8 Reasons Your Content Marketing Isnt Producing Results

Around 94 percent of small businesses and 77 percent of B2Cs are using content marketing to fuel business growth, but not every company enjoys a good return on their investment. If you’re not seeing great results from content marketing, you’re not alone. Here, we’ll examine why your efforts might be falling flat, and show you how to turn it around, from the planning stage through to promotion. 1. You Have No Strategy Only around 27 percent of B2C marketers have a documented content marketing strategy. If you’re unclear what your goals are, how will you measure success? How to fix it: Define the purpose of each piece of content. Will you measure its success by page views, traffic, shares, or conversions? When you know, you can track these performance indicators. Free Actionable Bonus: Looking to elevate your content strategy? Get our our complete guide to creating a content strategy, plus a free content planning template and a list of 30+ places to distribute content 2. You’re Not Spending Enough According to an E-Consultancy report, only 34 percent of companies have a dedicated content marketing budget. If you want better results, you have to spend enough to make a difference. However, you have to spend it wisely. How to fix it: Discover which past content marketing efforts had the best return on investment, and then spend more on them. Alternatively, focus on less expensive methods, such as hiring quality freelance writers to contribute to your blog. You have to pay more for quality, but it’s worth it. 3. You’re Forgetting Your Audience You might not be addressing the issues your target audience cares about. How to fix it: According to Demand Metric, 82 percent of consumers feel more positive about a company after reading custom content. In other words, they’ll care more about you if you show you understand them. Listen to your audience and tailor your content to address their concerns. 4. Your Content is Unoriginal You’ll never stand out online if you look and sound the same as everyone else. Boring content will only leave viewers with a poor impression of your company. How to fix it: Approach content topics from different angles. Develop a unique brand voice, write with passion and style, and don’t be too serious. Develop a unique brand voice, write with passion and style, and don't be too serious. Click To Tweet 5. Your Content is Not Search Engine Friendly If you don’t pay some attention to search engine optimization, your content will struggle to reach your intended audience. How to fix it: Use Google’s Keyword Planner to find keywords and phrases that consumers would use to find a business like yours. Optimize title tags and meta descriptions to drive more relevant traffic, and create user-friendly content sprinkled with internal links to keep users engaged with your brand. 6. Your Message Doesn’t Fit the Medium Today’s consumer doesn’t hang around; if you’re not delivering the right message on the right channel at the right time, you’re history. Today's consumer doesn't hang around; if you're not delivering the right message on the right channel at the right time, you're history. Click To Tweet How to fix it: On social media, use more interactive content such as infographics and quizzes. Split your content into smaller portions to make it more accessible and shareable. Tease your audience with snippets of content, and show them where to go to find out more. 7. You Don’t Promote Your Content The quickest way to limit the power of your content is to do nothing after you create it. Even if you create the greatest blog post ever, few will see it without the right distribution and promotion. How to fix it: Tweet about your content, then retweet it. Post it to Facebook and Google Plus several times over a few months. Promote the content in email newsletters. Link to new content from older blog posts. Ask team members to share new content on their personal social media accounts. Mention your content when commenting on other blogs and forums. 8. You’re Not Analyzing Content How many views has your content had? How many people clicked on the link to your product landing page, or signed up to your newsletter? If you don’t analyze content, you don’t know what’s working. How to fix it: Use tools like Google Analytics, Hootsuite, Buzzsumo, and HubSpot to monitor your content. Track website visits, bounce rates, page views, email signups, social shares and more to see which content works. Bonus Tips: How to Revamp Underperforming Content Update older posts with new information to improve search rankings. Change older posts by writing more powerful headlines. Search online for similar content with higher search engine rankings. How can you make your content more comprehensive or valuable? Change the format of the content to make it more visually appealing. For example, include more subheadings, bullet points, and relevant imagery. Repurpose old content into a new format and share on social media. For example, turn an old blog post into a new infographic. Add internal links from older, relevant content to new content, and vice-versa. Add relevant outbound links to authoritative websites such as news or government websites. Repost content to Twitter. On average, each subsequent repost gains about 75 percent of the number of retweets. Patience, Persistence, and Flexibility To get the most from content marketing, you need a sound strategy, a dedicated budget, original and optimized content, and a plan for distribution. Check off each item in our list to see if they apply to your content strategy. Remember, it can take time to see results, so don’t give up too soon. If something isn’t working, analyze the content and try something different next time around. You’ll soon be rewarded for your efforts. Do you need quality content to support your content marketing? Constant Content connects you with thousands of professional writers able to create articles, ebooks, product descriptions and other assets to tell your brand story, drive SEO and win sales.

Biography of Lydia Maria Child, Activist and Author

Biography of Lydia Maria Child, Activist and Author Lydia Maria Child, (February 11, 1802–October 20, 1880) was a prolific writer and fervent activist for womens rights, Native American Rights, and abolition. Her best-known piece today is the homey Over the River and Through the Wood, but her influential anti-slavery writing helped sway many Americans toward the abolitionist movement. Fast Facts: Lydia Maria Child Known For:  Prolific author and activist for abolition, womens rights, and Native American rights; author of Over the River and Through the Wood (A Boys Thanksgiving Day)Also Known As:  L. Maria Child, Lydia M. Child, Lydia ChildBorn:  February 11, 1802 in Medford, MassachusettsParents: David Convers Francis and Susanna Rand FrancisDied: October 20, 1880 in Wayland, MassachusettsEducation: Educated at home, at a local dame school, and at a nearby womens seminaryAwards and Honors: Inducted into the  National Womens Hall of Fame (2007)Published Works:  Over the River and Through the Wood, Hobomok, The Rebels, or Boston before the Revolution, Juvenile Miscellany magazine, An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called AfricansSpouse: David Lee ChildNotable Quote: I was gravely warned by some of my female acquaintances that no woman could expect to be regarded as a lady after she had written a book. Early Life Born in Medford, Massachusetts, on February 11, 1802, Lydia Maria Francis was the youngest of six children. Her father David Convers Francis was a baker famous for his Medford Crackers. Her mother Susanna Rand Francis died when Maria was 12. (She disliked the name Lydia and was usually called Maria instead.) Born into Americas new middle class, Lydia Maria Child was educated at home, at a local dame school, and at a nearby womens seminary. She went to live for some years with an older married sister. First Novel Maria was especially close to and influenced by her older brother Convers Francis, a Harvard College graduate, Unitarian minister, and, later in life, a professor at Harvard Divinity School. After a brief teaching career, Maria went to live with him and his wife at his parish. Inspired by a conversation with Convers, she took up the challenge to write a novel depicting early American life. She finished it in six weeks. This first novel, Hobomok, has never been honored as a literary classic. The book is remarkable, however, for its attempt to realistically portray early American life and for its then-radical positive portrayal of a Native American hero as a noble human being in love with a white woman. New England Intellectual The publication of Hobomok in 1824 helped bring Maria Francis into New England and Boston literary circles. She ran a private school in Watertown where her brother served his church. In 1825 she published her second novel, The Rebels, or Boston before the Revolution. This historical novel achieved new success for Maria. A speech in this novel, which she put into the mouth of James Otis, was assumed to be an authentic historical oration and was included in many 19th century schoolbooks as a standard memorization piece. She built on her success by founding in 1826 a bimonthly magazine for children, Juvenile Miscellany. She also came to know other women in New Englands intellectual community. She studied John Lockes philosophy with activist Margaret Fuller and became acquainted with the Peabody sisters and Maria White Lowell. Marriage At this point of literary success, Maria Child became engaged to Harvard graduate and lawyer David Lee Child. Eight years her senior, David Child was the editor and publisher of the Massachusetts Journal. He was also politically engaged, serving briefly in the Massachusetts State Legislature and often speaking at local political rallies. Lydia Maria and David knew each other for three years before their engagement in 1827. While they shared middle-class backgrounds and many intellectual interests, their differences were considerable. She was frugal and he was extravagant. She was more sensual and romantic than he was. She was drawn to the aesthetic and mystical, while he was most comfortable in the world of reform and activism. Her family, aware of Davids indebtedness and reputation for poor monetary management, opposed their marriage. But Marias financial success as an author and editor allayed her own fiscal fears and, after a year of waiting, they were married in 1828. After their marriage, he drew her into his own political activity. She began to write for his newspaper. A regular theme of her columns and of childrens stories in Juvenile Miscellany was the mistreatment of Native Americans by both the New England settlers and earlier Spanish colonists. Native American Rights When President Andrew Jackson proposed moving the Cherokee Indians against their will out of Georgia, in violation of earlier treaties and government promises, David Childs Massachusetts Journal began virulently attacking Jacksons positions and actions. Lydia Maria Child, around that same time, published another novel, The First Settlers. In this book, the white main characters identified more with the Native Americans of early America than with the Puritan settlers. One notable interchange in the book holds up two women rulers as models for leadership: Queen Isabella of Spain and her contemporary, Queen Anacaona, Carib Indian ruler. Childs positive treatment of Native American religion and her vision of a multiracial democracy caused little controversy, mostly because she was able to give the book little promotion and attention after publication. Davids political writings at the Journal had resulted in many cancelled subscriptions and a libel trial against him. He ended up spending time in prison on this offense, though his conviction was later overturned by a higher court. Earning a Living Davids decreasing income led Lydia Maria Child to look to increase her own. In 1829, she published an advice book directed at the new American middle-class wife and mother: The Frugal Housewife. Unlike earlier English and American advice and cookery books, which were directed to educated and wealthy women, this book assumed as its audience a lower-income American wife. Child did not assume that her readers had servants. Her focus on plain living while saving money and time focused on the needs of a far larger audience. With increasing financial difficulties, Maria took on a teaching position and continued to write and publish the Miscellany. In 1831, she wrote and published The Mothers Book and The Little Girls Own Book, more advice books with economy tips and even games. Anti-Slavery Appeal Davids political circle, which included abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison and his anti-slavery cohort, drew Child into consideration of the subject of slavery. She began to write more of her childrens stories on the subject of slavery. In 1833, after several years of study and thought about slavery, Child published a book that was a radical departure from her novels and her childrens stories. In the book, awkwardly titled An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans, she described the history of slavery in America and the present condition of those enslaved. She proposed the end of slavery, not through colonization of Africa and the return of the slaves to that continent but through the integration of ex-slaves into American society. She advocated education and racial intermarriage as some means to that multiracial republic. The Appeal had two main effects. First, it was instrumental in convincing many Americans of the need for the abolition of slavery. Those who credited Childs Appeal with their own change of mind and increased commitment included Wendell Phillips and William Ellery Channing. Second, Childs popularity with the general public plummeted, leading to the folding of Juvenile Miscellany in 1834 and reduced sales of The Frugal Housewife. She published more anti-slavery works, including an anonymously-published Authentic Anecdotes of American Slavery (1835) and the Anti-Slavery Catechism (1836). Her new attempt at an advice book, The Family Nurse (1837), was a victim of the controversy and failed. Writing and Abolitionism Undaunted, Child continued to write prolifically. She published another novel, Philothea, in 1836, Letters from New York in 1843–1845, and Flowers for Children in 1844–1847. She followed these with a book depicting fallen women, Fact and Fiction, in 1846 and The Progress of Religious Ideas (1855), influenced by Theodore Parkers transcendentalist Unitarianism. Both Maria and David became more active in the abolitionist movement. She served on the executive committee of Garrisons American Anti-Slavery Society and David helped Garrison found the New England Anti-Slavery Society. First Maria, then David, edited the National Anti-Slavery Standard from 1841 to 1844 before editorial differences with Garrison and the Anti-Slavery Society led to their resignations. David embarked on an effort to raise sugar cane, an attempt to replace slave-produced sugar cane. Lydia Maria boarded with the Quaker family of Isaac T. Hopper, an abolitionist whose biography she published in 1853. In 1857, at 55 years old, Lydia Maria Child published the inspirational collection Autumnal Leaves, apparently feeling her career coming to its close. Harpers Ferry But in 1859, after John Browns failed raid on Harpers Ferry, Lydia Maria Child plunged back into the anti-slavery arena with a series of letters that the Anti-Slavery Society published as a pamphlet. Three hundred thousand copies were distributed. In this compilation is one of Childs most memorable lines. Child responded to a letter from the wife of Virginia Senator James M. Mason that defended slavery by pointing to the kindness of Southern ladies in helping slave women give birth. Childs reply: ... here in the North, after we have helped the mothers, we do not sell the babies. Harriet Jacobs and Later Work As the war neared, Child continued to publish more anti-slavery tracts. In 1861, she edited the autobiography of ex-slave Harriet Jacobs, published as Incidents in the Life of a Slave-Girl. After the war- and slavery- ended, Lydia Maria Child followed through on her earlier proposal of education for ex-slaves by publishing, at her own expense, The Freedmens Book. The text was notable for including writings of noted African-Americans. She also wrote another novel, Romance of the Republic, about racial justice and interracial love. In 1868, Child returned to her early interest in Native Americans and published An Appeal for the Indians, proposing solutions for justice. In 1878, she published Aspirations of the World. Death Lydia Maria Child died on October 20, 1880, in Wayland, Massachusetts, on the farm she had shared with her husband David since 1852. Legacy Today, if Lydia Maria Child is remembered by name, it is usually for her Appeal. But ironically, her short doggerel poem, A Boys Thanksgiving Day, is better known than any of her other work. Few who sing or hear Over the river and through the woods... know much about the writer who was a novelist, journalist, domestic advice writer, and social reformer. One of her greatest accomplishments seems ordinary today, but it was groundbreaking: She was one of the first American women to earn a living income from her writing. In 2007, Child was inducted into the  National Womens Hall of Fame. Sources Child, Lydia Maria. An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans, edited by Carolyn L. Karcher, University of Massachusetts Press, 1996.Child, Lydia Maria. Lydia Maria Child: Selected Letters, 1817–1880, edited by Milton Meltzer and Patricia G. Holland, University of Massachusetts Press, 1995.Karcher, Carolyn L. The First Woman in the Republic: A Cultural Biography of Lydia Maria Child. Duke University Press, 1998.

Art in the field Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Art in the field - Assignment Example Initially designed to serve as a private get-a-away for the family that bought the area, the Hakone Garden was influenced by the family’s visit to Japan and their admiration for the local architecture and landscaping present there. Japanese landscape artists and architects helped to bring their vision to reality while maintaining an air of authenticity for the garden. The garden is set in layers which allow the visitor to experience each different section in leisure and to really absorb their charms. Though the Garden is smaller as compared to other national or specialty parks this works to bring to a picturesque quality to the whole setting and for those who are truly looking to experience the Japanese ‘art’ it is very easy to spend hours just strolling among the landscape. Personally the section which attracted me the most was the Bamboo garden. These tall ‘grass’ are an oddity when compared to the natural forests we are used to; the long and slender stalks reaching up to meet the sky create a very unique world to walk through. There is a strength depicted in the garden where so many bamboos stand together to create a curtain of green and it can be intimidating in a sense. The serenity of the place when combined with this deeper strength creates two layers of meaning to the section and this is why I felt most attracted to it. The Koi pond was a beautiful and the fish in no little way contributed to that. The flashing red of the fish when contrasted with the blue flowing water made for a very eye-catching combination. At the time of my visit, preparations were going on for a wedding to be held in the afternoon. The beautiful backgrounds make for a unique photo shoot, and many people admire the opportunity to indulge in a different culture while celebrating their special days. The garden presents a window into the heritage of the

Current Issue Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Current Issue - Coursework Example While the U.S. battles with the ranks of fearful parents, the the anti-vaccine movement has grown exponetially in Europe and Russia, much to the detriment of the children involved. That is the claim made by Maggie Fox (2015) in her NBC article â€Å"Vaccinate Against Measles, WHO Tells Europe and Russia†. Basically, the importane of vaccination is not something to be toyed with as it can help to prevent the future spread of diseases as in the case of Polio in the United States. By vaccinating a child early against Measles, he is given a chance to prevent the spread of the illness to other children he comes into contact with and in the process â€Å"kills† a carrier line of the virus (â€Å"Five Inmportant Reasons to Vaccinate Your Child†). This is a reason that I totally agree with as I have seen first hand the effects of Polio in non-vaccinated children in poor countries where vaccination is not possible. However, in other areas of the world such as the Philippines in Asia, where the same vaccine is mandatorily given, there are no active cases of polio. Vaccinating a child against a life debilitating illness such as Measles is not something that a loving parent should be willing to not consider. Afterall, if a doctor told them that there was a vaccine for the common cold, they would be the first one to sign up their child for the vaccine. So, it is important to make sure that children, who cannot protect themselves, are properly protected by their parents against existing viruses (â€Å"Reasons to Have Your Child Vaccinated†). As a future responsible parent, I fully support the idea of prevention rather than having to find a cure. If you prevent the spread of an illness or prevent your child from contracting it, then you have already paid it forward to the next child, whose immune system may not be as strong as his parents might think. Fox, M. (2015). Vaccinate against Measles, WHO tells Europe and Russia. nbcnews.com.nbcnews.com Retrieved

American Households in the 1700s and Today Essay

American Households in the 1700s and Today - Essay Example However, the concept of the living room and the way it looks has undergone a vast amount of change since the 18th century. Today, the way the living room looks in an average American household is very different from what it would look like back then in the 1700s. This essay analyses the way Americans used to live in the 18th century, with respect to their households and forms of dwelling. 300 years ago, life in the household for Americans was extremely different than what it is today; houses today are built in a different manner, keeping in mind the needs of the average American whereas in those days, houses were built separately for the middle classes and the upper classes. There are various differences that may be noticed in the style, spacing and furniture as well as how the space in the house has been used and for what purpose. In contrast to the current time, many aspects of the same have changed and evolved. Houses have become more spacious and consist of a lot more lighter fur niture as will be discussed within the purview of this paper. The paper shall talk about the current as well as the past trend with respect to the living rooms within the two eras. ... The house was made of bricks and in the third quarter of the eighteenth century people began to make use of logs to construct their homes. American living rooms back then consisted of either an extravagant amount of furniture decked with ornate walls otherwise were simple in nature and reeked of normalcy as compared to the other homes. In the 18th century, people were obsessed with inviting others to their homes for the purpose of getting together and spending evenings and most of this was done in order to show off their living rooms. The living room of a house is the part which is the most looked on by visitors and guests; whenever someone is invited to another’s home, he spends the most amount of time in the living room and thus Americans made it a point to make their living rooms look the most beautiful part of the house rather than anything else in order to impress their guests, primarily. Furthermore, there were many households where the living room was not given importan ce at all; these homes mainly belonged to the less rich people where they did not bother to deck them up for the purpose of showing them off. Beginning with the upper classes or strata of society, the living rooms were decked in a gorgeous manner; the usually consisted of a great amount of furniture which was made of either teak or oak. These consisted of pieces like the wooden table, chairs, clocks etc which formed a major part of the room. More emphasis was laid on how the room looked fuller; curtains and drapes in the living room were also made in a manner that they gave the room a heavy and thus bigger feel. Every woman belonging to the upper class took pride in decorating her living room up in the household because of the sole reason that it would be her that would be hosting evening

The Chocolate Market Industry Economics Essay

The Chocolate Market Industry Economics Essay The chocolate market industry has been around in the UK since the 19th century. Since then, many different firms have developed and established themselves in the market, resulting in a competitive market. Therefore, this project will focus on how the UK chocolate market structure has changed and evolved over the years and the causes of this. Our project will be mainly based on analysing the chocolate company Cadbury and their trend in sales, along with other factors which has caused the takeover of Cadbury by Kraft Foods. From this, we will be able to determine the factors which caused the change of market shares original Cadbury has. Outline the trend in sales by the major chocolate manufacturers in the UK over the last 10 years, and analyse the structure of the UK chocolate industry. Western Europe is the largest chocolate market in the world (Haymarket Network Ltd. June 2012) and Britain has the biggest confectionary market among the European Union(Barnett 2006). Moreover the UK has the seventh highest consumption of chocolate in the world. The average Brit consumes 17.49lbs of chocolate per year (The World Atlas of Chocolate 2000). Since the last ten years the chocolate confectionary sells has grown significantly. During the period of 2000-2005 the compound annual growth rate for chocolate sales in percent was approximately 2.5% Euro. The estimated value of the sales for 2005 was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬6,214m (Euromonitor International 2005). Additionally, according to Mintel UK market research firm, the chocolate market in the country reached  £3,976 billion in 2011, a 21% increase over a five-year period and 7.5% growth since 2010. As the people seem to continue purchasing chocolate, even more than before, this is certain premise for involving huge chocolate players in strive for bigger market share in the country. In the last ten years the chocolate market in United Kingdom was dominated by several companies. Since 2010, when Kraft took over Cadbury, three companies dominated the market with control over 83 percent in 2011 Nestlà ©, Mars and Cadbury/Kraft. Figure 1. Percentage of market share in the UK chocolate industry (Trading Visions 2011) Other big companies involved in the UK market are Hershey, Thorntons, Ferrero, Lindt, Divine chocolate and others. The Mintel released table in 2012th explains more detail the changes in the market chocolate share during the last couple of years. 2009 2010 2011 (est) % change  £m %  £m %  £m % 2009-11 Kraft Foods (Cadbury) 1,187 33 1,252 33 1,297 33 9.3 Mars 953 27 1,005 27 1,073 27 12.6 Nestlà © 585 16 606 16 646 16 10.4 Ferrero 130 4 126 3 129 3 -0.8 Thorntons 68 2 75 2 74 2 8.8 LindtSprà ¼ngli 49 1 60 2 63 2 28.6 Total of the above 2,972 83 3,124 83 3,282 83 10.4 Others 375 10 404 11 423 10 12.8 Own-label 228 6 244 6 271 7 18.9 Total 3,575 100 3,772 100 3,976 100 11.2 Figure 2. Percentage change in market shares in the UK chocolate market, by value, 2009-11 (Mintel 2012) The fragmentation between few large companies in the chocolate confectionary industry is a sign for oligopolistic structure of the market. During last 10 years, the situation changed several times. Brand owned by Cadbury, Daily Milk, grew 11,7% from  £374m to  £418m in 2010 while Kraft brandsMilkà Ã‚ ° sales increased from  £8,7m to  £21,3m according to Miggiano (category vice-president for chocolate in the UK). Normally an oligopoly exists when the top five or less firms in the market account for more than 60% of total market demand/sales (Econ 100 n.d.). Therefore it can be concluded that the situation of the market structure is certainly an oligopoly. A typical characteristic for oligopolistic competition is the big amounts spent for advertising. The leading company Cadbury spends millions for advertising every year, for example for their new chocolate bar Crispello they have prepared 7 million £ from their budget (Mail online 2012). In the UK chocolate industry there are known to be several barriers to entry, contributing to the structure of the market. The huge capital needed for starting business in the market is the main obstacle for new firms. Advertising and marketing could also be classed as a major barrier to entry, where concerning the oligopolistic confectionary firms. This is because some companies may have the financial power to win over consumer loyalty with their expensive branding. Therefore, the contestability of the market can be questioned as market firms with well- established, branded products make it rather difficult and more expensive for new firms to enter into the market successfully. However there are a lot of chocolate firms in the industry, with small profits and share. An example is the Divine Chocolate company, which is well known for its fair trade policy. Explain why Kraft Foods wanted to take over Cadbury. To what extent do you think the arguments against this takeover were valid? Cadbury is known to be one of the largest confectionary companies in the world. The British owned company was founded in 1824 and has been in existence since. However, in February 2010, Kraft Foods Group a reputable company within their own rights took over the multi-billion pound business, which caused significant outrage. The unprecedented event meant that Cadbury did not expect other firms to bid for the company, especially when it was not for sale. However, Kraft Foods had other intentions stating that The British confectioner offers Kraft greater access to sharp growth in emerging markets as well as some of the worlds leading chocolate (Ruddick 2010). It is therefore, evident that Kraft wanted to takeover Cadbury purely for economic gain, and to raise the companys profile and reputation amongst other respectable markets. Kraft Foods felt this was the perfect opportunity to do so and as a result, forcefully imposed a deal on Cadbury which they felt was sufficient enough for Cadbu ry to transfer/ give up their assets (company). This is also evident in this statement which mentions that Not only was Cadbury not for sale, but it actively resisted the Kraft takeover (Moeller 2012). Additionally, recent information suggests it is also debatable whether arguments in opposition of the takeover were valid, particularly due to Cadburys profits increasing in recent years. Telegraph staff and agencies (The Telegraph 2012)indicates that the purchase of Cadbury by Kraft allowed for Cadbury to be reinstated into the global market where consumerism remains at large. Kraft has reported strong sales and profit increases in the first full quarter since it took over Cadbury. Sales rose 25% to $12.3bn ( £7.75bn) in the three months to 30 June, and Cadbury accounted for 90% of the gains. Net profits were up 13.3% to $937m ( £590.1m), compared with $827m ( £521m) in 2009 (Barker 2010). Thus, allowing for Cadbury to expand and increase its profitability. It can therefore be said, that although some felt apprehensive towards the move of Cadburys ownership, it seems to have been for the better. With MP Steve McCabe even stating I think the investment is whats crucial to the l ong term future, and pointed out that Kraft had also expanded the research and development section. On the other hand, Now, nearly two years on since the hostile takeover in February 2010, the firm has announced a further 200 job cuts, the company has given no specific assurances over the future of 4,500 UK jobs (BBC 2011). Therefore, suggesting that those against the transfer of the company did undoubtedly have reasons to be concerned. An additional article even goes further to suggest Kraft already has a track record of cutting production and moving production abroad. Theres no guarantee that theyll keep production in the UK in the long run (BBC 2010). This indicates that there were implications of giving permission to Kraft to handle the company. Yet, this risk was still taken instilling fear in workers who were already apprehensive of this transition. This suggests arguments against the takeover were indeed valid. Overall, it can be argued in this section that although Kraft, being a well-established company with a strong portfolio to build upon, it caused much controversy in its takeover of Cadbury. The addition of Cadbury to the firm means that Kraft is able to emerge in markets successfully that they were restricted from before. Many argued that the takeover allowed for Cadbury to develop further into global markets rather than remaining in the UK. The company became increasingly profitable and as a result, a popular one in which many are interested in investing. However, with the good comes the bad and in a situation as such, it meant that the UK staff of Cadbury were at risk of losing their jobs. This would occur if Kraft moved the Cadbury business abroad, which has partially occurred since. Kraft has produced good results for Cadbury but not without causing implications in the UK (where Cadbury originates from). It can be stated from the research evidence that the intentions behind Kraft s takeover of Cadbury are quite clear and the opposition arguments of the UK Cadbury staff and the UK government are most certainly valid as displayed throughout this section. On a chart show what has happened to the UK pound (sterling) against the dollar between December 2007 and September 2012 Source: Bank of England Using a supply and demand diagram, explain this change in the sterling exchange rate against the US dollar. The exchange rate is the rate at which one currency trades for another on the foreign exchange market. On the open market prices of goods, commodities and value of nations currency (under a floating exchange rate) are subordinated to the control of two forces- supply and demand (Sloman:360). Generally, the exchange rate is determined by the fundamental law of the market forming an equilibrium rate (price) by equating demand and supply of the currency. One of the primary laws of supply and demand indicates that high supply causes low prices and high demand results in high prices. This fact implies that when there is a rich supply of a particular good then the price should fall and vice versa. The price increases when there is a scarcity of the product. Consequently, an increase in the demand of a commodity would cause it to appreciate in value, whereas an increase in supply would cause it to depreciate (Capital Market Services 2012). The change in the exchange rate of UK pound sterlin g to US dollar can be explained using a basic supply and demand diagram.1.jpg Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a normal downward slopping demand curve. A decrease in the price of the pound in relation to dollars from $2 to $1 will cause British exports in the USA to become much cheaper than the domestic product. The demand for British export will rise in the USA, and in a result, the demand for British currency to buy these goods will increase, as the Americans will have to exchange their money for British pounds. Thus, at lower prices (lower exchange rate) more pounds will be demanded, and vice versa. Movements up the vertical axis represent an increase in price of the pound, which is equivalent to a fall in the price of the dollar. Similarly, movements down the vertical axis represent a decrease in the price of the pound (Capital Market Services 2012). 2.jpg Figure 2 Figure 2 describes the supply side of the determination of the exchange rate. When UK importers wish to buy goods from USA, they will supply pounds on the foreign exchange market in order to obtain dollars. The higher the exchange rate, the more dollars they will get for their pounds (Sloman 2009:360). If the price of pound in relation to dollar rises from $1.50 to $2, price of imports from the USA will fall. Assuming the price elasticity of demand for the American imports is greater than one, the amount of pounds that UK consumers will need to supply in order to obtain the dollars to buy the goods- will rise. The supply curve slopes up because British firms and consumers are willing to buy a greater quantity of American goods as the dollar becomes cheaper (i.e. they receive more dollars per pound). Thus, the higher the exchange rate, the more pounds will be supplied (Sloman 2009:360). 3.jpg Figure 3 Based on Sloman 2008:162 Suppliers and consumers meet at a particular quantity and price at which they are both satisfied, known as the equilibrium price pictured by Figure 3. At any higher price there would be an excess supply of British pounds that would drive price down. A lower price would cause a shortage of pounds driving the price up. In practice, the process of reaching equilibrium is instantaneous. The foreign exchange dealers working for the banks are incessantly adjusting the rate as new customers make new demands for currencies (Sloman 2009:361). 4.jpg Figure 4 Based on Sloman 2008: 161 A change in the exchange rate is caused by any shift in the supply and demand curves. When the demand and supply curves shift from D1 and S1to D2 and S2 respectively the exchange rate will fall from $1.60 to $1.40. A decrease in the free-market exchange rate is called depreciation, an increase is an appreciation. Explain the impact of this change in the value of sterling against the US dollar on a UK chocolate manufacturer who buys cocoa beans which are priced in dollars Appreciation of pound against dollar is most beneficial for importers, like given UK chocolate manufacturer who buys cocoa beans priced in dollars. They are advantages as they need to find fewer pounds to buy their imported goods. Depreciation of home currency makes foreign buyers disadvantages as they need to find more money to pay for their imports (tutor2u). Therefore, in this example the best time for foreign investments was between December 2007 and June 2008 when the pound exchange rate was the highest. Outline the causes of the current recession in the UK. Using relevant economic theory show how recession affected the UK economy. Economist and experts still disagree on the definition of recession. However, technically speaking, the economy of a country would slide into recession when it experiences two continual quarters of negative economic growth. This happens when the GDP would have to contract on a quarter by quarter basis for a total period of six months. GDP (gross domestic product) is the total amount of goods and services produced by a country in a given period of time. The credit crunch that began in August 2007 brought recession in Britain and other countries across the world. Soon everything worsened dramatically and turned into global financial crisis in the autumn of 2008. The recession started in America where mortgage companies got into massive debt by giving out many subprime mortgages. They then bundled this debt on to other countries such as the UK by borrowing from abroad to finance this risky lending.The central problem of UK was Britains banks, which had invested their reserves in those bundles or effects that turned out to be unsafe, illiquid or even worthless. As UK banks began to struggle, the government allowed them to lend to each other to promote liquidity. They did not know that this would result in even more debt and tension between the banks. Consumer confidence dropped dramatically down. Along with the overvalued housing market finally failing, consumption began to fall.The British economy was officially declared to be in a re cession in January 2009, when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced that the estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) showed a fall of 1.5 per cent in the last three months of 2008 after a 0.6 per cent drop in the previous quarter. This was the biggest quarter-on-quarter decline since 1980 and the first time the economy had been in recession since 1991. ONS figures show that GDP fell by 2.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2009 compared with the last quarter of 2008. GDP fell by a further 0.7 per cent in the second quarter of 2009, leaving the level of GDP 5.5 per cent lower than in the second quarter of 2008, the largest annual fall on record (ONS 2009). It was the deepest recession since the war. The Manufacturing output was down 7% by end 2008. It has affected many sectors including banks and investment firms. Many well-known and established businesses went bankrupt. Britain has struggled to come out of the latest recession, with much speculation of a double dip recession during the 2010s. Output fell by 0.5% in the 4th quarter of 2010. The unemployment rate rose to 8.1% (2.57m people) in August 2011, the highest level since 1994. As of January 2012[update], after 15 quarters, GDP is still 4% down from peak at start of recession. And now end of 2012 there are also speculation of a triple dip recession. Explain the statement about cocoa, referring to the relevant types of elasticity. Supply conditions play a big role in terming the price of chocolates. Since Cocoa is a farm product it is subject to fast-developing changes in growing conditions. Ivory Coast is the biggest and Ghana the second biggest producer of cacao therefore if any viruses, like the stunted shoot disease, or any bad weather conditions affect their harvest will have consequences on the chocolate prices. On the other side good weather conditions will boost supply and drop the prices. Unpredictability of prices is increase by the fact that chocolate demand is very inelastic. In the US, short-term elasticity of demand has been estimated at about -0.2, and is even lower in some big European consumer countries (Henri Jason 1994). When demand is inelastic, even a small shift in the supply curve can produce a big change in the market price. IEoD = (% Change in Quantity Demanded)/(% Change in Income) Another factor that determines the prices of chocolate is the strong income elasticity of demand. For example in the United States, a 10% increase in income has been estimated to increase per capita chocolate consumption by 9.2% (Henri Jason 1994). Income elasticity is not lot different in other countries. The recession makes people believe they should spend less and most of the cases people do earn less money or they have recently lost their job because of the financial crisis. Therefore they have less to spend. This will affect their choice between normal goods and luxury goods. If chocolate becomes too expensive they might become luxury good for some people, at the moment it is a normal good for most people. undefined Source: tutor2u As a part of your conclusion, assess the future of the major chocolate companies inthe UK. Do you foresee future growth, stagnation or decline? Overall, it is evident that many factors influence the chocolate market in todays world. In recent years the best market decision by various chocolate companies was offering a variety of products to the consumer market. This strategy led to big profits for the biggest players in the industry, as they could afford the expensive advertising for their products. However, the trend for chocolate purchases has not slowed down regardless of the economic situation. In fact opposite to logic, people seem to have taken advantage from chocolate products in the recession, as they have spent more time staying home during the hard times of the British economic stagnation. On holidays such as Easter and Christmas, purchases for some specific products has doubled, tripled or even more compared to the rest of the year. According to professional investigators of the chocolate trends, like Mintel, the future of the chocolate market in UK will face a growth in the next several years. However, as a group we believe based on the evidence from this project, that the UK chocolate industry could potentially be dominated by foreign companies, resulting in stagnation for British chocolate companies.

Set Design for Antigone Essay example -- Drama

Outline your set design for Antigone and explain how it would help a present day audience to understand the plays themes and atmosphere's. The play Antigone can be greatly enhanced by the correct use of set, in the same way though the set can be used and interpreted in many different ways. To start with I am going to draw a picture of my set design so i can then refer to it as i talk about the different aspects of it and how each of those aspects would help a present day audience understand the plays themes and atmospheres. I would begin with projecting 3 images onto a white sheet that is draped over the back wall of my set. The first of these images is going to be a gravestone. This will be projected onto the left hand third of the screen and for the reason that even though in ancient Greece they did not use gravestones it will help the audience understand how Eteocles has been buried in the proper manner as a good son. In the centre third of the screen I would have projected an image of a pair of eyes, these eyes would be glowing red to begin with but they would gradually get a more watery red until they become glowing yellow. The eyes are there to symbolise to the audience how the characters are constantly in the presence of God, which is quite clearly one of the plays major themes. The eyes show how Creon is always under scrutiny and anything any of the characters does is being seen, in a way that he/she see's everything and knows everythi...

Arvind Pandey Caught in Business Web Essay

Arvind Pandey is a project manager at Al Saba Construction Company in Muscat. It s a flourishing company with several construction projects in Muscat and abroad. It is known for completing projects on time and with high quantity construction. The company’s Chairman is a rich and a highly educated Omani. A German engineer is Arvind’s Vice – President for urban and foreign construction projects. Three months ago, Al Saba had submitted a tender for a major construction project in Kuwait. Its quotation was for $ 25 million. In Kuwait the project was sponsored and announced by a US – based construction company called Fuma. According to Al Saba, their bid of $ 25 million was modest but had included a high margin of profit. On 25 April, Arvind was asked to go to Kuwait to find out from the Fuma project manager the status of their construction proposal. Arvind was delighted to know that Fuma had decided to give his company, (Al Saba) the construction project work. The project meant a lot of effort and money in planning the proposed construction in Kuwait. But before Arvind could tank the Fuma project manager, he was told that their bird should be raised to $ 28 million. Arvind was surprised. He tried to convince the Fuma project manager that his (Arvind company had the bast reputation for doing construction work in a cost effective way. However, he could always raise the bid by $ 3 million. But he wanted to know why he was required to do so. The Fuma manager’s reply was, â€Å"That’s the way we do our business in this part of the world, $ 1 million will go to our Managing Director in the US, I shall get $ 1 million, you, Mr. Pandey, will get $ 1 million in a specified account in Swiss Bank. Arvind asked, â€Å"But why me?† â€Å"So that you never talk about it to any one.† The Fuma Project Manager said. Arvind promised never to leak it out to any one else. And he tried to bargain to raise the bid by $ 2 million. For Arvind was familiar with the practice of â€Å"pay – offs† involved in any such thing. He thought it was against his loyalty to his company and his personal ethics. Arvind promised the Fuma project manager that the bid would be raised to $ 28 million and fresh papers would be put in. He did not want to lose the job. He came back to Muscat and kept trying to figure out how he should place the whole thing before his German Vice President. He obviously was at a loss. Questions: 1.Analyse the reasons for Arvind Pandey’s dilemma. 2.Does Arvind Pandey really face a dilemma? 3.In your view what should Arvind Pandey do? Should he disclose it to his German Vice President? CASE IV Company Accepting a Contract A computer company was negotiating a very large order with a large size corporation. They had a very good track record with this client. In this corporation, five different departments had pooled their requirements and budgets. A committee was formed which had representation from all the departments. The corporation wanted the equipment on a long lease and not outright purchase. Further, they wanted the entire hardware and software form one supplier. This meant that there should be bought – out items from many suppliers since no one supplier could meet all the requirements of supply from its range of products. The corporation provided an exhaustive list of very difficult terms and conditions and pressurized the vendors to accept.The computer company who was finally awarded the contract had agreed to overall terms that were fine as far as their own products were concerned but had also accepted the same terms for the brought – out items. In this case, the bought – out items were to be imported through a letter of credit. The percentage of the bought – out items versus their own manufacture was also very high. One of the terms accepted was that the â€Å"system† would be accepted over a period of 10 days after all the hardware had been linked up and software loaded. The computer company started facing trouble immediately on supply. There were over 100 computers over a distance connected with one another with software on it. For the acceptance tests, it had been agreed that the computer company would demonstrate as a pre-requisite the features they had claimed during technical discussions. Now, as you are aware, if a Hero Honda motorcycle claims 80 km to a litre of petrol, it is under ideal test conditions and if a motorcycle from the showroom were to be tried for this test before being accepted, it would never pass the test. In corporation’s case, due to internal politics, the  corporation persons from one department – who insisted on going exactly by the contract – did not sign acceptance since the â€Å"system† could not meet the ideal test conditions. Further, in a classic case of, â€Å"for want of a horse – shoe, payment for the horse was held up†, the computer company tried to get the system accepted and payment released. The system was so large that at any point of time over a period of 10 days something small or the other always gave problems. But the corporation took the stand that as far as they were concerned the contracts clearly were concerned the contract clearly mentioned that the â€Å"system† had to be tested as a whole and not module by module. Questions: 1.Comment on the terms and conditions placed by the corporation. 2.What factors influenced the computer company’s decision to accept the contract? 3.Was it a win – win agreement? Discuss?

Harley Davidson Financial and Strategic Analysis Review

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (Harley-Davidson) is one of the leading manufacturers of heavyweight motorcycles in the world. Harley-Davidson is the parent company of the group of companies including Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) and Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS). The company offers more than 30 models of touring and custom Harleys through a worldwide network of more than 1,600dealers,spreadacrosssixcontinents. Harley-Davidson provides wholesale and retail financing and insurance programs principally to its dealers and customers.SWOT AnalysisShare DataHarley-Davidson, Inc., Share Data Price (USD) as on 01-Aug-201241.67 EPS (USD)2.33 Book value per share (USD)10.50 Shares Outstanding (in million)234.92 Source : GlobalDataPerformance Chart Harley-Davidson, Inc., Performance Chart (2007 – 2011) Financial Performance The company reported revenues of (U.S. Dollars) USD 5,311.71 million during the fiscal year ended December 2011, an increase of 9.31% over 2010. The operati ng profit of the company was USD 829.97 million during the fiscal year 2011, an increase of 74.59% over 2010. The net profit of the company was USD 599.11 million during the fiscal year 2011, an increase of 308.83% over 2010.Source : GlobalDataHarley-Davidson, Inc. – SWOT AnalysisSWOT Analysis – Overview Harley-Davidson, Inc. (Harley-Davidson) designs, manufactures, and sells heavyweight motorcycles. The company markets its products in North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific and Latin America. The company’s strong brand image, coupled with its wide range of products, helps it to be a front-runner in the industry. However, dependence on the domestic market and product issues are a few areas of concern to the company. Nonetheless, expansion in global markets, especially Asian markets, and launch of new models could ensure a strong future for the company. New emission standards for two wheelers and  the prevailing competition could negatively impact the companyâ€⠄¢s growth.Harley-Davidson, Inc. – Strengths Strength – Strong Brand Image Harley-Davidson owns one of the strongest brands in the world, which helps it attract and retain a loyal customer base. The company established a strong brand image with its motorcycles achieving iconic status and being ranked among the world’s most valuable brands. Harley-Davidson has been continuously ranked among the top 100 global brands in the world. The company holds 55.7% share in the US heavyweight market; and is ranked #1 or #2 in the heavyweight motorcycle market share in nine countries across Europe.Harley-Davidson’s motorcycles are known for their traditional styling, design simplicity, durability and quality. The company achieved industry recognition for its high quality, best design, robust performance and unflinching customer confidence, loyalty and trust of its products and services. The Harley-Davidson brand has significantly contributed to the success of the compa ny by building strong market recognition and a loyal customer base.Strength – Broad Product and Service Portfolio Harley-Davidson offers a broad array of products and services through its two business segments, namely, the Motorcycles & Related Products segment and the Financial Services segment. The company offers a variety of products in the motorcycle segment to cater to the various needs of its customer base. Harley-Davidson designs, manufactures and sells heavyweight touring, custom and performance motorcycles, besides a line of motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise and related services.Harley-Davidson is well known for its unique motorcycles. Its subsidiary, Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC), manufactures five families of motorcycles, namely, Touring, Dyna, Softail, Sportster and V-Rod. These models are distinguished by their frame, engine, suspension, and other characteristics. The company shipped 233,117 motorcycles in the fiscal year ended December 20 11, comprising 39.5% Touring motorcycle units, 39.2% Custom motorcycle units, and 21.3% Sportster motorcycle units.Through Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS), the company offers a package of wholesale and retail financial services for its products, providing it a competitive edge in the motorcycles business in the US and Canada regions. HDFS financed 51% and 30.4% of the new Harley-Davidson motorcycles retailed by independent dealers in the US and Canada respectively in 2011. HDFS provides wholesale financial services to Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealers, including floor plan and open account financing of motorcycles and motorcycle parts and accessories. These specific services provide a competitive edge to the company in capturing a higher market share and enhancing its bottom line.Strength – Focused Research and Development Activities Harley-Davidson has a strong research and development unit that facilitates innovation and attracts industry attention. Its Product D evelopment Center (PDC) undertakes the development of new and better quality products. The company spent $145.4m, $136.2m, $143.1m and $163.5m in the fiscal years ended December 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008 respectively on research and development activities.Harley-Davidson’s continuous focus on R&D helped the company in launching innovative products such as Softail motorcycles with 1584 cc engine with new features such as new hand controls, a larger odometer, and an anti-lock braking system option. Continuous research and development activity enables the company to maintain a leading position in custom and touring motorcycle market and develop products for the performance segment. Focused R&D activities enable the company to offer innovative products and improve its operational performance.Harley-Davidson, Inc. – Weaknesses Weakness – Product Recalls/Issues Product recalls/issues not only affects the company’s current revenue, but could also affect its long -term performance by reducing customer confidence. In February 2012, Harley-Davidson launched a repair service campaign to fix faulty brakes in about 1,228 units of 12 models, including the Road King and the Electra Glide Ultra Classic.In October 2011, the company initiated a world-wide recall affecting over 308,000 units of its Touring, CVO Touring and Trike motorbikes. The company made this recall owing to a potentially  dangerous glitch with their braking systems, where in the problem with a switch on the bikes could cause the brake lights to stop working, or may even cause the rear brakes to fail. Such recalls would hamper Harley-Davidson’s brand image and have a significant impact on its product sales.

Canadian senate reform essays

Canadian senate reform essays The Canadian Senate is supposed to be a sober second thought on government legislation. But, in many cases, as far as I know, senators are not meeting the expectations of the Canadian people, or fulfilling the requirements of the job. The question is, should the senate be reformed? In my opinion, the Canadian Senate should be reformed because it is not elected, provinces are not equally represented, nor is it effective. Historically, the Governor-General was supposed to appoint senators but, in actuality, the elected Prime Minister appoints the members of our Canadian Senate. At Confederation, this system seemed like a good idea. It made sense to have the Prime Minister appoint good people that he knew would make responsible senators. People generally understood these appointments to be a great honour and responsibility, and therefore took the position very seriously. In the culture of the time, it was an honour to serve your country this way. Unfortunately, as the years went on, this system has been subjected to abuse. An example of this, is the expulsion of Senator Andrew Thompson in 1998. The 73-year old senator was said to represent almost every negative stereotype that ever existed about the Senate. He was aging and apparently ill. He had shown up for work only 12 times since 1990. He collected an $85 000-a-year compensation package, and spent most of his time at a lavish villa in Mex ico. In my view, this shows a senator who, himself, didnt consider the work he was doing and the interests of the region he was representing, important. This is only one case; there have been about 17 other senators who have been held up for criticism for poor attendance. Each had missed more than half the years sittings. This abuse of the system is one of the reasons why I believe the senate should be elected by the people. Senators dont have to be elected or face periodic elections, s...

Operations & Quality Management (Singapore Airlines) Essay

Operations & Quality Management (Singapore Airlines) - Essay Example Singapore Airlines is quite an absurdity. It is the state-run airline for a country that is basically just a city; a nation that has residents of no more than 3 million; and a country that is just 250 kms across with no domestic routes to take over. Regardless of this it has managed to regularly post profits in one of the globe's mainly returning industries. According to higher executives, SIA evidently understands the high directive placed on it by discriminating and increasingly challenging customers. This causes a severe challenge internally in terms of being the finest in all aspect and places massive stress on the leading edge staff. Such high orders and anticipations result in a need to frequently alter and evaluate everything the airline carries out. Leading management is also faced with a continuous effort to form an unvarying service that is also extremely custom-made. SIA strategies all its procedures and sub-procedures in whole, with each getting unremitting concentration for enhancement and interrupted redesign (Heracleous, Wirtz, Johnston, 2004, pp.33-38). With such an international status for service quality, bringing terrific service is a most important challenge for SIA. The key is the company's entire approach - it knows that customers are buying a total bundle of service and that all its components have to do extremely well in every way. Introduction To persist as a service leader in the airline industry SIA makes it targets to create a "wow outcome" and to often blow customers. It does this by paying attention deeply to its customers and continually making out "wow" opportunities, such as not so heavy and more nutritious and hygienic food and an e-mail service within flight. Such new plans are also designed by feedback from staff, information about several other airlines, study of complaints, claims and compliments, and main traveler surveys. SIA's detailed feedback mechanisms gather information from different sources, all of which is analyzed then. Difficulties and faults are publicized internally to the extent that is possible. Quality Customer Service Singapore Airlines (SAI) is a model of constancy. The airline can possess 3 decades of continuing achievement, even affluent during times when the industry as a totality struggled. Its assets of awards include a confounding 67 international honors in 2002 only. How has this height of success been maintained for such a long period By implanting a customer-oriented culture that permeates all the airline's dissimilar operations. Significantly, though, an understanding of the want for cost usefulness grounds client service quality. All workers share this attentiveness. Holistic teaching techniques compel the message home, as does the reality that extra benefits and other incentives are very much reliant upon earnings produced. Not astonishingly, staff at all levels negate of resources being misused. Evidently you don't remain at the peak for 30 years by standing motionless. Modernization is a must and SIA is a sharp operator where this is noticed. The company considers that all improvements have some degree of shelf life and is not scared to break up with those

Define and give examples of downwards, upwards and horizontal Essay

Define and give examples of downwards, upwards and horizontal organizational communication. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different forms of c - Essay Example Downward communication is the most studied form of communication in the business organization. As Downward communication is the most widespread form in organizations as those at the top have the facilities and status for instigating communication. They also have a greater require doing so and are definitely less inhibited about taking such action. at times written messages are issued by top executives to all levels of the organization. though this presents the kind of deformation that takes place when oral messages are sent down the line, employees are conditioned to believe that communications must come through their immediate supervisors. while they don't, employees quickly instigate to lose respect for the supervisors (Jeanette W. Gilsdorf; 1998). If you choose to communicate directly, there is the problem assuring that you do not alienate the layers between yourself and the person you are communicating with. You must also be careful of what you say so as not to countermand or cause confusion from what more immediate supervisors have said (Ferrell, March 10, 1998). Several writers, like Marshall McLuhan in The Medium Is the Massage, have explained how media influence the receiver's perceptions of the message. Douglas Brush asserts, "A ten-minute videotape of a chief executive officer announcing a new corporate policy imparts hundreds of times more information than an audiotape of that same message, which contains hundreds of times more information than a printed text of the message." (Brush, pp. 10-11). Downward communication moves from superior to subordinate, whether from the chairman to all employees of the company or from one superior to one subordinate. It is the main form of communication in corporations. More media carry more messages down the management chart than take them upward or horizontally combined. That is not to say that formal communications in the business organization are typically downward or even vertical. Most are horizontal. However most formal ones are downward, as one writer notes: "It is obvious that the bulk of communication in most organizations is downward--directing, instructing, explaining, and the like. The passing on of orders, policies, and plans is the backbone of managerial communication." (Jose R. Goris, Bobby C. Vaught, John D. Pettit Jr, 2000) Katz and Kahn list five purposes of downward communication: 1. Specific task directive: job instructions. 2. Information designed to produce understanding of the task and its relations to other organizational tasks: job rationale. 3. Information about organizational procedures and