Looking Back On Childhood Memories English Literature Essay

Looking Back On Childhood Memories English Literature Essay looking back on my childhood I can remember wanting to be like my cousin. I only saw the good in her and so everything she told me I did. It wasnt until we broke a door in our house that I stopped being a puppet and started thinking for myself. What happened was that we wanted to get our bikes from the garage but the door was closed. My cousin then had the bright idea to run towards the door to push it open. We both then did just that, we ran and slammed into the door to push it open. But on the third try the door landed on the floor, broken. We had made a big mistake. Our garage door was now broken and all because of us. Who wouldnt change after that accident? Hasnt everyone had an experience in which they had to overcome a mistake making them stronger as a person? I realized that becoming who you are has to do with the experiences one goes through. Just like in the article Masks, the author had an experience in which she also realized that, the perfect image of someone can be deceiving, making you the strong independent one. The article starts out with a description of what seems to be a perfect girl, which would be Kathy. Then goes on to talk about her and the way she dresses, which is quite different from the way Kathy did. As it was described in the article, she wore a pink dress with frills and lace and impeccably white tights. Her feet, which swayed back and forth underneath her chair, were pampered with shiny, black shoes without a single cuff. She was very wise, sophisticated beyond her kindergarten years (169). Unlike Kathy, Tiff was simple and wore, green and red plaid pants and [a] yellow shirt with tiny, blue stars [which] showed the days wear between breakfast, lunch, and recess (169) They were completely different people and different characteristics, yet the author followed her around and wanted to be just like he r. She wanted to be like Kathy, the perfect girl, because she was popular and seemed to have a great life. Kathy tried to show off her things and the fact that guys wanted to invite her places. Then the author comes to realize that Kathy is nothing without her friends and material things because she is something she does not want to be. One day Kathy came into the library and could not find her friends anywhere and since she didnt want to be seen alone, she sat with the Tiff. But as soon as Kathys friends arrived she acted as though Tiff did not exist. After this encounter the author sees she is the powerful one, because she is independent. She might not have all the materialistic things Kathy has but at least the author doesnt have to pretend to be someone she is not. She unlike Kathy is comfortable with who she is. She does not wear a mask. I can relate to the author of Masks because of the experience I had with my cousin. The funny part is that even before that experience, my parents always taught me to be independent and to think for myself, yet I was unable to not follow my cousin. Masks shows how if people become more independent and realize that being an individual is more powerful than following the majority because it gives you a sense of control and leadership. I completely agree with that idea because if someone is independent they are able to be responsible and keep focus on a goal. Since I have been taught this since I was a little kid, including my experience with my cousin, it actually helped me get by high school (my teenage years) in a much more successful way; my goal being graduating high school. Considering that many students drop out because they rather go out with their friends than to be in school. Or so they think, since they want to be cool they go with the flow. This going with the flow model mak es people be followers instead of being leaders. Yes, some people that go with the flow can be leaders but only if they have already established themselves as an individual and know who they are. In order to have that advantage people must have been a leader at some time in their life. The article Masks and my experience ties into the article, Why Do Teenagers Get Tattoos? A Response to Andres Martin, which explains how teenagers want to be seen as different, they want to stand out by getting tattoos, because it gives them an identity. Sean Barry defies what Martin said about tattoos in his article, On Teenagers and Tattoos. In his article Martin establishes that he believes teenagers get tattoos for three reasons, control, rebelling, and for making relationships more real. Barry then starts out with relating tattooing to the reader and his experiences with tattoos, and then explained Martins view on teenagers getting tattoos. He then brings it back to his point of view and makes his view much stronger. Barry thinks Martin over exaggerated about why teenagers get tattoos because he over generalizes too much. He thinks that tattoos actually give teenagers an individual identity. Barry then agrees with some statements written by Martin and slowly goes against him unt il he gets his opinion to sound much stronger. Barry is able to shows he understands Martin and yet finds that tattoos bring a sense of identifications and individualism for people. He also explains how other methods are now used to show rebellion because tattoos have become such more accepted and common now. Teens have begun to use extreme piercings as a rebellious attitude. Barry goes on by concluding with agreeing that Martin did a good job showing a psychological response to tattoos but that he has limited his argument to generalizations, therefore, tattooing is used as a sense of individual identification rather than rebellion. I agree with Sean Barry because it is true that many people now have tattoos and it has become a sign of individualism rather than rebellion. Many people I know have gotten their tattoos because it represents a moment in their life in which they have overcome something or want to remember a moment or person in their life forever. I actually want to get a few tattoos myself which I have designed. One of them is a tiger on my back which would represent courage and strength. Another one is a symbol of a turtle which represents living life by enjoying every moment and its surroundings, as well as patients. I want to get these tattoos because they represent who I am and what I have been through. They are not a sign of rebellion at all; if that were the case then I wouldnt even know what the tattoos represent or would have just said I want them because they look cool. That is why I disagree in the fact that teenagers use it as a sign of rebellion because I think that the person getting a t attoo is usually completely sure of what they want and are at an age that they know what they are doing. I know plenty of teenagers who have gotten tattoos and have a story behind each one. They feel like the tattoos help them remember and embrace a moment in their life. Plus, people wonder when looking at you, why you got tattoos. It makes you stand out from the crowd. The truth is that depending of peoples experience one learns to handle situations and learns who they are; they find their identity that way. Tattoos just give then a symbol of individualism. The two articles give great ideas on how people find their identity but approached it differently. In Masks the author uses a story telling style to be able to both entertain and inform about finding ones identity. Realizing who we really are and why we are stronger when independent and not when following others in order to be popular. This style is more attractive to readers because they can relate to the story more and build a sense of emotion. With the experience the author shows she makes her view much stronger than using a close structure which was used in Why Do Teenagers Get Tattoos? A Response to Andres Martin. Sean Barry makes his view completely clear but does not grab much attention from the readers with his style. But what he does do is relate to the audience by giving examples of why people would get tattoos and why Martins opinion was not relevant and over generalized. Barry comes to a conclusion of individuality from the tattoos rather than a realization like in Masks. To find ones identity one has to experience life. People build their characteristics by each experience they have as well as interactions in their social life. I feel that there are only two types of people in the world, those who just want to fit in and those who are just themselves. The people who want to be themselves then want to be seen as different from others. That is when the ideas with tattoos come into place and when they realize they have a strong will. Just like when I realized following my cousin example wasnt always the best way to go. In the article Masks, the author also becomes aware of her independence. She sees that having a lot of materialistic things and only relying on being this exterior perfection will get you nowhere. There are times when people have to make their own choices and become responsible. They need to become independent. Finding your identity is overcoming the fear of being yourself.

In order for the customers to purchase the Nokia 6600 from the retailer, :: Business Management Studies

In order for the customers to purchase the Nokia 6600 from the retailer, Sales and customer service Task 1 Introduction A sales promotion may be defined as on attempt to create interest in and stimulate sales of a product or service by a non-standard activity in a limited period of time, or with a controlled amount of product (while stocks last) In many ways, a sales promotion is a link between advertising and direct selling. It gives the advertiser an extra benefit to draw to the consumers attention, persuading them to go to the shops, and it allows the manufacturer’s sales person to revitalize the interest of the retailer by having something new to discuss or offer. There are two types of promotion: * Trade promotions- manufacturers promoting to retailers and wholesalers. * Consumer promotions- manufacturers or retailers promoting to the final consumer. I will promote mobile phone Nokia 6600. It is important to understand that sales promotion includes more than just money off voucher on the pocket of a fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) In order for the customers to purchase the Nokia 6600 from the retailer, the latter has had to be persuaded to stock the product in the first place. For this to be achieved, I will have to educate its sales- force on the distinctive selling features of the product, which is Nokia 6600 in order to help it persuade the retailer to stock it. This is picture of Nokia 6600 Components of a sales promotion Firms often refer to promotion above the line and below the line. Above the line promotion is through independent media, such as television or newspapers. These allow firms to reach a wide audience easily. Most advertising is carried out above the line. Some advertising, however, is carried out by methods over which a firm has direct control, such as direct mailing. These and other direct methods of promotion (known as below the line promotion) Below the line promotion allows a firm to aim its marketing at consumers it knows are interested in the product. Above the line advertising in newspaper means that the promotion is seen by most of the readers, even though some will not be interested. With below the line promotions, firms are usually aiming their message at consumers who are either known to them or who have been chosen in advance. For example, direct mail advertisers will pick exactly which consumers they wish to send their mail to, rather than going for blanket coverage. Nokia 6600 sales promotion objectives are: * Increase awareness and interest * Achieve a switch in buying behavior from competitor brands * Incentive consumers of make a purchase of my brand Nokia 6600

Lululemon Business Strategy Essay

Lululemon was founded by Chip Wilson who took a commercial yoga class in Vancouver and was immediately drawn in to the concept. After spending many years in the surf, skate, and snowboarding business, he found yoga was performed using cotton clothing and this seemed inappropriate because it neither removed sweat adequately nor did it allow for maximum flexibility. Given his passion and expertise in technical athletic fabrics, he began a movement in yoga clothing where he relied on feedback from yoga instructors to optimize his apparel. Lululemon was founded in 1998 to meet these goals. It opened its first store in November 2000 in Kitsilano, a beach area of Vancouver BC. Beyond getting feedback from instructors on how to improve the performance of the apparel, the firm sought to act as a community hub where people can interact and share the physical and mental aspects of having a healthy lifestyle. 1. What are the key elements of the strategy that Lululemon is pursuing? What generic strategy best fits Lululemon’s strategy? The five key elements are: Grow the company store base in North America The strategic objective was to add new stores to strengthen the company’s presence and then tap into new geographical markets in the Canada and US Increase brand awareness Leveraging the publicity surrounding, the opening of new stores with grass roots marketing programs. This included organizing events and partnering with local fitness coaches. Introduce new product technologies Continue to focus on developing and offering products that incorporate technology enhanced fabrics, and performance features that differentiate Lululemon for its competitor and increase its customer base. Broaden the appeal of Lululemon products This is divided in 3 sections 1. Adding men apparel to the line 2. Expanding to product category to items such as athletic bags, undergarments, sandals, outerwear 3. Adding products suitable additional sports and athletic activities Expand beyond North America Expand their presence in Australia and Japan. Then eventually pursue the Asian and European markets that offer similar, attractive demographics. Distinctive shopping expericance Provide a distinctive in-store shopping experience, complemented by strong ties to fitness instructors, fitness establishments and community events The two biggest strategic adjustments since 2007 had been to drawback from the use of franchising and sell directly to the consumers through the company website. Lululemon fits itself in a differentiated niche strategy 2. Is Lululemon’s strategy effective? Let’s look at the following to determine if the strategy is effective for Lululemon The firm currently has three segments: Corporate-Owned Stores The corporate-owned stores segment includes all sales to customers through corporate-owned stores in North America and Australia. This segment is by far Lululemon’s largest revenue base and will continue to be successful as Lululemon looks to expand its base in 2012 by opening 30 stores in the United States and 2 Ivivva Athletica stores in Canada. Direct To Consumers The Direct to Consumers segment involves Lululemon’s e-commerce website. Which is 10.6 % of revenue (2011) comes from this segment. The idea behind is to shift from brick-and-mortar stores to online channels, Lululemon’s commitment to increasing its presence in e-commerce will help the company expand its customer base and improve brand awareness. Franchise While previously franchise sales were part of their strategy, the company  reported that it will no longer partake in the business and that it had reacquired its four remaining franchise stores during fiscal 2011. SWOT Analysis Strength Trademarked fabrics Community involvement – offered free yoga class on monthly basis Employee training Innovation Style/comfort Multiple green initiatives Quality – products designed to sustain 5 years of intended use while maintaining functional Brand identity Weakness High retail price Narrow product line Quality control/supply chain Marketing targeted to mostly yoga instructors/studios Loss of customer service with increased scale Weak brand recognition Lack of targeting to men Opportunity Expand product line Serve additional market segments Expand into additional geographic markets Increased demand in athletic apparel Fitness craze Threats Increased competition from current large players in the market Copy cats Economy New entrants Risk of banking on niche markets Lululemon only went public five years ago and have not entered any new industries (focusing mostly in the fitness apparel industry). They have done some corporate restructuring shortly after the company was formed, Lululemon  entered into franchise agreements and then a joint venture. The idea behind this was based on growing the brand to meet consumer demand while conserving financial resources. This was a very effective strategy and served Lululemon well in establishing themselves as a multinational company, helping to build on economies of scope, increasing brand awareness and building a larger customer base. In 2011, Lululemon finally repurchased all the franchise organizations and now all of their stores are corporate owned. The ultimate motive for closing out the franchise business was to preserve and maintain control over branding and focus more on e-commerce. We believe this strategy will work well for Lululemon as it preserves its brand image / competitive advantage and st aying competitive in the online market as well. 3. Top Key Issues facing the company needs to focus on are: The analysis shows us that the retail apparel industry is competitive with very low barriers to entry. Lululemon’s success will attract new competitors to the industry and attract interest from existing competitors. Ultimately, this is a competitive industry with limited barriers to entry. The athletic apparel industry is very competitive, with well capitalized rivals such as Nike and Gap, Inc. Lululemon has limited intellectual property in regards to its performance fabrics and manufacturing processes, therefore the quality and innovation components of strategy could easily be replicated. Lululemon’s self reinforcing activities, such as target customer base, tailored products and community based marketing approach make it very challenging for existing retailers to challenge Lululemon in its market from their own store bases. However, there are limited barriers to entry in this industry and Lululemon should expect new competition to try to copy its format This analysis brings us to issues the company is / could face: Increasing Competition Despite occupying a unique niche within the athletic apparel industry, Lululemon has recently gained competitors in recent years. I.e. Big  companies with large market capitals such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor have dominated the athletic apparel industry and keep gaining more ground. With the exception of a commitment to creating innovative products in apparel, these initiatives are in contrast to Lululemon. In order to market its products, Lululemon completely shuns away from print or media advertising and instead focuses on selecting ambassadors within carefully selected markets. As a result, it’s possible for Lululemon’s competitors to achieve and maintain brand awareness and market share more quickly Narrow focus Lululemon is targeted towards sophisticated and educated women who understand importance of active, healthy lifestyle. Under-Armor, Nike, and Adidas are targeted towards men and women of all ages. New Threats Apart from the big name athletic apparel manufacturers, competitors such as Gap’s Athleta brand, Lucy Activewear Inc. and Bebe Stores’ BEBE SPORT collection have emerged as competitors to Lululemon. Price Point and Manufacturing In light of the new and old competitors, Lululemon could be forced to sell their products at lower price thus reducing margins. Plus Lululemon does not own exclusive intellectual property rights to the technology for its products. This makes it easier for current and future competitors to manufacture and sell products with similar performance capabilities and styling. Cross-country differences in demographic, cultural and market conditions. Buyer tastes for a particular product or service sometimes differ substantially from country to country. Sometimes, product designs suitable in one country are inappropriate in another because of differing local standards. Lululemon is operating in an international marketplace and they have to wrestle with whether and how much to customize their products in each different country market to match the tastes and preferences of local buyers or whether to pursue a strategy of offering a mostly standardized product worldwide. For example, the clothing for women offered in the winter  season will be different from Canada to Australia and vise versa. Firstly, Australia gets hardly any snow and while Canada on the other hand, gets majorly hit every winter. Therefore, the running gear and the hoodies offered in both countries will vary because of the temperature and the climate. Making products that are closely matched to local tastes make them more appealing to local buyers, customizing Lululemon’s products country by country may have the effect of raising production and distribution costs due to the greater variety of designs and components, shorter production runs, and the complications of added inventory branding and distribution logistics. The second issue of transnational strategy incorporates elements of both a globalized and localized approach to strategy making. This type of middle ground strategy is called for when there are relatively high needs for local responsiveness as well as appreciable benefits to be realized from standardization. This strategy that Lululemon is trying to apply has its own disadvantages, such as; it is more complex and harder to implement, conflicting goals may be difficult to reconcile and require trade-offs and implementation more costly and time-consuming. All major global companies employ the franchising strategy. With the franchising strategy, the franchisee bears most of the costs and risks of establishing foreign locations; while Lululemon would have to expend only the resources to recruit, train, support, and monitor franchisees. The big problem that Lululemon is facing currently has to bear all costs of stores all around the world. With this, they would have to ensure that they are providing the products at discounted costs but also having to monitor to ensure that their standard for stores and customer service and experience is maintained. 4. Recommendations for management to improve performance / address key issues The recommendations we have for management is to improve performance and address the key issues, are employing a think global and act local strategy (Transnational). They need to ensure that each country does have the required customizations because the demographics, cultural differences and market conditions vary from country to country. They need to ensure that all their locations follow the same guidelines and customer satisfaction guidelines like they have for their primary locations. Price point and Manufacturing Lululemon does not own any intellectual property to the technology of what processes their products. In turn this makes it easy for competitors to imitate their style. Through analysis, a recommendation to solve this issue would be to patent their processing system. This would be beneficial to the company in such ways as; increasing price points, which in turn increases overall profits. It will also allow for a higher competitive advantage, making it difficult for competing company’s to imitate or copy their style. Sponsor Events and Shows Lululemon should sponsor some sort of events to gain publicity and increase brand awareness. Such can be done by organizing yoga events on a grand scale or some sort of sporting event. Not as high scale as done by its competitors (Nike sponsors the PGA Golf and Adidas sponsors FIFA) E.g. Lululemon could organize a yoga event at the Metro Convention Hall, Toronto Expand in Asia and Europe The company should plan to enhance its European and Asia market, recruiting new management talent and initiating an aggressive program to regionalize this business utilizing a consistent brand image throughout Europe and Asia. New Customers Lululemon should find new customers base other than its niche market. A potential target niche would be adding apparel for golf and tennis into its stores. Action Plan to address issues and improve performance The following action plan is the recommended steps we believe would be the appropriate approach to successfully completing these recommendations. Appendix 1 Value Chain Analysis Supply Chain Management 45 different manufacturers, no long-term contracts – can improve quality control and lower costs by decreasing # and agreeing to contracts Operations Tighten inspection and verification processes to ensure another recall does not occur (see-through pants issue) Distribution Facilities only in Vancouver-BC, Sumner, Washington, and Melbourne, Australia Limits Company’s reach Growth in online sales can offset Sales/Marketing Depend on word of mouth and community based marketing – can increase marketing via media (television, magazines, etc.) and other avenues

My Experience At The Teton Valley Ranch Camp Essay

When I was taking a photo of the purple sky and two stretching lakes across the Bonney Pass in the Teton Mountains; I knew this place that I loved had transformed me into a better person and a more confident woman. When I submitted the lengthy application to the Teton Valley Ranch Camp in Dubois, Wyoming my mind kept sinking back to the fear of flying away to my comfortable close knit home to work at a ranch camp 2,610 miles away. My mom persisted that I should do something different with my summer. After being a camper at the Teton Valley Ranch Camp, I thought it would be nice to contribute some of my time to the place that made me outdoorsy and confident woman. However, I did not want to leave the summer before college started. I wanted to stay in the same routine with my friends who lived on Nantucket Island. I did not want to meet new coworkers, far away from home was daunting. I enjoyed my circle of friends in Nantucket because I was comfortable with my everyday routine. Visions of anxiety swept over my mind; the fear crept over my mind with the years of high school which constrained my personality. The boarding school years trapped me in like a prison with no welcoming smiles. I wanted to return to my happy place in Nantucket with my friends. Despite my fears, I continued to think of the outcome of going to a new place far away, that could be life changing. Life is not about being sheltered and always feeling comfortable, the bumpy rollercoaster is the best way to