Compare and contrast both caracter sarzan the mad man and sarzan the Essay

Look into both caracter sarzan the lunatic and sarzan the detainee - Essay Example In this way, an alien to the place that is known for Africa ought not address or remark horribly on the deep rooted customs. Keita comes back to his town subsequent to finishing his obligation with the military, and remains to construct a street. He firmly condemns the odd acts of the individuals like yielding creatures, and isn't worn out on over and over revealing to them that it is the act of the savages. He is appalled with such merciless practices. Overpowered by his re-presentation to conventions, he goes insane and resembles the had person. The nearby individuals call him â€Å"Sarzan†. For his demonstration of lack of regard to customs he should get discipline. Kieth’s standpoint had widened, as he was the piece of the French Army and seen activity in numerous spots of the world. At the point when he comes back to his local town, he is very troubled to acknowledge the methods of the individuals adhering to conventions and tail them unquestioningly. Nobody is hap py to acknowledge his reorganization procedures and incapable to tolerate their bold obstruction Keita loses his psychological equalization. In that convention bound world it was no normal sin to stand firm against the old inborn divine beings and customs. The spirits of the predecessors won't approve the genuine pass on his part. The nearby individuals are not ready to acknowledge him as the ordinary person. He is a person who has lost sensesâ€a psycho as per them.

Analysis a movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Investigation a film - Essay Example Alice is a star in the game however it is difficult to state the equivalent for the film. The underlying 3D scenes have been tedious and are not really amazing, a powerless start was not generally welcomed by the crowd and because of which the film neglected to satisfy the hopes of the fans. The paper will expansively introduce the other significant parts of the film. 2. â€Å"In a world attacked by an infection contamination, transforming its casualties into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich), proceeds on her excursion to discover survivors and lead them to safety.† (After Life) The materials utilized in the film are very extraordinary and one of its sort, the film is a 3D film and it includes liveliness and embellishments. The impacts anyway have not been introduced as the fans anticipated that it should be. 3. The craftsman is attempting to introduce a world where Zombies develop significantly, an infection is influencing humankind and destruction has been depicted in the f ilm. B. Visual Arts 1. The film looks somewhat like reality; it is simply an invented flick. It depends on individuals transforming into Zombies in light of an infection and it has nothing to do with the real world. 2. The specialists is depicting the future in the film, an infection which would influence our human race may wind up making every one of us Zombies as appeared in the film. It speaks to what's to come. 3. Crafted by the craftsmen is point of fact great however the film is simply an invented film and looks somewhat like reality so the work can never be accepted. C. Creative Concept 1. â€Å"The film contains solid grisly savagery and language.† (British Board of Film Classification) Being a 3D film the visual craftsmen have worked superbly, Alice stood apart for her exhibition; she is considerably more worshiped by the fans in the game than in the film. All things considered her presentation was a visit de power, she loses her extraordinary forces when she is infu sed in the film, she becomes human again yet she without any help conveys the film, the film would have done severely had it not been for her. Different characters were only present in the film however had no impact at all. The presentation of the characters is fine yet being an invented film it is difficult to accept the scenes in the film, any reasonable person would agree that the film is completely imaginary. 2. Watcher collaboration bombs in this film and as an unavoidable consequence of which the film likewise falls flat, the film doesn't present enough chances to the watchers to interface and engage in the film. 3. The work doesn't speak to the feelings since it is imaginary, it would have spoke to the feelings of the crowd had it had any similarity to the truth, on that it's anything but an occupation very much done. D. Utilization of Lighting in Creative Designs 1. â€Å"The film was composed by Paul W.S. Anderson.† (Writer) The utilization of lighting has been accep table in the film; the character of Alice has been introduced distinctively in the film. The introduction has been absolutely unique in light of the fact that the film is a 3D film, being a third dimensional film it had nothing staggering in it, a few other 3D motion pictures are path superior to this film. The initial scene where Alice and her company go into Umbrella’s home office is acceptable, it takes after the initial scene of the game and this made the fans cheerful and they moreover

The Impact of 19th Century European Colonialism on the Third World Essay

The Impact of nineteenth Century European Colonialism on the Third World - Essay Example While this has been the situation, next to no has been done or is being done to control this hazard, and this has been for the most part a direct result of the proceeded with strength of the previous provincial controls over the world economy. The provincial arrangements were received by numerous individuals of the European governments that prompted the hardship of the locals of the land that they colonized while simultaneously guaranteeing that the colonizers turned into the greatest recipients. This can be viewed as the starting point of the disparities that have come to exist between the created world and the Third World, as the hole between them keeps on extending. The legislatures of these nations have caused the predominance of destitution in the third world an exceptionally regular express that can be found in the majority of the states that are arranged as poor, with the most well-known conviction being that this circumstance. It has been proposed that it is either the legisl atures of the poor nations, which are to be faulted in light of the fact that they are degenerate or that they settle on poor choices. Moreover, these legislatures are additionally accused for seeking after strategies that really unsafe to the fruitful advancement of their kin. There are, be that as it may, further, provincial reasons for destitution which are once in a while talked about on the grounds that their belongings are for the most part circuitous. Among the variables, which have prompted the pervasiveness of destitution in the third world, is that the pilgrim governments once in a while set up businesses in their states, rather utilizing them just as wellsprings of crude material. There were behind those choices, which for the most part managed monetary approaches and practices, which are normally affected or planned, by the rich and ground-breaking on the European states who needed to have total power over the business sectors and this necessary that the provinces don't make their own items (Haynes, 2008). This training proceeded with long after the vast majority of the nations in the third world picked up autonomy and this was a direct result of the way that while they increased political freedom, their financial advancement would in general depend intensely on the previous colonizers for help. It has been discovered that the previous European colonizers frequently kept on underlining the crude material delivering job of their previous states, and despite such incredible outer weight. The legislatures of the underdeveloped nations and their kin have stayed feeble, accordingly, the couple of created nations keep on getting well off while the larger part, most in the third world battle with or fall further into neediness (Allen and Thomas, 2004). The previous colonizers have assumed a job in guaranteeing that these nations stay poor so they can collect more riches through having a prepared market for their items just as having less rivalry in the ma rket. The previous frontier powers have been behind the presentation of decreases in the consumption for wellbeing, training and other essential social administrations in nations from the third world as conditions for any type of monetary help from them. The greater part of these conditions have come due to the basic change approaches endorsed by the significant global money related foundations, which are for the most part commanded by the previous European pioneer powers. At the point when the vast majority of the European powers left their previous settlements, these nations were in critical need of monetary help with request to create themselves to the degree of their previous colonizers. The leaving pioneer controls regularly left their settlements in critical money related circumstances and this constrained the recently autonomous states to take advances so as to guarantee the

A1 Steak Sauce Essay

1) How might you describe the A1 Steak Sauce business? In 1830, Henderson William Brand, gourmet expert to England’ King George built up a sauce that so amuse the lord he declared it to be â€Å"A1†. The item was first sold in North America in the mid 1900s. Kraft Foods obtained A1 in 2000 as a component of its securing of Nabisco. Kraft Foods was the biggest food organization in the United States and second biggest on the planet. Kraft Foods most direct contenders were General Mills, Unilever, Pepsico and Nestle. In 2002, A1 had a 54% dollar portion of the Steak Sauce Market Shares with a 83 percent net revenue. Circulation of A1 extended over the United States with the item accessible in each market. Kraft Foods burned through 15 percent of its working income on A1 publicizing. Income on A1 Steak Sauce was about $150 million and working benefit was roughly $60 million. A1’s 2003 arrangement foreseen level income and slight benefit development. 2) Why is Lawry’s propelling a steak sauce item? Clarify. In 2002, Lawry’s was possessed by Unilever one of Kraft Foods driving contending food organizations with brand deals in abundance of $100 million and a solid situation in flavoring and marinades. In mid 2003, Unilever declared designs to dispatch a Lawry’s Steak Sauce with a boat date of April first and a cost for each jug $1.00 under A1. Unilever’s choice to dispatch a steak sauce item depended on disillusioning monetary outcomes in ongoing years. Unilever propelled another vital arrangement program called â€Å"Path to Growth†. A key component of this program was excusing its image portfolio concentrating on the biggest worldwide brands. The organization tested the entirety of its brands including Lawry to arrive at yearly deals of in any event one billion dollars. 3) Should A1 Steak Sauce safeguard itself against the Lawry’s dispatch? If not, why not? On the off chance that truly, why and how? Examine. Jennifer Miller, Smith’s inquire about administrator proclamation of â€Å"you know A1 has the most grounded brand value in the class, it’s for all intents and purposes untouchable.† I don’t concur and feel her remark is ridiculous, nothing is distant. I would suggest that A1 protect against Lawry’s Steak Sauce dispatch planned for April first, in any case A1 could discover they are losing pieces of the pie and attempting to play get up to speed. As I would like to think A1 has a decision to contend no holds barred with Lawry’s 2 for $5.00 bargain propelling on April first or kick back and trust that customer don’t change to the Lawry’s Steak Sauce. Whichever way A1 should go through cash to stay prevailing and serious in the steak sauce showcase. 4) What are the serious and monetary ramifications of guarding or not depending against the Lawry’s launch? Lawry is planned to dispatch their new steak sauce of April first at $1.00 not exactly the A1 sauce and Publix is prepared to give Lawry the Memorial Day week advancement which is ordinarily 10 percent of A1 Annual Sales. On the off chance that Lawry, gains 10 percent of the steak sauceâ market and clients like the taste, ready to follow through on the diminished cost paying little heed to taste or can’t truly differentiate in taste from A1, clients may keep on purchasing the Lawry’s Steak Sauce for the $1.00 less expensive container. Lawry’s Steak Sauce dispatch could permit them to pick up and increment in Lawry’s share in the steak sauce advertise. 5) What did you gain from your examination of this case? Clarify. A1 Steak Sauce was imagined in 1830 and first sold in North America in the mid 1900s. In 2003, more than 100 years after the fact, A1 Steak Sauce at last had potential rivalry with the dispatch of Lawry’s Steak Sauce. I feel that Kraft Foods ought to have made arrangements for such a possibility, that to me was unavoidable. On the off chance that they had arranged, the organization could have appropriately planned, perhaps with a possibility type support inside the promoting office. For instance, today where are reel-to-reel tapes, 8 track tapes and tape tapes, all have gotten obsolete with enhancements in innovation. To additionally represent in the food business, attempt to discover â€Å"Pitter Patter† nutty spread treats made by Keebler which were out advertised by Nabisco’s â€Å"Nutter Butter† nutty spread treats. Nothing is unapproachable or keeps going forever!

Why its Important to Write Right in the Legal Profession And 5 Common Writing Pitfalls to Avoid

Why its Important to Write Right in the Legal Profession â€" And 5 Common Writing Pitfalls to Avoid The following article, by Brenda Bernstein, was first published on MyLegal.com. In a well-publicized case, a federal judge in Florida denied a lawyer’s motion (without prejudice, so he can re-file the motion) stating that it was “riddled with unprofessional grammatical and typographical errors that nearly render the entire motion incomprehensible.” Read the full article here: Judge Labels Lawyers Motion Nearly Incomprehensible, Marks Up Errors ABA Journal The judge highlighted the following problems, among others: • Incorrect use of apostrophes. • Typographical errors (using the word “this” instead of “thus” and the word “full” instead of “for”). • Incorrect placement of periods and commas outside of quotation marks. • Wrong word use (using the phrase the plaintiff “had attended on filing” this action, instead of saying the plaintiff had “intended” to file an action). • One very long sentence. Don’t let this happen to you! If you write legal documents in any way, shape or form, it is absolutely essential to use correct spelling and grammar. In a famous case in England, a traffic ticket was thrown out because it was issued for illegal “stoping” instead of “stopping”; the alleged perpetrator had conducted no mining activities (“stoping” is a mining term) and so was found not guilty. I bet that police officer never issued another “stoping” ticket. Past or Present? One extremely common error I see amongst law students is using the word “lead” to mean the past tense of “lead.” This mistake could get you in trouble, since the past tense of “lead” is “led” (with no a). You could be writing in the wrong tense! Example or Complete List? Another place you can easily convey the wrong meaning is with “i.e.” and “e.g.” When you use “i.e.” it means “that is” or “in other words.” The proper way to follow “i.e.” is with a definition or complete list. For example: The defendant was charged with illegal stoping, i.e., mining activity. “E.g.” means “for example.” The proper way to follow “e.g.” is with a partial list of possibilities. For example: The motion was denied for bad grammar, e.g., typographical errors and wrong word use. If “i.e.” were used here, we would need to provide a complete list of the examples of bad grammar. (For a more thorough explanation of i.e. and e.g., read my post Common Grammatical Errors: Should You Use i.e. or e.g.?) Law or Liberty? Do you know the difference between a statute and a statue? Statutes are laws. Statues are sculptures. We have statutes of limitations and a Statue of Liberty. Don’t get these confused. You might want to remember the extra “t” for “time” when it’s a statute of limitations, or for “text” when it’s any written law. And you might think of following those statutes to a “T” (or 3)! Proper Punctuation: Periods and Commas Inside Quotation Marks To touch on one of the Florida judge’s beefs, periods and commas, in the United States, always go inside quotation marks, even when they are not part of the quotation, e.g., The defendant was arrested for “illegal stoping.” Although there are rare exceptions to this rule, they will probably not appear in legal writing (they are more likely to show up in technical writing). For a detailed discussion of this issue, see my blog post The Quandary of Quotation Marks ( ). Proper Punctuation: Apostrophes Many people incorrectly use apostrophes to make plural words. Don’t do it! Did you notice that the plural of apostrophe is NOT “apostrophe’s”? It is “apostrophes”! The plural words lawyers, judges, laws, statutes, DUIs and the 1990s do NOT take apostrophes. Use an apostrophe and then an “s” to make a singular possessive. The lawyer’s brief was riddled with errors. The judge’s ruling was final. Use an “s” and then an apostrophe to make a plural possessive. The five lawyers’ arguments diverged widely. All the county judges’ courtrooms contain the latest in audio-visual equipment. Put your apostrophes in the right place â€" and avoid annoying the judge. So Many Chances to Err! There are multiple ways to make writing errors in legal documents, and I have only covered a few. My most important advice is to proofread and proofread again! Get a second pair of eyes to check your work. If you have grammar questions you want answered, I will answer them to the best of my ability in the comments section of this blog. I look forward to hearing from you… Happy writing!

Why its Important to Write Right in the Legal Profession And 5 Common Writing Pitfalls to Avoid

Why its Important to Write Right in the Legal Profession â€" And 5 Common Writing Pitfalls to Avoid The following article, by Brenda Bernstein, was first published on MyLegal.com. In a well-publicized case, a federal judge in Florida denied a lawyer’s motion (without prejudice, so he can re-file the motion) stating that it was “riddled with unprofessional grammatical and typographical errors that nearly render the entire motion incomprehensible.” Read the full article here: Judge Labels Lawyers Motion Nearly Incomprehensible, Marks Up Errors ABA Journal The judge highlighted the following problems, among others: • Incorrect use of apostrophes. • Typographical errors (using the word “this” instead of “thus” and the word “full” instead of “for”). • Incorrect placement of periods and commas outside of quotation marks. • Wrong word use (using the phrase the plaintiff “had attended on filing” this action, instead of saying the plaintiff had “intended” to file an action). • One very long sentence. Don’t let this happen to you! If you write legal documents in any way, shape or form, it is absolutely essential to use correct spelling and grammar. In a famous case in England, a traffic ticket was thrown out because it was issued for illegal “stoping” instead of “stopping”; the alleged perpetrator had conducted no mining activities (“stoping” is a mining term) and so was found not guilty. I bet that police officer never issued another “stoping” ticket. Past or Present? One extremely common error I see amongst law students is using the word “lead” to mean the past tense of “lead.” This mistake could get you in trouble, since the past tense of “lead” is “led” (with no a). You could be writing in the wrong tense! Example or Complete List? Another place you can easily convey the wrong meaning is with “i.e.” and “e.g.” When you use “i.e.” it means “that is” or “in other words.” The proper way to follow “i.e.” is with a definition or complete list. For example: The defendant was charged with illegal stoping, i.e., mining activity. “E.g.” means “for example.” The proper way to follow “e.g.” is with a partial list of possibilities. For example: The motion was denied for bad grammar, e.g., typographical errors and wrong word use. If “i.e.” were used here, we would need to provide a complete list of the examples of bad grammar. (For a more thorough explanation of i.e. and e.g., read my post Common Grammatical Errors: Should You Use i.e. or e.g.?) Law or Liberty? Do you know the difference between a statute and a statue? Statutes are laws. Statues are sculptures. We have statutes of limitations and a Statue of Liberty. Don’t get these confused. You might want to remember the extra “t” for “time” when it’s a statute of limitations, or for “text” when it’s any written law. And you might think of following those statutes to a “T” (or 3)! Proper Punctuation: Periods and Commas Inside Quotation Marks To touch on one of the Florida judge’s beefs, periods and commas, in the United States, always go inside quotation marks, even when they are not part of the quotation, e.g., The defendant was arrested for “illegal stoping.” Although there are rare exceptions to this rule, they will probably not appear in legal writing (they are more likely to show up in technical writing). For a detailed discussion of this issue, see my blog post The Quandary of Quotation Marks ( ). Proper Punctuation: Apostrophes Many people incorrectly use apostrophes to make plural words. Don’t do it! Did you notice that the plural of apostrophe is NOT “apostrophe’s”? It is “apostrophes”! The plural words lawyers, judges, laws, statutes, DUIs and the 1990s do NOT take apostrophes. Use an apostrophe and then an “s” to make a singular possessive. The lawyer’s brief was riddled with errors. The judge’s ruling was final. Use an “s” and then an apostrophe to make a plural possessive. The five lawyers’ arguments diverged widely. All the county judges’ courtrooms contain the latest in audio-visual equipment. Put your apostrophes in the right place â€" and avoid annoying the judge. So Many Chances to Err! There are multiple ways to make writing errors in legal documents, and I have only covered a few. My most important advice is to proofread and proofread again! Get a second pair of eyes to check your work. If you have grammar questions you want answered, I will answer them to the best of my ability in the comments section of this blog. I look forward to hearing from you… Happy writing!

Totalitarian Techniques in 1984 and Red Azalea - Literature Essay Samples

In order for one to exist in a totalitarian society whose government is successful in its control, one must deal on a day-to-day basis with strong persuasion and propaganda. These totalitarian societies have an iron grip on their people, leaving their citizens with absolutely no hope or chance of escaping. George Orwells 1984 blatantly suggests how, with proper use of brainwashing and propaganda, the unrelenting Party can enforce brutal and complete control over its people, and how the protagonist, Winston Smith, is gravely endangered by a mere strand of individual thought. He feels frustrated by the strict boundaries of government control and starts thinking rebellious thoughts, such as sex and any expression of individuality that differs from a regular â€Å"puppet† of the Party. Winstons character can be compared to the protagonist, Anchee Min, of the memoir Red Azalea. Recalling Winston, Min exists in a totalitarian society under the reign of Mao Zedong in Chinas Cultural Revolution, a period of time in history where the ideas of communism were enforced in China, resulting in totalitarian methods of control. Both Min and Winston show subtle signs of rebellion in their respective societies; that rebellion eventually grows stronger. The totalitarian societies in Orwells 1984 and Maos reign of China indicate the extreme control over their citizens by means of propaganda, hence putting each individual belonging to that society in danger; it is obvious that, absolutely nowhere, does the word freedom exist within these forms of government. The overall techniques and propaganda of Mao Zedong’s reign of China are similar to those of Big Brothers control over Oceania. Both totalitarian societies manipulate the mindsets of their citizens psychologically, and utilize language and fear to hold total control over their people. By twisting their words into a form of warped reason, also known as doublethink, these governments manage to persuade their people into worshipping their respective leaders, Chairman Mao and Big Brother. Both Parties are built upon an intricate network of lies; history is constantly rewritten in Oceania, and the false promises of a perfect, equal world reside in the minds of the Chinese citizens. Telescreens are constantly utilized in virtually every nook and cranny to spy on people, and within the minds of every individual – or more appropriately, puppets – there lies the constant fear of being captured and vaporized by the â€Å"Thought Police† where the Police constantly m onitor one’s thoughts; hence their name. Throughout Oceania the slogans of War is peace, Freedom is slavery, and Ignorance is strength undermine the society mindset as a whole. In 1984, O’Brien, one of the Party members, rants about submission to the Party reign under Big Brother, saying, â€Å"We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him. We burn all evil and all illusion out of him; we bring him over to our side, not in appearance, but genuinely, heart and soul. We make him one of ourselves before we kill him. It is intolerable to us that an erroneous thought exist anywhere in the world [†¦] no one whom we bring to this place ever stands out against us† (Orwell 255). This passage shows the epitome of the overall mindset in this society within 1984. When Winston’s rebellious actions are finally discovered, he is tortured into submission by O’Brien and the other Party members, until he ends up back where he started: selfless, a puppet of the government, and forever loving Big Brother. His obedience supports the fact that the totalitarian government always wins, and that Big Brother is â€Å"always watching youà ¢â‚¬ . Similarly, Mao’s influence spread largely and created a regime that eliminated opposition in China, much as occurs in 1984. The communist government controlled all aspects of people’s lives. All goods produced are shared equally; in other words, there was a peasant based economy similar to colonial life. This â€Å"Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution† led to a massive personality cult surrounding Mao. For instance, one person per family from the communist society was obligated to work at a grueling labor camp under the impression that all the rumors of the horror and hardships are monstrous lies [] made up by enemies who feared the revolution spreading. The Party authorities showed the families pictures of [] prosperity. The families were convinced and comforted (Min 44). In essence, by twisting language into another meaning, blatantly stating lies, and utilizing the most extreme form of manipulation, both totalitarian societies are able to effectively hold control over their people. The powerful forms of manipulation and control within these totalitarian societies are shown clearly through the lives of both the protagonist of 1984, and the protagonist of Red Azalea, a memoir written about survival through China’s Cultural Revolution. Winston Smith and Anchee Min both live in totalitarian societies; they both have moments and thoughts of rebellion, though Winston clearly portrays the rebellion more blatantly through his actions, while Anchee goes against the government more subtly. Since 1984 is a work of fiction, the book contains fictional telescreens that are there to constantly monitor one’s thoughts. The lack of telescreens or any type of mind-reading and â€Å"advanced technology† device enables Anchee to secretly rebel through her personal thoughts. In 1984, Winston shows his first signs of rebellion when he buys a diary and starts to write in it. This seemingly mundane action gradually leads him into more direct forms of rebellion; fa lling in love with a girl, Julia and having sexual thoughts about her, which is strictly prohibited. The reader observes how the Party does not merely destroy our enemies; we change them (Orwell 253). As indicated by the end of the book, this statement is indeed correct. On the other hand, though Anchee does show several acts of rebellion, she remains, throughout the book, a puppet of the government. She is constantly reminded of her duty to fight against anyone who went against Maos teaching. At an early point of her life, Anchees actions indicate how she is being controlled by her government. Encouraged by the shouting of slogans, and intimidated by Secretary Chain, a representative of the Party, she publicly denounces and humiliates her favorite teacher and accuses her of corruption by reading fictional story-tales. Secretary Chain exclaims, â€Å"Our Party trusts you and Mao would be very proud of you† (Min 35). He elaborates how her favorite teacher has been brainwashing her into betraying communism by reading her stories such as The Little Mermaid and Snow White. Though she doubts his words, she still speaks out anyways as a good role model for the Party, and as a model student. This incident is the first subtle conflict and doubt she has with the government system. Before, she had wholeheartedly believed in and supported Mao’s Communism. Eerily similar to the words of Big Brothers society, the Party members under Mao state that to enemies, we have to be cruel and merciless (Min 41). Both protagonists are greatly changed and influenced by their societies, the two totalitarian societies attempt and succeed to brainwash them even though they try to go against the government; there is always some sort of obedience that lies within them. For instance, though both characters rebel, they are constantly aware of the limits of what they can do, and are mindful of the extent of their actions. When Winston buys the diary, he is wary of writing in it and is constantly afraid of getting caught by the telescreens. Similarly, even while Anchee is in a relationship with another woman, which is strictly forbidden, she still continues read from the bible of the government, The Little Red Book, and retains her belief in Mao. Within these two similar forms of governments, the concept of a totalitarian society being a constant danger to individuals is confirmed. These two totalitarian societies without a doubt manipulate the mindsets of their citizens and impact the lives of the people who live under their rule. They utilize strong persuasion techniques and propaganda, such as the shouting of slogans, false stories, doublethink, or just extremely confusing language, leaving the individual to agree wholeheartedly with them. Therefore, it would be extremely dangerous for any individual to exist in a totalitarian society, especially since the individual is in constant risk of being discovered. This is depicted by the two protagonists of 1984 and Red Azalea. Towards the ending of 1984, Winston is discovered with Julia, and gets tortured to near death by O’Brien, a Party member that Winston thought he trusted. This shows that it is dangerous to trust anybody in this type of society. Winston narrates, â€Å"In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five and you would have to believe it [†¦] the very existence of extern al reality was tacitly denied by their philosophy [†¦] after all, how do we know that two and two make four?† (Orwell 80). The citizens must always accept the words of the Party as truth. In Part Two and Part Three of Red Azalea, Anchee finds difficulty retaining her faith in Maoism when she is sent to a labor camp. She witnesses a friend being humiliated and broken after being discovered in a sexual situation with a man, and Anchee herself is abused by the power of her superiors and forms a lesbian relationship with another farm worker. After she is selected to move to Shanghai and become an actress, and she becomes more disillusioned with Maos system when more abuses of power and relationships form. While Winston is broken and finally submits to his government and is brainwashed back to normal, Anchee is fortunate in that Mao ultimately dies, leading to the downfall of his totalitarian reign. She manages to escape to America in 1984. Within these two forms of government, an individual is hindered from expressing individualism, thus making it dangerous for any individual to exist in these totalitarian societies where the ultimate techniques of manipulation are utilized; both Anchee and Winston ultimately indicate how surviving under totalitarian rule can be dangerous for any individual.

A Coming-of-Age in Bev Marshal’s ‘Saturday Confessions’

A Coming-of-Age in Marshal’s ‘Saturday Confessions’ Bev Marshall’s short story Saturday Confessions is a coming-of-age story. The theme is about the inner struggle to understand burgeoning sexual maturity within the confines of the morality one has learned. The two forces often run opposite. The story is set in a church, underscoring the turmoil of a young girl named Layla Jay. The author teaches us through Layla Jay that children will experience strife regarding their new feelings associated with puberty and the morals they are taught by society or religion. Marshall’s tale illustrates that children will move from the lessons learned in childhood to becoming teenager; moreover, they may not understand the changes that are occurring, inevitably experiment and act on those new feelings despite what they learned at church. The author shows us that although Layla Jay is already experiencing signs of puberty, she does not understand. Religion has often made sexuality taboo, but naà ¯vetà © will not stop physiological matu rity. Layla Jay has limited carnal knowledge, but her body is a reacting to these new desires. The author state, â€Å"As I held the note, imagining being fifteen and blond and easy with boys, heat rose up inside me.† (Marshall 873) This is an example of the thoughts the main character is having. She may be unaware of what â€Å"being easy with boys† (Marshall 873) means, but she is aware of how it makes her feel. When pretending with Bobby, the object of her infatuation,

Reflection Paper for Inside Islam - 638 Words

Reflection Paper Two On the film Inside Islam Submitted to: Prof. Elma M. Lumantas Submitted by: Cresinte Gumilao Subject: History 3 Day and Time: T-Fr 4:00-5:30 School: MSU-GSC Date: March 10, 2011 Part 1. Summary Inside Islam’s background comes from this often misunderstood faith back to its tradition origins before and within the Hebrew Bible, also providing information about on how the religions central constituents helps spread Islam religious belief throughout the world. This video provides information on what the QuRan says about topics ranging from violence to suicide, and how many aspects of Islam have been distorted by religious cons. Experts such as Khaled Abou el Fadl, author of -Speaking in Gods Name,†¦show more content†¦The photography and editing of this work are excellent. The History Channel did a great job of editing and interviewing a number of people, but I felt it could have been more effective and scholarly, should they have included prominent orthodox Christian scholars to the discussion. Some of those who did interview seemed to miss the overwhelming significance of when someone does not believe that Jesus is both fully God and fully human. Another pers pective is that the DVD does not emphasize the centuries of Islams opposition toward Jews that is the trademark of its impact in the Middle East. They do not treat well the absolute exclusion of conversion to either the Jewish or Christian faith by Islams adherents and the inevitable consequence of reprimanding and even death when someone chooses to do so. Hence, it gives its people a clear sense of democracy talking about the selection of the which faith they want to believe. Moreover, the Islam is not dominating in the sense that it does not force any individual to follow their faith especially when it is against one’s will. One could easily watch the program and come away with the idea that it is one of the three great peaceable religions of the world, of equal merit, just different, from the other to major religions. It postures that Islam is simply a new revelation of the same faith of the same God which originated with the Jews, was further revealed in Christianity,Show MoreRelatedHow Has Art Affected Islam?1325 Words   |  6 PagesHow has art affected Islam? 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Essay on The Development of the Character of King Lear

â€Å"King Lear† is one of the most complicated of all Shakespeares plays. It is about political authority as much as it is about family dynamics. It is a ruthless play, filled with human cruelty and awful, nonsensical disasters. Lear, an autocratic leader, is the king of Britain and has three daughters, Regan, Cordelia and Goneril. Regan and Goneril are cold, heartless and selfish, whereas Cordelia, the youngest is quite the contrary, honest, realistic and straightforward. P Lear is introduced with trumpets and crown. The symbol of his authority is carried before him. This gives the audience the picture of a King who can command respect and has the ability to speak with eminence. His first form of speech is spoken with the royal `we:†¦show more content†¦He is disappointed and he feels rejected- so he in turn rejects his daughter. His language is as violent as hers is plain; where Cordelia spoke of the simple, natural relationships of parent and child. He confesses his love for her; he is too emotional to be ware of his actions: â€Å"I loved her most, and thought to set my rest on her kind nursery.† P At the beginning of the play Lear speaks with measured dignity and authority, even after he has resigned all power along with his kingdom. He is seen as `an old man full of changes and liable to constant stars, in the eyes of Goneril and Regan. Kent who we see as loyal and honest and very protective of Lear is disguised as a witty persona to encourage Lear to allow him to remain near by. He respects Lears authority. Lear responds to Kents language with informality and lightheartedness, even when Kent risked the king displeasure with the joke about Lear being poor, but Lear responds with good humor. There is the theme of the natural order being overturned when Oswald behaves insolently to Lear, he seems to be enjoying his rebellious role. He is seen as an evil character and he can easily defy Lear when provoked. P The Fool makes his first appearance and comments on Lears folly in riddles and songs. The fool always provides answers that are deep in their meaning, but these answers are also simple sounding, like a joke. A lot of his lines refer directly to property, theShow MoreRelatedKing Lear Character Development Essay1662 Words   |  7 PagesKing Lear is understandably one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, it encompasses the journey through suffering and explores, in detail, the idea of justice. Each character in the play experience s one or the other throughout the progression of the plot, it is evident that through compositional features such as these, the play write is trying to convey this meaning. Through methods such as intense imagery, motifs, repetition of words and rhyming the play write has given intensity to certainRead MoreEssay about Lears Character Development in Shakespeares King Lear1210 Words   |  5 PagesLears Character Development in Shakespeares Ki ng Lear Though King Lear, of Shakespeares play, King Lear, wrongs both Cordelia and Kent in his harsh treatment against them, the unjust actions of Regan and Goneril against King Lear cause him to be a man more sinned against than sinning (3.2.60-61). In order to relieve himself of the problems and work associated with holding his position so he can unburdened crawl toward death, King Lear, of pre-Christ Britain, divides up his kingdomRead MoreKing Lear : A Shakespearean Shakespearian Tragedy1540 Words   |  7 PagesThe play King Lear is what is known as a Shakespearian tragedy. All that this means is that it was written by Shakespeare, possibly one of the most famous playwrights in history, and that the play is considered to fit into the category of a tragedy. A tragedy can be simply described as a play with an unhappy ending. Shakespeare wrote a number of tragedies, and readers of the plays debate which tragedies were the best. King Lear is certainly a well-known tragedy, but should it be counted as one ofRead More The Importance of the First Two Scenes in King Lear1568 Words   |  7 PagesThe Importance of the First Two Scenes in King Lear      Ã‚  Ã‚   King Lear, as I see it, confronts the perplexity and mystery of human action. 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Although he was the most authoritative character in the play, it became highly evident that he was not as astute and quick-witted as others andRead MoreRole Of A Fool Or Jester During Elizabethan Times1351 Words   |  6 Pagesespecially the King. The fool would sing, dance, make jokes and make a fool of himself. In Shakespeare’s King Lear, the fool has many roles. When Lear banishes Cordelia from his kingdom, the fool in a way takes on Cordelia s role. He is not only a fool, but through his sarcasm and irony, he becomes the king s loyal advocate by pointing out the king’s shortcomings. The fool is the only one who is able to criticize the king of his shortcomings without consequences and is able to abate the king s behaviorRead MoreComparison Of King Lear And The Catcher In The Rye940 Words   |  4 Pagesaround him in a negative perspective. 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His contrasts of light and dark, good and evil, and his brilliant illustration of parallels between the foolishness of the plays characters and society allowed him to craft a masterpiece. Just as well, Shakespeares dynamic use of linguistic techniques such as pun and irony aid this illustration of the perfect microcosm, not only of 16th century Britain, but of all timesRead MoreAchieve a Level Four Performance in an Oral Exam Through the Formal Speech/the Oral Essay1002 Words   |  5 Pagesfeet.† How much more we suddenly know about the shoes and the feet, thinking of them together. This is the power of comparison and contrast. In this comparative-analysis essay, you need to describe, explore, and explain how different events, characters, or ideas in two literary texts are connected or related. You need to draw them together to show how they are similar and/or different. While â€Å"comparing† i s widely accepted as including both similarities and differences, â€Å"contrasting,† however

Symptoms And Diagnosis Of Alzheimer s Disease - 3618 Words

Dementia is an ever-growing problem for society; with the world population living for longer it is estimated that by 2050 over 115 million people worldwide will suffer from some form of dementia (World Alzheimer’s Report, 2009). Dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease is the condition that stems from Alzheimer’s disease in particular, rather than other conditions such as vascular dementia or fronto-temporal dementia for example. Earl symptoms may include problems generating people’s names or the correct names of objects, observable difficulty cognitively functioning in social situations, short term memory retention difficulty, continuously misplacing important objects, poor executive functioning, and a shift in mood such as depressive and irritable swings (Holsinger, Deveau, Bustani, Williams, 2007; Llewellyn, 2010). The causes of Alzheimer’s disease are considered to be of genetic, environmental and lifestyle choices (Munoz Feldman, 2000). T here is as yet no known specific cause of Alzheimer’s disease, and the focus of this essay necessarily concentrates on differentiation and prediction of cerebral changes in Alzheimer’s Disease. This essay will examine past research that has observed the ways in which the utilisation of MRI has enabled the future pathways of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia to be understood and expanded, in relation to individual treatment plans and future research. Understanding the implications of suffering with dementia associated withShow MoreRelatedSymptoms And Diagnosis Of Alzheimer s Disease2581 Words   |  11 PagesWord Count: 1840 â€Æ' It is estimated that currently 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease. [1] 60-70% of dementia cases in the elderly are caused by Alzheimer’s. 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Oryx And Crake And Political Practices - 911 Words

Oryx and Crake and Political Practices The dystopian future depicted in the novel Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood is one that is composed of a multitude of premises that are capable of being applied in fields other than strictly literary ones. One such field that this work can apply to is that of politics, and more specifically political theory. Atwood’s dystopian world is one that many political philosophers would compare to premises set forth by Thomas Hobbes, Niccolà ³ Machiavelli, Aristotle, and Plato. The political lens that this work can be viewed through allows for a portion of each philosophers ideas and theories to shine through. The first theory that is applicable is that of Plato. In Plato’s Republic one is introduced to a theoretical work in which the perfect just society is divided into three categories based on the metal soul that one is born with. The souls of gold are the philosopher kings, while those of silver are the warrior class, and the ones of bronze are the working class. This idea applies to Snowman for after the entire societal system has collapsed around him, he protects the Crakers from the harm that knowledge of what really happened could bring. Also Snowman would be a part of the philosopher kings for he lives apart from the Crakers, and has the wisdom and capability to think on a higher level and consider other options. Plato states in Book 2 that the philosopher kings lead simple lives due to the ever increasing complexity of the definitionShow MoreRelatedMargaret Atwood : A Social Activist1225 Words   |  5 PagesFeminist Literature The 1980s signified the continuation of an era of social and political upheaval in the United States of America. At the forefront was a socially conservative agenda that aimed to rescind women’s rights only ratified less than a decade before, a marked display of the nation’s desire to uphold traditional values that defined the preceding generation (Franà §oise). Among the devastating political climate, however, was Margaret Atwood: a voice that refused to be silenced, a progressiveRead MoreAnalysis Of Oryx And Crake By Margaret Atwood1619 Words   |  7 PagesIn the novel Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, the protagonist, Snowman, lives in the aftermath of a society that was controlled almost entirely by pharmaceutical companies. Snowman, who used to be known as Jimmy, lives in isolation as the human population has been wiped out by a disease that was spread through a drug meant to prevent aging. This was at the hand of his boss and childhood friend, Crake, wh o wanted to make way for a new race of genetically engineered humanoids that are designedRead MoreOryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood1014 Words   |  4 Pagesthe world today is an ever present debatable issue in our current society. In the science fiction novel Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, the author as put by Jayne Glover in critical analysis â€Å"Human/Nature: Ecological Philosophy in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake†, Atwood â€Å"speculates on what the near future may be like considering the realities of contemporary environmental, social and political issues† (Glover 50). Atwood’s novel specifically focuses on the question: when will the line be drawn

Nordstrom a Marketing Analysis free essay sample

Over the years Nordstrom has created individual departments that focus on the individual lifestyles of the customers. The company nor only provides its customers with a wardrobe, but also a countless line of accessories, cosmetics, and fragrance. Over the past few years, the company has added new brands to its product line to satisfy its customer needs. In order to give the best possible service to the customer, the company plans on continuing to update the product line as new customer desires evolve. The employees are extremely focused on creating an environment of customer service within the store as well. The employees are not only focused on meeting the company standards, they are also focused on reaching the standards they have set within their own department as well. Each employee is trusted by the store managers to make good decisions and represent the company well. This trust has built confidence in the employee and enables them to focus all of the energy toward the customer. The atmosphere of the store also shows evidence of the company mission. The store is easy to navigate through, specific soothing colors are well placed throughout the store, and there is always a piano that can be heard playing in the background. These three things create a soothing and comfortable atmosphere for the customer. Nordstrom’s mission of providing customer service, quality, selection and value to its customers is carried out in every aspect of the company. The company employees, store atmosphere, and product line all display extraordinary qualities of service. The Mission Statement of Nordstrom is definitely evident in its day to day operations. Situation Analysis (SWOT Analysis) Internal Strengths and Weaknesses History (Sales, Profits, Organizational Philosophies) Nordstrom was co founded 1901 by a 30 year old man named John W Nordstrom and his partner Carl Wallin. At age 16, John W of Sweden left his home and moved to Alaska where he struck gold. While in Alaska, he met a man named Carl Wallin, â€Å"who owned a shoe repair shop in downtown Seattle† (Nordstrom Employee, 2006). The two decided form a partnership and open a shoe store entitled Wallin Nordstrom. Right form the start, the business philosophy was â€Å"based on exceptional customer service, selection, quality and value† (Nordstrom Employee, 2006). Focusing on this philosophy helped Nordstrom develop a competitive advantage in the shoe market. Due to their success, the company opened a new store in 1923. The company was soon taken over by John W’s sons. Under their management it â€Å"grew to become the largest independent shoe chain in the United States. By the 1960’s the current market had started to reach maturity and the company began to look â€Å"for new ways to spread its wings† (Nordstrom Employee, 2006). In an attempt to diversify itself, and gain greater market penetration, Nordstrom took on a new name, â€Å"Nordstrom Best†, and ventured into the clothing market. Now, upon entering a Nordstrom store, â€Å"customers were greeted with a selection of both shoes and fine apparel† (Nordstrom Employee, 2006). Now for the first time in history, Nordstrom offered a diverse product mix, something no other competitor offered. In 1971, under the third generation of management, the company decided to go public. Two years later Nordstrom reached a critical point in its business, surpassing $100 million in sales, making it the largest volume specialty store on the west coast. Profits were growing, market share was increasing, and Nordstrom’s marketing plan seemed to be working. Even though Nordstrom was experiencing tremendous success, the management was not satisfied. There was still room to grow. In order for Nordstrom to retain its competitive advantage, the company needed to revise its marketing strategy and further its market penetration. The company decided to take action. By 1975 the company penetrated into the markets of Alaska and California and by the late 80’s, the company opened up the first Nordstrom Rack in the mid 70’s. This store was a â€Å"clearance center for full-line store merchandise† (Nordstrom Employee, 2006). The higher prices in the regular store targeted the upper segment of society, while the Rack enabled Nordstrom to orient itself to a completely new crowd. Today, more than 100 years after its establishment, Nordstrom maintains the same focus of offering â€Å"the customer the best possible service, selection, quality, and value† (Nordstrom Employee, 2006). This is evident in the product line and store ambience. Nordstrom has created a unique store atmosphere designed to enhance the shopping experience of the customer. â€Å"Instead of categorizing departments by merchandise, Nordstrom† has â€Å"created fashion departments that fit individual’s lifestyles† (Nordstrom Employee, 2006). Focus on serving the market (or customer’s needs and wants) has helped Nordstrom grow from a small shoe store in Seattle â€Å"into a nationwide fashion specialty chain† (Nordstrom Employee, 2006). Nature of Firm/Current Situation Aside from Nordstrom’s customer service, one of its most influential qualities is the store atmosphere. Immediately after walking into a Nordstrom, one experiences a sense of calmness that is not experienced when walking into other department stores. At Nordstrom, â€Å"careful attention has been given to achieving an esthetically pleasing atmosphere†, a Nordstrom customer commented (Bee H, 2006). Nordstrom has put a lot of research into testing different layout scenarios within each store. Every time the layout of a department changes, a diagram is made and a record of sales is kept for that layout. From this information, Nordstrom has been able to develop the most economical and profitable layout for the customer and the organization. The Nordstrom colors are also carefully selected. Deep earthy colors present customers with a comfortable and desirable atmosphere. Deep red, brown (wooden floors), blue, purple and green are used to color the store. Every color is strategically placed throughout the store to enhance the shopping experience. Nordstrom has put a lot of research into effects that color has on the human psyche. For example red is chosen because it produces feelings of â€Å"energy, desire, and attention† (Bear , 2006). Purple is another color that is placed in distinct locations throughout the store. It brings about feelings of self assurance, dignity, high aspirations, royalty, sophistication, wealth, ambition, fame, luxury, and power. These two colors are used to promote confidence and feelings of satisfaction within the customers as they shop. During sales, employees are also given a tie to wear which almost always includes the color purple. Purple is also found near the more expensive items in the store. The color scheme is critical in creating a store atmosphere that is desirable to customers. Aside from the colors, the product layout also plays an essential role in providing a even-tempered atmosphere. Nordstrom has separated its products into different departments for men and women. This helps provide better service as each department can cater to the specific needs and wants of the customer. Within each department the clothes are either laid out on hanging racks or on tables. Organization is the primary focus when setting up the departments. Clothes are always neatly folded and clothing racks are well separated. A general rule of thumb is that if two people can not walk side by side between two fixtures, they are too close together. To produce an even cleaner look, jackets and heavier clothes are always hung on wooden hangers instead of plastic. The most famous contribution to the atmosphere of Nordstrom is the Piano. Nordstrom has created a â€Å"partnership with Levine School of Music† where it hand selects students to work for the company upon graduation. The partnership is working; â€Å"the dude playing the piano just adds to the calm shopping atmosphere† commented one man after a day a day of shopping (Bee H, 2006). To provide even more relaxation, comfortable couches are usually found somewhere around the piano for tired shoppers to sit down and for men to wait while their wives shop. Andrew Cooper, a computer design major at North Park University in Chicago said â€Å"these couches are a great place for me to relax while my wife spends all my money†. Resources of the Firm Finance: Nordstrom uses a verity of resources to help attract new customers and retain its current customer base. By far, one of its biggest resources is in the area of finance. Nordstrom recently â€Å"reported third-quarter earnings of $135. 7 million† (Portland Business Journal , 2006). These earnings jumped unexpectedly and are up from $107. 5 million earlier this year. The financial resources of Nordstrom are an essential part of the companies marketing plan. This money has given Nordstrom the ability to put on expensive training programs for employees, purchase personal book (a customer database program), send out bulk mailings to customers (such as catalogs, promotions, etc. , build new stores, and create a customer friendly in-store atmosphere. Human: Nordstrom’s employees and management are the company’s most valuable resource. An article written in the Seattle PI describes exactly why this is true. It states that, â€Å"Nordstrom salespeople make decisions as if managing their own business; they are trusted to do what is right. Everyone else in the company is ther e to help the sales staff make the sale and please the customer† (Mulady, 2001). The way the employees are treated and valued is a perfect portrayal of the company’s mission of providing the best possible customer service and value to the customer. Even though the sales person is the front man for the company (being put in positions of direct contact with the customer), the human resource and management team act as the glue that holds the company together. The president of the company, Blake Nordstrom, says that people in support positions â€Å"like myself or someone in human resources that isn’t on the floor manning a register,† needs to understand that their job is to use the â€Å"energy and the activities they’re doing (to) contribute to a better customer and employee experience† (HR Magazine, 2006). It is therefore extremely important that the workers in the HR department stay connected to the selling process in order to stay connected with the employees. It is this connection that helps the employees â€Å"take care of their customers†. It is not unusual for employees to go in on their days off to meet a customer that is in need of a new suit or pair of shoes. The manager of the men’s suit department at the Tacoma Nordstrom comes in regularly on his days off. In an interview he commented that if a customer is in need â€Å"I will find them the suit, get it altered for them so they can have it in time† (Mulady, 2001). The sales employees have a tremendous amount of trust in the tailoring shop. One employee comments: â€Å"We rely heavily on the tailoring shop; they are great† (Mulady, 2001). In one situation, a baseball player needed a special shirt for a conference that Nordstrom did not have. To solve this problem, the sales person took a few shirts up to the tailor shop and used the material to make a brand new shirt. The shirt was then delivered to the player’s hotel room that afternoon. The employees of Nordstrom are what keep the company going. The trust built between employees is critical in helping Nordstrom provide the excellent service it does. Without trust and support of all the company’s workers, Nordstrom would be just another company. Physical: Currently Nordstrom operates â€Å"156 US stores located in 26 states† (Nordstrom Staff, 2002). Of these stores, there are 99 full line retail, 49 Nordstrom Racks, 5 Faconnable boutiques, 1 free standing shoe store, and 2 clearance stores. Even with all of these stores, the company is not satisfied, and is seeking to expand its physical existence even further. Nordstrom is currently in the process of establishing a store in Kenwood, Cincinnati. When interviewed about this decision, president, Erik Nordstrom, exclaimed â€Å"there is still much more opportunity to increase our presence around the country where our customers live and shop† (Fasiq, 2006). Nordstrom has also planted stores internationally where it operates 35 Faconnable boutiques, primarily in Europe. Customers of Nordstrom can even enjoy a unique shopping experience without setting foot in the store. The company has developed a unique online and mail order catalog designed to reach those customers who are interested in its products, but may not have the time or desire to come into the physical store. These resources are extremely important to the company. The two contrasting stores (online and physical), reach two diverse crowds. The physical stores provide a tangible place that customers can relate to all across the country, while the online stores take advantage of the stores reputation. They reach customers who have heard good things about the store but do not like to shop. Policies and Objectives of firm Nordstrom has established many different policies designed to keep employees on track with its mission. The use of good judgment is the number one guiding principle for the employees of Nordstrom. The first page of the employee â€Å"Code of Business Conduct and Ethics† states â€Å"at Nordstrom, we expect you to use good judgment when it comes to taking care of our customers. But we don’t expect you to do it without help from us† (Nordstrom Management, 2006). This policy lets the sales people know that the management stands behind them at all times. Aside from the standard company policies reguarding sexual harassment, stealing, drugs or alcohol, and preventing theft; the company also has some policies that make it unique. Employees are not allowed to accept gifts from anyone with whom they do business. This policy was instilled to uphold Nordstrom’s reputation of acting fair, honest, and professional. Accepting a gift can create the inkling that the gift inappropriately influenced the business transaction. The code of Ethics also tells employees that the company expects its employees to use personal book (a database that includes customer’s information such as purchases, sizes, etc. ) on a daily basis. This policy was designed to help the company keep their â€Å"reputation for excellent follow-through and service† (Nordstrom Management, 2006). However, since this in personal information, the company states that, â€Å"Personal Book and its contents are confidential and†¦ should be used in accordance with the Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Expectation† (Nordstrom Management, 2006). When an employee ends his/her career with Nordstrom, their personal book is closed off to them and returned to Nordstrom. All of these policies help keep Nordstrom on track with its mission. Almost all of the sections in the handbook for employees end with a line about using good judgment. This shows that Nordstrom has confidence in their employees. Nordstrom truly believes that if the employees use good judgment, the customers will get the best possible service the company can offer. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Nordstrom provides many benefits to its employees. The company provides time off with pay for personal and family needs. It also provides paid time for observed holidays. Each employee is also provided with a twenty percent discount at all Nordstrom locations. Nordstrom employees also have many long term benefits available to them. These Benefits include a 401(k) and profit sharing plan, where an employee can divert 50 percent of his/her compensation on a pretax basis, and an Employee stock Purchase Plan where the employee can purchase stock at a 10 percent discount. Full medical/vision and dental coverage are also provided by the company. Basic short term and long term disability coverage, as well as basic life insurance and long term care are also included in the standard benefit package. These benefits help the employee find meaning in their work and promote a positive attitude throughout the organization. A complete list of all the benefits provided by Nordstrom can be found on page †¦ in the back of this report. External Opportunities and Threats Social Social factors play a big role in what the way the company operates. For example, in Belleview Nordstrom offers a more upscale product line such as Gucci and other upper echelon brand names. This difference in product lines is evident in the Nordstrom in Tacoma as well. The Tacoma store is located in an area surrounded by many different social classes. Because of this, the store carries a more neutral line of products such as Calvin Cline, Cole Hann, Polo, Northface, and Tommy Bahama. These brands are brands that all of the target market of Nordstrom considers being very nice. To reach the outer limits of the Tacoma population, the store also sells products ranging form Coach and Burberry (reaching the wealthier population), to the Nordstrom brand (reaching the less wealthy consumer). Nordstrom is also a company that strongly believes in diversity. On its webpage under the diversity section it says â€Å"One of the best ways we can provide excellent customer service is by working to reflect the communities we serve† (Diversity Affairs Team, 2006). The company believes that an atmosphere encouraging diversity helps the employees as well as the customer. It is â€Å"deeply committed to cultivating an environment where the contributions of every employee, customer and vendor are respected† (Diversity Affairs Team, 2006). Creating a diverse company is an important step that Nordstrom has taken to broaden its customer service. Demographics Demographic issues are a big an important issue at Nordstrom. This is shown not only in the mission of the company, but in the physical store itself. Now days a majority of women in the United States enter the workforce after college. Nordstrom has created distinct departments to reach these women. In these sections of the store, women can find suits, and other more expensive dress clothes that Nordstrom would have not carried 20 years ago. The American family has also changed dramatically in the past decade. Because of this Nordstrom has changed its focus toward the individual. Ten years ago, it would not be a common sight to see moms shopping with their children, or dad’s waiting on the couch by the escalator with their children. Now days, it is almost unheard of to see families walking around the store. Teenagers, women, and men all come alone or with their significant other. The every store use to give balloons to children, employees all over the store would stop and talk with them and a lot of the mannequins were placed together (a man with a woman, or a child). Now the mannequins are all placed individually around the store, and it is rare enough to see a kid, let alone a kid with a balloon. In order to retain market share Nordstrom has shifted its focus more toward the individual. It has downsized its youth departments and added more upscale departments. Competition Nordstrom is dealing with competition on many different levels. It is competing with higher end stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Barney’s. It is also competing with second tier stores such as Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. Because of the diverse competition, Nordstrom constantly stays one step ahead with its unprecedented customer service. Saks Fifth Avenue: Saks Fifth Avenue can be categorized as a mini version of Nordstrom. It has similar products, but targets a smaller market and carries less variety. To make it unique, Saks â€Å"focuses on other products such as bridal† (Nordstrom comparative analysis). In comparison to Nordstrom, Saks is slightly more expensive and is well known for its â€Å"much higher brand names† (Nordstrom Comparative analysis). There is also a difference in the store layout at Saks. Unlike Nordstrom, which it is categorized by department and where popular trendy goods are on the main floor, Saks â€Å"bottom floor consists of shoes, make up and teen clothing, and the upper floors are bridal and much higher priced brands and products† (Nordstrom comparative analysis). However, the major difference between the two companies is not in the layout of the store, the products offered, or the price of the goods. The major difference is the focus of the company. The mission statement of Saks is completely different from that of Nordstrom. Saks says the focus of their company is â€Å"to be a great place to shop, a great place to work and a great place to invest† (Nordstrom comparative Analysis). Money is what seems to be the number one marketing objective of Saks. On the other hand Nordstrom focuses on the treatment of the customer. It does not have a formal mission statement but the company’s core values can be summed up by the statement â€Å"through these doors pass the most courteous people in the world†. This statement is found at the employee entrance of almost all Nordstrom stores across the country. Bloomingdales: Bloomingdales might just be one of the most famous stores in the world. Bloomingdales is known for its â€Å"Big Brown Bag† which is something that all avid shoppers like to be seen carrying around. The mission of Bloomingdales is â€Å"to seek and create†, which is a statement that is well carried out by the company (Nordstrom comparative analysis). The company has a hand picked product development team that travels to Europe looking for new fashion ideas. If they do not find what they are looking for they create it. The extreme focus on product development and diversity has made the company famous for having a tremendous product mix. However, some stores rather cluttered. The Layout seems to have no structure and Bloomingdale’s pricing ranges form being competitive with Foley’s to stores far more expensive than Nordstrom. On the other hand, Nordstrom has a focused store with individual departments and consistent prices. Its does not have as much variety in its stores, but it can special order and create any product that a customer desires. This creates more satisfaction for the customer because they can easily find what they are looking for. Bloomingdales website also reflects its store atmosphere. It is a full line of goods which overwhelms the customer. The website lacks structure and is confusing to sift through. Nordstrom’s website also reflects it’s in store characteristics. The site is user friendly and easy to navigate through. Macy’s: Macy’s seems to have a similar strategy as Bloomie’s (Bloomingdales). The company is all about selling their name, not their service, unlike Nordstrom. Macy’s also focuses on having a tremendous product width as well as depth. This focus like Bloomie’s has also led the store to look cluttered. Some customers even suggest that â€Å"Macy’s looks more like discount store every year rather than a department store† (Nordstrom comparison analysis). This is again where Nordstrom gains a competitive advantage. It offers a smaller product mix in stores to help keep the customer from getting confused and overwhelmed. Macy’s offers a larger selection of home products than Nordstrom. It has a separate department for home furnishings. This department is so large that many times it is located in its own building next to Macy’s. However, Macy’s has a good selection of home products in its retail stores as well. Again, it is the focus of Macy’s that sets them apart from Nordstrom. The specialization of household products and cheaper prices keep Macy’s competitive in the market. However, Nordstrom’s focus on the customer and the employee gives them the competitive advantage in the industry. Technological In the 1900’s the information systems of Nordstrom â€Å"lagged behind many retailers†, such as JC Penny, Federated Department Stores, Dillard’s, and Belk. (Levinson, 2005) The CFO of Nordstrom commented on the lagging information systems, saying, â€Å"our people at one time were our information system† (Levinson, 2005). During this time the company was reluctant to consider IT â€Å"for fear that it would come between the store and its customers† (Levinson, 2005). A sales slump in the year 2000 was enough to convince Nordstrom that it was behind the times. The threat of other companies gaining a heavy advantage with new technology was too much to handle. Looking at the other models around them, Nordstrom became an early adopter and began buying IT technology. â€Å"Over the past four years†, Nordstrom has spent a total of $350 million on IT products and has found â€Å"that technology has improved, not degraded, the customer service in which it takes such pride† (Levinson, 2005). Nordstrom has integrated two major systems into the company within the last five years. The systems are personal book and a new inventory system at the cash registers. These two systems have helped bring Nordstrom’s customer service to a new level. Personal Book: Personal book is new computer software designed to help companies keep track of customer information. It can track what the customer bought, their size, how much he/she spent, who sold them what, their birthday and other valuable information that sales people need to enhance sales. This is a valuable tool because the sales people can create a more â€Å"personal† relationship with the customer. One former employee quotes â€Å"the personal book was a very useful tool and instilled in me the importance of building and maintaining customer relationships† (Palma, 2006). This quote describes exactly what puts Nordstrom in a class of its own. Adding a personal touch is the difference between good and great companies. The implementation of personal book has dramatically increased sales at Nordstrom. After its introduction in 2005, Nordstrom’s first quarter sales increased â€Å"7. 7 percent to $1. 7 billion, compared with $1. 5 billion† in the first quarter of the previous year. Levinson, 2005) Total sales for the second quarter also rose 7. 8 percent. CFO of Nordstrom Michael Koppel reported that â€Å"approximately a third of all sales are a result of interactions between sales associates and customers facilitated with personal book† (Levinson, 2005). Nordstrom analysts also have reported that 68 percent of the business from the top sales people is g enerated from personal book customers. More information about personal book can be found on page †¦. Inventory System: The new inventory system has proven to be â€Å"a tremendous home run† (Levinson, 2005). The new system is based around an electronic inventory management system and an automatic replenishment function. Before this new system was installed in 2003, inventory was counted by hand. This old system was definitely â€Å"not the most accurate way to [manage inventory], and certainly wasn’t very quick†, commented Peter Nordstrom during a conference call. This created a problem for the company. The distribution departments could not tell how much inventory was needed in each store, which resulted in a lot more discounts than the company should have had. This loss of money led Nordstrom to purchase an inventory management system. The new inventory system was an electronic system which took a lot of the work load off of the Nordstrom staff. It helped the company determine the demand for each product by using historical sales and fashion trends. Now it could allocate the proper amount and type of merchandise to each store. It also kept track of in store inventory. Every time a product was rung up at the register or returned to the store, the in store inventory went up or down accordingly. This helped the distribution department immensely. They could now replenish the inventory of each store when it was actually needed. This also helped the sales dramatically increase customer service. When a customer wanted to purchase a product, a sales person could look it up on the computer to see how many were in the store, and how many were available at other locations. The results of this new system worked wonders for Nordstrom. Koppel stated that the inventory in 2003 (they year the system was integrated), went down $15 million or 1. 6 percent† (Levinson, 2005). Likewise, inventory continued to go down in 2004, decreasing by 5. 3 percent. Inventory was also turned 10 percent more in 2004. This increase showed the company there was still a lot of room to grow in their current market and that other department stores had good reason to switch to this way of inventory. Marketing Strategy Target Market In each Nordstrom store there is the potential for one consumer to encounter upwards of 30 different departments. For women’s clothing alone, there are 14 clothing options ranging from teenage apparel, to elegant ballroom attire. The multiple departments within the Nordstrom store cause the target market for a single Nordstrom store to range across a broad spectrum of potential buyers. While each of the target markets differs substantially depending on the department, the members of each of these markets do have a main connecting quality. Each customer, no matter the department in which they are shopping, is looking for a quality product that they know will be guaranteed by Nordstrom for a lifetime. Each consumer knows that while the products offered may not be the cheapest, they are quality made products that come with an implied warranty by Nordstrom. Nordstrom does not have a return policy, which will be addressed later in the paper, to ensure that consumers can return any product at anytime, for any reason. Consumers are also looking for a product that is not only well made, but that is usually contemporary in relation to current fashion trends. This makes Nordstrom’s overall target market homogeneous in respect to the demographic and psychographic segments. A person’s income and lifestyle can be the deciding factor of whether they can afford to shop at Nordstrom or not, or whether the products that Nordstrom offers are even of interest. For the sake of space, this paper will look at the target markets of three specific departments within Nordstrom that embody a large number of Nordstrom’s clientele: Brass Plum for juniors, Point of View for women, and Men’s Sportswear. Brass Plum (B. P. ) is Nordstrom’s only junior’s department, targeting young women, ages 16-22 in the middle or upper class. B. P. offers the latest fashion trends for the younger women at a price that is more reasonable than high-end boutiques and department stores. While that price is more reasonable than some places, it still is not as cheap as some other department stores, which is why the target market is the middle and upper class. Those ‘other department stores’ however, do not insure their products as well as Nordstrom’s does, nor is the quality of product comparable either. Lastly, the reason for the target of the middle and upper class is because fashion trends do not usually last for more than a season. Most people of a lower class cannot afford to buy new, trendy clothes every season to match what is popular, which is the only type of clothing that B. P. offers. Point of View has a target market of women in their twenties to early fifties. The age is not clearly defined because more specifically, Point of View has a target market of the working professional woman. While some clothes within Point of View are casual, they still uphold a classy and refined look suitable for a ‘dress down’ day at the office. Most of the selection within Point of View however, is professional attire for the working, middle to upper class woman. The clothes are priced comparable to other high-end department stores, but are backed with the quality guarantee Nordstrom provides all of its products. The one major difference between the selection in Point of View, and other high-end department stores, is that Point of View tries to offer a selection of business wear for the younger working woman that has a trendier edge. This helps to capture the twenty-something market that is usually skipped over in other department stores. It allows young women to look professional, while still looking their age. While carrying this younger professional attire, Point of View still carries the classic suits and shirts that appeal to the more conservative thirty to fifty year old professional women. The last department is the Men’s Sportswear department, which like Point of View, targets men in their twenties to early fifties. The word sportswear might evoke thoughts of soccer or football to some, but in this department sportswear are the clothes worn by the middle to upper class while they sail, golf, or simply lounge around at their beach house. This department is intended for the professional male, who in his daily life must dress in professional attire and would like that to translate into his causal wear as well. This casual wear consists of clothes that portray an image of success and prosperity without a suit and tie. The target market is middle to upper class within this department because of the intended uses of the clothes that are sold. Many of the clothes are intended for sailing and golf, leisure activities that the middle and lower class might not be able to afford. The size of the men’s sportswear department is small in relation to some of the women’s departments, but this can be attributed to men’s desire for consistency and ease when shopping. The prices within the men’s sportswear department are comparable to other high-end department stores, but once again the clothes are backed by the Nordstrom guarantee of quality. While each of the departments have a target market that separates itself from the rest of the store, it can be seen that within all of the heterogeneous factors there are three homogeneous factors that can be found. First, in all departments, the consumer is looking for a quality product that will suit their clothing needs. Second, no matter what their clothing needs, the consumer is looking for clothes that portray a specific image of their choosing, such as an established professional or a young trendsetter. Lastly, throughout all of the clothes offered at Nordstrom each consumer is expecting the Nordstrom, guarantee of quality that ensures the consumers happiness with the product no matter the circumstances. Marketing Mix Nordstrom seeks to achieve the retention of the previously stated target markets through the use of coordinated marketing activities. These include the use of product, place, price, and promotion inside and outside of the store. These four aspects embody the marketing mix, and their objectives and roles are clearly specified through different offerings and outlets. Product The products that are offered within a single Nordstrom store compliment each other very well. On one shopping trip a family is able to buy clothes and accessories for everyone. Women are able to complete an outfit from Point of View by getting the perfect pair of shoes from the Women’s Shoes department, accessorize the outfit in fine jewelry, accessorizes and handbags, and can shop her favorite makeup line in the makeup department, all in one trip. These products are enhanced by a multitude of factors including their warranty, return policy, customer service, and the internal workings of any Nordstrom. Each transaction within Nordstrom comes with an implied warranty of the goods purchased by the consumer. If the consumer is unhappy with the product at anytime, even after the tags are removed, the product has been worn, or the receipt has been lost, the consumer is more than welcome to return the product back to the store for a full refund or exchange – no questions asked. This return policy is exemplified through the mythical story that circulates throughout Nordstrom stores and their competitor’s outlets. It has been said that a woman tried to return a set of snow tires that she claimed she bought at her nearby Nordstrom store. When the employee was unsure of what procedure to follow since Nordstrom did not sell tires, the employee contacted the store manager. The manager told the employee to take back the tires and offer a full refund of the standard price for snow tires to the woman. So while it is obvious that Nordstrom might not appreciate consumers returning goods from other stores, they are dedicated to customer service and their guarantee of quality. Nordstrom wants to carry quality items that consumers will love, and if the consumers decide they do not, they are able to return them at anytime. This allows Nordstrom to have an absent return policy to ensure that a return is bound by no limits. Aside from offering their products for free, customer satisfaction within a Nordstrom cannot be better guaranteed in any other way. By knowing that every purchase is basically guaranteed for life, a consumer’s satisfaction is not bound by any measures on behalf of Nordstrom. Along with such a liberal return policy, Nordstrom offers a range of other amenities for consumers to enjoy and enhance the value of the product to the customer. For instance, with anything that you purchase from Nordstrom you can have it altered for free. Upon trying the clothes on, a person from the alteration department will come to your fitting room and measure your clothes according to your needs. The altered clothes are usually available within a week’s time. Also, in the lingerie department, women can receive a free and accurate bra fitting. Unlike other popular lingerie stores, employees within the lingerie department must attend class and earn the right to do bra fittings. This ensures each consumer an accurate fitting. In the shoe department, if a pair of leather shoes is too tight on a consumer’s foot, the Nordstrom employee will stretch the shoes out at no cost. Also, when trying on clothes there is no limit to how many pieces of clothing a consumer is allowed to take in, and a consumer is never expected to clean out their dressing room when they are finished. Any purchase that is made can also be complimentary gift wrapped. While these factors may seem miniscule, it does help consumers reduce shopping time and have a more enjoyable shopping experience. So while the consumer might only be in and out for a white t-shirt, they know that if needed all of these amenities are available for their use, enhancing the value of the product for the consumer. Along with these externally obvious factors of product value to the consumer, there are also internal functions within Nordstrom that ensure that customer service is ideal in any situation. Quality customer service is Nordstrom’s main competitive advantage against its competitors. Nordstrom has focused itself since 1901 on the basis that superior customer service is the first and foremost important aspect of the company. While other companies have a chain of command when dealing with customer service issues, Nordstrom is void of any such rules. When hired at Nordstrom, the new employee is greeted with an employee folder that includes a welcome packet, employee expectations, rewards, benefit information and information about the specific Nordstrom store the new employee will be working. On the very front of each folder is a 57 card that states: â€Å"Were glad to have you with our Company. Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service. Set both your personal and professional goals high. We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them. Nordstrom Rules: Rule #1: Use your good judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules. Please feel free to ask your department manager, store manager, or division general manager any question at any time†. Nordstrom’s idea is to put the employees in control of every situation so that the consumer feels a sense of security at all times within the store. While specific instances might dictate manager involvement, employees are granted the right to deal with consumer situations based on their judgment. These words ring loud within any Nordstrom store because they are printed in the employee entrance and in the backrooms of most departments. Through out the hiring process Nordstrom ensures that customer service is always handled in a way that upholds their reputation. Nordstrom is able to supply a quality product based on the judgment of the consumer, while also providing a trusted and quality environment by empowering the judgment of the employees. Place/Distribution The next factor of the marketing mix is to coordinate the marketing activities for the retention of the target markets through place and distribution. Nordstrom currently has 157 stores located in twenty seven states. These include 99 full-line stores, 50 Nordstrom Rack stores, five Faconnable boutiques, one free-standing shoe store and two clearance stores. Nordstrom also operates 35 international Faconnable boutiques in Europe. Faconnable is a men’s clothing line developed by Nordstrom for the more upscale shopper to accommodate their business and leisure clothing needs. Nordstrom’s popularity is based on the west-coast, primarily because of its headquarters and flagship store in Seattle, Washington. Mainly, the Nordstrom stores are located in shopping malls which usually provide a heavily populated central area which contains a portion of their target market. Since Nordstrom is located within a mall, access is relatively easy for consumers. Even if consumers do live some distance away from the faculties, coming to the mall is more acceptable because they will not only have the option to visit Nordstrom, but will have the ability to shop at other stores as well. This justifies their traveling time, which would not happen if Nordstrom had only free-standing stores. While access to Nordstrom facilities is relatively easy on the west coast, there is room for major improvement by Nordstrom on the east coast. In New Hampshire, Maine, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia and Massachusetts, there is not a single Nordstrom store to date. There are two stores in North Carolina and New York; and one store in Pennsylvania, Missouri, Michigan, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. This is compared to the thirty two California stores, nine Washington stores, five Oregon stores and two Hawaii stores. However, this lack of access to facilities by consumers on the east coast will soon be partially remedied. Nordstrom plans to open twenty five new stores in the next five years. Out of these twenty five stores, it plans on opening four in Massachusetts, two in Michigan and one in Missouri. Once Nordstrom has established a stronger base on the east coast, I believe they will gain an even better reputation and have the ability to fine tune their marketing and customer service strategies. Along in place and distribution is not just the physical outlet that Nordstrom has, but also the atmosphere in each of the outlets. Since we are at the peak of the holiday season, it is a good time to look at the atmosphere within a Nordstrom store. Garland and decorative curtains decorate each entrance into the store. Holiday music played live in each store on the well known Nordstrom piano echoes through the departments on speakers. A giving tree accompanies the bottom side of each escalator, and on weekends the tops of the escalators have live carolers. Each department has holiday specials, and pictures with Santa are held every year. This atmosphere helps to evoke the holiday spirit within the consumers, and also provides them with a place to shop that is enjoyable during the busy holiday time. When it is not a holiday season, front window displays are changed bi-weekly, and in store decorations and manikins are changed multiple times each week. Also, a night cleaning crew makes sure that all the carpets, mirrors and dressing rooms are kept in pristine condition. This type of atmosphere allows the consumer to shop at ease without heaps of clothes in a mess, or stained carpets. Instead, they can go to a place where the only thing they notice is the clothes and the quality of the presentation. Promotion The next factor of the marketing mix is to coordinate the marketing activities for the retention of the target markets through promotion tactics including advertising, public relations, personal selling, and sales promotion. Nordstrom does not engage in heavy advertising. TV commercial spots are few and far between, and only usually take place on major televised events. Instead, Nordstrom does most of its advertising through print. Local newspapers usually contain a full page spread during Nordstrom’s half yearly and anniversary sales. During the holidays, Nordstrom also has featured spreads as well. These spreads are hung in the employee entrance area so that employees are aware of what consumers are looking for, if they come in and refer specifically to that advertisement. Also, Nordstrom puts out two catalogues per month that premiere a few new items within each department. They also feature gift ideas during the holidays, and include an easy way to order straight from the catalogue. Anyone that has a Nordstrom account will receive this catalogue, along with anyone that registers online Advertising: Nordstrom has also engaged in some other intense advertising campaigns in the past few years. Most of these have been directly related to online advertising. In 1999, Nordstrom started to campaign heavily to gain consumer awareness of their new website, Nordstromshoes. com. Nordstrom claims the site is the world’s biggest shoe store. It is titled ‘Make Room for Shoes’. The name was selected to entice users not only to their main website which was linked on the new shoes site, but also to educate users on the broad selection of shoes that Nordstrom offers. In 2005, Nordstrom debuted NordstromSilverscreen. com. The website combined music and pop culture with shopping. Visitors of the site were able to be a DJ and mix up songs recorded by artists specifically for the site. The visitors mixed the song, by mixing up clothes on a corresponding manikin. This allowed visitors to see new fashion trends and learn how to mix and match clothes to find their very own style. Visitors of the site could also ‘shop’ the site, by clicking on any the clothes worn in the video made exclusively for Nordstrom. Anything that the artist was wearing in the video was available for sale at Nordstom. com. Nordstromsilverscreen. om was one of the first attempts by a retailer to mix shopping and interactive media making Nordstrom an innovator in this new market. While Nordstromscilverscreen. com is no longer available to visit, the launch of this new and innovative platform says a lot of Nordstrom. This company is willing to take risks to advertise and capture a new and different consumer, and to evolve and be ahead of other department stores in the advertising industry. Aside from these new websites, Nordstrom. com is still a large, comprehensive site that allows visitors to see everything that Nordstrom has to offer. Visitors are able to search by brand, in-store department, or by age and gender. Along side every choice that the visitor views, is a selection of other clothes that are closely related to the current viewing. Also, if a consumer has provided Nordstrom with their e-mail address, Nordstrom sends out weekly e-mails that highlight new items, and special discounts. Lastly, the newest advertising campaign that Nordstrom embarked on was for the Nordstrom MOD card. The MOD card is a debit card that is set up through a consumer’s personal bank and checking account. The MOD card is specific to Nordstrom, and allows Nordstrom to track what is bought and how much consumers spend. This way, consumers can gain points like what is offered with the traditional Nordstrom’s credit card. For every dollar that is spent, the consumer earns a point; and during promotional events, they can earn twice the points for every dollar spent. Once the consumer reaches a certain level of points, they get a gift certificate in the mail redeemable at any Nordstrom. Nordstrom realized that not everyone wants to hold a credit card at Nordstrom, which led them to the idea of the MOD card. This way, consumers can buy from Nordstrom using cash, and still receive the points they deserve. Nordstrom has heavily advertised the MOD card and the rewards that a customer gains from having a Nordstrom account. Through these advertising activities, Nordstrom is better able to promote their stores in a positive and controlled manner. Public Relations: The next segment of promotion is public relations. Nordstrom is equipped with a public relations representative, who is located at Nordstrom’s headquarters in downtown Seattle, Washington. Consumers are able to find out about public relation activities on their website under investor relations, or in their annual report. On the Nordstrom website consumers are able to find out about new store openings, upcoming events, stock information, news, and press releases. Nordstrom also relies on customer word of mouth. While other competitor department stores deal with union battles, and declining sales, the quality and outstanding customer service is rarely questioned by consumers. Consumers know by personal experience and word of mouth that Nordstrom is dedicated to its customers. Nordstrom also engages in public relations activities through the promotion of some of their clothes. Most recently, Nordstrom has taken an active role in the â€Å"ONE† campaign and formed a partnership with the company Edun. Edun is selling a t-shirt with the word ‘ONE’ across the front. This promotes the idea that if the United States government allocated just one percent of its budget to health, education, and medication for underprivileged countries, the United States could save millions of lives. For every shirt sold Edun contributes ten dollars to the Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight Aids (ALAFA). The ONE shirts are made in Lesotho, Africa. Upon selling the ONE shirt within their stores, Nordstrom donated $100,000 to ALAFA. Nordstrom is also a yearly sponsor in the Race for the Cure, hosted by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness. Nordstrom exclusively hosts the Beat the Bridge to Beat Diabetes marathon in Seattle, Washington. The proceeds benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. So far in 2006, the Beat the Bridge marathon donations have raised $855,078. 57. Through not only their exceptional reputation, but also through involvement in philanthropic activities Nordstrom is able to enhance their public relations. These positive public relation activities in turn influence consumer perception and decision making. Personal Selling: The next section of promotion is personal selling. Personal selling is defined as a purchase situation in which two people communicate in an attempt to influence each other (Lamb, et al, 2006). Personal selling is the basis of Nordstrom’s philosophy and mission statement. Personal selling emphasizes the relationship that is developed between a salesperson and a consumer. Within any department at a Nordstrom store, a consumer will be able to find numerous employees who are knowledgeable about the products they offer, and who are also eager to help them find whatever it is they are looking for. When a consumer is shopping within a department, a single salesperson will usually help them through the entire purchasing process. If what the consumer is looking for happens to be in a different department, that same salesperson will go to that other department and get whatever it s. The salesperson will find sizes, colors, and styles from other stores if what the consumer is looking for is not available at that specific store. Salespeople also can take payment on Nordstrom credit cards at their payment station, and can hold clothes for the consumer. Salespeople are endowed with the ability to manage customer service situations, so if one consumer feels comfort able with a specific salesperson, basically all of their needs can be taken care of through that salesperson. This created a very strong relationship between the salesperson and the consumer. If the consumer knows that when they go to Nordstrom they can count on someone being there that they know and trust, they will be more likely to ask more questions and try on more things. Nordstrom has made personal selling even easier through their new system of Personal Book. Personal Book allows a salesperson to enter in consumer information such as their address, phone number, birthday and recent purchases. During sale times, salespeople are asked to call at least fifty people from their personal book to the consumer know that they are excited to see them at the sale. Having this information also enables the salespeople to send out thank you cards which are supposed to be done a daily basis by a salesperson. The thank you cards are mailed out to the consumer, and add a personal finishing touch to the purchase, which also enhances the bond between the consumer and the salesperson. Personal Book also can keep track of what a consumer has bought, so when Nordstrom has a big sale, some of the consumers who have purchased the most throughout the year are invited to shop the sale prior to anyone else, and to preview what is going to be offered. Personal Book also allows for promotional materials to be sent out pertaining to certain events that occur within a department that a consumer frequently shops. All of these benefits from Personal Book enhance the personal selling aspect of promotion. Consumers are not seen as a target market within the store, but are rather seen as individuals with specific needs and wants that are catered to be the Nordstrom employees. Sales Promotion: The last component of promotion is sales promotion. Sales promotion is everything else that is not covered by personal selling, advertising, and public relations. Usually sales promotions are a quick tool that immediately increases consumer demand of a product. Nordstrom does not offer a lot of the one day sales, or door buster sales that other department stores offer. Instead, Nordstrom focuses all of their attention on their three major sales per year. These include the half yearly sales, in June and November, and their Anniversary sale in August. These attractions are not just a sale, they are an event. Special promotions, rewards and deals are offered. A kick-rally prior to the doors opening helps to hype up the employees for the coming busy weeks. Consumers line up outside of Nordstrom’s doors hours prior to opening. They enter a newly decorated store from the previous day, with new displays, merchandise and prices. Nordstrom focuses on these events for the purpose of showing the consumer that they do not just want to push inventory in and out of the store. They want to offer quality products that consumers enjoy, and reward consumers for their purchases through major discounts at these sales. Lastly, another important factor of these sales is that they have created a tradition. Women and their daughters take time off school and work to attend the first day of the sale. At the sale they go Christmas shopping, school shopping personal shopping. This is important for Nordstrom because their limited numbers of sales are not only seen as a time to get a good deal, but they have penetrated the culture and created more than just a sale. Price: The last factor of the marketing mix is to coordinate the marketing activities for the retention of the target markets through price. Nordstrom strives to provide the most quality product for the cheapest price allowable. However, Nordstrom does cater to an upper and middle class target market which does raise their prices from other lower department stores. Each department within Nordstrom, as stated earlier, has a different target market which does vary the range pf prices immensely within one store. In the St. John department catered to upper class wealthy women, a consumer can buy a suit jacket for $2,000. In Point of View, targeted toward the more middle class women who want to look professional without spending as much, a suit jacket is available for seventy dollars. Through this, it can be seen that the department a consumer goes to will determine the price they will pay. Whatever the dollar price of the purchase, Nordstrom tries to justify that price through their personal selling efforts and their product guarantee. A sale is not just a sale, as proven earlier in the personal selling section. Consumers and salespersons are able to establish a relationship which enhances the consumers purchase experience. Because the consumer knows that no matter what they buy, whether it is a pair of socks, or a mink coat, the quality of that purchase is indefinitely guaranteed by Nordstrom.