Discuss the evolution of enamelled glass in medieval Egypt and Syria, Essay

Discuss the evolution of enamelled glass in medieval Egypt and Syria, focusing on Carboni's book Glass for the Sultans - Essay Example This includes changes in history, politics and culture during the time, all which allowed glasswork and artistic symbols to begin to alter and to show a different understanding of the social knowledge of the time. The glass making that occurred in Egypt and Seria during the medieval times was a result of newer concepts related to society. This time period was known for the ability to conquer several lands and areas, all which were beginning to build and develop politically and within the infrastructure. The Middle Eastern area, ranging from Greece to Spain and Egypt, all were moving through these main influences within politics. Many were focused on conquering neighboring countries, as well as expanding influences. More importantly, the Islamic world began to develop, with many associating the ideas of enameled glass with the religious and philosophical thought processes within the country. The glass making in this region was divided into two time periods. The first was known as the Abbasid Era, which had the time period from 750 – 868. During this time period, Alexandria and Syrian were known for developing the different enameled glass, specifically with a focus on creating intricate pieces for royalty. More importantly, the works that were created were defined by contrasts and colors that associated with religious beliefs and the idea of sacred works during the time. The second time period was linked to Egypt during the Tulunid Era, ranging from 868 – 905. This began to alter from enameled glass to stained glass surfaces, mostly seen in accessories such as lanterns and vessels. The glass used in both these eras were known not only for their ornamentation, but were also created for practical means. There was use of the stained and enameled glass for buildings and architecture while lighting different archways were the main focus of most of

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Reading response - Essay Example The author suggests that when situations of high infant mortality and high fertility exist, the passing away of a young one is the custom for poor households. Mothers do not feel distressed when a frail infant dies, and motherly acceptance of child death may put at risk the life of other children (Scheper-Hughes 324). This illustrates that mothers only invest in children who they expect to survive, detach themselves psychologically from susceptible children and withdraw care and affection. This notion rebuffs contemporary research on the mother-child relation and the view that motherly love is a universal occurrence. The author refers to this as the modern bourgeois view. In the community, it is perceived that motherly love is meaningful and priceless and that the mother’s kindness cannot be repaid. Nonetheless, we cannot be assuming the same thing about women who anticipate and wish for their baby’s demise. It is even more difficult to presume that any woman would want a terrible thing to happen to her young one. The account of the attitude towards child mortality is distressing. This is a demonstration of human adaptability, though not the ecstatic of such demonstrations. A number of communities find motherly love to be stout that it cannot be influenced by anything. A genuine mother can never allow her child or children to pass on without a fight. This stance differentiates mothers from other regular individuals in a way. Nevertheless, it essential to understand mothers are humans first, like the rest of the people. The quality of a person’s life is largely dependent on issues beyond his control or a society. Resources may be the most vital of issues. These make motherly love subject to the accessibility of resources in the society. Over a period, a community that does not have adequate resources must change its view to the situation. Born Jesus is an example of such an occurrence

Battle of waterloo Essay Example for Free

Battle of waterloo Essay The Battle of Waterloo was fought thirteen kilometres south of Brussels between the French, under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Allied armies commanded by the Duke of Wellington from Britain and General Blucher from Prussia. The French defeat at Waterloo drew to a close 23 years of war beginning with the French Revolutionary wars in 1792 and continuing with the Napoleonic Wars from 1803. There was a brief eleven-month respite when Napoleon was forced to abdicate, exiled to the island of Elba. However, the unpopularity of Louis XVIII and the economic and social instability of France motivated him to return to Paris in March 1815. The Allies soon declared war once again. Napoleons final defeat at Waterloo marked the end of the Emperors final bid for power, the so-called 100 Days, and the final chapter in his remarkable career. The Protagonists Napoleon Bonaparte had always been driven by his desire to make France a European empire and was an experienced warlord and leader. He had carried out a coup against the government of the First Republic of France (the Directory) in 1799 and established himself as ruler and First Consul, eventually to declare himself First Consul for life and Emperor in 1804. In 1802 the French Republic was officially ecognised and the Peace of Amiens signed. Napoleon had higher ambitions and pursued his desire to make France the most powerful country in Europe by conquering other countries including Britain. In 1803, Britain declared war on France and the ensuing Napoleonic Wars were fought between France and various Allied coalitions over the next 1 1 years. The Allies successfully invaded in 1814 and forced Napoleon to abdicate at the Treaty of Fontainbleau. The European powers were meeting in Vienna to re-establish the territorial balance in Europe when news came of Napoleons escape from Elba on 1st March 181 5 and is re-entry into Paris on 20th March. The powers immediately renewed their declaration of war on Napoleon and the 7th Coalition between Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia was formed on 25th March. They began assembling their troops in readiness for war, intending to attack along the French borders and march on Paris from different directions with enough strength to crush the French. In the event, only the armies of Wellington and Blucher were in place in Belgium. The Austrians and Russians arrived after Napoleon had been defeated. The Allied army under the Duke of Wellington was a coalition of British, Dutch, Belgian and German oldiers. Napoleon described Britain as the most powerful and most constant of my enemies. Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, had never been beaten by the French and had a reputation as a talented coalition general. He came to prominence in India and then successfully directed the Peninsular Campaign of 1811 when the British went to support Portugal and Spain against Napoleon. He was made a duke at the end of that war and appointed ambassador to the restored Bourbon court in 1814. Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher was the commander of the Prussian army. He was 72 at the time ot the Battle ot Waterloo and he only man to nave beaten Napoleon more than once. Age and experience meant that Blucher was less afraid of Napoleon than any other commander. His self-confidence and career record had a positive effect on his army, helping to keep morale amongst the Prussians high. Strategies After his return to France, Napoleon developed his strategy to defeat the Allies. He re-established himself in Paris and began building up his army in preparation for an invasion of Belgium, his goal was to capture Brussels. His battle plan was to mount an offensive attack on the Allied troops gathering in Belgium and to destroy them. In order to do this he wanted to divide the armies before defeating them separately, forcing Wellingtons army to retreat back to the Belgian coast in the west and the Prussians to retreat to the east. With speed he deployed his army along the French border and centred his headquarters at Beaumont Just across the border from Belgium. He was ready to attack on 15th June 1815. In order to separate Wellington and Bluchers troops, Napoleon ordered Marshal Ney to advance on Quatre-Bras, a crossroads on the roads between Brussels and Charleroi and Nivelles and Namur. Allied Dutch-Belgium troops under Prince William of Orange were already positioned around the area and succeeded in holding off the French attack until reinforcements arrived. They continued to hold their ground, resulting in stalemate on 16th June. The result may have been a coincidence of timing. Had Marshal Ney attacked Quatre-Bras earlier the outcome could have been very different as, until the reinforcements arrived, the French army greatly outnumbered the Allies and their chances of victory were good. If the Allies had been defeated, they may have retreated completely rather than regrouping at Mont St Jean, a few kilometres north of Quatre-Bras. Wellington admitted surprise at the direction of the French attack; Napoleon has humbugged me, he declared. At Ligny, the Prussian army occupied strongholds of walled gardens, stone houses and farmhouses and lined up on the forward slope of the Ligny Brook with the right guarding the villages of St Armand and St Armand Haye. Heavvy fghting ensued with casualties on both sides, but the Prussians were forced to commit more and more troops. Although the French were victorious, they failed to totally destroy the Prussian army. They were able to retreat, albeit with numerous injured and dead, north to Wavre (about 18 kilometres east of Waterloo) Napoleon had succeeded in his aim of keeping the two Allied armies apart but mistakenly believed the Prussians were defeated. He was confident that Wellington could also be defeated. Preparing for battle On the morning of 18th June 181 5, Wellington was occupying the ridge of Mont St Jean, Just south of Waterloo, and Napoleon that of La Belle Alliance across the valley. The corps were divided into three under the commands of Lord Hill, Prince William of Orange and Sir Thomas Picton. Wellington was short of well-trained infantry and the cavalry were inexperienced, but he believed in the use of carefully deployed firepower. They had some 156 cannon and the standard gun for the infantry, a smoothbore mus et k titted with a bayonet on a socket over the barrel ot a gun Observing that his troops were outnumbered by the French, Wellington decided that his best plan was to stand firm until the Prussians could come to his aid.

British Heart Foundation Organisational Analysis

British Heart Foundation Organisational Analysis The British Heart Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation. We are the UKs largest heart charity (the fifth largest charity in the UK), fighting heart and circulatory disease. Largest funder of research into heart disease in UK. Founded in 1961 Our head office is based in London and there are six regional offices. Employ 1807 staff. Heart and circulatory disease the UKs biggest killer 2.6 million people in UK living with heart disease. Income year ending March 2008 was nearly  £117 million Fund research, education/campaigns raising awareness, life-saving cardiac equipment and through BHF heart nurses, they help support patients suffering from heart disease. BHF has B2B customers, working in partnership with organisations such as Colgate, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Weight Watchers and Scottish and Southern Energy. However, this study will focus on BHFs B2C customers. Number of SBUs trading, Events, VFR, Legacies, Prevention and Care therefore serving multiple customer segments. BHFs target audiences include Heart patients, at-risk groups, health professionals, and children and parents. As with most charities, those donating money, time and support to the BHF are typically 45 plus, ABC12s. 1.2 BHFs Philosophy The philosophy of an organisation refers to its business approach, it is the principles that underlie its whole operation; the philosophy is what guides the organisation. Organisations may operate under one of three philosophies; they may be product, sales or market oriented (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005). A product oriented organisation focuses on their existing products, their goal being to produce them as efficiently as possible. There is little, if any, consideration of the needs and wants of their customers or the market. A sales-oriented organisation, although recognising their competition, still devotes little in the way of considering the needs and wants of their customers. The sales-persons role is key and their goals are typically short-term with success being measured in terms of sales (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005). A market-oriented organisation holds the customer at the centre of all its activities. In contrast to the sales orientation, where marketing is likely to be restricted to a marketing department, the marketing-oriented philosophy is one that permeates the whole organisation; every department recognises the central importance of the customer. There is an emphasis on understanding their target audiences; identifying their needs and satisfying them. (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005). Products and services are developed with the target audience in mind, in fact extensive research into the customer needs and market conditions is conducted to inform the development. Andreasen and Kotler (p38, 2007) Marketing orientation means marketing planning must begin with the target audience, not with the organization The BHF follows a market oriented philosophy, Target audiences are a central focus of the organisation; the organisation only exists as a result of their audience. The focus on their customers is demonstrated not only by their current strategy to make the organisation more relevant to target audiences, but also by their corporate objectives (see appendix 1), which are customer focused; based on fulfilling their needs and attaining a high standard service. The organisation is dedicated to instilling the market-approach organisation-wide, for example internal marketing workshops are frequently held, aimed at the non-marketing departments. Lancaster and Reynolds (2007) claim that to achieve their corporate objectives, the market oriented company must recognise that they do not exist in a vacuum; rather, the external environment is dynamic and constantly changing. Whilst it is essential to identify and anticipate the needs and wants of their target markets, and know how best to respond to these with the most efficient use of the resources available to them, it is important that this is done within the context of their ever-changing external environment and the opportunities and threats it poses. Therefore, for a market-oriented organisation such as the BHF, the role the marketing plan plays is a crucial one. It operationalises the organisations philosophy and ensures the organisation actually is market-oriented and provides a route the organisation can follow to ensure this. As mentioned in 1.1 the marketing plan requires a great deal of research scanning the environment and aiming to meet the customer needs and wants (Beamish and Ashford, 2008). The role of marketing information and research in conducting and analysing the marketing audit The Role of Marketing Information and Research In order for an organisation to operate a market orientation and remain customer-focused, information and research is essential. When undertaken properly it can provide a thorough understanding of target audiences and the micro and macro markets. The findings guide the direction of the marketing plan and with the right information and research subsequent decisions will be informed ones and it will be possible to make more realistic future predictions. Failing to gather data and research poses serious risks; without it an organisation is effectively operating in a vacuum, future decisions are uniformed and there is no customer focus. (Beamish and Ashford, 2008). Collecting Marketing Information There are two ways of collecting marketing information; secondary and primary. Secondary data is information collected for a purpose other than for the current research. External sources of secondary data include third party databases such as keynote and mintel, government statistics, national and trade press and the internet. In addition, there are also a number of internal sources of secondary data, for example a Customer Relations Management (CRM) database providing demographic (age, gender, address, occupation) and lifestyle data (where, what, when and how they buy, how much they spend, religion). Other internal sources include customer complaints, sales reports, personnel, information on their products and services, prices, retailers, internal training of staff, marketing budget/spend, communications spend and results of previous market research studies. Much of this data may be held on a central database The Marketing Information System (MkIS), this can provide substantial inf ormation, fulfilling some research needs, however to obtain bespoke, targeted information to fulfil all research needs primary data is necessary (Taghian and Shaw, 1998) Primary data is data bespoke to the research project. It allows for a more detailed analysis specific to the organization. External sources of primary data interviews, focus groups and surveys. Internal data can be gathered through interviews with staff. Conducting Research within BHF Secondary: OneCRM Third party databases Subscribes to specialist magazines such as ThirdSector, Marketing Week and PR Week Information on external environment. Primary: Recognises importance of bespoke research uses external agencies (FIND NAME RESEARCH NOTES!!). Important to note that there are only 2 other chest and heart charities in CAF top 500, third party data therefore often only relates to charity or health charity sector, not very specific. Use surveys and focus groups. 2.4 Conducting and Analysing the Marketing Audit Environmental scanning is necessary to conduct a detailed marketing audit; it requires both primary and secondary information on both the internal and external environment. To analyse the internal environment we need to consider: Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process and Physical Evidence (7Ps) and Staff, Style, Shared Values, Systems, Structure, Strategy and Skills (7Ss). This data is specific to the organisation and therefore internal sources such as sales reports, CRM databases, staff interviews, internal observations and staff intranet are used. To analyse the external environment we need to consider factors such as political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal (PESTEL) as well as suppliers, publics, intermediaries, customers and competitors (SPICC). This requires information sources such as third party reports, newspapers, trade magazines such as ThirdSector, focus groups, surveys and interviews of existing and potential volunteers/beneficiaries/supporters. Marketing audit and their key issues and their implications for the plan 3.1 The Marketing Audit The Internal Environment This refers to those factors the organisation has full control over. To identify the strengths and weaknesses of BHFs internal environment the 7Ps marketing mix and McKinseys 7Ss framework were used (appendix 2). These consider 14 elements such as product, price, place, promotion, strategy, structure staff and skills. In addition there are also models that can be used to help analyse certain elements, for example the BCG matrix (appendix 2) and value chain analysis. The Micro Environment To help identify the opportunities and threats that exist within BHFs micro environment the SPICC model was used (appendix 3), which considers 5 factors an organisation has partial control over; suppliers, publics, intermediaries, customers and competitors. To help analyse these factors the Product Life Cycle, Porters Five Forces model (appendix 3) and the Value Systems Analysis can be used. The Macro Environment An organisation has no control over influences within the external environment, however it is important to scan the environment in order to identify the opportunities and threats that may exist and to make informed decisions to prepare for them. When scanning BHFs external environment the PESTEL model was used (appendix 3), this categorises the forces into political, economical, social, technological, ecological and legal. Having analysed the internal and external environment a SWOT analysis can be conducted (figure 2), whereby the key strengths and weakness of the BHF and the opportunities and threats facing them are identified. Bringing together the strengths and weaknesses enables the identification of BHFs core strengths; their distinctive competencies (DCs), and from the opportunities and threats their critical success factors (CSFs) can be identified. CSFs Little direct competition. Many customers with a link to the cause. Media attention surrounding issues BHF tackle. Large prospect market. THREATS The credit crunch: decreased disposable income, corporate donations, legacies (accounts for 40% BHFs income). Direct Marketing not as effective as it used to be for charities (not seeing a return on investment). Hard to obtain the details of new people. More health and medicine charities than any other type, therefore a lot of competition especially as many tackle similar issues e.g. smoking, obesity. Many people find it embarrassing and give socially desirable answers when discussing issues such as obesity and exercise, i.e. issues the BHF deal with research unreliable. Governments Digital Britain Initiative could leave the BHF looking out-of-date. OPPORTUNITIES Many customers have a link with the cause potential to engage with our audiences more directly and build long-term relationships. There is a large prospect youth market opportunity to increase revenue and market share. Little direct competition, one of just 3 heart charities in top 500 opportunity to maximise differentiation. Companies are placing more importance on Corporate Social Responsibility provides more B2B opportunities. More media attention surrounding the issues BHF tackles such as food labelling and obesity raises profile. Governments Change4Life campaign has given BHF exposure. WEAKNESSES Lack of perceived relevance to the target audience hard for them to engage with BHF. Many generic products that arent customer friendly. Website is hard to navigate much information available, but buried under links. Low staff turnover lack of fresh ideas and perspectives in the organisation. Staff close to or highly driven by the cause find it hard to see general public perception. Regional offices developing their own structure, meaning BHF messages may appear inconsistent on a national level. STRENGTHS Strong and trusted brand. Market leader (number 1 heart charity in UK) Large integrated CRM large pool of customer data Highly motivated -dedicated and driven by cause. Recently launched large multi media campaign Connections increased awareness. Strong demand/need heart disease is the biggest UK killer. A number of large corporate sponsors give access to large audiences. Many professionals working for BHF high calibre and solid knowledge base. DCs A strong, trusted brand. Large CRM database. Strong demand. Large corporate sponsors. 3.2 Key issues faced by the BHF and their implications for the plan The SWOT analysis highlights the key issues now faced by the BHF, these are shown below: Key issues the BHF faces and their implications to the marketing plan. Key Issue Implications to the Marketing Plan Credit Crunch reduction in disposable income, therefore less donations slump in the housing market, therefore reduction in legacies reduction in corporate donations Income reduced therefore a tighter budget need to generate alternative, cost-efficient ways of raising funds go for low risk options such as building on existing relationships rather than investing a lot of resources trying to make new contacts. Increasing competition from other health charities. BHF needs to maximise their advantage of having little direct competition and emphasise their differentiation by highlighting unique aspects of the BHFs work rather than those that are similar to other charities and make it relevant to target audiences. Direct Marketing no longer an effective communication media for charities. Need to use alternative communication media that are equally accountable yet more effective possibly making more use of new media. Large prospect market. Targeting this market will require a great deal of resources, however in the short term; given the economic climate it is perhaps not the best time to try to enter this market. It is a great opportunity that should be should be considered in the long-term. Very high priority given to cost savings and operational efficiency, even more so due to the recession often results in generic products (Bruce, 2007). Need to optimise the use of the OneCRM database and increase product customisation. The Digital Britain Initiative is set to secure the UKs place at the forefront of innovationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and quality in the digital communications industries rapid development could leave the BHF behind. Plan needs to make better use of new media, possibly going out of the BHFs comfort zone. Having conducted the SWOT analysis and considered the key issues, the BHF is now in a better position to set their objectives and determine their strategy. Referring back to figure 2, the DCs are well supported by the CSFs; there is a good match. Therefore we can afford to set higher level marketing objectives (discussed in section 4.1). This creates a gap, identified through gap analysis, between the initial forecast (where we will be if we continue to do nothing) and the new objectives. Taking the SWOT analysis into consideration I believe this gap can be bridged through establishing a product development growth strategy, this is a moderate risk strategy, which the match of the DCs and CSFs supports. The BHF will also operate a differentiation competitive strategy (appendix 4); we need to emphasise our unique selling point amongst all the other health charities. Although, other product lines may also contribute in closing the planning gap, the remainder of this plan will focus on the BHFs new product. Task 02 Red for heart campaign London to Brighton Bike Ride New Product B2B Corporate Partnerships World Events Regional Events Sponsored School Events SBU Marketing Marketing Objectives for the BHFs New Product The BHFs New Product The BHF will launch a B2C membership service that will allow them to engage directly with a large audience and encourage the development of long term relationships. Members will receive information on how to improve their heart health. Upon registering the member will receive a welcome pack containing a heart risk tape measure, a guide to heart health, a 5-a-day food diary, a heart matters fact card and a membership card. They will also receive access to the heart matters helpline, receive email alerts tailored to their needs (healthy eating, getting active, quitting smoking and well being) and will have an online account with a homepage that is regularly updated according to their stated interests upon sign up. Their membership will also provide them with special commercial offers. This is a free service because it is a belief of the BHF that heart health information should be available to all. 4.2 Marketing objectives for the BHFs Heart Matters membership service There is a hierarchy of objectives with three levels; corporate, functional and operational. At the corporate level they start off more general and are long-term and get more specific the closer the planning activity gets to the tactical implementation stage (p23 Robert et al, 2005). Corporate objectives are often expressed in financial terms, for example referring to return on investment (ROI) and return on capital employed (ROCE) (Beamish and Ashford, 2008). However, for many not-for-profit organisations, including BHF, although still long-term, they can be much harder to measure. They are typically based on the needs of the beneficiaries, now and for the future. [They] set out the direction of the organisation; they are a statement of its prioritiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Everything the organisation does should be related back to a [corporate] goal (accessed on 10/04/09 10.30 at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/index.asp?id=488) Functional objectives are more specific than corporate objectives, often medium term referring to percentage increase in sales or market share. These then feed down to the operational objectives that are short-term and much more specific based on the 7Ps marketing mix, for example to offer a 10% discount for 2 weeks. Therefore when setting the marketing objectives for Heart Matters, they should support the corporate objectives as well as reflecting the close match between the DCs and CSFs. With regards to Heart Matters, the BHF have three options. The first is to take the view that the BHF is doing a lot of work directly related to their corporate objectives, therefore Heart Matters should be all about raising funds to help finance this work. The second is that Heart Matters should primarily focus on the need of the beneficiaries, the third is a middle-of-the-road option, whereby the need is addressed to a certain extent, but the service must be self-financing. We believe Heart Matters should initially be about addressing the need of the beneficiaries as this would provide the best opportunity to reach and engage with a wider audience. Keeping in mind the objectives should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound) the marketing objectives for Heart Matters are as follows: Marketing objectives for Heart Matters Membership Service Objectives To recruit over 300,000 members, with less than 7% annual attrition by 2012. This helps support the BHFs objective to provide vital information to help people reduce their own heart health risk once recruited, members will have access to heart health information to help improve their heart health. Hitting this target would indicate increased engagement with supporters. For 20% of donors to make a donation by 2012. 30% of the general population donate to charity; however, this may be skewed (as heart conditions are more prevalent in low income areas). This supports all objectives, as funds raised are invested in helping achieve BHFs objectives. For example, to achieve objective 1 (appendix 1) the BHF will provide funding, equipment and facilities to achieve the best results. Therefore, funds raised will support this. For 40% of members recruited to have engaged with another BHF product/service by 2012 e.g. to have participated in an event, donated, made a purchase from the online shop or catalogue. This serves to increase public involvement in heart health, to help achieve objective 2 (appendix 1). Achieving this target would indicate an increased understanding of the work BHF does and an increased involvement of BHF supporters. 5. Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning of Heart Matters. 5.1 Segmentation Customers are very diverse; therefore the same product and tactics will not appeal to all of them. We need to use segmentation; the process of dividing the market into specific groups of consumers/buyers who share common needs and who might require separate products and/or marketing mixes (Kotler, 1998 as cited in Ashford and Beamish, 2008). B2B and B2C markets each require different techniques to do this, as Heart Matters is a B2C product consumer segmentation will be used. Consumer markets can be segmented based on the following criteria: Geographic segmentation is based on variables such as region, population density and size of the area. Demographic segmentation uses variables such as age, gender, income, occupation, ethnicity and social class. Geo-demographic segmentation is a combination of the above, assumes that people either socialise according to class and occupation, or their lifestyles and geographic factors (Ashford and Beamish, 2008). ACORN (A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods) is a system commonly used to segment the population according to geo-demographics. Psychographic segmentation groups according to lifestyle using variables such as social activities, interests, opinions and values. Behaviouristic segmentation refers to customer behaviour, segmenting based on variables such as benefits sought, purchasing rate and usage rate. Segmentation for the BHF differs depending upon whether the market to be segmented is donor or beneficiary. When segmenting the donor market, all of the above criteria are important, however when segmenting the beneficiary market, behaviourist segmentation will typically be given priority (Bruce, 2007). There will be 2 main phases to Heart Matters; the first will target beneficiaries. Upon recruitment of the target beneficiary groups the product will move into its second phase, to raise donations, therefore the target beneficiary groups will be further segmented and new target groups identified (for example this will determine those members receiving a  £5 donation ask and those receiving a  £15 one) . This report will focus on phase 1, therefore segmentation will be specific to the BHFs beneficiary market (for further information on phase 2, please refer to appendix 5. As previously mentioned, the BHF gives priority to behaviourist segmentation when segmenting their beneficiary markets. Potential segments Heart Matters could target include: Seeking help recovering from a heart condition Seeking help living with a heart condition Seeking information on caring for someone with a heat condition Desire to improve their lifestyle Desire to improve their diet Frequent user of BHF products/services Infrequent user of BHF product/services Use products and services from a variety of health charities Loyal to an alternative health charity Although behaviourist variables form the basis of segmentation, further segmentation is necessary as within these groups there are still huge differences from one customer to the next. Further, given limited resources it may not be possible to serve everyone within a particular needs group. The BHF also use the other criteria to identify additional segments: Geography: The BHF is a nation-wide organisation, however they segment according to Densely populated areas Large metropolitan areas Areas of low income Demographics: Parents educate about keeping their childrens hearts healthy 65+ higher risk of heart disease, inform on how to reduce risk 30-45 leading busy lives, but still have a chance to make a change 7-16 to educate about the importance of keeping their heart healthy Sedentary occupation High stress occupation Geo-demographic: Segment into different ACORN groups all of which are within the BHFs beneficiary market as heart health information should be made available to everyone. The market is segmented according to ACORN group as solutions and recommendations may differ depending on income and social class, for example EF14 category affordable healthy recipes, gym-free ways of keeping fit. Psychographics: Internet-savvy Dependents Families Older couples (no children or left home) Gym Members 5.2 Target audience for Heart Matters The marketing of Heart Matters will follow a differentiated strategy, that is Heart Matters will only be targeted at certain segments of the total market and the marketing mix (section 6) will be tailored towards these target segments of the market. Figure 4 below shows the target groups chosen for Heart Matters Membership. Recovering/living with heart conditionhigh risk Glasgow and London Age 50+ Behaviour Geographic Demographic Target groups for Heart Matters Target Group Reason for Choice Recovering/living with a heart condition and high risk groups. This is a large market; heart and circulatory disease is the UKs biggest killer, almost 2.6 million people are living with heart disease. It is a current strategy of the BHF to make the organisation more relevant to target audiences; this is a large audience where the need is currently greatest and it is important to ensure the BHF is made relevant to them. These are issues that are unique to the BHF, no other large charity tackles them targeting this group provides an opportunity to highlight the BHFs differentiation. Glasgow and London As this is a new product, and one which is free it will initially be launched into just 2 cities, this is to reduce the risk involved. Densely populated cities give a wider market reach. Glasgow has been chosen as there is a high concentration of heart disease, London has been chosen as people living here tend to have a faster pace of life, encouraging them to be unhealthy. Initial rates of membership registration of the two cities may give an indication of where to roll the membership out to. Age 50+ Heart disease is more common and risk is greater in older people. Further, a survey under-taken by one of our corporate sponsors Fitness-First revealed that of all age groups the over 50s showed the greatest percentage eating healthily, this indicates a large market that would be receptive to health-related information. In addition, this is the baby-boomer generation, a large percentage of which are wealthy home owners may provide significant fundraising opportunities in phase 2. 5.3 Positioning Heart Matters Having selected the target segments, it is important the service is then positioned with their needs and requirements in mind. Positioning is the act of designing an offer so that it occupies a distinct and valued place in the minds of target customers (Kotler et al, 1998). The target segments are likely to have concerns, it is therefore important the service is positioned as reassuring. However, we do not want to be patronising and compromise our brand, the service tackles serious issues so needs to be positioned as a provider of expert advice. Each customer treated as an individual, we wish the service to be viewed as providing customised, not generic information. Figure 4 below shows how we would like our target audiences to perceive our service. Customised Reassuring Expert, trusted advice Generic Inaccessible Amateur advice Depressing Accessible Perceptual Map for Heart Matters Marketing mix for the BHFs Heart Matters Membership Service Strategy Justification Product USP (Unique Selling Point) Core product: USP no other charity provides information and advice specific to living with and recovering from a heart condition. Supports our competitive differentiation strategy. Secondary and tertiary product: Carbon Copy many other charities provide free membership services offering newsletters, free calendars, membership cards etc (appendix 4) Price Intermediate strategy, in terms of the value the customer will place on the product. This supports our quality of information positioning and selective marketing strategy. Heart Matters core product has a USP; however we want it to be available to everyone within our target market, not just a specialist group, so therefore skimming is not applicable. Price penetration is also not applicable as this is a strategy typically used for lower quality, carbon copies therefore does not support our quality of information positioning strategy. In addition we do not want to target everyone within the beneficiary market; this is a new product, do not want to appear low quality and generic, the intermediary price strategy supports this. Place Dual distribution use both direct and indirect (via intermediaries) distribution to the customer. Selective Distribution Interdependence BHF retains full control. Dual distribution: the core product will only be distributed directly, this is essential to support the expert positioning and give the BHF full control over the service. Indirect distribution of the core product may confuse customers and fail to relate it to the BHF. Indirect distribution of Heart Matters registration and materials. This will give a greater access to the market and provide customers with the option to register in person or online. Selective distribution will give access to the right customers i.e. our target groups. This also supports our quality positioning strategy and intermediate price strategy, as we can choose intermediary locations that support our brand such as pharmacies. Intermediaries will be interdependent the BHF will retain full control. This is because the BHF has a strong brand and a greater understanding of the customer needs, particularly as this is a service aimed at beneficiaries. Giving independence to intermediaries may risk bad PR for the BHF. Promotion Objective Differentiate and Inform Str

Hester vs. the Community in The Scarlet Letter Essay examples -- Scarl

Hester vs. the Community in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter seems to be created around Hawthorne's obsession with the forbidding quality of the scarlet "A", the symbol from which the novel takes its title. Rrom the rose-bush which Hawthorne selects a flower from as an offering to the reader(1) to the "elfish" child Pearl, every aspect of the story is drenched in this letter's scarlet hue. Perhaps this repetition reflects Hawthorne's own repressed desires, as some critics suggest(2). However, what seems more compelling is the function which the symbol serves for Hester Prynne and the community which has condemned her. For Hester the symbol is clearly a literary one; she fashions the scarlet "A" to fulfill the function of telling, in one solid image, her story of sorrow and strength. For the Puritan community the symbol does not lead to truth, but rather conceals it. They place their fears and darkest imaginings into this brand. Hawthorne's possible artistic obsession brings to l ife a tortured woman, and the torment of the society that inflicts her punishment.    Freudian symbolism must be differentiated from literary symbolism in order to form a deeper understanding of the symbolic scarlet "A" conceived as a punishment by a Puritan society's desire to uphold its truths, but brought into physical existence by Hester Prynne's "fancy."(3) Daniel Weiss embarks on the enterprise of solidifying this distinction in the first chapter of his book titled The Critic Agonistes: Psychology, Myth, and the Art of Fiction.(4). Weiss suggests that "the literary symbol is a concrete and untranslatable presentation of an idea, or an experience that cannot find its way into consciousness except throu... ...Art of Fiction. Ed. Stephen Arkin and Eric Solomon. Seattle: U of Washington P. (1985): 21. 11. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter: Ed. Ross C. Murfin. New York, New York: Bedford Books of St. Martins P., (1991): 74. 12. Weiss, Daniel. "The Critic Agonistes". The Critic Agonistes: Psychology, Myth, and the Art of Fiction. Ed. Stephen Arkin and Eric Solomon. Seattle: U of Washington P. (1985): 21. 13. Brodhead, Richard H. "New and Old Tales: The Scarlet Letter." Hawthorne, Melville, and the Novel. Chicago: U of Chicago P., (1973): 44. 14. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter: Ed. Ross C. Murfin. New York, New York: Bedford Books of St. Martins P., (1991): 58. 15. ibid. 57. 16. ibid. 112. 17. ibid. 75. 18. ibid. 75. 19. ibid. 161. 20. ibid. 154. 21. ibid. 200. 22. ibid. 201. 23. ibid. 134.   

Legend of the Body in the Bed Essay -- Urban Legends

Body in the Bed The legend of the â€Å"Body in the Bed† has been retold over and over again for years. It is a very popular story, usually taking place at a hotel or motel in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, or in a remote location in the desert nearby (â€Å"Strange Smells from the Hotel Bed†). Various â€Å"spin-offs† and variations to the legend have arisen since its inception, believed to be in the early 1990s. Many examples supporting the legend have come to the surface over time. They provide a possible explanation to the origin of the legend. The version I collected was told to me by my girlfriend, on March 29th. She has been fascinated by urban legends since as far back as she can remember. Although she recounted several legends to me, I chose this particular one because it was my favorite. Before retelling the legend, she told me that I could easily find this story online. However, I told her that I would prefer if she retold it in the manner she first heard it. Her version of the legend goes as follows: A man traveling on a business trip arrived at a motel, checked in, and proceeded to his room. Once he got in, he became aware that the room had a very foul smell, practically unbearable. He called the desk clerk asking for another room, but there were none available. The desk clerk sent over a maid to clean the room and try to get the smell out while the man went to dinner. When he returned, he didn’t smell the foul smell. He showered, settled in, and went to bed. After some time, the man awoke to the horrible smell again. It was too late to call the desk clerk, so he began looking around, trying to figure out where the smell came from. He searched everywhere, but found that the smell was strongest around the bed. Finally... ...tivity would not agree with what goes on during the course of the honeymoon period. This legend plays upon all of the factors to warn against these â€Å"sinful† activities. It reminds us that we should not partake in activities out of lust or greed, for it may take over our lives and change who we are. It warns us to not seek these pleasures blindly, for we may be missing what is really going on directly under our noses. Works Cited Mikkelson, Barbara (2 November 2006). â€Å"The Bawdy Under the Bed.† Retrieved March 30th, 2007 from http://www.snopes.com/horrors/gruesome/bodybed.asp. Murphy, Autumn. â€Å"The Body in the Bed-An Urban Legend.† Retrieved March 30th, 2007 from http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/classics/Classics.htm. â€Å"Strange Smells From the Hotel Bed.† Retrieved March 30th, 2007 from http://www.halloweenghoststories.com/legends/strange1-2.html.

Module Five: The Sacraments Essay

Trace the development of the celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist from the early church with special reference to how it is understood and celebrated in the Church since the Second Vatican Council. Assignment: 3. Trace the development of the celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist from the early church with special reference to how it is understood and celebrated in the Church since the Second Vatican Council. We all have experience of ‘celebration’. When I think of a celebration what comes to mind are the external factors, the cake, candles, and the food. Sometimes we forget the real meaning of celebration, the story behind the festivity. The celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist is where we find our story. This essay will outline the development of the celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist from the Early Church, paying particular focus on how the Eucharist is celebrated in the church since the Second Vatican Council. Sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church celebrate something, and that something is to do with God’s love and grace, experienced and related to one’s own story. (CCRS notes). Vatican II’s desire was to restore the sacraments back to the centre of Church life. The earliest celebration of the Eucharist were home Masses (Acts 2:46 says ‘they broke bread at home’) even with small numbers these early Christians were establishing the traditions for the future. There is clear evidence of Christ in the Eucharist. There is clear evidence of his unconditional love. What makes the bread sacred is not magic but the reality of the words. (Huebsch 1989). â€Å"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, â€Å"This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.† In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, â€Å"This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.†(Corinthians 11:23-30) The bread and wine for the early Christians was much more than a meal, it was a coming together of the  community of God, each time a reference is made about the bread or the wine it is a reference to the people of God. For Huebsch the early Christians like us today are accepting the whole community of God when receiving communion, all his people with their strengths and weakness. An important development for the celebration of the Eucharist was the movement from the ‘home Mass’ of the very early Church to the Eucharist of the larger p ublic buildings. The large basilicas allowed for processions. Sunday became a holiday, giving more time for Christians to celebrate. Liturgies became longer and more elaborate. In these early days, the celebrant at the liturgy had considerable freedom to compose their own prayers for the Mass. Soon, however, standardisation set in, as the various communities began to adopt the prayers of their more articulate celebrants. (Kellly:1998) In the Fourth century, Constantine’s toleration of Christianity (313) led to its rapid spread throughout the Roman Empire. This led to significant changes in the celebration of the Liturgy. Latin became the standard language of the liturgy. At first, the assemblies met in basilicas later they built and dedicated churches and the clergy grew in numbers. During this era, they began to wear special clerical clothes. The sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist grew in importance, while the meal symbolism faded into the background (Kelly: 1998). This period stressed Christ’s divinity; this led to the people feeling less worthy to approach the Lord. As a result, there was a decline in the reception of communion. Theologians in the Middle Ages debated the meaning of the â€Å"real presence† of Christ in the Eucharistic bread and wine. They used the term transubstantiation to describe the mystery of the bread and wine being changed into Jesus’ risen body and blood. The stress was on the sacrificial nature of the mass. There was a growing sense that the laity were spectators to a drama unfolding on the altar. This led to a feeling that the consecration was the high point of the Mass. Emphasis fell, not on receiving Jesus in communion, but on seeing and adoring the Eucharistic Lord. Since fewer laity were receiving communion, a small round wafer (called host) substituted the traditional loaf of bread. (CCRS notes). As so few were receiving Holy Communion, the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) passed a law that re quired Catholics to receive communion at least once a year. Practices that focused on Eucharistic devotion began to appear. These included Elevation of the Host  and chalice at Mass. The priest had his back to the people, he had to hold the host and chalice up high. People would sometimes call out, â€Å"Hold it higher, priest.† Some were so keen on this practice they would run from one church to another just to be there for the moment of consecration! (O’Deasss 2013) .The Eucharistic prayer was recited silently by the priest except for the words of consecration which were voiced a little louder but not so loud as to be heard by the people because the people couldn’t hear the Eucharistic prayer, and even if they could they would not understand the Latin, many filled in the time by reciting the rosary or other devotional prayers during Mass. (O’Deasss 2013) The sixteenth century brought about the Protestant Reformation. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) met to correct some of the abuses that had crept into the Church. It also defended some Catholic beliefs attacked by the Reformers. In the area of the Eucharist, the church fathers reaffirmed the real presence of Jesus and the adequacy of the theological term, transubstantiation. They also defended the sacrificial nature of the Mass against the Reformers. Most significantly, Pope Pius V published a Roman Missal (1570) to bring uniformity to the official ritual. The Church then used this for the next four hundred years. (CCRS notes) Since the reform of 1570, a lot more was discovered about the Eucharist of the early Church and this enabled Vatican II to restore the liturgy more accurately to the traditions that had been lost. Vatican II’s key document the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (1963) led to the renewal of all the Sacraments. Important changes that we take for granted today include the following; celebrating the Mass in the vernacular language so we can understand more fully what it means; the Liturgy of the Word has greater importance; Guidelines instruct the homilist to develop the homily based on the readings. The Sunday readings revolve around a three-year cycle; this emphasis has helped Catholics discover the scriptures. The altar now faces the people, this invites a clearer understanding of what is going on at the Eucharist, and it also symbolically opens the Mass to fuller participation by all those present. Today’s Mass includes the Prayer of the Faithful, which links the Eucharistic worship to the whole church, the world, and the suffering in the community. Active congregational participation is an important feature of the post-Vatican II liturgy. Before, we commonly spoke of â€Å"attending Mass.† Today, we emphasise, â€Å"celebrating the Eucharist.† The  Mass is not a private affair. It is public worship in which the community, led by the priest, joins in thanking, praising, and adoring God together. The laity assumes many ministerial roles today, for example, as readers, Eucharistic ministers, choir members, greeters, and gift bearers. Vatican II wished to make the Eucharist a celebration of the entire community. Many of the reforms help us better understand the symbolism and meaning of the mass. They also help us gather together as a worshipping community. (Kelly 1998). Pope John Paul 11 mentioned this vital connection when he stated: â€Å"the Eucharist makes the Church and the Church makes the Eucharist.† The council did encourage changes in the liturgy. However, many people have misinterpreted this message and have down played the importance of the Eucharist in the Church and in our personal lives. Some members of the Church will claim that this council stated that the Eucharist is merely a symbol, thus denying the Real Presence. On the contrary, almost every Vatican II document speaks of the Real Presence, and implies that we need to increase our devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. â€Å"Really sharing in the body of the Lord in the breaking of the Eucharistic bread, we are taken up into communion with him and with one another.† (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) 1963) This essay has traced the development and celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist from the early Christian Church and has demonstrated that the focus at this time was sharing, participating, celebrating and making a personal connection with God. It has also explained that since the establishment and development of the early Catholic Church, the real meaning of the Eucharist was lost and people no longer felt connected to the sacraments. They were observers in the church rather than taking an active role. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church attempted to involve the people and encourage them to experience Jesus’ real presence through the sacrament. â€Å"In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith. Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking.† (1327 Catechism) The celebration of the Eucharist is a call, a call of the risen Christ who continues to give himself to us calling us to his banquet, through this celebration we can participate in our faith more richly. As Pope Benedict  explained so passionately: â€Å"I encourage you all to discover ever more fully in the sacrament of Christ’s sacrificial love† (Paclva 2013). Bibliography Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Geoffrey Chapman.1994. CCRS notes Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) 1963 Good News Bible, Second edition 1994 The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) 1963 O’Deasss,F: http://theeucharist.wordpress.com/the-author/ Eucharist the basic spiritually, 2013 Huebsch, B: Rethinking the sacraments, London, 1989 Pacliva, M: The Eucharist: A Bible study for Catholics, USA, 2013 Kelly, L: Sacraments Revisited, What do they mean today, 1998