Role of Interstimulus Delay in Iconic Memory

Role of Interstimulus Delay in Iconic Memory Sensory memory is the initial structure in the Atkinson and Shiffrin’s modal model of memory. This memory structure temporarily stores information from sensory stimulation for processing and transferring to short-term memory. Within fractions of seconds, this memory will degenerate if remain unattended (Shiffrin Atkinson, 1969). There are two kinds of sensory memory which is iconic memory and echoic memory. Iconic memory is crucial as it stabilizes vision despite the presence of saccadic movements which disturbs visual adaptation to stimulus (Ciccarelli White, 2012). Hence, any delay in between the sensory stimulation and the recollection will cause an effect to the iconic memory. The question is; how much are we able to recall from our iconic memory after a period of delay? In 1967, Neisser coined the term iconic memory and assumed that all visual information are initially held there before being transported to longer lasting memory upon cue (Gegenfurtner Sperling, 1993). Iconic memory involves vision persistence where trails of light retained for fragments of second in memory (Goldstein, 2011). Haber (1983) described iconic memory as the availability to perceive the information briefly after terminating visual stimuli. The persistence and decay of the visual information in iconic memory is first presented in Sperling’s partial report (Sperling, 1960). In partial report paradigm, there is a brief delay prior to the selection cue in reporting the stimuli. The brief delay or known as the interstimulus interval (ISI) which is a time period in between two stimuli (Reed, 2013). ISI is the interval between the end of the visual stimulus and the onset of the cue tone before reporting the displayed information in the partial report technique (Chow, 1985). The effect of ISI on iconic memory in partial report can be explained by Sperling’s theory of iconic memory. Sperling stated that observers have the ability to temporarily store a large capacity of visual information, however as the information decayed rapidly due to the delay, the subjects were only able to report an average of 4.5 items (Sperling, 1960). Hence, as the interval prolonged, the effectiveness of iconic memory decreases despite the large capacity in storage. Besides that, another theory that can explain the cue delay in partial report is the Bundesen’s theory of visual attention. This quantitative model assumed that the sum of perceptual processing resources which determines the rate of processing is inadequate for the information displayed. Processing resources are used to filter information as distractor and target using selective attention. After the allocation of the processing resources, the information races for encoding in the limited capacity visua l short-term memory (Petersen and Andersen, 2012). As the encoding process is time consuming, the information decays as the selection cue delay prolongs thus affecting the items recollection. The partial report paradigm was pioneered by Sperling’s (1960) dissertation in Harvard University. Due to the subjects’ immediate-memory capacity in whole report, he devised a technique called partial report which was to only report a particular array of items arrangement according to different cue tones for each rows projected after the stimulus was displayed. Three to four items per row were used due to limited perceptual span. Higher tone was for upper row, medium tone for middle row and lower tone for lower row. In his study, he aimed to investigate on information decay by measuring the accuracy of the report. This study was conducted on 5 trained subjects who were scheduled for 3 sessions weekly for a total of 12 sessions. Before the subjects report the information, he delayed the instructional tone for 0.0s, 0.15s, 0.30s and 1s after the stimulus display. The results indicated steep decline in accuracy of report as the delay was longer. 91% of the subjects were ab le to accurately report the stimulus but as the delay increased to 1s, the accuracy declined to 69%. He concluded most visual information were registered in the sensory memory but decayed rapidly within fractions of a second (Sperling, 1960). Through his research, he was able to show that in testing immediate-memory, not just knowing the limit of the perceptual span actually is but the ability to recall the items seen needed to be measured. With his findings that perceptual span is actually larger than the ability to recall them, his pioneering study pointed to the discovery of sensory storage. Another study conducted by Merikle (1980) in University of Waterloo, Canada supports the findings by Sperling (1960) in terms of cue delay effect in partial report. This experiment aimed to test on partial report superiority as the cue delay increased for both categories (letters or numbers) and spatial cues (top or bottom). The partial report and whole report were tested on 18 subjects where they were shown 90 sets of stimulus displays from both types of stimulus and the cue were delayed for -250ms, 0ms and +250ms and. The results indicated that spatial cues are more effective than category cues. Both types of partial report condition performed better than whole report, but the decline in performance was greater than whole report when cue were more delayed (Merikle, 1980). This study illustrated that the advantage of partial report is compromised as the cue delay increased. Perhaps, the advantage is due to instruction to report according to rows enhances the accuracy as it involves spatial processing of the stimulus compared to whole report. On the contrary, Darwin, Turvey and Crowder (1972) findings did not show any significant change in partial report over time. This study was conducted on 12 Yale University undergraduate. In contrast to previous studies by Sperling (1960) and Merikle (1980), auditory stimulus was presented and the indicating cue was in the form of slide projection. A set of 20 stimuli with combinations of monosyllable letters and numbers were given over headphones and the ISIs was 0s, 1s, 2s and 4s. They were asked to report the item and the location as indicated in the stimuli. The findings showed that there are no significant differences of performance between each interval (Darwin et al., 1972). One might argue that perhaps this is due to the echoic memory and not iconic memory. However, Sperling’s (1960) assumption on sensory storage decay across time in partial report should apply to auditory memory. Thus, the result should indicate significant rapid decrease of accuracy in partial report. The insignificant finding could be due to the complex instruction that also tests on their spatial processing apart from recalling the items. Furthermore, Kuhbandner, Spitzer and Pekrun (2011) investigated on the consequences of emotion-inducing stimuli on the iconic memory decay. 45 with 32 females and 13 male students from University of Munich took part in this study. Emotion-inducing stimuli which were threatening, neutral and positive stimuli consisted of objects and animal pictures. The indicator was shown in a form of arrow after the ISIs of 14ms, 71ms, 229ms, 500ms and 1000ms. 8 trials were conducted for each stimuli conditions and delays. The subjects reported 4 chosen items out of 12 verbally. As expected, the iconic memory degenerated rapidly as the delay time increased however, for threatening stimuli; the results indicated slow decay of information (Kuhbandner et al., 2011). From this study, we can observe that emotion encourages persistence in iconic memory regardless of the delay period. Perhaps, due to the higher number of females in this study affected the results as emotional perception are different acros s genders. This study suggested that emotional processing occurred faster than selective attention in iconic memory processing. As we can see from previous studies discussed, various adaptations of Sperling’s (1960) partial report paradigm ware used. However, most studies on partial report that supported Sperling’s findings were conducted at least thirty years ago. A current study on the interstimulus delay effect using neutral stimulus on iconic memory needs to be conducted in order to observe whether Sperling’s assumption are still applicable to this date. Past researches have conducted partial report experiments using traditional tachistoscopes (Sperling, 1960; Merikle, 1980) however for this present study, CogLab 2.0 computer application were used for better and more comprehensive material in data collection. For this research we aimed to observe the effect interstimulus intervals on the iconic memory. Iconic memory was measured by the percentage of the recalled items. We hypothesized that the increase in interstimulus interval decreases the percentage of recalled items. Methods Study design In testing out the hypothesis, we conducted an experiment with repeated measure design. Data was gathered through convenient sampling. For this study, the independent variable was the interstimulus interval (ISI) whereas the dependent variable was percentage of the recalled items. Participants Participants in this study consist of 28 (10 males and 18 females) undergraduate Sunway University psychology students who are enrolled in Cognition and Perception course with the age range of 18 to 35 years old. As a part of the coursework, students were rewarded with 1% credit for participating. In selection of participants, the inclusion criterion was those who are wearing visual and hearing aids whereas the exclusion criterion was non-psychology students. Measurement In conducting this experiment, we have used Wadsworth CogLab online laboratory 2.0 (Goldstein, 2011) computer program. Specifically, under the sensory memory section, we have selected partial report experiment. Interstimulus interval. The interstimulus interval was between the end of the stimulus matrix display and cue tone onset. Each interval was varied at 20milisecond (ms), 100ms, 300ms, and 1000ms. Percentage of recalled items. The numbers of correct letters reported for each delay trials are recorded and totaled regardless of the order of the letters. The percentages of the scores are then calculated according to each interstimulus interval conditions. Procedure Ahead of the tutorial class, every student was informed to bring their own headphones to reduce distractions during the experiment. All students who were present on the day of the experiment gathered in the computer lab with one computer for each student. This experiment was only conducted in one session with all participants at once with estimated time of completion at about 20 minutes. All participants were assigned to complete every condition of the interstimulus intervals. As the class started under the supervision of a lecturer, the students were allowed to read the instructions and start the experiment at their own pace. They were required to fill in their student ID and put on their headphones before beginning the experiment. As they started, they were exposed to 3 different cue tones to familiarize them with indicator tone on which row to report. Low-pitched tone was for bottom row, medium-pitched sound for middle row and lastly high-pitched tone for the upper row. For a tota l of 60 trials, each trial started as they pressed the space bar and they had to fixate their vision on a small asterisk at the screen center. After one second and a half, 33 matrix of alphabets appeared on the screen for a duration of 150ms. The interstimulus interval started after the matrix flashed and at the offset of the tone. A tone was played as the indicator and the letters of the indicated row were typed. These procedures were repeated for each trial and the students were asked to keep their eyes fixated on the center throughout the experiment. The results were immediately displayed for each participant on their performance and submitted to e-Learn for pooled data collection. Results To test the decrease of percentage of recalled items as the interstimulus interval increases, the results were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA due to the nature of the experiment where all conditions were tested on within the same subjects. Interstimulus interval was classified as categorical variable with four conditions (20ms, 100ms, 300ms, and 1000ms) whereas the dependent variable, the percentage recalled was a continuous variable. The results illustrated significant decrease from the 20ms to 100ms interval on the percentage recalled, Wilk’s Lambda = .011, F (3, 25) = 4.56, p = .011. To observe the informational decay pattern, further test of pairwise comparison demonstrated that there was there was a significant decline between the 100ms interval and 1000ms interval (mean difference= 8.730; p = .02). Furthermore, between 300ms interval and the 1000ms, there was a significant decrease (mean difference = 8.10; p = .009). However, no significant decrease was found from 20ms interval to 100ms interval (mean difference = 1.99; p = 1.00) to 300ms interval (mean difference = 1.35; p = 1.00), and to 1000ms interval (mean difference = 6.75; p = .136). In addition, there was no significant decrease found between the 100ms interval and 300ms interval (mean difference = .635; p = 1.00) but. Generally, since there are greater decrease from 100ms and 300ms interval to 1000ms interval, there were overall decrease across the increasing interstimulus intervals. The mean scores for each interstimulus interval are shown in table 1. Table 1 Mean and standard deviation of percentage of recalled items after interstimulus delay Discussion This research was carried out to examine the effect of interstimulus delay on the effectiveness of iconic memory. Our hypothesis was testing on whether longer interstimulus delay causes lower performance in the percentage of the test items recalled. The statistical analysis on our data showed that there was indeed a significant decrease in percentage of recalled items across the increasing length of interstimulus interval thus supporting our hypothesis. Our result was found to be consistent with the findings from previous studies (Sperling, 1960; Merikle, 1980) which showed that the information decayed as the time delay increased. On the contrary, our outcome did not support the findings from the studies conducted by Darwin et al. (1972) which indicated no significant difference between the interstimulus intervals and study by Kuhbandner et al. (2011) which indicated persistence of iconic memory despite 1000s of delay. A possible reasoning for this finding is the iconic memory decayed over time due to the use of neutral stimulus items where 12 random letters were briefly displayed. These random letters were non-relatable to one another to make sense of the information. According to the Atkinson and Shiffrin’s (1969) modal model of memory, the sensory memory acted as the pathway to the short-term memory and the information decayed rapidly if remained unrehearsed before further processing of the information. Thus, as the stimulus displayed provided no significance for participants to further process in short-term store and stimulates the information decay. This justification can be supported by the finding by Kuhbandner et al., (2011) as the usage of the emotion-inducing stimulus, particularly threatening stimulus caused longer visual persistence due to the human survival instinct. Hence, the type of visual stimulus used explains why iconic memory is short-lived. Besides that, another possible rationalization on decreasing percentage of recalled items over time was due to blinking. The blinking action momentarily disrupts our vision as we are receiving the visual stimuli. Thomas and Irwin (2006) claimed that blinking restrained cognitive processing from their findings in conducting partial report experiment. Their findings showed that more errors were found under blinking condition. As blinking hinders cognitive processing, it is aligned to the Bundesen’s theory of visual attention where limited processing resources is available hence it requires more time to process more information (Petersen and Andersen, 2012). Blinking puts further setback in the information processing thus leading to the decay of unattended information. Strengths and Limitations As we conducted this experiment in one session where all participants were tested in one sitting, all participants experienced similar external conditions including lighting and temperature that may affect the attention. The similar extraneous conditions contributed to the strength of this study. Besides that, a relatively large number of samples for experimental design research also helped to strengthen this study. For limitations, the convenience sampling method of only conducting the research on a class of psychology students is not representative of the population in Sunway University. Thus, it is difficult to generalize our findings as psychology students are more familiar with the CogLab experiments and the theoretical assumption of partial report. Furthermore, this test was conducted early in the morning as soon as the class begins. The students were not in full-alert state during that hour as they rushed to get to class hence may affect their cognitive processing. Future studies and implications To improve the present study, one of the ways that future researcher can apply is to conduct the experiment on subject from different courses in this university. To remove any biasness in sampling, psychology students should be an excluded as they have basic knowledge on cognitive processing. Besides that, another way to improve this study is by using other types of visual stimulus such as combination of letters and numbers per row to see whether it has an effect on their iconic memory. The current finding suggests that there should be very short intervals in between visual aid presentation especially in videos and movies for visual persistence. Besides that, the finding implies that rehearsals from longer duration of visual display help in retaining the iconic memory. Conclusion In conclusion, this study focuses on iconic memory where we assumed that the percentage of recalled items decreases as there is increase in interstimulus interval. The statistical data analysis indicated that there is a significant decrease in percentage of recalled items as the interval period prolonged. The iconic memory theory (Sperling, 1960) and theory of visual attention (Petersen Andersen, 2012) explained on how the delay affects the iconic memory performance. Iconic memory performance decreases over time due to the decay of information. The finding from this study has implication on filming industries to edit their video materials to reduce the iconic memory effect as cut-scene changes.

Zinc Deficiency in Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression

Zinc Deficiency in Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression Study of the relation between zinc deficiency in pregnancy and postpartum depressin Maryam Asltoghiri, Zahra Ghodsi Abstract Maternal zinc deficiency during pregnancy has been related to adverse pregnancy outcome. Recently, zinc deficiency has been on the focus as causing depression. The study was conducted to the determine the relation between zinc deficiency in pregnancy and postpartum depression. This prospective describe-analytical study was conducted on the population of women admitted to Fatemmie hospital in Hamedan city in west of Iran in 2011 .The study sample included 132 normal ( non depressed confirmed by the beck test) pregnant woman who were selected by convenient non-probability methods. Blood sample were collected from pregnant cases in 38-40 weeks and serum zinc was assessed by Enzymatic technique. Standard values under 85 mg/dl were defined zinc deficiency. In 28th days after delivery, they completed the Edinburgh Questionnaire. The relation between their postpartum depression and zinc deficiency was assessed. There was no significant difference in demographic in the between two groups. Th e results showed that zinc deficiency had increased the chance of postpartum depression (p Key words: zinc deficiency, postpartum depression Introduction Women, especially women of child-bearing age, are at high risk of depression ( Escriba`-Agu ¨ir Artazcoz 2011). PPD is a condition occurring in the post-natal period characterized by depressed mood, lack of energy, disruptions of sleep and appetite, loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities, (Crayton Walsh, 2007 ); irritability, excessive physical complaints, lack of libido (Zauderer, 2009), (Gjerdingen et al, 2009 ). Women with PPD may also have recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation, or recurrent thoughts about harming the baby. The onset of PPD may be as early as 4 weeks but is most commonly diagnosed between 6 and 12 weeks postpartum (Posmontier 2008). Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant public health concern. (Krause et al 2009) Maternal depression is very common globally, the prevalence of which ranges from 15% in the United States to 35% in low-income. Furthermore, the average prevalence of maternal postpartum depression within 6–8 wk af ter childbirth is 13% in the general population. (DiGirolamo Ramirez-Zea 2009) Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that has harmful effects on mothers, infants, family and relationships (Nikseresht, 2010) The consequences of postnatal depression on child development in early infancy, later infancy and early childhood have been the focus of a number of studies, with cognitive, emotional and social development potentially affected. (Leigh Milgrom, 2008). Therefore, identifying and treating depression early is a well recognized, public health priority (Segre et al, 2010) Furthermore, depression appears to be more severe in postpartum women and has an increased risk of recurrence. (Krause et al, 2009) Screening for depression in postpartum women is strongly encouraged. (Segre et al, 2010) Given the high prevalence and serious consequences of postnatal depression, efforts have been made to identify risk factors to assist in prevention, identification and treatment. (Leigh Milgrom , 2008). Most observers consider a history of depression, antenatal depression (Posmontier, 2008), stressful life events, low social support, marital problems ( Escriba`-Agu ¨ir Artazcoz, 2011) antenatal anxiety, negative cognitive attributional style, low self-esteem, and low income Other risk factors for postnatal depression cited in the literature include young age, fewer years of education, a history of miscarriage and pregnancy termination and a history of childhood sexual abuse (Leigh Milgrom, 2008) to be implicated in the development of depression, but there is little information available about biological factors. Zinc, one of the biological factors. The importance of zinc was first documented for Aspergillus niger. It took over 75 years to realize that zinc is also an essential trace element for rats and an additional 30 years went by before it was recognized that this was also true for humans. (Hasse et al, 2008) Zinc is one of the most important micronutrient with essential role in biochemical regulation of the body functions (Arast, 2009) Zinc is a cofactor for polymerases and proteases involved in many cellular functions (e.g., wound repair, intestinal epithelial cell regeneration). Zinc has antioxidant properties and may protect against macular degeneration from oxidative stress (Saper Rash, 2009) Due to the wide prevalence of zinc deficiency and the multitude of zinc’s essential biological functions, nutritional correction of zinc deficiency may have a significant impact on different aspects of human health. (Hasse et al, 2008). The prevalence of zinc deficiency is estimated to be high, with billions of people at risk, in particular in the developing world (Saper Rash, 2009) The importance of zinc in pregnancy period was widely studied in various countries. Variation in zinc plasma levels during pregnancy needs more investigation, because maternal zinc deficiencies may cause some severe abnormalities in the fetus ( arast 2009) The first clinical findings published by Hansen et al. indicated low serum zinc levels in treatment resistant depressed patients. Low serum zinc level was late found in major depressed and minor depressed subjects. (Szewczyk et al, 2010) Siwek and associated in 2010 suggest that Recurrent major depression is associated with decreased blood zinc concentrations that may be increased by effective antidepressant therapy. Given the negative implications of postpartum depression on health and wellbeing of mother and child, the current study aimed to examine prospectively the relationships among zinc deficiency and symptom of depression in Fattemieh hospital in city of Hamedan in west of Iran. Method This prospective describe-analytical study was conducted on the population of pregnant women ( mean gestation weeks = 38-40) admitted to the maternity hospital of Fatemieh in city of Hamedan in west of iran during 9-month period in years of 2011 .The sample consisted of 132 normal pregnant women (non depressed confirmed by the beck test) ranging in age from 20 to 35 years who were selected by convenient non-probability method. Our exclusion criteria were as follow : gestational diabetes, thyroid disorder, preeclampsia, history of infertility and stillbirth, unplanned pregnancy and history of depression . All the subjects were explained about the purpose of the study and were ensured strict confidentiality. Written informed consents were taken from each of women. All participants also reported their age, parity status, level of education, annual household income, marital status and history of abortion. Following University ethics approval, women currently 38 to40 weeks pregnant were invited to participate in a study. Blood samples were collected from pregnant cases and serum zinc was assessed by Enzymatic technique. Standard values under 85 mg/dl were defined zinc deficiency. At this time, They were divided into two groups of Zinc deficiency (n= 68) and normal zinc (n = 64) by their zinc levels. They were homogenized as for the confounders. On the 28th days after delivery ,they completed the Edinburgh questionnaire. We assessed depression with the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), a widely used self-report screening measure, at postpartum. We chose the EPDS because it has been validated for postpartum use and does not include somatic items, such as weight change, loss of energy, and tiredness that may be misleading as indicators of depression in the puerperal period. A score >12 indicates probable depression. Validation of the scale against diagnostic clinical interviews indicated a specificity of 78% and a sensitivity of 86% for all forms of depression. (Herring et al 2008) The relationship between their depression and zinc deficiency in 38-40 was assessed. SPSS (SPSS Inc., Chicago IL) statistical software was used for data analysis. All hypothesis tests were two-sided and P-values2, t-test ,mann Whitney, v-cramer and relative risk were used to analyze the obatained data. Results No statistically significant difference was noted in duration of marriage ( 4.27  ± 2.21 and 3.90  ± 1.53) ,socioeconomic (0.05  ± 1.02 and 0.05  ± 0/98 ), granida (60.9% and 61.8% no delivery), history of abortion ( 10/9 % and 7.4 % )and satisfaction of marriage ( 69.24  ±10.88 and 70.84  ± 10.47) between normal zinc and zinc deficiency groups ,respectively. Participants age ranged from 20 to 35 years (M=26.97 years, SD=3.75 and M=26.51 years, SD=4.31) in normal zinc and zinc deficiency groups ,respectively. At 38-40 weeks of pregnancy 68 women were placed in zinc deficiency and 64 women in normal zinc. 14.1% of the normal zinc and 38.2% of the zinc deficiency were found depressed on the 28th day after delivery and zinc deficiency had increased the chances of postpartum depression by 3.78 times.(p Table 1 : Comparison of depression on normal and zinc deficiency groups Conclusion The results indicated that zinc deficiency at 38-40 weeks gestation predicted, prospectively ,increased depressive symptoms at 28 days after delivery. This supported the proposed hypotheses and extended findings of our previous research suggesting that womens experiences of zinc deficiency may have clinical implications for the development of postpartum depression. Musavi and associated in 2006 expressed that major depressed subjects show significantly lowered serum zinc concentration. Results of this study, according to our study. DiGirolamo and associated in 2009 expressed similar results .Siwek and associated in 2010 expressed that Serum zinc is a state marker of depression. Szewczyk in 2010 showed that IRS activation is accompanied by a decrease in serum zinc level. In fact, in patients with major depression, a low zinc serum level correlated with an increase in the activation of markers of the immune system. Thus, these findings raise the hypothesis that the lower serum zinc observed in depressed patients may, in part, result from a depression-related alteration in the immune-inflammatory system. The other data supporting an important role of zinc in depression comes from the findings that the lower serum zinc level observed in depressed patients could be normalized by successful antidepressant therapy. However so further well-designed, adequately powered research is required .Lai and associated in 2012 suggest that potential benefits of zinc supplementation as a stand-alone intervention or as an adjunct to conventional antidepressant drug therapy for depression. Given symptoms of antenatal and postnatal depression are highly correlated, further research should evaluate the impact of antenatal experiences of zinc deficiency and indirectly via postpartum depression. Zinc deficiency in third trimester of gestation could be due to malnourishment or other conditions such as plasma expansion during pregnancy. Enhancing the daily uptake of zinc at the third trimester could be supportive.( arast et al 2009 )Zinc can improve depressive symptoms by nitrergic pathway. This element as supplement compounds could be alternatives for antidepressants in postpartum period. (Nickseresht 2010) The findings are limited as the relationships of earlier zinc deficiency with postpartum depressive symptom. Our findings indicate the importance of screening for the possible impact of zinc deficiency in earlier stages, to enable early treatment and even prevention of the development of antenatal and postpartum depression. Corresponding author: Maryam Asltoghiri

A Good Man Is Hard To Find Essay -- essays research papers fc

Flannery O'Connor's short story collection A Good Man is Hard to Find has many elements of a southern gothic work. Images of ancient castles with sliding panels create suspicious themes and settings that lead the readers into the dark and gloomy world of the southern United States. With all of the violence, horror, and dismal surroundings presented in O'Connor's stories there is too a moral message given. Later gothic work did not always explain horror like this, holding little moral value to contrast their grotesque images (notes, November 1). O'Connor's stories do include a strong moral element, frequently in the form of religious explanations. The characters within A Good Man is Hard to Find are usually ignorant and self-satisfying people, who come across "the grotesque" and are shocked into self-realization, no longer self-satisfied. These grotesque elements are usually the divine in disguise forcing the characters into introspection. In a letter Flannery O'Connor wrote she stated: "You have found Christ when you are concerned with other people's suffering and not your own." In this quotation we can see the moral message O'Connor was attempting to convey in her stories, and through further analysis of the work this fact can be more clearly illustrated. In the first story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, O'Connor's moral message is clearly presented. The grandmother protagonist in the story is very self-serving. She demands constant attention (although rarely getting it) and stubborn in the fact that her wishes must be carried out. She only wants to go to Tennessee to see old connections (O'Connor, pg. 1). The grandmother cannot move away from past and is at the same time confused by accuracy of past events. On the trip a road stop seems very suggestive of a hellish place: barbecue fires, Red Sammy, etc (O'Connor, pg. 6). The grandmother's lack of character judging is pointed out in this scene. She believes that Red Sammy is a good man because he relates to her old fashioned values (she thinks). Sammy is surprised at this and exclaims, "Yes'm, I suppose so," his unsureness makes the reader question Sammy's character. What is more telling is what the waitress says while bringing the food: "It isn't a soul in this green world of God's that you can trust†¦ I don't co... ...ot helping the needy, greed, dishonesty)? By finally accepting the priests company after becoming bed ridden we can infer that Mrs. McIntyre has indeed been changed by what the displaced person has taught her and is more willing to accept her past deeds and be forgiven for them. As we can see O'Connor's moral message of religion leading people's concerns away from self-suffering is quite prevalent in most of the stories in A Good Man is Hard to Find. By analyzing stories such as A Good Man is Hard to Find, The Displaced Person, The Artificial Nigger, and Good Country People we can see the representation of religion hidden behind grotesque elements that force the characters towards introspection and change. These interpretations can be taken further as a possible comment of American culture showing sometimes a horrible apocalyptic vision. O'Connor's moral lessons seem to be telling us that by finding Christ we may overcome these grotesque elements and become stronger people who, through the grace of God, care more for the people around us than our selfish wants. Bibliography 1. O'Connor, Flannery. A Good Man is Hard to Find. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1976

Essay --

â€Å"The sandy beach is a harsh, constantly changing environment,† explained by the UKMCS (2). This is the ocean is constantly moving because of the wind in the earth’s atmosphere (Crawford 4). Along the edge of most coastlines, a commonly found zone is an estuary (Marine Conservation Society (UK) SouthEast 1). This is where brackish waters, an area where freshwater is released and mixed with the ocean’s salt water, is created (1). However, even though there are small amounts of freshwater added, this does not change that the salinity of the ocean is remarkably high. Salt is carried into the ocean by rain, rivers, streams, and underwater volcanoes (Office of Naval Research 3). Because of the multiple sources of salt, the levels of salinity within the ocean shoot up rapidly. The Office of Naval Research states, â€Å"Salinity is expressed by the amount of salt found in 1,000 grams of water† (3). Marine ecologist created an expression for the amount of salt inside a given area. If there is one gram of salt within 1,000 grams of water, then it is represented as 1 pound per ton (3). The oceans salinity varies between about 32 and 37 ppt (3). Most humans would not be able to live in an ecosystem with salinity levels being this high, however some organisms have adapted to surviving is such an environment. Osmosis is an animal’s way of adapting to different types of salinities (Office of Naval Research 3). All marine mammals have special traits that they adapted to help them survive in or around marine habitats (Marietta College 1). As prompted by the Marietta College of Ohio â€Å"Many organisms in saltwater are osmoconformers.† (1). An osmoconformer is an organism that has the same concentration of salt within its body as the surrounding water (1).... ...terials into the water and can threaten organisms (1). Most NSP is located close to people’s homes. Most importantly is the hazard material that is used and not properly cleaned or disposed of. If people have a septic tank on their property, and it is not the correct size, they can leak and pollute surrounding ground water (1). Poisonous materials from cars and other vehicles such as oil, brake fluid, grease, and gasoline, can be washed off and channel into storm drains, giving them direct access to the ocean (1). If it is not being washed off, then another large problem is when it is spilled or dumped out (Hemminger 4). These products can be picked up by rain and pushed down into storm drains (Natural Resources Defense Council 1). The last most common NSP is when non-degradable products are flushed down the toilet, which can damage the sewage treatment process (1).

Nespresso Co. Analysis

INDEX PART 1 I. NESPRESSO: AN INNOVATION OF PROCESS AND OF BUSINESS MODEL a. Nespresso, a brand of Nestle group b. An innovation of product i. High quality Coffee ii. Designed Coffee machines iii. The Club iv. The Boutique Concept c. An Innovation of Business model in the Coffee Industry: II. COUNTRY CLIMATE d. Cultural Environment v. Art vi. Architecture vii. Literature viii. Music ix. Media x. Science e. Social environment xi. Labor law xii. Social protection xiii. Swiss work permits xiv. Hofstede’s model applied to Switzerland f. Economic environment xv.Economic indicators g. Political Environment xvi. General Background xvii. Political structure xviii. Policy issues xix. Foreign policy III. ADVERTISING REGULATION I. NESPRESSO: AN INNOVATION OF PROCESS AND OF BUSINESS MODEL a. Nespresso, a brand of Nestle group Nestle is one of the largest food and Nutrition Company in the world, and global leader in the â€Å"mass market coffee†. The firm’s strategy is mainly based on innovation. Always looking for new market to enter in or new product to develop, Nestle has a position of pioneer in almost the food and nutrition market.The main objective of this strategy is to be, and stay, in the leadership position and benefit from the first mover advantages. The coffee market is a remarkable example of this aspect of Nestle’s strategy. Nestle was the first to propose instant coffee and this particular product brought the company to the position of leader on the mass coffee market. The second success of Nestle in the coffee market is the launching of Nespresso, a subsidiary company (but with almost a complete autonomy) specialized in Espresso.The initial strategy of Nespresso, launched in Italy, Switzerland and Japan, was to focus on the professional market (Business to Business) and target the restaurants and bureaus in order to sell machines and capsules. This orientation was a total failure and Nespresso had to rethink its strategy. That is why they developed a new business model based on a BtoC luxury, innovative and unique experience strategy that revolutionized the consumption of Coffee. Indeed, Nespresso is a success thanks to its double innovation: An innovation of product and an innovation of Business model. b. An innovation of productThe real innovation of Nespresso is portioned out coffee. Using a Nespresso machine, you can make an Espresso from special capsules containing high quality coffee. However, the company not only sells high quality and design machines or capsules, its sells a concept. Buying a Nespresso machine allows you to enter the Club Nespresso, where people do not â€Å"drink† coffee, but they taste it, they savour it. The image of privilege is characteristic of the luxury market, and that is what Nespresso is going for: a luxury product and image. This aspect is noticeable when you take a look at the designs.Nespresso’s machines, logo and boutiques are designed by a design agency (Future Brand Paris), following two orders: perfection of the forms and ambivalence (in order to send this message of privilege). Therefore, Nespresso is selling a combination of three elements: the machine, the capsule, and the club Nespresso. i. High quality Coffee More than 16 grands Crus are available from Espressos to Decaffeinatos, Lungos and Pure Origine. We can notice the use of the word â€Å"crus† in Nespresso website communication – that is usually used for wines – which indicates the will to promote Nespresso Coffee as a luxury product. i. Designed Coffee machines Offering timeless designs, high technology functions and user-friendliness, every detail has been carefully considered to provide the consumer with the ultimate experience. iii. The Club The Nespresso club is dedicated to providing the ultimate coffee experience for its members. It offers several benefits: Quick and fast order (phone or internet), an efficient service assistance for your ma chine, you can benefit from the services of coffee specialists who will make you taste new flavours and also have all the News about the brand in exclusivity.Nespresso has succeeded in creating a real experience and a real brand community belonging among the Nespresso clubs members thanks to all this benefits and thanks to exclusive accessories and items such as the Nespresso magazine that creates a real luxury system of values around the brand. iv. The Boutique Concept The luxury universe of Nespresso is physically symbolized by the Nespresso Boutique Concept that invites consumers to experience the unique world of Nespresso in modern and stylish Boutiques.In this warm, comfortable and cosy area, the club members can discover the premium blend coffees, limited edition varieties, all the machines and accessories and also benefit from personalized advice provided by coffee specialists. c. An Innovation of Business model in the Coffee Industry: The concept developed by Nespresso is pr otected by 70 patents (for machines, capsules and the service). The first ones expire in 2012, until then, the company as a complete monopoly. Nespresso is giving licenses to several industrial companies (such as Krups, Magimix, Alessi and Saeco in France) in order to produce the machines in exchange for royalties.The machines are then sold in malls, and all kinds of store selling household electrical applicants (Darty, Boulanger in France). However, the distribution of the capsules is completely different. The capsules are only sold in â€Å"confidential† boutiques dedicated to Nespresso. Moreover, capsules and machines form an integrated system. In fact, when a customer buys a machine, he then can only use Nespresso capsules. So even if the sales of the machines only represent 4% of the company’s turn over (compare to 96% for the sale of capsules), they play key roles in Nespresso’s global strategy.This integrated system work exactly as the ones we observe in the printer market. II. COUNTRY CLIMATE a. Cultural Environment The regionalism in Switzerland makes it very difficult to speak only one language. They are influenced by Germany, Italy and France. Furthermore, the Rhaeto-Romanic culture in the eastern mountains of Switzerland is robust. i. Art The Folk Art still exists because organizations all over the country strive to preserve it. It includes fields like music, dance, poetry, wood carving and embroidery (usually showed on traditional clothing).In addition, there are some forms of arts that are only kept in the mountains, like Yodeling (a type of singing) or accordion (music instrument) or even alphorn (a music instrument which is more popular but only in some areas). The melodies of folk music vary between regions. In particular, the Alpine Folk culture is characterized by very expressive dances. Some small musical ensembles are practiced in mountains area, usually in the French speaking part of Switzerland. Moreover, there is th e Visual Art: in the 16th century, Protestantism had a strong influence on it in Switzerland.Some painters became very famous like Alberto Giacometti, Jean Tinguely and Paul Klee. Finally, the artistic Dada movement was created in Switzerland in the 1910’s. ii. Architecture Swiss people have a strong architectural tradition. We can found the Romanesque style of the 12th century in cathedrals (like in Basel, Sion, Chur, Geneva and Lausanne) and on castles or fortresses. There are also some cathedrals in Gothic style (in Schaffenhausen, Zug and Zurich) and in Baroque style (Einiedeln and St. Gallen). iii. LiteratureSwitzerland produced worldwide renowned writers, like Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Geneva), Jacob Burckhardt (Basel), Germaine de Stael (her house was a center of European Literature in 18th century), Gottfried Keller, Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, Jeremias Gotthelf, Charles Ferdinand Ramuz and Hermann Hesse and Carl Spitteler (who both won a Nobel prize for their work). iv. Mus ic Switzerland has not really a musical tradition, except some composers, in the 20th century, like Arthur Honegger, Othmar Schoeck and Franck Martin. In Lucerne there is the Lucerne Festival of International Music and, in Montreux, the Montreux Jazz Festival. . Media The most important regional media in Switzerland is newspapers; some of them are renowned for their thorough coverage of international issues, like  « Neue Zurcher Zeitung  » (Zurich) and  « Le Temps  » (Geneva). Television has a great role too in the modern culture lifestyle in the country. The national public broadcaster is SRG SSR. It offers three networks, one for each language spoken (German, Italian and French). vi. Science There has been a long tradition of Swiss scientists since Paracelsus who introduced the field of chemistry into medicine in the 16th century.The Bernoulli family is known for their contribution to mathematics. Leonard Euler is another famous mathematician. Horace-Benedict de Saussure w as a naturalist and pioneer in Alpine studies. In the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich there were a lot of Nobel Prices. Finally, Albert Einstein, who was born in Germany, moved to Switzerland and became a Swiss citizen. b. Social environment i. Labor law While the European Union implemented a strong regulation regarding employer/employee relationship, the labor law in Switzerland is few regulated and is more oriented in favor of the employers.For instance, the termination legislation is not detailed: there must be a â€Å"cause† but in case of a dispute between an employer and an employee, a judge in court will make a decision. Some rules about compensation in case of termination exist but they are not generous. On the other hand, sickness is not a reasonable cause for it, on a sliding scale which permits up to 180 days of sickness after six years of employment. Furthermore, employers can impose an up to three weeks non-competition agreement to their employees. Even if overtime is allowed, the maximum work-week is 45 hours; however, this limit does not apply to managers.In addition, a minimum of four weeks’ vacation is required per year. As far as maternity leave is concerned, return to work is only possible after 6 to 8 weeks. Nevertheless, Switzerland is progressively influenced by the EU social environment. ii. Social protection Resident individuals and individuals with gainful activity in Switzerland have to contribute to the Federal Old Age and Disability Insurance plan and to the federal unemployment insurance plan. Today, the contribution to the Federal Old Age and Disability Insurance plan is half paid by the employer and half by the employees and amounts to 12. % of total employee remuneration. The unemployment contributions represent 2. 2% of total employee remuneration on an annual basis. In addition, in most cantons, health and hospitalization insurance is mandatory. As a result, some companies propose to contribute to their employees' health insurance or they implement group-insurance models for them. Moreover, Switzerland is one of the OECD countries which have the highest unemployment benefits: it offers to unemployed people more than 70% of average earnings. As a consequence, Swiss low-paid people lose more money by going back to work than being unemployed. iii.Swiss work permits The available residence and work permits are the ‘120-day' permit, the class A, B or C permits, the fiscal deal permit and the political refugee permit. Except the ‘120-day', other permits are subject to quotas. However, agreements signed with the European Union are progressively implementing EU freedom-of-movement rules which may finally enable EU citizens to by-pass the quota permit system. iv. Hofstede’s model applied to Switzerland In the frame of the Hofstede model, the highest cultural dimension of the Swiss population is its Masculinity (MAS) at a value of 70 compared to a European average of 59.T his implies that there is a strong difference from a gender perspective and that men are very competitive. The second highest Hofstede dimension in Switzerland is Individualism (IDV) whose level is at 68, compared to a European average of 61. Therefore, the Swiss inhabitants are characterized by their individualism: if they care about themselves and their family, they are not prone to interfere in others’ life. This cultural aspect is in adequacy with the non-commitment of Switzerland to the European Union. The lowest cultural characteristic of Switzerland is Power Distance (PD) at 34 compared to a European level of 45.This demonstrates that in the Swiss culture the power tends to be equally distributed among all the members of the society. c. Economic environment Switzerland is one of the world's most stable economies. In fact, its policy of long-term monetary security and political stability has made it a safe haven for investors, creating an economy that is increasingly de pendent on a steady tide of foreign investment. Because of the country's small size and high labor specialization, industry and trade are the keys to Switzerland's economic livelihood.The highly qualified labor force is performing highly skilled work. The main areas include micro technology, hi-tech, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, as well as banking and insurance know-how. The service sector now employs the greatest number of people. Swiss companies are extremely competitive in world markets. In some branches, more than 90% of goods and services are exported. The best-known export items are watches, chocolate and cheese, but in fact mechanical and electrical engineering and chemicals together account for over half Swiss export revenues.The largest company is Nestle, the biggest food company in the world. It has around 278,000 employees, about 97% of them outside Switzerland (2009). In 2010, 15 Swiss firms, including the pharmaceutical giant Novartis (No. 160) featured on the â⠂¬Å"Fortune Global 500†, an annual ranking of the 500 most powerful corporations which is compiled by the eponymous American business magazine. Switzerland is also known as a financial centre; it is a central pillar of the Swiss economy, generating over 11% of Swiss GDP. The most important players are banks, followed by insurers.Switzerland has achieved one of the highest per capita incomes in the world with low unemployment rates and a low budget deficit. Swiss wages are higher than in the rest of Europe because of the cost of living. Statistics released by the European Union in 2002 showed that Switzerland was the third most expensive country in Europe, after Norway and Iceland. The Swiss pay particularly high prices for meat, cooking oil, fish and vegetables. Switzerland is not integrated in the European Union but signed Bilateral Agreements with the EU. It has its own money: the Swiss Franc.As a part of the European continent, its main exports and imports partners are Euro pean Union members: France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, UK, Austria and Spain. Switzerland does also trade with the US. In 2009, 59. 7% of exports went to EU countries, and 78% of the imports came from EU states. That entails interdependence with those countries’ economies, which are part of the biggest economies and unions in the world. For instance, Switzerland suffered from the worldwide financial crash and economic recession in the early 2000s and in 2008.Switzerland's economy only grew 2. 8% in 2010 because of this 2009 recession. The age of unlimited economic growth in Switzerland is over. Fear of unemployment has been one of the main concerns of the Swiss for several years. Switzerland is concerned that economic activity should have as little impact as possible on the environment. Its energy and transport policies aim to be environmentally friendly. i. Economic indicators GDP – official exchange rate| $522. 4 billion (2009 est. )| GDP – real growth rate| 2. 8% (2010 est. )|Labor force | 4. 13 million (2009 est. )| Unemployment rate | 3. 9% (2010 est. )| Population below poverty line| 7. 4% (2009 est. )| Investment (gross fixed) | 19. 9% of GDP (2009 est. )| Budget – revenues| $192. 1 billion| Budget – expenditures| $194. 2 billion| Public debt| 39. 6% of GDP (2010 est. )| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0. 7% (2010 est. )| Current account balance | $49. 35 billion (2010 est. )| Exports | $235. 2 billion (2010 est. )| Imports | $220. 4 billion (2010 est. )| Debt – external| $1. 19 trillion (30 June 2010)|Stock of direct foreign investment – at home | $514 billion (31 December 2010 est. )| Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad| $814. 6 billion (31 December 2010 est. )| d. Political Environment i. General Background In 1848, Switzerland became a modern federal state, and its official name is Swiss Confederation. Switzerland’s form of state is federal republic and comprises 26 semi-aut onomous cantons and half-cantons. The government consists of seven members, whom are elected by the Bicameral Federal Assembly, and the government members work as president in turns.Also, the Swiss people have rights to influence poetical concerns with the help of the highly developed system of direct democracy, which is strongly supported by the federal constitution. Moreover, the neutral position taken by Switzerland in the world allows it to act a vital humanitarian role in the global affairs and to perform as an arbitrator between conflicting parties. ii. Political structure Based on the constitution of 1848 with revisions in 1874 and 2000, Switzerland formed its own legal system, which is viewed as a highly effective system in the world. National legislature Bicameral Federal Assembly, the parliament of Switzerland, comprises National Council of 200 seats and Council of States of 46 seats. While both of National Council and Council of States are elected directly, whereas the nu mber of seats from each canton in the National Council is assigned in accordance to the size of the population. Moreover, if any code passed by both chambers that revised the constitution, it has to be submitted to a public vote. In Switzerland, as in all democratic countries, citizens elect representatives to act on their own behalf.Also, Switzerland gives its citizens the chance to take a direct participation in decision-making. Compared with other countries and places giving citizens important roles in decision making, such as Italy and several states in US, the direct democracy in Swiss legal system is regarded as the most extensive one in the world. Generally, provided the 100,000 signatures to petition for a referendum, the Swiss citizens can initiate changes to the constitution in order to either propose their own legislation or oppose certain legislation existed in the current legal system. State legislature Switzerland is divided into 23 cantons, three of which are divided into half-cantons. Each of the 26 cantons and half-cantons has a parliament, elected by universal vote, and a government, the organization of which varies. The federal president is in charge of all 26 states. The president is selected among the members of the Bicameral Federal Assembly by rotates annually. iii. Policy issues The current hot spots of policy issues in Switzerland include fiscal stability, economic recovery, and reform of the state social security schemes.Besides, the severe appreciation of the Swiss franc forced the central bank in Switzerland to tend to adopt exchange rate following euro. The Swiss government believes further trade liberalization of the economy will remain a significant goal in the future. Also, the foreign policy will focus on the relationship with the EU, with the purpose of achieving more opportunity in the global business world. iv. Foreign policy As the world moves forward, Switzerland both formulates corresponding foreign policies and modifies the policies already approved to face its emerging challenges.Therefore, the government has defined the foreign policy objectives to regulate the foreign policies, including peaceful coexistence of people of all nations, respect for and promotion of human rights, environmental sustainability, representing the interests of Swiss businesses abroad, alleviating need and poverty in the world. III. ADVERTISING REGULATION a. General Regulation in Advertising Almost all of countries have a series of advertising laws to regulate business activities. Advertising may potential drives and persuades consumers into commercial transactions that they may not receive the promised value of products.Therefore, in many countries, government enacts advertising law to control false and deceptive advertising and protects consumers’ right to know that they are getting all necessary information the product should have. Legislation department has the responsibility to regulate the advertising market in terms of control comparative advertising, protect consumers’ right, as well as protect public interest which devotes to prohibit misleading, exaggerate advertising. Some European countries also carry out Market Surveillance which aims to establish authorities to be responsible for market surveillance.These authorities should have the necessary resources and powers to supervise any business activities that involve unfair consequences. For example, surveillance authorities have the responsibility to check whether a product is qualified for applicable safety requirements. If not, actions should be taken to make the product compliant; otherwise, sanctions will be conducted. b. Switzerland Regulation in Advertising Specifically to Switzerland, although it is not a member of the European Union to follow European Law, the country itself has a relatively restrict advertising regulations on media communication, especially television advertising.The most important law regulating adv ertising is the Federal Law against Unfair Competition (Bundesgesetz uber den unlauteren Wettbewerb (UWG) prohibiting any unlawful behavior or business conduct that betray the principle of good faith. The Swiss advertising industry has adopted its own professional ethics in the principles of the Swiss Commission for Integrity of Advertising. The country conducts the Act against Unfair competition which particularly emphasizes on consumer protection. â€Å"Art 3 Lit. Lit. † of this Act regulates unfair and aggressive competition advertising and should avoid influence on consumer’s buying decisions to buy products or services. In addition, this Act regulates duration of advertising and interruption of programs, tele-shopping, sponsorship, self-promotion, product placement, and so on related to television advertising. For example, this regulation prohibits any advertising involves religious or political advertising, incorrect, misleading advertising, subliminal advertisin g, and surreptitious advertising.Tele-shopping presents a direct communication platform to sending out messages containing direct offers for sales of goods to consumers, therefore, the Act only allows 1 hour a day for either private or public broadcasters. Plus, encourage teenagers to contract for the sales of goods or services are not allowed. Furthermore, the Act also mentions about the presence of products in a television programs. It is not allowed to present a special focus on certain products or promotion of the products during a TV program; otherwise, it can be treated as surreptitious advertising.INDEX PART 2 I. NESPRESSO  : ITS INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION II. COUNTRY CLIMATE OF MEXICO h. Cultural Environment i. Language ii. Family Values iii.  «Ã‚  Machismo  Ã‚ » iv. Meal habits v. Religion vi. Coffee habits vii. Hofstede model i. Social environment i. Overview ii. Demographics iii. Income distribution iv. Education level v. Hierarchical society j. Economic environment i. Overview ii. Trade and international partnerships iii. Foreign Investment iv. Agriculture and focus on coffee k. Political Environment i. General Background ii. Political structure iii.Policy issues iv. Foreign policy III. ADVERTISING REGULATION IN MEXICO I. NESPRESSO  : ITS INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION Nespresso always aimed at being an international brand. When Nespresso started, the strategy was to focus on the professional market by marketing restaurants and offices (Business to Business). They launched their machines and capsules in Japan, Italy and Switzerland. In fact, the brand did not just launch its products on the domestic market to see if the business model was effective, they immediately acted at an international level.This strategy was a failure and Nespresso changed its business model in 1988. From then on, Nespresso has been focusing on the public market (Business to Consumer) by restraining the distribution of their products to their own boutiques. Again, they directl y launch their products with their new strategy in France, Italy, Switzerland, United States and Japan. Now the brand is present and successful in more than 50 countries all around the world. We are now going to focus on Mexico. Nespresso is already present in Mexico since 2008 and the brand opened seven stores in the city of Mexico DF.Here is the youtube link of the opening of one of these stores in Mexico DF: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=ZDSqINiIfeA II. COUNTRY CLIMATE OF MEXICO a. Cultural Environment i. Language Due to the Spanish control of Mexico, the main and official language in Mexico is Spanish, but Mexico is also a home to a great amount of indigenous languages, spoken by 5. 4% of the population. Eighty percent of the Mexicans who speak a Native American language also speak Spanish. Approximately, more than 100 Native American languages are still used in Mexico.Among all of these Native American Languages, Nahuatl, the most important and popular one, is the primary l anguage of more than one million Mexicans and it is spoken by almost one-fourth of all the Native Americans in the country. This language is followed by Maya spoken by 14% of Native Americans, and by Mixteco and Zapateco that are both spoken by 7% of the Native Americans. ii. Family Values. The family is a vital factor of the social environment: it is regarded as a significant element in the social structure by the Mexico’s government. The extended family, providing the stability, is as important as the nuclear family.Mexican people are willing to do whatever they can to help their family members. Following the traditions, fathers are the head, and the decision-maker in the majority of the Mexican families. Mothers who are respectful are usually their husband’s secondary. iii.  «Ã‚  Machismo  Ã‚ » Machismo means masculinity. From a Mexican perspective, to make remarks to a woman is considered normal and is not harassment. The Mexican men believe that nothing must b e allowed to tarnish their image as a man. They are very proud of being a man and, if you hurt this, they can get very aggressive because they think that it is their right. v. Meal habits Due to the diversity and richness of cultural environment, people in Mexico are fond of great eating and drinking: this is a common characteristic in Mexican society. As known to all, Mexican cuisine plays an important role in world cuisine system and it represents the country’s image. The most popular ingredients of Mexico food are beans, rice, corn, tomatoes, papayas, vanilla, and peppers. In addition, Mexican people have a great variety of drinks: the most popular one is tequila but they also drink a lot of soft drinks and beers.Mexicans usually have a light breakfast that includes coffee and/or a fruit before they leave to go to work or school. Then, halfway through the morning, they have a tortilla or a bread roll. The  « comida  » is the most important meal of the day and it is ser ved between 2 and 4 pm. It has three or four courses, soup, rice or pasta, meat accompanied with tortilla and refried beans and dessert. Dinner is served between 8 and 10 pm and they usually have sweet rolls, coffee and milk. They mostly eat outdoors. v. Religion The main religion in Mexico is Roman Catholicism.After the Spanish conquest, the Mexicans really accepted the catholic religion with its beliefs and practices but they did it on the basis of their pre-Hispanic religious beliefs. For instance, the Virgin Guadalupe was associated with the pagan goddes Tonantzin. As a result, their Catholicism is usually described as syncretism. The Catholic beliefs pervade the life of every ordinary Mexican because the Catholic Church has been a powerful institution in the Mexican history. Its relation with the state has been very tense. We can see that in the last decades the Protestant religion has been very present in the South of Mexico. vi.Coffee habits Worldwide speaking, the consumptio n of coffee is growing significantly due to the technical innovation that reduces the processing time. Also, with the advance of telecommunication, the distributors also get benefit from buying quantities on a â€Å"just in time† basis. From a traditional point of view, coffee is considered as a commodity in many developing countries, especially in Latin America. Unlike developed countries where coffee drinking and cafe places are growing rapidly in high demand, the coffee drinking habits in Mexico grow relatively slowly due, in particular, to the underdeveloped social infrastructures.The Mexicans have a way to drink coffee which is kind of unique: they like to add a small amount of cinnamon to the ground coffee before brewing it, so that it adds a distinct flavor and reduces the acidity. Some do put cinnamon sticks and brown sugar in it but for example, in Veracruz, they usually drink instant coffee that they call  « Americano  ». The very Mexican thing about coffee is t hat they like it flavored atole. Atole is a kind of watery form of corn pudding that you can drink. They have Atole of a lot of ingredients (vanilla, chocolate, etc†¦).Based on above analysis and the insight of change in Mexico society, companies and business organizations should focus on attracting more customers with higher purchasing power who are eager for better products and services. Additionally, providing aggressive advertising enhancing family values and interactive communications to consumers in Mexico is also very vital because it may have a potential to acquire more than 100 million untargeted consumers. vii. Hofstede model Mexico is similar to many Latin countries when Hofstede's Dimensions are compared and analyzed.Mexico's highest Hofstede Dimension is Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) (82), indicating the society’s low level of tolerance for uncertainty. In an effort to minimize or reduce this level of uncertainty, strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations are adopted and implemented. The ultimate goal of this population is to control everything in order to eliminate or avoid the unexpected. As a result of this high Uncertainty Avoidance characteristic, the society does not readily accept change and is very risk adverse. This is a real challenge for a brand as Nespresso which is a new concept of coffee consumption.Mexico has a low Individualism (IDV) ranking (30), but is slightly higher than other Latin countries with an average 21. The score on this Dimension indicates the society is Collectivist as compared to Individualist. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group', be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their groupMexico has the second highest Masculinity (MAS) ranking in Latin America (69). This indicates the country experiences a higher degree of gender differentiation of roles. The male dominates a significant portion of the society and power structure. This situation generates a female population that becomes more assertive and competitive, although not at the level of the male population. Another dimension in which Mexico ranks higher than other Latin neighbors is Power Distance (PDI) with a rank of 81, compared to an average of 70.This is indicative of a high level of inequality of power and wealth within the society. This condition is not necessarily subverted upon the population, but rather accepted by the culture as a whole. This is a â€Å"good point† for Nespresso who position itself as a luxury brand because the healthy and powerful part of the population can see in Nespresso a way to show and affirm their superior social status. b. Social environment i. Overview The social environment in Mexico is very complex and polarized in ter ms of income distribution, social status, and education level throughout the country.In late 1990s, the Mexican economy has started to emerge because of the commercial liberalization with a rising class of affluent elite which contrasts to majority of poor people in both rural and urban areas. The major social condition in Mexico accounts for a rapid increasing in population with an inequitable income distribution. The recent decrease in the rate of mortality as well as in the rate of fertility contribute to shape an older population in Mexico which, in turns, impacts the future demands in consumption, employment, education as well as other social indicators.According to Global Consumer Survey 2009 of the consultancy Accenture, â€Å"Mexicans are facing a state of volatility, which approximately half of consumers in Mexico are not satisfied with services and products they received right now and expect to high quality products and service. † In addition, an additional study re veals that 29% of merchants are not satisfied with their current suppliers and they are favor of looking for high-quality innovated products and services with wider varieties of options. ii. Demographics * PopulationAs shown in the latest census conducted in 2010, Mexico’s Population is 112,336,538, becoming the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world and the eleventh most populous country in the world. Moreover, the Mexican population grows at 1. 102%. * Age structure The age structure is as followed: – 0-14 years: 28. 2% (male 16,395,974/female 15,714,182); – 15-64 years: 65. 2% (male 35,842,495/female 38,309,528); – 65 years and over: 6. 6% (male 3,348,495/female 4,113,552) (2011 est. ). * Urbanization 78% of total population is urbanized (2010) and the annual rate of urbanization is 1. % (2010-15 est. ). It is interesting that Mexico City is the second-largest urban agglomeration in the Western Hemisphere, after Sao Paulo (Brazil), but bef ore New York-Newark (US). iii. Income distribution Mexico has been regarded as a highly unequal country for a long period. Mexico has the second highest level of income inequality in the globe, becoming one of the 20 countries with the highest degree of inequality. The Figure 1 shows data on Mexico’s gini coefficient, which is a measure to evaluate the level of undistributed income, from 1950 to 2004.As shown in the Figure 1, although Mexico reduced inequality in a great extent during the 1960s and 1970s, Mexico has not solved the problem of unequal distribution of income since the 1980s. Moreover, Mexico has the highest level of relative poverty in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Compared with average level in the OECD, one in every ten people being poor, the Mexico has higher percentage, one in five. This means that virtually 50% of Mexicans cannot live with its current income. The figures 2 and 3 below show the movement of the gini coeffi cients of urban nd rural areas respectively in Mexico from 1994 to 2006. The inequality of income in urban areas of Mexico has steadily declined since 1994. Furthermore, the inequality in rural areas experienced an increasing trend from 1994 to 2000, and then declined since 2000 to the 1994 levels. Moreover, the significance of unequal income distribution in both urban and rural areas are approximately the same. iv. Education level According to the analysis of data, Mexico’s government amount of expenditure in the field of education is $28 billion every year, as much as 4. 8% of GDP, which ranks the 69th in the world compared with other countries.The Mexican education system is divided into four levels, preschool, compulsory basic education, upper secondary education, and higher education. Among the four levels of education system, the government is only officially responsible for providing compulsory basic education. The whole system enrolls nearly 31 million students, 86% o f population aged three to 25. The literacy rate is 91. 4%. The key issues in Mexican education system is insufficient enrollments and high dropout rates above the primary level, insufficient supply of upper secondary schools, and low student achievement levels. v. Hierarchical societyThe Mexican society are highly stratified and vertically structured. The hierarchical relationships are emphasized in the Mexican society. The people in the Mexico would like to respect authority and power, and follow those who are above them for guidance and decision making. It is interesting that the rankings are important in Mexico, and therefore those having more authority should be treated with respect. The belief of hierarchy makes it important to know the chain of hierarchy in your surroundings, and Mexicans know about how each individual fits into each hierarchy, such as family, friends or business. . Economic environment i. Overview Mexico is the second largest national economy in Latin Americ a. It is assessed by the World Bank as an upper-middle-income country. Poverty is a serious Mexican issue as around 47% of the population lived below the poverty line in 2008. As a consequence, since 2002, the Mexican Government has implemented a social assistance program called Oportunidades to address the worrying problems of poverty; this program replaced the previous program Progresa created in 1997.In 1983, Mexico was a highly inward-oriented economy with a government that was outspoken in its criticism of multinational companies. However, after years of stagnant economic activity and high inflation in Mexico, the government liberalized the trade sector in 1985 which led to the resumption of economic growth. Since the devaluation of the peso in 1994, macroeconomic indicators have improved: for instance, inflation and public sector deficits are now under control. Nevertheless, in 2009, the economy experienced its deepest recession since the 1930s: Mexican gross domestic product (GDP) tightened by 6. %. This recession was mainly due to weaker exports to the United States, to a reduction in oil revenues, to the consequences of H1N1 influenza on tourism and to lower remittances investment from abroad. In fact, Mexico is largely dependent on the money sent home by the millions of migrant workers in the US: remittances average per year stands at around U. S. $21 billion. A major part of remittances is used for immediate consumption (food, housing, health care, education) but some of them permit the implementation of shared projects and the improvement of infrastructure.In 2010, Mexico’s economy created 730,348 jobs. According to Bloomberg’s forecast, the Mexican growth will slow to between 3 percent and 4 percent in 2011 after a growth of 5. 1 percent in 2010. The underlying reason is that Mexico's economic fate is closely tied to that of the United States. However, Mexico’s central bank reaffirmed its willingness to cut interest rates if t he global economy further deteriorates. The average Mexico's unemployment rate from 2000 until 2010 was 3. 45 percent reaching an historical high of 5. 93 percent in May of 2009 and a record low of 2. 2 percent in November of 2002. In September 2011, it was at 5. 26 %. According to data collected by Doing Business, â€Å"starting a business there requires 6 procedures, takes 9 days, costs 11. 2% of income per capita and requires paid-in minimum capital of 8. 4% of income per capita†. On the ease of starting a business, the Doing Business 2012 rank of Brazil is 75 out of 183 economies, compared to a 2011 rank of 66. This means Mexico lost 9 places in one year. Finally, the average Doing Business 2012 rank of Mexico is 53 out of 183 economies, compared to a 2011 rank of 54.This means Mexico wins 1 place in one year. ii. Trade and international partnerships As an export-oriented economy, more than 90% of Mexican trade is under free trade agreements (FTA). In fact, Mexico's trade is shaped by 44 FTA; among them, there are the ones with the United States and Canada through the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) since 1994, with the European Union since 1999, and with Japan since 2004. Mexico is the United States’ second-largest export market and third-largest trading partner. A large part of U. S. xports to Mexico is electronic equipment, motor vehicle parts and chemicals. Trade issues are mainly settled through direct negotiations between the two countries, via World Trade Organization (WTO) or via the formal dispute settlement procedures of NAFTA. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico for 2009 was $14. 4 billion, and it decreased of 51% from the previous year. Almost a half of FDI comes from the U. S. (Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs). iii. Foreign Investment The Mexican amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2009 was $14. 4 billion, i. e. decline in 51% from the previous year. 45% comes from the U. S. which was once again th e largest foreign investor in Mexico of reported FDI ($6. 4 billion FDI from the U. S. ). The decrease of this figure can be mainly attributed to the 2008 and 2009 economic slowdown in the United States. iv. Agriculture and focus on coffee Only 11% of Mexico's land area is cultivable and only less than 3% of it is irrigated. Mexico’s most revenue-producing crops are corn, tomatoes, sugar cane, dry beans and avocados but Mexico also takes advantage of its production of beef, poultry, pork, and dairy products.The Mexican agriculture has benefitted from the implementation of NAFTA but structural inefficiencies continue to represent a hindrance to improvements in productivity and living standards for many famers in the agricultural sector. In fact, the Mexican agricultural landscape is largely characterized by small-scale producers, a lack of infrastructure, inadequate supplies of credit, a communal land structure for many producers and a large subsistence rural population that i s not part of the formal economy. This is the reason hy the number of Mexican farmers is decreasing as they see more opportunities in the industrial sector and in cities. In addition, at the beginning of 2011, the Mexican agriculture had to face rough climate conditions: Mexico, and in particular, the northwestern state of Sinaloa, known as the â€Å"Bread Basket of Mexico†, was hit by unusually cold temperatures in January and February. In total, this is more than 1. 5 million acres of corn, vegetable, citrus and other crops that were either damaged or destroyed in Sinaloa, representing a preliminary economic loss of approximately one billion dollars.The cold weather also hit the 2010-2011 harvest of coffee. Mexico is the world’s seventh largest coffee producer after Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Colombia, India and Ethiopia and it constitutes one of the leading suppliers of organic, shade-grown coffee. The country has 480,000 coffee growers; most of them are working on small parcels of land of less than 5 hectares in size. Coffee growers are mainly located in Chiapas, Veracruz and Oaxaca for a production of 268,000 metric tons a year.If the Mexican coffee consumption per person is rising – it has doubled since 2000, it remains low at about half the equivalent consumption of the coffee-growing Central American nations. Therefore, 62% of the coffee harvest is still exported, generating $400 million annually. d. Political Environment i. General Background Mexico is a federal presidential representative democratic republic based on a congressional system. It comprises thirty-one states and a Federal District, the capital city. The president of Mexico is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system.The federal government represents the United Mexican States and is divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial, as established by the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, published in 191 7. ii. Political structure The executive power is exercised by the executive branch, which is headed by the President and his advisers, secretaries independent of the legislature. Legislative power is represented by the Congress, a two-chamber legislature comprising the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.Judicial power is exercised by the judiciary, consisting of different institutions such as the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, the Council of the Federal Judiciary and the tribunals. Political parties must be registered in the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) and must obtain at least 2% of votes in the federal elections to be kept in their registry. Although in 2010 there were 7 different parties the three most important are National Action Party (PAN), the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).Political parties are allowed to form alliances or coalitions to nominate candidates for any particular election. iii. Policy issues Dr ug-traffic, narco-related activities and police corruption are a major concern in Mexico. More than 30,000 people have been killed by drug violence since 2006. The current president Felipe Calderon made abating drug-trafficking one of the top priorities of his administration. There has been a tendency to increase the militarization. Mexican Army was deployed to cities where drug cartels operate.This action has been heavily criticized, even by the National Human Rights Comission, but unprecedented results have been obtained fighting against drug carterls and reducing violence. In October 2007, the president Calderon and US president George W. Bush announced the Merida Initiative a historic plan of law enforcement cooperation between the two countries. This initiative tries to confront criminal organizations whose illicit actions undermine public safety, erode the rule of law, and threaten the national security of the United States. In 2008, Congress approved an initial $400 million f or Mexico. v. Foreign policy Mexico takes part in many international organizations such as: the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the organization of Ibero-American States, the OPANAL and the Rio Group. Mexico has also presence in major economic groups: G8+5 and G-20. Nowadays, Mexico’s largest trading partner is the United States which is one of the most relevant players in the world of affairs. On the other hand, Mexico has given support to the Cuban government since 1969, the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua and leftist revolutionary groups in El Salvador during 1980. III.ADVERTISING REGULATIONS IN MEXICO Advertising in Mexico is highly regulated: there are at least seven federal laws, five federal regulations and a variety of Mexican official standards. In addition to that, state laws and regulations are applied to advertising. The most important law regarding advertising is the Federal Law for Protection of Consumers (FLPC). Article 32 of FLPC establ ishes that an advertisement has to be truthful and verifiable. It also must not contain any text, dialogue, sounds, images, marks, geographical indications or other indications which could induce consumers into error or confusion.Consumers must not be misled as to the qualities and characteristics of an advertised product or service; or into thinking that such a product or service is better than one offered by a competitor when this is not the case. Comparative advertising is allowed if the information is not deceptive or abusive. â€Å"Deceptive† or â€Å"abusive† descriptions are described as inducing consumers into error or confusion due to the inexact, false, exaggerated, artificial or tendentious form in which the information is presented. The advertiser need not include any reference to the registration status of a trademark or patent used in an advertisement.In order to have the trademark, the company has to provide information about: * The kind of media used to advertise the mark in Mexico and, if applicable, in foreign countries; * The timescale for use of the mark in advertising in Mexico and, if applicable, in foreign countries; * The financial amount invested in advertising the mark in Mexico and in foreign countries during the previous three years. The Consumers Federal Bureau is the regulatory body charged with examining alleged breaches of the FLPC. Where an dvertisement is found to be infringing, the bureau can: * Order the infringing party to stop using the advertisement; †¢ Order the infringing party to alter the advertisement to prevent further breach; †¢ Impose a fine from $332. 52 and up to $1,064,044. 07 Mexican Currency. Wrong comparative advertising entails unfair competition and refers to the trademark infringement provisions set out in Paragraph X of Article 213the Industrial Property Law. Underage consumers and other susceptible groups of the society are under special protection in Mexican law.On the 10th of A ugust of 1990, Mexico ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Article 1 of the Convention defines a child as a person below the age of 18. Article 17(e) obligates member states to ‘encourage the development of appropriate guidelines for the protection of the child from information and material injurious to his or her wellbeing’. Local regulations also contain specific information regarding to the marketing of alcohol and tobacco for children, the use of crude language and sexual content in advertising.Children’s advertising must not offend national or family values, or encourage hazardous or harmful activities. The three government bodies primarily responsible for the regulation of children’s advertising are the Ministry of the Interior, the Attorney General for Consumer Protection, and the Ministry of Health. The Federal Law on Radio and Television makes compulsory the approval by the Ministry of The Interior of all radio and te levision advertising. Advertisers must avoid: * Statements that promote racial discrimination or that denigrate or offend national heroes or religious beliefs. Statements that promote criminal acts, violence or vice. * The use of offensive language. * Advertisements that are contrary to public morality or values. * Statements or images that promote the consumption of alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs. * Statements that may cause public alarm or panic. Federal Law on Radio and Television also provides that children’s programs can be transmitted at any hour. Television and radio advertising must never exceed 18% of the total time of transmission.The Federal Health code extremely restricts the advertising of pharmaceutical products and harmful substances like alcohol, tobacco or pharmaceutical products: * Alcohol and tobacco may never be advertised during television or radio programs broadcast during time periods reserved for broadcasting suitable for all audiences (from 5 am to 8 pm); alcohol advertisements may not be broadcast before 10 pm. * Alcohol and tobacco products may never be given to minors. Children may not be used to sponsor activities relating to consumers under the age of 25 years. Alcohol and tobacco may not be promoted through raffles, contests or collectables intended for children. * Alcohol and tobacco advertising may not use models under the age of 25 years and must never show actual consumption of the product. * Tobacco billboards may not be located within 200 m of elementary or high schools, hospitals, public parks, sports or family centers. * Alcohol and tobacco advertising may never be shown in movie theatres during showings of movies that might be viewed by an underage audience. Alcohol and tobacco advertisements may not appear in elementary or high school materials of any kind, such as notebooks, rulers or books intended for school-age children. * Pharmaceutical products of any kind may not be advertised through cartoons that migh t encourage consumption by children. * Free samples of medication may not be distributed to underage consumers. We can conclude that our brand Nespresso is not going to be over restricted regarding its advertising campaign as it is not an alcoholic, tobacco, pharmaceutical or child product.Nevertheless, Nespresso will have to be really attentive to the trademarks and the Intellectual Property Law and Rights. It will also be necessary to work closely on the radio and television programming. INDEX PART 3 I. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY l. Evolution of Communication Strategies m. International Promotion n. The Nespresso Club o. Events II. INTERNATIONAL STANDARDIZED ADVERTISING STRATEGIES a. TV Advertisings b. Prints c. Social Media Strategy III. RECOMMENDATIONS Since the implementation of its new positioning on the Business to Customer market in 1988, Nespresso has developed a very coherent and strong communication strategy.In fact, every single event Nespresso launched (a new product, a new store, a new event or a new advertising) makes sense, strengthens its strategy and promotes its luxury positioning. Nothing is a coincidence. For instance, on November 7th of 2011, Nespresso opened its first store in an airport: the Orly Airport in France. The stake was not about the opening of a new store in France or of a first store in an airport; it was about providing a new service to its clients by making them get Nespresso capsules easier.Indeed, in its communication report, Nespresso mentioned that this store does not aim at targeting new potential customers but at offering an additional service to the members of its community. In this part, we will focus on the characteristics of the international promotion of Nespresso. I. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY a. Evolution of communication strategies Nespresso’s success in a great extent depends on the communication strategies Nespresso took in its whole developing stages.Nespresso actively get to know what the customers’ demands and expectations are through various researches and investigations in different countries. Besides, aiming at these various demands and expectations, Nespresso determined diversified communication strategies according to the brand’s different phases in life cycle, such as imitation phase, developing phase, and maturity phase. Due to the effective adoption of these communication strategies, the existing customers’ loyalty increase steadily, and an increasing number of potential customers switch to new customers as well.Moreover, as the Nespresso developed and expanded, Nespresso’s managers pervasively applied the most effective communication strategies in the global markets, with special adjustment in different countries’ markets. As following stated, Nespresso applied several communication strategies during the development of Nespresso from beginning to the current period. Nespresso consequently started to select communication strategies of word o f mouth in local boutique, word of mouth in outside boutiques, passive TV advertisements and prints, and other social media. * Word of mouth in Nespresso local boutiquesA key area of consolidation of brand image and reputation is the cultivation of customer loyalty. It is not surprising that more than half of all new Nespresso club members firstly try the brand through the existing customers. Hence, word of mouth is regarded as the brand’s strongest communication strategy by Nespresso’s maagers. The concept of boutique is Nespresso’s invitation to experience the unique world of Nespresso in its modern and stylish boutiques. In the boutiques, the customers also can have retail experience to satisfy customers’ every desire.As well, Nespresso tries to offers customers a sense of timelessness in the Carpe Diem Lounge. Initially, Nespresso used the communication strategy of word of mouth to emphasize its simultaneous opening in Switzerland, France, Italy, Japa n and USA in 1988. Through application of this communication strategy, Nespresso successfully diffuse the knowledge of brand and provide introduction of different products. Also, through this direct and fast communication way, Nespresso can efficiently recognize customers’ reflections and demands, and then correspondingly make adjustments to the current marketing strategies or change promotion ways. Massive TV commercials, other prints and social media After successful application of communication strategies of word of mouth in local and outside boutiques, Nespresso decided to promote its products and publicize its brand image in certain boarder ways. Therefore, Nespresso decided to take massive TV commercial strategies, and select George Clooney as the spoke person of the brand. Also, it was smart that Nespresso did not blast its way onto TV from the initiation, which is taking risk of â€Å"George over-kill†. However, let early adopters enjoy their findings first, an d then expanded the campaign more broadly.Moreover, the choice of George Clooney is based on his screen and off-stage image. The facts of marketing satisfactory prove Nespresso’s choice is right. Through the application of the massive TV commercials, the customers’ identification of Nespresso’s brand and products are increasing in a great extent. Besides the TV advertisement commercials are developed, the massive social media and prints are used as communication strategies in the current age, such as Facebook, twitter and related magazines. b. International Promotion of Nespresso * Communication strategyThe first characteristic of the Nespresso’s global communication strategy is its process: indeed, Nespresso decided to involve the members of its club community within the decision-making process like the choice of the star to embody the brand. The second characteristic of the Nespresso’s global communication strategy is the fact that it is always a t the image the brand: luxury and grandiose. Indeed, Nespresso only associate itself with brands which have the same positioning. For example, in March 2009, the Haussmann Printemps building in Paris was covered by a tarp because the front of the building was renovating.Nespresso chose this unique and large tarp as an advertising board to promote its machine Nespresso CitiZ. In France, the Haussmann Printemps is a symbol of the French high bourgeoisie. The two below pictures illustrate this unique campaign: The last characteristic of the Nespresso’s global communication strategy is its strong visual impact based on pride on notoriety. It is to the point, catchy and easily memorable. * Standardized advertising strategy According to Harvard’s Theodore Levitt, the needs and desires of consumers round the world are growing ever more homogenized implementing a large and unique market. This theory leads some international brands, like Nespresso, to adopt a standardized appro ach for its advertising. The first element which demonstrates this standardized strategy is the fact that most of the Nespresso TV commercials are in English, with subtitles in a foreign language (usually French or Spanish): – Nespresso Cab Driver with Spanish subtitles: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=E4ImQSU7Kdo; – Nespresso Cab Driver with French subtitles: http://www. youtube. com/watch? =lK8SVWSmTQA. Furthermore, as the brand’s worldwide success is based on the creation of a unique Nespresso experience; its international advertising precisely illustrates this experience’s concept. This is the reason why most of the Nespresso’s commercials take place in the same atmosphere, a Nespresso’s store and enhance the same idea of â€Å"a high-standard brand†. To highlight this vision based on quality and high standards, Nespresso chose in 2005 to bring in the celebrity George Clooney in its ads; in 2008, John Malkovich was also featured in one of its commercials.Celebrities in Nespresso’s commercials are a key international element; this is the reason why selected celebrities are international ones. In addition, the visual aspect of most of the commercials is similar. The colors are the one of the brand and the scene with the last drop of coffee fallen in the cup is in most ads (picture on the left side). Nespresso also invented what could be called the â€Å"Nespresso† original soundtrack. In fact, in all Nespresso’s commercials the same soundtrack is playing.Therefore, the TV campaign developed by Nespresso was received with such enthusiasm far and wide that it really contributed to the worldwide success of the brand. In fact, sales significantly increased after its first commercial â€Å"What Else? † with George Clooney. Last but not least, we identified two kinds of TV ads: on one hand, the â€Å"George Clooney saga† which aims at promoting the brand itself; on the other hand , the ads that aim at promoting the Nespresso products in which George Clooney is not featured. The following link is an example of the second kind: http://www. youtube. om/watch? v=29a2v041uZ0&feature=related. It is from April of 2011. If Nespresso developed global standardized strategy advertising, we noticed some small local adaptations. In fact, the last image of the TV commercials is the logo of Nespresso with its slogan â€Å"coffee, body and soul†. The language of the slogan is in the same language as the one of the subtitles. Below are two pictures with the French and the Spanish slogan. We can also wonder if this standardized advertising strategy is relevant for Nespresso as Switzerland and Mexico are two very different countries.We chose to study some commercials in Switzerland and Mexico of the brand Nescafe to see if this lack of adaptation is an error or not. Nescafe is a brand of instant coffee made by Nestle; it manufactures and sells many different products wo rldwide. Therefore, Nespresso and Nescafe do belong to the same category

Chick Fil a

Ryan Simpson Marketing 476 Final Project Chick-Fil-A| GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #1 In this paper I will be giving a thorough analysis of the Chick-Fil-A company by discussing the history of the company as well as how the company was founded, the operations of the company, how the company gives back to the community, and how the company markets itself to the consumers. The reason I chose Chick-Fil-A to do my paper on is ever since I was a little boy Chick-Fil-A has always been my favorite fast food. I can remember when I was little the closest Chick-Fil-A to our home was the one on Cox Creek Parkway in front of the mall in Florence.Anytime we were in Florence I would beg my parents to take me thru the drive thru because I loved the Chick-Fil-A kids meal as well as the toy that came with it. Chick-Fil-A restaurants have been appealing to me ever since I was little so since then I have been a loyal customer of Chick-Fil-A. I have also always been interested in knowing how Chick-Fil-A alway s has had a huge customer base and every time I went to eat at a Chick-Fil-A, it seemed to always be crowded so that tells me that their marketing department is definitely doing something right because their restaurants are doing great business.In this paper I will be going over the history of the Chick- Fil-A company, how the company operates, how the company markets itself, and how close out the paper with a conclusion and summary. In the first part of my paper, I want to go over the history of the Chick-Fil-A company. The Chick-Fil-A company was first founded in 1946 by a man named Truett Cathy. Truett Cathy is considered to be one of the greatest entrepreneurs in the history of the United States. GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #2Truett Cathy who grew up in Atlanta opened his first restaurant in his home town called the â€Å"Dwarf Grill†. However over time the name changed to the â€Å"Dwarf House† (www. chick-fil-a. com). In the year of 1964, Truett Cathy created his vers ion of a chicken sandwich that is today referred to as the original chicken sandwich. Truett Cathy’s invention of the chicken sandwich was the first step to his vision of developing a successful restaurant chain. In 1967, Truett Cathy opened the first Chick-Fil-A restaurant in the Greenbrier Mall in |Atlanta, Georgia.In 1973 years after the first Chick-Fil-A opened, Truett Cathy wanted all his employees, regardless of age, to have an advanced education so he decided to develop a Team Scholarship Program which included $1,000 scholarships. Chick-Fil-A took a big step in the right direction when they first introduced freshly squeezed lemonade on their menu in 1977. In 1982, all Chick-Fil-A started selling chicken nuggets in all their restaurants and because of this Chick-Fil-A became the first restaurant chain to offer chicken nuggets nationwide. 984 was a big year for the Chick-Fil-A Company because Truett Cathy established the WinShape Foundation to help â€Å"shape winnersà ¢â‚¬ . The reason Truett Cathy founded this foundation was simply because young people receiving a proper education was very important to him (www. chick-fil-a. com). Some milestones of the Chick-Fil-A Franchise; In 1985 all the Chick-Fil-A restaurants added their original waffle fries to their menus. In 1986 Chick-Fil-A expanded their operation by constructing the company’s first free-standing restaurant building on North Druid Hills Road in Atlanta. 987 saw the franchises offer their first kid’s meal package. Also in 1987 Chick-Fil-A expanded their operation by opening their first restaurants on GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #3 college campuses with Clemson University and Georgia Tech being chosen as their pilot campuses. In my opinion these colleges were chosen due to their proximity to the area of Atlanta from which the Chick-Fil-A franchise was originated. 1993 was a huge milestone for the Chick-Fil-A franchise, this was the year their 500th restaurant was opened and th eir first drive through only restaurant was created.Also in this year their first hospital based restaurant was opened. Arguably one of the greatest marketing campaigns in the world was the â€Å"cows† which began in 1995 introducing their first billboard which consisted of their cows attempting to paint their catch phrase â€Å"eat mor chikin† (www. chick-fil-a. com). With this campaign the Chick-Fil-A Franchise was catapulted into the category with McDonald and Burger King as one of the most popular fast food chain restaurants in the United States. Also in 1995 the Chick-Fil-A Franchise hit the mark of one billion dollars in sales nationwide.In 2001, Chick-Fil-A continued to expand their operation by opening their 1,000 restaurant. In the same year Chick-Fil-A continued to progress their popularity by being voted the â€Å"best drive thru in America† by QSR Magazine (www. chick-fil-a. com). In my opinion, this solidified their superior position in the fast foo d restaurant industry. Chick-Fil-A expanded their business in 2003 by opening their restaurants in Utah, Arizona and Southern California. By introducing their operation to the west Chick-Fil-A expanded their target market by not only marketing to the eastern United States, but to the GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #4 estern United States as well. This move made the Chick-Fil-A Company more popular nationwide In 2004 Chick-Fil-A expanded their menu even further by adding breakfast. By adding breakfast and opening earlier this also brought new business to Chick-Fil-A from business people on their way to work. In the same year Chick-Fil-A was voted â€Å"America’s best drive thru† for the third straight year (www. chick-fil-a. com). In my opinion Chick-Fil-A accomplished this prestigious honor by focusing on customer service and marketing their product.Truett Cathy wanted to increase the Chick-Fil-A Foundation’s scholarship program so in 2005 the Chick-Fil-A Bowl was devel oped to provide more money for scholarships (www. chick-fil-a. com). The Chick-Fil-A Bowl is played in Atlanta, Georgia in the Georgia Dome (www. chick-fil-abowl. com). In 2005, Chick-Fil-A awarded their 20,000th Leadership Scholarship. By doing so, this showed Truett Cathy’s dedication and commitment to encouraging young people to go to college and further their education. Chick-Fil-A expanded their menu again by adding â€Å"hand-Spun† milk shakes in 006. Also in the same year Chick-Fil-A surpassed two billion dollars in sales nationwide and as a coincidence it happened in the same year that the Cathy family celebrated 60 years in the restaurant business (www. chick-fil-a/com). This information shows me how great of an entrepreneur Truett Cathy was that he could start up a restaurant and in just 60 years it has become one of the most popular fast food chain restaurants in the United States as well as grossed over two billion dollars worth of sales. GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #5On December 1, 2010 I conducted a phone interview with Mike Albretson who is the operations manager at the Chick-Fil-A drive thru in Florence, Alabama on Cox Creek Boulevard in front of Regency Square Mall. In the phone interview with Mike Albretson I learned many things that I didn’t originally know about Chick-Fil-A. The first thing that I learned was according to Mr. Albretson the one major factor that plays a role in the Chick-Fil-A franchises success is their efforts to make emotional connections with all the customers that eat at their restaurants.The main question I asked Mike Albretson is what three ways to do feel the Chick-Fil-A franchise markets their products to their customers and how they make their franchise appealing to the general public? Mr. Albretson’s response was the first way he believes they market their products to customers is by focusing on community and consumer relations. Mike Albretson also mentioned that one of the Chick-Fil-A franc hises main goals is to do everything they can to provide a clean family atmosphere in all their restaurants.The second way Mike Albretson believes the Chick-Fil-A franchise markets their products to the general public is by bringing the food to the people. I found this technique very interesting and what this means is Chick-Fil-A brings the foods to the people by simply taking sample treys with items from their menu or even foods that they haven’t put on their menu but are seriously considering it and taking them to public areas such as a park or anywhere that is a general public area and letting the people that come by ry free samples of their food and tell them what they think about it (Mike Albretson, operations manager). GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #6 I personally thought this is a great idea because you are advertising the Chick-Fil-A name out to the public, you are showing the community that Chick-Fil-A values and cares about their image, and also they can find out valuable information such as what the majority of the people like or prefer.So in a way Chick-Fil-A is taking a survey on what the majority of the people like so that they can consider putting that item on their menu if it is not already on there. The third way Mike Albretson believes that the Chick-Fil-A franchise markets their products and service to the consumers is by the experience the customers receive when they come and eat in their restaurants. Mr.Albretson stated that the ways Chick-Fil-A attempts to make the customers experience as pleasant as possible are by assisting people to their tables, by going around and asking if there is anything the customers need such as a refill on their drink or more ketchup. Mr. Albretson also stated that the Chick-Fil-A restaurants have employees help the customers clean their tables as well as throw their trash away (Mike Albretson, operations manager). In my opinion I believe these are excellent ways for Chick-Fil-A to set their selves apart from their competition such as McDonalds or Burger King.I understand that most fast food restaurants are pretty much the same when it comes to the service and atmosphere of the restaurant but if you have assistants help the customers clean up and throw away their garbage that definitely would give them the advantage over their competitors in the service aspect of their restaurants. GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #7 I found a very interesting article that came from www. fastcompany. com, the article discussed how the Chick-Fil-A franchise was based customer centered.An example the article shared that supported this statement was during the opening of the Chick-Fil-A restaurant that is located in Evansville, Indiana, Truett Cathy himself showed up at the opening to meet and greet all the people who had been camping out the night before the opening to be new restaurants first customers (www. fastcompany. com). This tells me how down to earth Mr. Cathy is that he would take the time to go to Evansvi lle, Indiana to greet the customers on the opening day of one of his thousands of restaurants.Another fascinating article I found about Truett Cathy came from www. michaelleestallard. com, in this article, Mr. Stallard talks about a speech that he heard Truett Cathy give at a conference and how much it moved him on how inspirational and selfless Mr. Cathy was. I thought it was very interesting that here is Truett Cathy a multi millionaire that could be anywhere in the world, but here he is spending over half his time traveling to different Chick-Fil-|A restaurants and meeting and talking with tons of his employees (www. michaelleestallard. com).This example tells me how much Truett Cathy cares about his employees and about the service the Chick-Fil-A franchise brings to all their customers. One major advantage Chick-Fil-A has over most of their competition is most of their chicken sandwiches have a lot less calories and fat then most chicken sandwiches at fast food restaurants do. G arnerR MK-476 FP Page #8 According to www. livestrong. com, the original chicken sandwich at Chick-Fil-A only has 430 calories which is right about what McDonald’s chicken sandwich is, but what sets Chick-Fil-A apart from its competition is the chargrilled chicken sandwich.The Chick-Fil-A chargrilled chicken sandwich only has 300 calories and also has 29 grams of protein in it which is a very nutritious meal for anybody. The McDonalds chicken sandwich has 420 calories in it so this tells me that Chick-Fil-A is the healthier choice (www. livestrong. com). While researching about Chick-Fil-A coupons, I found a hilarious story about Chick-Fil-A coming up with a very unusual, but effective marketing idea. It was called the â€Å"cow promo†. What this meant was during a certain time period nyone could dress up like a cow and go into any Chick-Fil-A and all they had to do was moo and stop their foot or â€Å"hoof† and get a free chicken sandwich and according to the a rticle I read there were a few people who actually participated in this event (http://fastfoodcoupon. com). In conclusion, I learned so much about how a very successful business operates as well as several very effective marketing schemes and ideas. I personally thought the story about how Chick-Fil-A was started and how quick it became so popular and successful.In researching this paper I also learned how great of a man Truett Cathy is and I read many examples that taught me how far good customer service can take you. Overall, I really enjoyed researching Chick-Fil-A and learning about the franchise. The summary of this paper was the history of Chick-Fil-A and how it was started by Truett Cathy. The second part of the paper was marketing strategies of the Chick-Fil-A GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #9 Franchise. The third was how Chick-Fil-A sets their selves apart from their competitors.The last part of my paper was the conclusion and summary. GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #10 References Page 1. www. chick-fil-a. com 2. http://www. chick-fil-abowl. com 3. Interview with Chick-Fil-A operations manager Mike Albretson 4. http://wwwmichaelleestallard. com/chick-fil/as-competitive-edge-of-relationships 5. http://www. fastcompany. com/magazine/87/customer-chickfila. html 6. www. livestrong. com/thedailyplate/search/chick-fil-a 7. http://fastfoodcoupon. com/chick-fil-a-coupons. html