanding why consumers purchase different products in different methods. Brands play a significant role in determining people’s perception of products offered. Making a purchasing decision for a portable audio system is affected by some external factors. These are market and demand, competitor’s costs and prices, economic conditions, and social cultural factors. Consumers always weigh these factors as well as understanding the main reason behind making the purchase.

Market and demand: The market and demand for the new portable audio system will influence the buyer’s decision. Increasing the demand for the product prompts many people to buy it. In addition, Nakamichi Corporation should take several processes in order to ensure the new product finds market regardless of the nature of competition. Poor customer perception on the brand will make it lack buyers. Moreover, the company should ensure customer satisfaction because it encourages customers to make more purchases and invite their friends (Lewis and Slack, 2003).

Competitor’s cost and prices: Competition is a very vital factor affecting many organizations. If the competitor’s prices are lower than those of the company in question, the buyers will opt for lower prices. On the other hand, the cost of production determines the amount that the company should offer for its product. Apple Inc, which is one of the top competitors, outsources its services to other manufacturers thus reducing its cost of production. Nakamichi Corporation should ensure they produce their product with the lowest cost possible and offer at a consumer friendly price in order to gain more buyers.

Social-culture factors: Cultural factors have a lot of influence on consumers buying behavior. Consumer culture plays a significant role in making a decision on the type of commodity to purchase. All efforts and activities in a business should have unity and focus on giving customers what they demand. If customers prefer to have constancy in service, the business should ensure that, if the customers are price sensitive, the businesses should offer fair prices, if customers focus, or are delighted more on reliability and variety, then the businesses should unify its efforts and resources toward delivering that. Some cultures do not accept people using the present technology because they face it as a curse from their gods (Friestad & Wright, 1994).

Influence of internal factors on purchase processInternal factors within the organization determine the buyer’s decision on a new product in the market. These factors are: product pricing, promotions, distribution, and rational factors (Kotler and Armstrong, 2011).

Product pricing: Companies carryout product pricing considering the prices of competitors. If the organization offers higher prices, fewer buyers would be willing to purchase the brand. According to Mercer (1996), pricing should be related to the cost of producing the product, and the market prices offered by others selling the same product.

Promotion: In order to ensure good prices are offered, the sellers should create customer awareness of the new product. Advertising methods such as after-sale services, home delivery, and media campaign assists in promoting the new gadget into the market. In addition, the organization could offer gifts and free samples like T-shirts, wallets, or even bags as a method of promoting the new product.

Product distribution: The distribution channels used for the product determine the price offered to the final buyer. If the company uses many channels of distribution involving a lot of middle-men, the price will be high. This affects the buying behavior of consumers. Simchi, Kaminsky and Levi (2003), argues that distribution strategies vary depending on the type of product. For a portable audio system, only two channels of distribution are appropriate.

Conclusion and recommendations

A key method of minimizing ideas generated about a new product by a company is having a market research conducted. In this, the consumer preferences for the product, the price of related products, the brand name of related products and the target market information is gathered. The information is then analyzed and presented to the company. The ideas generated by the company about the new product are then sorted out in line with the results of the research. The ideas found to fully meet the desires of the target market are then adopted by the company and used for the product development.

To effectively market the new portable audio player, Nakamichi Corporation should make use of the 4Ps. These are Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. These four aspects are necessary for a perfect marketing mix strategy. The product should have the qualities desired by customers. Making decision on the type of product to offer requires several factors. The Corporation should decide the target market, the benefits associated with the product to the customers, and how to position the brand. The company should offer the product at a customer friendly price that creates good sales revenues. The price will determine the value of sales made. Second, the company should design a proper means of transporting the product in order to be at the right place in the right time. The aspect of place is very important since customers require proper supply of the product. Finally, carrying out various promotions enables the business to communicate effectively with the customers. Through promotion buyers get the information that assists them in making a purchase decision. The company should set aside funds to carry out promotion through advertising (Dogra and Ghuman, 2008).

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http://www.apple.com/pr/library

Christensen, C. (1997). The innovator’s dilemma: When new technologies cause great firms to

Fail. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.

Dogra, B. & Ghuman, K. (2008). Rural Marketing: Concept and Practice. India: Tata McGraw

Hill Publishing Limited, (2nd ed.). p. 80

Friestad, M., & Wright, P. (1994). The Persuasion Knowledge Model: How People Cope With

Persuasion Attempts. Journal of Consumer Research, 21 (1); pp. 1-31.

Hunt, S. D., and Arnett, D. B. (2004). ‘Market segmentation strategy, competitive advantage and

public policy: grounding segmentation strategy in resource-advantage theory’, Australasian Marketing Journal, 12, 1, 7–25.

Kim, W. C., & Mauborgne, R. (2005). How to create uncontested market space and make the

Competition irrelevant. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2011). Principles of Marketing. The Fourteenth edition. Prentice

Hall

Kotler, P. (2009). Marketing Management. The thirteenth edition. Pearson Publishers.

Lewis Michael, & Slack N. (2003). Operations Management: Critical Perspectives on

Business and Management. London: Routledge.

Market publishers. (2012). Nakamichi Corporation. Retrieved from:

http://ebookbrowse.com/nakamichi-leasing-co-ltd-swot-analysis-bac-pdf-d227227946Mercer, D. (1996). Marketing. The Second Edition. Malden, Massachusetts. Blackwell

Publishers Inc.

Nwanko, S., & Gbadamosi, T. (2011). Entrepreneurship Marketing: Principles and Practice of

SME Marketing. 2 Park Square, Milton Park. Routledge

Simchi, D, Kaminsky, P, & Levi, S. (2003). Designing and managing the supply chain. New

York: McGraw Hill Inc.

Research plan

Marsadie Brown

Monica Swindle

GS 3300-001

April 21st, 2019

Research plan

So far in my research, I’ve learned that society really does put a negative impact on elders, they make it seem as if elders are really a burden to society and should only act a certain way. From media they show that elders are to only act in a monogamous way and that they are all heterosexual. Which with the newer generation of elders and some older generations we all know that not all elders are heterosexual. Which this answers a research question that I originally had “Why is everything sexualized? For example, Tv ads separating deodorant” I learned not only from my research, but analyzing life and society that, everything is sexualized because we are sexual beings. Without gender coming into play because, gender is what was formed by society and gender norms and roles. We are automatically sexual, it is in our nature, it’s a part of our biology and chemistry. Women naturally reproduce, men naturally have a penis, adolescence boys automatically go through puberty and begin to regulate hormones, so they can come in contact to eventually mate with a woman and reproduce. This is natural, these are physical/mental experiences that all humans go through and we continue to go through for the rest of our life’s until of course old age.

Another, one of my initial research questions which was “The older we get does our sex drive die down or does it slow down?” and from “How important is sex in later life?” I’ve found numerous of qualitative research study’s that was done and, one of the study’s was a sample of people aged 50-92 and it stated that some aspect of sex is important to their lives and had a sexual partner. They were ranked by “Very” or “extremely” in importance during this sample, this goes to show that sex is an important necessity to maintain elder’s everyday wellbeing. And, these statistics not only goes for elders, but of course younger adults.

Lastly, in my research, I had originally aimed to found out “why does society put so much emphasis on elders not having sex” but, this question really wasn’t a good research question. It is more so because again, society feels that elders shouldn’t behave a certain way that basically elders should just rot and die. But, majority of seniors are living their best years, elders take their later years in life as reflective, they are happy to make it thus far. And, If they still have family, family is what they cherish the most and of course if they can go out and experience the world around them.

The focus of the research is to address the general public about the stigmas surrounding ageing and sexuality. Sexuality is lifelong and it is important to understand societies views and biases concerning older adults and their expression of sexuality. In my course project which will be a traditional research paper, I will aim to analyze real life sexual experiences surrounding ageing and sexuality that goes throughout the human body as we age. I want to dig more into and explain my findings in my research on how different elders are sexually active. Why does society have these biases towards elders on their ageing, specifically sexual activities and the changes elderly men and women go through as they age? I want to aim in my research to let the audience know that elders and how they age, it is okay. Nothing is wrong with a seventy-five year old still driving a car and being healthier than someone in their 20’s. I want my audience to know that everyone ages and we are ageing currently and soon someday if we don’t act on maintaining our bodies then we could initially end up ageing in a negative way and not a positive way. Annotated Bibliography

Gatling, Margaret et al. “Sex After 60? You’ve Got To Be Joking! Senior Sexuality In Comedy Film”. Journal Of Aging Studies, vol 40, 2017, pp. 23-28. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2016.12.004. Accessed 13 Apr 2019.

The study done by Margaret et al. (2017) addresses the fact that cinema and film has not been representative of sex and sexual lives of older adults, specifically those who are 60 and older. The writers analyze four recent (from the year 1993 onwards) films where “senior sexuality” is represented. They address the media represented problematic idea that seniors are monogamous, heterosexual, and do not engage in their sexual life. They go on to discuss that sometimes films chose to break the stigma and represent senior sexuality in a more natural sense.

This connects to the course material in the sense that it analyzes representation of sexuality as part of society and sociology. It provides insight into how society views sexuality in older adults and the stigma surrounding the topic.

This source allows me to see how sexuality can be destigmatized through the use of media. Additionally, I can use this source to present the viewpoints of various ages towards senior sexuality representation in cinema and other arts.

González, César. “Age-Graded Sexualities: The Struggles Of Our Ageing Body”. Sexuality & Culture, vol 11, no. 4, 2007, pp. 31-47. Springer Nature, doi:10.1007/s12119-007-9011-9. Accessed 13 Apr 2019.

The article written by Gonzalez (2019) addresses the topic of the physical aspect of aging (body-wise) and sexuality and perceived by society. The symbolic aspect of the body as it ages with years is intrinsically interview with the sexuality and social concepts of what it means to be sexual and in the body which one is in. The concepts of age-grading are discussed, which is a way to categorize the state in which a body is in in regard to its age, and the boundaries and constricts it has.

Gonzalez goes on to discuss how age-grading has influenced sexuality through impacting sexual ideologies such as sex, gender and reproduction, and the life cycle which is relevant to the sociological aspect of sexuality discussed in class.

This source provides insight into the possibilities of approaching sexuality between people of an older age. It also provides information about the first-person experience when it comes to relationships and sex lives between older adults.

Gott, Merryn, and Sharron Hinchliff. “How Important Is Sex In Later Life? The Views Of Older People”. Social Science & Medicine, vol 56, no. 8, 2003, pp. 1617-1628. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(02)00180-6.

Gott and Hinchliff (2003) provide an overview of both quantitative and qualitative data of perspectives on the role sex and sexuality plays in the lives of older people. Data such as quality of life measurement and an interview process were done to compile a sample of 69 individuals aged 50-92. They have found that individuals who stated that at least one aspect of sex was an important part of their lives also had a sexual partner. These individuals ranked importance as “very” or “extremely” representing the intensity of importance. Participants also expressed concerns towards expressing sexuality due to the social and cultural barriers.

This provides the relevant insight into the way society interacts with elder individuals and the role they play in society. Additionally, it also relates to the way’s sexuality plays in the overall wellbeing of a person.

This article is relevant to my research in that it is able to provide analytical data into respective of sexuality in the lives of elder people. Statistical analysis makes this data reliable and factual.

Potts, Annie et al. “‘Sex For Life’? Men’s Counter-Stories On ‘Erectile Dysfunction’, Male Sexuality And Ageing”. Sociology Of Health And Illness, vol 28, no. 3, 2006, pp. 306-329. Wiley, doi:10.1111/j.1467-9566.2006.00494.x. Accessed 13 Apr 2019.

With the introduction of medications which address such conditions as erectile dysfunction, the world of sexuality in older adults (and those struggling with said issue) has been forever altered. Potts (2006) discusses the ways in which society and the community of med has changed its perspective towards ageing and sexuality. The author addresses the ways in which male sexuality in older adults has shifted perspectives.

This is relevant to the course material in the way that it presents societal views of individuals who might feel incompetent in some aspects of their lives. Incompetency can breed insecurities and a lower self-esteem which makes life less satisfactory.

This article shows the opinions of various people when it comes to using aids to sustain their sexual lives into their older adulthood. Examining the different perspectives provides insight into the research question at hand.

Ringa, Virginie et al. “Women’s Sexuality: From Aging To Social Representations”. The Journal Of Sexual Medicine, vol 10, no. 10, 2013, pp. 2399-2408. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1111/jsm.12267. Accessed 13 Apr 2019.

Research done by Ringa et al. (2013) examined the sexuality of women aged 45-55 years old as they go through the process of reaching menopause. Considering that previous studies show that many women continue to be sexually active after menopause, Ringa et al. wanted to see what other factors besides hormones play a role in this demographic’s sexuality. They examined three groups of women: postmenopausal women who are using hormones and those who are not, and a group of premenopausal women. The researchers have found that all groups of women expressed importance of sexuality in their lives. Additionally, all groups of women did not differ in sexual practice, satisfaction, and dysfunction when it came to their sexuality.

Sexuality plays an important role in a person’s life regardless of their age. This article represents that even after biological changes, a woman still perceives sexuality as an important part of a healthy and satisfying life, much like discussed in the course material regarding sexuality in society.

This article provides insights into the significance of sexuality as it relates to menopause. Although many perceive that menopause can reduce sexual drive, this article shows otherwise.

Thompson, Ashley E. et al. “Young Adults’ Implicit And Explicit Attitudes Towards The Sexuality Of Older Adults”. Canadian Journal On Aging / La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, vol 33, no. 03, 2014, pp. 259-270. Cambridge University Press (CUP), doi:10.1017/s0714980814000208. Accessed 13 Apr 2019.

When addressing the stigma and societal notions surrounding sexuality in old age, it is important and beneficial to address the ways of how the youth sees it. Little support exists for the expression of sexuality in older individuals, in addition to lack of representation and education. Thompson et al. (2014) analyzed and compared the ways in which young adults view older adult sexuality and their overall attitudes towards the topic. A total of 180 individuals (18-24 years old) filled out self-report surveys and data was analyzed. The researchers found that overall attitudes towards senior sexuality was positive. However, there existed a bias towards favoring younger adults to older adults in expressing sexuality, and general sexuality to any specific activities.

This article presents the stigma surrounding sexuality in elder people as seen my young adults. It shows that sometimes what is said does not always align with the societal norms. Many people may adjust to the popular opinion and negate their honest opinion about the subject.

This article provides useful insight into the way young people see adult sexuality. By addressing their concerns, the stigma around senior sexuality can be adjusted and lifted, as well as publicly and societally accepted as normal and healthy.

Woodward, Kathleen. “Performing age, performing gender.” NWSA Journal (2006): 162-189.

The following article discusses the ways the older female body is represented in mass media and the beauty standards surrounding older women. Woodward discusses how the older body beauty standards are skewed to steer more towards a youthful look and how mass media fails to represent the way the female body ages with time.

This is relevant to the discussed class material regarding ageism which is prevalent in the American culture and overall. The lack of representation in mass media and the way society dictates beauty standards reflects on the way people live their lives.

This article is able to show the ageism approach to the female body and the way it impacts sexuality in older people. It is able to show the negative impacts societal beauty standards have on sexuality in elders.