Article Critique Essay Example for Free

Article Critique Essay The thought that peer exclusion is correlated with children’s classroom achievements and adjustment has been hypothesized since the 1930’s. Much research and empirical evidence for such hypotheses have since been collected, and seem to agree with the premise of the correlation. Peer acceptance is the main measurement of this study. In contrast with other types of peer relationships, peer group acceptance, or rejection, is strongly connected with academic readiness and achievement. This article focuses on peer sentiments and its effect on children’s adjustment. It differs from past studies in that its approach is to measure non-observable feelings about classmates, rather than only the observable interactions. The article begins by outlining past research, and developing a premise for the study from those previous studies. The main study that this research builds upon is that of a 2001 study by Eric S. Buhs and Gary W. Ladd, who also conduct this study along with Sarah L. Herald. The premise of the study, based on the 2001 study, is that once classmates express negative feelings and actions upon a peer, those feelings and actions act as a visible marker for further rejection by the larger peer group, and the rejected child as well; as a result, the rejected peers are flagged by their peers, and are left out of classroom interactions, and as a consequence, the rejected child’s learning is impacted ultimately leading to lower levels of achievement (Buhs, Ladd, and Herald, 2006, p. 2). The prior 2001 study found that â€Å"early peer rejection was negatively related to later achievement and that this association was partially mediated through peer maltreatment and declining classroom participation, respectively† (Buhs et al. , 2006, p. 2). The authors developed a hypothesis that built upon their previous study. Their hypothesis was stated as, â€Å"it was hypothesized that prolonged peer maltreatment increases the probability that children will disengage from classrooms (or the school context) and that increasing disengagement impairs children’s achievement. Thus, it was predicted that longer rather than shorter histories of peer maltreatment, after controlling for contemporary exclusion or abuse, would mediate the link between early peer rejection and later classroom disengagement† (Buhs et al. , 2006, p. 3). The authors further state that their purpose for conducting this study was to bridge the gap between the limitations of the previous study (it was only a one year study that attempted to predict students future outcomes) by conducting a more comprehensive longitudinal study over a six year period (kindergarten through fifth grade). Methodology The research study constructed six variables to measure the children with. They include, peer group acceptance/rejection, peer exclusion, peer abuse, classroom participation, school avoidance, and achievement. Peer group acceptance/rejection was conceptualized to mean â€Å"the extent to which individuals were liked/ disliked by classroom peers,† and operationalized by sociometric ratings that were collected from peers during kindergarten. One problem with this operationalization is the ability to comprehensively scale the true feelings of one peer toward another, especially during younger years. Scales, questionnaires, and observations might be too incomplete to capture the true meaning behind the dynamics of peer to peer interactions. Another issue is of how to evaluate separate peer groups. Many times classrooms encompass only a selection of developed peer groupings throughout the grade, and might be unfairly balanced toward one group. An example of groupings would be defined by the terms, â€Å"popular,† â€Å"punk,† or â€Å"nerds. † The research might be biased toward one group, if only because they were over represented in a class room. The variable Peer Exclusion was conceptualized as â€Å"the extent to which children were the target of peers’ nonaggressive rejecting behaviors, including behaviors such as ignoring, avoiding, or refusing to associate with them in the classroom context† (Buhs et al. , 2006, p. 3). The Variable Peer Abuse—the second form of peer mistreatment—was conceptualized to mean â€Å"the extent to which children were recipients of classmate’s aggressive and harassing behaviors† (Buhs et al. , 2006, p. 3). These two variables contained indicators to distinguish between chronic peer abuse, and situational peer abuse. Again, the issue that arises is the effectiveness of these measures. The interactions between childhood peers are complex, and can change daily. The variables Classroom Participation, and School Avoidance were used to measure disengagement from the classroom environment. A large issue with this is how to distinguish individuals who might be avoiding class as an outcome of separate circumstances. If poor participation and avoidance was only observed from the angle of peer interactions, then this view is biased toward the study. The study is seeking a correlation, and if outside factors aren’t controlled for, then they will biasly effect the results of their study. A child’s family life, neighborhood, economic status, innate ability, among other factors, could influence all of the variables that this study examines. The last variable, Achievement, was defined as â€Å"the accuracy with which children could solve progressively more advanced reading, mathematics, and spelling problems on an individualized achievement test† (Buhs et al. , 2006, p. 4). The issue that comes to mind with this variable is the way it uses tests to gauge â€Å"achievement†. Some students fare better on tests than others, while some students take time to develop adequate test taking skills. Another problem is how to control for separate curriculums in different classrooms, and the quality of what is being taught. Data (From the text) Buhs et al. , 2006, p. 5 Participants The data used in this investigation were gathered from a total sample of 380 children (190 girls These children were followed longitudinally from age 5 (kindergarten) to age 11 (fifth grade31 kindergarten class rooms across 10 schools, and by the fifth-grade data collection period, children were in 162 different classrooms across 32 schools. The sample contained nearly equal proportions of families from urban, suburban, or rural midwestern communities, and the sample’s ethnic composition was 17. 4% African American, 77. 1% Caucasian, 1. 6% Hispanic, and 3. 9% â€Å"other. † Family incomes were distributed as follows: 10. 9% of the sample reported total household incomes from $0 to $10,000, 10. 9% reported incomes from $10,000 to $20,000, 12. 6% reported incomes from $20,000 to $30,000, 12. 6% from $30,000 to $40,000, 12. 9% from $40,000 to $50,000, and 40. 3% reported incomes above $50,000. Results The study reports it’s results as, â€Å"peer group rejection is predictive of a range of chronic, negative peer behaviors that may alter both the social environment of the classroom and children’s adaptive responses within that context across the elementary school years. † (Buhs et al. , 2006, p. 11). It suggests that the facet of peer exclusion leading to reduced participation, and ultimately delayed achievements needs further study. It goes on to say that with further study, and thus more knowledge, an empirically based intervention program can be developed. Conclusion It can be argued that to have a complete understanding of the ever evolving and complex world of the social interactions in a school environment is close to impossible. The authors came into their study with a set premise, and expectations of the outcomes, and have seemed to found what they were searching for. The question becomes, how valid are the author’s findings, and can they be applied in a general manner across learning environments. I believe studies that look at complex interactions between children over several years, such as this study, might have too many outside interactionary forces that could effect the data and results. Works Cited Buhs, Eric S. , Ladd, Gary W. , and Herald, Sarah L. (2006). Peer Exclusion and Victimization: Processes That Mediate the Relation Between Peer Group Rejection and Children’s Classroom Engagement and Achievement?. journal of Educational Psychology 2006, Vol. 98, No. 1, 1–13.

Concepts and Strategies of Brand Management

Concepts and Strategies of Brand Management ABSTRACT Branded products can be seen everywhere around us at all time, and is a way of communication for the buyer of the product. Brand management will play a more significant role in future marketing competition, so research on the brand management is likely to become more meaningful and interesting. Brand management can really create value like increasing more adaptability, uniqueness, recognition etc. All in all, brand management is significant and can add value to firms. The project discusses all about deciding and evaluating brand name. the logo and colour of the brand play an important role in attracting the consumers. Moreover after deciding the brand name, it is mandatory to register the name at trademark registration office. All this process is followed by launching or re-launching the new product or the recalled product respectively. Moreover companies have realised that the role of the company does not got over by mere launching the brand but they have to do continuous marketing to sustain in the competitive market. Over period of time, the value of product decline due to many factors and companies have to work on the revitalizing the brand image and thus leads to success of the product. The brand name is thus one of the most powerful sources of identity CHAPTER – 1 INTRODUCTION TO BRAND A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well. is a well said verse by Jeffrey Preston Bezos, the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board of Amazon.com BRAND A brand is a name or trademark connected with a product or producer. Brands have become increasingly important components of culture and the economy, now being dscribed as cultural accessories and personal philosophies. According to the American Marketing Association (AMA), brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition. Technically speaking, whenever a marketer creates a new name, logo, or symbol for a new product or service, he or she has created a brand. Now the question still is not clear about what all brand is about so we can say that brand is a promise, brand is and associated image and everyone and everything is brand. A BRAND IS A PROMISE First and foremost, a brand is a promise. It says you know the name, you can trust the promise. As all promises, it is trusted only as far as those promises are met. Trust is a critical first step and brands aim to accelerate that step by leveraging the implied promise of the brand. A BRAND IS AN ASSOCIATED IMAGE Most brands have a logo which acts as a short-cut to remind us of the brand promise. The logo uses color, shape, letters and images to create a distinctive image that is designed both to catch our eye and to guide our thoughts in the right direction. The brand may also be associated with tunes, celebrities, catchphrases and so on. All parts of the brand image works as a psychological trigger or stimulus that causes an association to all other thoughts we have about the brand. EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE IS A BRAND If you get down to the detail, everything is a brand, because we build our understanding of the world by creating associations about everything. A tree has an implied promise of beauty and shade. Even words are brands. When I say speed, you will conjure up images of fast cars, etc. People are brands, too. When people see you, or even hear your name, they will recall the image they have of you, (which is something you can actively manage or let happen). In a company where people are visible to customers, such as a service business, the people are very much a part the brand. The brand name is thus one of the most powerful sources of identity. When a brand questions its identity, the best answer is therefore to thoroughly examine its name and so try to understand the reasoning behind its creation. In doing so, we can discover the brands intentions and programme. Many brands make every effort to acquit qualities which their brand name fails to reflect or simply excludes altogether. A name-like an identity-has to be managed. Certain names may have a double meaning. The purpose of communication then is to select one and drop the other. IMPORTANCE OF BRAND Branding is a very powerful component in buisness. The brand must have a logo to make branding easier and more possible. The consumers decide if they will buy a product or use a service based on how they view the brand. The brand itself tells us or let us imagine how good ir bad the product is even we never tasted it before. All that brand promotion and advertising really do tell us how great a brand can be (like Nike). Once the customer likes your brand he/she will definitely come back for the repeated services or pproducts. The qualities of the product or services are ensured through the mind of customers from the image of the brand. Therefore, Brand is not only convinient for buisness for repeated customer purchase but also easier for customers to filter out the countless generic items. Brand gives consumer the reason to buy it and wastes less time for customer to choose a particular product or service. TYPES OF BRAND There are two main types of brand – manufacturer brands and own-label brands. MANUFACTURER BRANDS Manufacturer brands are created by producers and bear their chosen brand name. The producer is responsible for marketing the brand. The brand is owned by the producer. By building their brand names, manufacturers can gain widespread distribution (for example by retailers who want to sell the brand) and build customer loyalty (think about the manufacturer brands that you feel loyal to). OWN LABEL BRANDS Own-label brands are created and owned by businesses that operate in the distribution channel – often referred to as distributors. Often these distributors are retailers, but not exclusively. Sometimes the retailers entire product range will be own-label. However, more often, the distributor will mix own-label and manufacturers brands. Own-label branding – if well carried out – can often offer the consumer excellent value for money and provide the distributor with additional bargaining power when it comes to negotiating prices and terms with manufacturer brands BRAND EQUITY Brand equity refers to the value of a brand. Brand equity is based on the extent to which the brand has high brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality and strong product associations. Brand equity also includes other intangible assets such as patents, trademarks and channel relationships. The list below shows the worlds top 10 brands in 2002 (as measured by value): {Rank Brand Value ($ billions)} Coca-Cola..($69.6) Microsoft.($64.1) IBM($51.2) GE..($41.3) Intel.($30.9) Nokia.($30.0) Disney($29.3) McDonalds..($26.4) Marlboro..($24.2) Mercedes.($21.0) Source: Interbrand; JP Morgan Chase, 2002 CHAPTER 2 THE BRAND : SOURCE OF VALUE FOR THE CONSUMER The brand is a focal point for all the positive and negative impression created by buyer over time as he comes in contact with the brands product, distribution channel, personnel and communication. A brand continues to be, at least in the short term, a good example for quality even after the patent has expired. The life of patent is extented, thanks to brans, thus explaining the importance of branding in the pharmaceutical or the chemical industry. The brand performs an economic function in consumers mind and thus has a lasting and memorable effect on the companys activities. Legally a brand is simply a symbol which distinguishes a companys product and certifies its origin and thus obtains its value through registration and conformity. The value of brand comes from its ability to gain an exclusive, positive and prominent meaning in the minds of a large number of consumers. The tangible and intangible benefits which are derived from the consumption of a product of a brand are encapsulated in the strong brand. When a brand is created at first it is worth nothing. Over the time the logo acquires significance by means of advertising. Advertising are forgotten quickly whereas a brand stays in memory along with the implications which are attached to it by public. The brand is thus stocked in the mind of potential consumers. Hence, brand can be considered as an asset of the company. ADVANTAGES OF STRONG BRAND Greater perception of product or service performance. Greater marketing communication effectiveness Greater customer retention and loyalty More appreciative consumer response on price increase or decrease Has very high awareness Receives a lot of free publicity/buzz Is admired and has high purchase intent Enables the owner to charge a price premium Results in increased market share, especially for the target customers Provides increased bargaining power with business partners Provides a platform for growth beyond the current products and product categories Helps attract and retain talented employees Helps the management team align employees in support of the brands promise Often provides clarity for budgeting and capital investment decision Increases an organizations sales, profit margins, stock price and market valuation Larger margin Less vulnerability to competitive marketing action and marketing crisis Greater trade cooperation and support Possible licensing and franchising opportunities Greater brand extension opportunities ROLE OF BRAND IN PRODUCT CHARACTERIZATION The product can be characterized into three types : The qualities which are noticed by contact, before buying. Eg. Decision to buy a pair of socks. The choice is made according to the visible characteristics i.e the pattern, the style, the material, the feel, the elasticity and the price. The qualities which are noticed uniquely by experience, thus after buying. Eg. Automobile market. The performance, consumption and style can be assessed before buying the car but road-holding, the pleasure of driving, reliability and quality cannot be entirely appreciated through test drive. Credence qualities which cannot be verified even after consumption and which you have to take on trust. Eg. In the market for upmarket car, the feeling that we have made it, that certain feeling of fulfillment and personal success through buying and owing a BMW are typically the results of pure faith. Hence the role of brand is made clearer by this classification of sought-after qualities. The brand is a sign whose function is to disclose the hidden qualities of the product which are inaccessible to contact (sight, touch, hearing, smell) and possibly those which are accessible through experience but where the consumer does not want to take the risk of trying the product. As we can see, a brand provides not only a source of information but performs certain other functions which justify its attractiveness and its monetary return when it is valued by buyers. FUNCTIONS OF BRAND FOR CONSUMER The eight function of brand are presented in the table given below. The first two are mechanical and concern the essence of the brand i.e to function as a recognized symbol in order to facilitate choice and to gain time. The following three functions reduce the perceived risk. The last three have a more pleasurable side to them ethics show that the buyers are expecting, more and more, responsible behavior from their brands. FUNCTION CONSUMER BENEFIT Identification To be clearly seen, to make sense of the offer, to quickly identify the sought-after products. Practicality To allow saving of time and energy through identical repurchasing and loyalty. Guarantee To be sure of finding the same quality no matter where or when you buy the product or service. Optimization To be sure of buying the best product in its category, the best performer for the particular purpose. Characterization To have confirmation of your self-image or the image that you present to others. Continuity Satisfaction brought about through familiarity and intimacy with the brand that you have been consuming for years. Hedonistic Satisfaction linked to the attractiveness of the brand, to its logo, to its communication. Ethical Satisfaction linked to the responsible behavior of the brand in its relationship with society. Table : The function of the brand for the consumer. Hence we can say that brand plays an important role in the company. The brand of a company is created by the company and its customers together. The company has to make clear through its brand the promise it makes to its customers, based on the strategies and vision for the future of its business and products. It is vital that the company fully comprehends exactly what the customers expect from the brand, and that it continually lives up to this expectations. The aim of brand management is to create a brand that will build this long-term relationship an unshakeable bond between the company and its customers. Brand management involves the design and implementation of marketing programs and activities to build, measure, and manage brand equity.1 These concepts and techniques are to improve the long-term profitability of the brand strategies. CHAPTER – 3 BRAND MANAGEMENT Brand management is the application of marketing techniques to a specific product, product line, or brand. It seeks to increase the products perceived value to the customer and thereby increase brand franchise and brand equity. Brand management is a dynamic and a continuous process that needs consistent investment of time and money. The boardroom must ensure that brand management is allocated a specific budget as it is much more than mere marketing communications. Due to the intangible nature of branding, the results may not accrue in a short period of time a it takes time and reinforcement to build customer loyalty. Brand management is all about the total approach says about defining the brand and control its management by the leaders of the company. Once the approach is finalised than create the promise by describing all about the product followed by making the promise by doing marketing of the product and inject the information about the product into the mind of consumer. Lastly it is important to keep the promise, what you have made during the marketing of the product. TOTAL APPROACH Brand management starts with understanding what brand really means. This starts with the leaders of the company who define the brand and control its management. It also reaches all the way down the company and especially to the people who interface with customers or who create the products which customers use. Brand management performed to its full extent means starting and ending the management of the whole company through the brand. It is simply far too important to leave to the marketing department. CREATING THE PROMISE Creating the promise means defining the brand. A good brand promise is memorable and desirable. It cannot be effective if nobody remembers it, and is no good either if nobody wants it. A good brand promise evokes feelings, because feelings drive actions. The promise must be unique and identified with you alone. The right promise comes through a deep understanding of the marketplace and the customers who are going to use the product. It also comes from a deep understanding of the capabilities and motivations of the people in the company. MAKING THE PROMISE Once the promise is created, the next step is to somehow inject it into the minds of the customers, the staff and everyone who receives anything from you or has any impact on what you deliver. This is where marketing people come into their own. Although it is still not their sole preserve, a large part of marketing, which includes advertising and PR, is about positioning the company and its products in the minds of customers and against your competitors. KEEPING THE PROMISE Creating and making the right promise is one thing, but then you have to keep it. If you do not, you brand will still exist, but now the promise will be of slipshod products and inconsistent delivery. Keeping promises means managing capability. It means consistent processes that are capable of delivering what is required. It means technology and systems which are reliable and usable. It means motivated people who are willing and able to deliver the goods. Marketers see a brand as an implied promise that the level of quality people have come to expect from a brand will continue with future purchases of the same product. This may increase sales by making a comparison with competing products favourable. It may also enable the manufacturer to charge more for the product. The value of the brand is determined by the amount of profit it generates for the manufacturer. Brand management includes the trademark registration of the brand, brand selection and evaluation, launching a brand sustaining a brand, brand extension. The trademark registration in India follows the trademark registration procedures and specific laws. CHAPTER – 4 BRAND SELECTION AND EVALUATION In the next five years, we will see a rapidly changing landscape across the globe, where the opportunities for businesses to benefit from corporate and product branding efforts will be larger than ever before. The growing emphasis on branding will move up the boardroom agenda and it is strongly believed that branding will become one of the most prominent drivers of value across the globe in the next two decades. Businesses with a sustainable business model and with a visionary and passionate CEO with branding talent will benefit from the rising opportunities for competing in the modern marketplace and potentially taking on the global scene. It needs to be no less than the CEO who embodies the branding efforts and serves as the companys and thereby the brands primary advocate and nurturer. The approach is particularly well suited to companies whose top executives have a passion and talent for brand strategy, but in tomorrows tough environment all top-executives must be able to represent and lead the brand. The top executives of world class companies are directly involved in leading the branding vision, strategy and implementation, and spend a significant amount of their work hours to drive their brands forward and to achieve even better results. Tomorrows CEO must be a brand champion who leads corporate and product branding strategies, all strategic brand-portfolio decisions and constantly monitors the implementation of the brand locally, regionally and globally. A strong CEO has credibility and respect not only because of business talent and organizational power but also because of the depth of experience, knowledge, and insight. A suggestion from a visionary CEO with branding talent and managerial experience in branding and marketing is the key driver of the branding efforts and results in any successful organization internally and externally. The selection and evaluation of a product or service name is one of the brand name components. We know that : It ensures legal protection of certain product or service characteristics, which prevents competition from copying them It allows producers and salesmen to obtain a loyal and profitable consumer group It allows easier adjustment to segmented markets as the companies are able to function on the principle of one brand name one segment It allows the company image to be established It allows a connection with the desired product or service position It makes the product attractive for the consumer It creates various advantages and exclusiveness for the product or service METHODS USED TO CHOOSE A PRODUCT NAME Just as parents carefully choose names for their children, companies have the same difficult and extremely responsible task for naming products. They conduct qualitative research by which we can evaluate the relation to the product, its use, the product image and its comparison to competition. They organize brainstorming meetings from which we get an enormous amount of suggestions for the new names. They offer a chain associates with associations which relates to the product or individual names.they form a base for name suggestions. They apply eureka method helping with various literature, computer scattering of letters and creating new names. They test the name suggestion in target groups. PROCESS OF SELECTING AND EVALUATING BRAND NAMES The process of selecting and evaluating brand names runs according to the following steps : Identification of goals and criteria for brand name. Creating bank names Selection of suggestion Evaluating the consumer Evaluating legal protection Final name decision IDENTIFICATION OF GOALS AND CRITERIA FOR BRAND NAME The basis for a targeted search of a suitable name is determining the starting points, which means criteria that are expressed by a suitable name. Apart from general ones such as easy to remember, popularity, easy pronunciation etc. it is essential to determine specific ones that derive from the desired brand name position which will carry such a name. CREATING BANK NAMES In creating bank names it is important to rely on many sources. In this way we are able to rely on many sources. In this way we are able to avoid fixations on only one idea which narrows the creative process. The purpose of this phase is to obtain various suggestions according to the pre determined starting points. SELECTION OF SUGGESTION The next level in finding a suitable name is the selection of suggestion which have been made. A qualified team of experts that consists of many different people does the selection. The selection is finished when 8-12 suggestions that the most correspond to the expert teams opinion have been chosen. EVALUATING THE CONSUMER When a qualified team of experts make its suggestion, the most suitable bank name in their opinion, it is important to evaluate them in target groups. This must be done, because the name of the brand will be given to a product or service which will fulfil the needs of certain groups of people. The chosen name must be likeable and suitable for this group of people. EVALUATING LEGAL PROTECTION Before the final decision of the most suitable suggestion it is essential to check whether the client can register the name of the brand. In most cases the client or the holder of the brands name can do this before the testing of consumer suggestions. FINAL NAME DECISION The final decision on the chosen name depends on the client, who must consider not only the outcome of the evaluation by target consumer groups but also the position he wishes the product to have. After selecting the brand name the important things on which we should focus is its character, its visual symbol and logotypes, its colour, geographical and historical roots. BRAND CHARACTER One of the most important assets of an enterprise is the brand. The character of the brand is a critical success factor for the enterprise (and for the value of the brand). Character can be seen in terms of the attention, affection and trust awarded to the brand by the market. For a brand to have character, it needs to have positive public awareness. It also needs to have clarity, and a consistent brand proposition. This means that customers know what to expect from the brand in terms of product quality, customer service and so on. It also means that people supporting the brand (whether your own staff or third parties) know how to deliver the brand proposition. VISUAL SYMBOLS AND LOGOTYPES Everybody knows Nikes dash, Adidas three stripes, Nestlà ©s nest, Amuls girl. These symbols help us to understand the brands culture and personality. They are actually chosen as such, the corporate specifications handed over to graphic identity and design agencies mainly pertain to the brands personality traits and values. Logo should be: simple distinctive intuitive COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY AND BRAND Colour is one of the most important components in creating brand identity. The purpose of a brand identity system is to encode a brand in peoples memory and retrieve it from their memory. In a visual system, the two most powerful components are the consistent recognizable shapes and colours. It is best if these shapes and colours are distinctive. Colour can have a significant affect on peoples perception of a product or brand. For instance, burgundy and forest green are perceived to be upscale while an orange label or package indicates an inexpensive item. Third, colours can actually have an affect on a persons state of mind and cognitive ability as demonstrated by numerous research studies. For instance, pink has been shown to increase a persons appetite and calm prison inmates. Be aware that colors can have different symbolic meanings in different countries and cultures. BRAND NAME The importance of an image has become an emotional part of everyone. A brand name represents the image, character and personality of a brand. A brand name should be clear, lucid, easy to remember, distinct from the competition and should not be generic to the category. It should become customers Top of the mind brand (TOMB). Most successful brand names would satisfy these criterions to quite an extent. Brand names that are linked to associations of their origins or product will create first impressions to the user. BRAND IMAGE The vast flow of names today makes it harder to differentiate them unless they come out with their own uniqueness. This way, they could come to their special position in everyday life. The image following a particular name is also determined by the role of communication it undergoes; of which the followings are included: its manner, personality, behavior, ethics, values, etc. The importance of brands depends on the true ambitions of the company. It is important to take into account several factors and market circumstances before finalizing the brand name and its image. Company should take into account several factors and market circumstances like company goals, consumer wishes and expectations, trade groups and several other groups. A company builds its brand image through trade communication with its consumers. That is how a company informs the consumer of what the brand represents, what its values are, what the company is offering or guaranteeing the consumer, what its advantages are, its qualities etc. The consumers interpret all obtained information and form a subjective perception of the brand or its image. CHAPTER – 5 TRADEMARK REGISTRATION LEGISLATION (INDIA TRADEMARK LAW) The Indian law of trademarks is enshrined the new Trade Marks Act, 1999 came into force with effect from September 15, 2003. The old Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958 was repealed at the same time. The new Trademarks Act of 1999 is in line with the World Trade Organisation recommendations and is in conformity with the TRIPS Agreement to which India is a signatory. MAIN FEATURES OF NEW LEGISLATION IN INDIA Under the new Trademarks Act of 1999 Registration of Service Marks allowed in addition to Trademarks for goods. No separate application necessary for each category/class of goods or services; a single application would do, however filing fee will be charged separately for each class of goods/services. The term of registration of trademark is ten years, subject to renewal thereafter The system of maintaining registration of trademark in Part A and Part B with different legal rights, dispensed away. Registration of trademarks which are imitations of well known trademarks not permitted. Registration of Collective Marks owned by associations allowed. Offences relating to trademark made cognizable. Filing Fees enhanced by more than 8 times. Extension of application of convention countries. WHAT IS A TRADEMARK ? A Mark` may consist of a word or invented word, signature, device, letter, numeral, brand, heading, label, name written in a particular style, the shape of goods other than those for which a mark is proposed to be used, or any combination thereof or a combination of colors and so forth. Subject to certain conditions, a trademark may also be symbolized by the name of a person, living or dead. For the purpose of registration, a mark chosen should be capable of distinguishing goods or services of one person from those of the others. Further it should not be deceptively similar to an existing mark of another person and not the one expressly prohibited under the Act. The marks devoid of any distinctive character, or which are only indicative of the kind, quality, quantity, purpose, value or geographical origin of the goods, or which are marks already in vogue in the trade due to their customary use may not be registered. But these disqualifications do not apply to marks, which have already acquired distinction due to their popularity and consistent use. Internationally acclaimed brand names are freely available for use in Indi Concepts and Strategies of Brand Management Concepts and Strategies of Brand Management ABSTRACT Branded products can be seen everywhere around us at all time, and is a way of communication for the buyer of the product. Brand management will play a more significant role in future marketing competition, so research on the brand management is likely to become more meaningful and interesting. Brand management can really create value like increasing more adaptability, uniqueness, recognition etc. All in all, brand management is significant and can add value to firms. The project discusses all about deciding and evaluating brand name. the logo and colour of the brand play an important role in attracting the consumers. Moreover after deciding the brand name, it is mandatory to register the name at trademark registration office. All this process is followed by launching or re-launching the new product or the recalled product respectively. Moreover companies have realised that the role of the company does not got over by mere launching the brand but they have to do continuous marketing to sustain in the competitive market. Over period of time, the value of product decline due to many factors and companies have to work on the revitalizing the brand image and thus leads to success of the product. The brand name is thus one of the most powerful sources of identity CHAPTER – 1 INTRODUCTION TO BRAND A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well. is a well said verse by Jeffrey Preston Bezos, the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board of Amazon.com BRAND A brand is a name or trademark connected with a product or producer. Brands have become increasingly important components of culture and the economy, now being dscribed as cultural accessories and personal philosophies. According to the American Marketing Association (AMA), brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition. Technically speaking, whenever a marketer creates a new name, logo, or symbol for a new product or service, he or she has created a brand. Now the question still is not clear about what all brand is about so we can say that brand is a promise, brand is and associated image and everyone and everything is brand. A BRAND IS A PROMISE First and foremost, a brand is a promise. It says you know the name, you can trust the promise. As all promises, it is trusted only as far as those promises are met. Trust is a critical first step and brands aim to accelerate that step by leveraging the implied promise of the brand. A BRAND IS AN ASSOCIATED IMAGE Most brands have a logo which acts as a short-cut to remind us of the brand promise. The logo uses color, shape, letters and images to create a distinctive image that is designed both to catch our eye and to guide our thoughts in the right direction. The brand may also be associated with tunes, celebrities, catchphrases and so on. All parts of the brand image works as a psychological trigger or stimulus that causes an association to all other thoughts we have about the brand. EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE IS A BRAND If you get down to the detail, everything is a brand, because we build our understanding of the world by creating associations about everything. A tree has an implied promise of beauty and shade. Even words are brands. When I say speed, you will conjure up images of fast cars, etc. People are brands, too. When people see you, or even hear your name, they will recall the image they have of you, (which is something you can actively manage or let happen). In a company where people are visible to customers, such as a service business, the people are very much a part the brand. The brand name is thus one of the most powerful sources of identity. When a brand questions its identity, the best answer is therefore to thoroughly examine its name and so try to understand the reasoning behind its creation. In doing so, we can discover the brands intentions and programme. Many brands make every effort to acquit qualities which their brand name fails to reflect or simply excludes altogether. A name-like an identity-has to be managed. Certain names may have a double meaning. The purpose of communication then is to select one and drop the other. IMPORTANCE OF BRAND Branding is a very powerful component in buisness. The brand must have a logo to make branding easier and more possible. The consumers decide if they will buy a product or use a service based on how they view the brand. The brand itself tells us or let us imagine how good ir bad the product is even we never tasted it before. All that brand promotion and advertising really do tell us how great a brand can be (like Nike). Once the customer likes your brand he/she will definitely come back for the repeated services or pproducts. The qualities of the product or services are ensured through the mind of customers from the image of the brand. Therefore, Brand is not only convinient for buisness for repeated customer purchase but also easier for customers to filter out the countless generic items. Brand gives consumer the reason to buy it and wastes less time for customer to choose a particular product or service. TYPES OF BRAND There are two main types of brand – manufacturer brands and own-label brands. MANUFACTURER BRANDS Manufacturer brands are created by producers and bear their chosen brand name. The producer is responsible for marketing the brand. The brand is owned by the producer. By building their brand names, manufacturers can gain widespread distribution (for example by retailers who want to sell the brand) and build customer loyalty (think about the manufacturer brands that you feel loyal to). OWN LABEL BRANDS Own-label brands are created and owned by businesses that operate in the distribution channel – often referred to as distributors. Often these distributors are retailers, but not exclusively. Sometimes the retailers entire product range will be own-label. However, more often, the distributor will mix own-label and manufacturers brands. Own-label branding – if well carried out – can often offer the consumer excellent value for money and provide the distributor with additional bargaining power when it comes to negotiating prices and terms with manufacturer brands BRAND EQUITY Brand equity refers to the value of a brand. Brand equity is based on the extent to which the brand has high brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality and strong product associations. Brand equity also includes other intangible assets such as patents, trademarks and channel relationships. The list below shows the worlds top 10 brands in 2002 (as measured by value): {Rank Brand Value ($ billions)} Coca-Cola..($69.6) Microsoft.($64.1) IBM($51.2) GE..($41.3) Intel.($30.9) Nokia.($30.0) Disney($29.3) McDonalds..($26.4) Marlboro..($24.2) Mercedes.($21.0) Source: Interbrand; JP Morgan Chase, 2002 CHAPTER 2 THE BRAND : SOURCE OF VALUE FOR THE CONSUMER The brand is a focal point for all the positive and negative impression created by buyer over time as he comes in contact with the brands product, distribution channel, personnel and communication. A brand continues to be, at least in the short term, a good example for quality even after the patent has expired. The life of patent is extented, thanks to brans, thus explaining the importance of branding in the pharmaceutical or the chemical industry. The brand performs an economic function in consumers mind and thus has a lasting and memorable effect on the companys activities. Legally a brand is simply a symbol which distinguishes a companys product and certifies its origin and thus obtains its value through registration and conformity. The value of brand comes from its ability to gain an exclusive, positive and prominent meaning in the minds of a large number of consumers. The tangible and intangible benefits which are derived from the consumption of a product of a brand are encapsulated in the strong brand. When a brand is created at first it is worth nothing. Over the time the logo acquires significance by means of advertising. Advertising are forgotten quickly whereas a brand stays in memory along with the implications which are attached to it by public. The brand is thus stocked in the mind of potential consumers. Hence, brand can be considered as an asset of the company. ADVANTAGES OF STRONG BRAND Greater perception of product or service performance. Greater marketing communication effectiveness Greater customer retention and loyalty More appreciative consumer response on price increase or decrease Has very high awareness Receives a lot of free publicity/buzz Is admired and has high purchase intent Enables the owner to charge a price premium Results in increased market share, especially for the target customers Provides increased bargaining power with business partners Provides a platform for growth beyond the current products and product categories Helps attract and retain talented employees Helps the management team align employees in support of the brands promise Often provides clarity for budgeting and capital investment decision Increases an organizations sales, profit margins, stock price and market valuation Larger margin Less vulnerability to competitive marketing action and marketing crisis Greater trade cooperation and support Possible licensing and franchising opportunities Greater brand extension opportunities ROLE OF BRAND IN PRODUCT CHARACTERIZATION The product can be characterized into three types : The qualities which are noticed by contact, before buying. Eg. Decision to buy a pair of socks. The choice is made according to the visible characteristics i.e the pattern, the style, the material, the feel, the elasticity and the price. The qualities which are noticed uniquely by experience, thus after buying. Eg. Automobile market. The performance, consumption and style can be assessed before buying the car but road-holding, the pleasure of driving, reliability and quality cannot be entirely appreciated through test drive. Credence qualities which cannot be verified even after consumption and which you have to take on trust. Eg. In the market for upmarket car, the feeling that we have made it, that certain feeling of fulfillment and personal success through buying and owing a BMW are typically the results of pure faith. Hence the role of brand is made clearer by this classification of sought-after qualities. The brand is a sign whose function is to disclose the hidden qualities of the product which are inaccessible to contact (sight, touch, hearing, smell) and possibly those which are accessible through experience but where the consumer does not want to take the risk of trying the product. As we can see, a brand provides not only a source of information but performs certain other functions which justify its attractiveness and its monetary return when it is valued by buyers. FUNCTIONS OF BRAND FOR CONSUMER The eight function of brand are presented in the table given below. The first two are mechanical and concern the essence of the brand i.e to function as a recognized symbol in order to facilitate choice and to gain time. The following three functions reduce the perceived risk. The last three have a more pleasurable side to them ethics show that the buyers are expecting, more and more, responsible behavior from their brands. FUNCTION CONSUMER BENEFIT Identification To be clearly seen, to make sense of the offer, to quickly identify the sought-after products. Practicality To allow saving of time and energy through identical repurchasing and loyalty. Guarantee To be sure of finding the same quality no matter where or when you buy the product or service. Optimization To be sure of buying the best product in its category, the best performer for the particular purpose. Characterization To have confirmation of your self-image or the image that you present to others. Continuity Satisfaction brought about through familiarity and intimacy with the brand that you have been consuming for years. Hedonistic Satisfaction linked to the attractiveness of the brand, to its logo, to its communication. Ethical Satisfaction linked to the responsible behavior of the brand in its relationship with society. Table : The function of the brand for the consumer. Hence we can say that brand plays an important role in the company. The brand of a company is created by the company and its customers together. The company has to make clear through its brand the promise it makes to its customers, based on the strategies and vision for the future of its business and products. It is vital that the company fully comprehends exactly what the customers expect from the brand, and that it continually lives up to this expectations. The aim of brand management is to create a brand that will build this long-term relationship an unshakeable bond between the company and its customers. Brand management involves the design and implementation of marketing programs and activities to build, measure, and manage brand equity.1 These concepts and techniques are to improve the long-term profitability of the brand strategies. CHAPTER – 3 BRAND MANAGEMENT Brand management is the application of marketing techniques to a specific product, product line, or brand. It seeks to increase the products perceived value to the customer and thereby increase brand franchise and brand equity. Brand management is a dynamic and a continuous process that needs consistent investment of time and money. The boardroom must ensure that brand management is allocated a specific budget as it is much more than mere marketing communications. Due to the intangible nature of branding, the results may not accrue in a short period of time a it takes time and reinforcement to build customer loyalty. Brand management is all about the total approach says about defining the brand and control its management by the leaders of the company. Once the approach is finalised than create the promise by describing all about the product followed by making the promise by doing marketing of the product and inject the information about the product into the mind of consumer. Lastly it is important to keep the promise, what you have made during the marketing of the product. TOTAL APPROACH Brand management starts with understanding what brand really means. This starts with the leaders of the company who define the brand and control its management. It also reaches all the way down the company and especially to the people who interface with customers or who create the products which customers use. Brand management performed to its full extent means starting and ending the management of the whole company through the brand. It is simply far too important to leave to the marketing department. CREATING THE PROMISE Creating the promise means defining the brand. A good brand promise is memorable and desirable. It cannot be effective if nobody remembers it, and is no good either if nobody wants it. A good brand promise evokes feelings, because feelings drive actions. The promise must be unique and identified with you alone. The right promise comes through a deep understanding of the marketplace and the customers who are going to use the product. It also comes from a deep understanding of the capabilities and motivations of the people in the company. MAKING THE PROMISE Once the promise is created, the next step is to somehow inject it into the minds of the customers, the staff and everyone who receives anything from you or has any impact on what you deliver. This is where marketing people come into their own. Although it is still not their sole preserve, a large part of marketing, which includes advertising and PR, is about positioning the company and its products in the minds of customers and against your competitors. KEEPING THE PROMISE Creating and making the right promise is one thing, but then you have to keep it. If you do not, you brand will still exist, but now the promise will be of slipshod products and inconsistent delivery. Keeping promises means managing capability. It means consistent processes that are capable of delivering what is required. It means technology and systems which are reliable and usable. It means motivated people who are willing and able to deliver the goods. Marketers see a brand as an implied promise that the level of quality people have come to expect from a brand will continue with future purchases of the same product. This may increase sales by making a comparison with competing products favourable. It may also enable the manufacturer to charge more for the product. The value of the brand is determined by the amount of profit it generates for the manufacturer. Brand management includes the trademark registration of the brand, brand selection and evaluation, launching a brand sustaining a brand, brand extension. The trademark registration in India follows the trademark registration procedures and specific laws. CHAPTER – 4 BRAND SELECTION AND EVALUATION In the next five years, we will see a rapidly changing landscape across the globe, where the opportunities for businesses to benefit from corporate and product branding efforts will be larger than ever before. The growing emphasis on branding will move up the boardroom agenda and it is strongly believed that branding will become one of the most prominent drivers of value across the globe in the next two decades. Businesses with a sustainable business model and with a visionary and passionate CEO with branding talent will benefit from the rising opportunities for competing in the modern marketplace and potentially taking on the global scene. It needs to be no less than the CEO who embodies the branding efforts and serves as the companys and thereby the brands primary advocate and nurturer. The approach is particularly well suited to companies whose top executives have a passion and talent for brand strategy, but in tomorrows tough environment all top-executives must be able to represent and lead the brand. The top executives of world class companies are directly involved in leading the branding vision, strategy and implementation, and spend a significant amount of their work hours to drive their brands forward and to achieve even better results. Tomorrows CEO must be a brand champion who leads corporate and product branding strategies, all strategic brand-portfolio decisions and constantly monitors the implementation of the brand locally, regionally and globally. A strong CEO has credibility and respect not only because of business talent and organizational power but also because of the depth of experience, knowledge, and insight. A suggestion from a visionary CEO with branding talent and managerial experience in branding and marketing is the key driver of the branding efforts and results in any successful organization internally and externally. The selection and evaluation of a product or service name is one of the brand name components. We know that : It ensures legal protection of certain product or service characteristics, which prevents competition from copying them It allows producers and salesmen to obtain a loyal and profitable consumer group It allows easier adjustment to segmented markets as the companies are able to function on the principle of one brand name one segment It allows the company image to be established It allows a connection with the desired product or service position It makes the product attractive for the consumer It creates various advantages and exclusiveness for the product or service METHODS USED TO CHOOSE A PRODUCT NAME Just as parents carefully choose names for their children, companies have the same difficult and extremely responsible task for naming products. They conduct qualitative research by which we can evaluate the relation to the product, its use, the product image and its comparison to competition. They organize brainstorming meetings from which we get an enormous amount of suggestions for the new names. They offer a chain associates with associations which relates to the product or individual names.they form a base for name suggestions. They apply eureka method helping with various literature, computer scattering of letters and creating new names. They test the name suggestion in target groups. PROCESS OF SELECTING AND EVALUATING BRAND NAMES The process of selecting and evaluating brand names runs according to the following steps : Identification of goals and criteria for brand name. Creating bank names Selection of suggestion Evaluating the consumer Evaluating legal protection Final name decision IDENTIFICATION OF GOALS AND CRITERIA FOR BRAND NAME The basis for a targeted search of a suitable name is determining the starting points, which means criteria that are expressed by a suitable name. Apart from general ones such as easy to remember, popularity, easy pronunciation etc. it is essential to determine specific ones that derive from the desired brand name position which will carry such a name. CREATING BANK NAMES In creating bank names it is important to rely on many sources. In this way we are able to rely on many sources. In this way we are able to avoid fixations on only one idea which narrows the creative process. The purpose of this phase is to obtain various suggestions according to the pre determined starting points. SELECTION OF SUGGESTION The next level in finding a suitable name is the selection of suggestion which have been made. A qualified team of experts that consists of many different people does the selection. The selection is finished when 8-12 suggestions that the most correspond to the expert teams opinion have been chosen. EVALUATING THE CONSUMER When a qualified team of experts make its suggestion, the most suitable bank name in their opinion, it is important to evaluate them in target groups. This must be done, because the name of the brand will be given to a product or service which will fulfil the needs of certain groups of people. The chosen name must be likeable and suitable for this group of people. EVALUATING LEGAL PROTECTION Before the final decision of the most suitable suggestion it is essential to check whether the client can register the name of the brand. In most cases the client or the holder of the brands name can do this before the testing of consumer suggestions. FINAL NAME DECISION The final decision on the chosen name depends on the client, who must consider not only the outcome of the evaluation by target consumer groups but also the position he wishes the product to have. After selecting the brand name the important things on which we should focus is its character, its visual symbol and logotypes, its colour, geographical and historical roots. BRAND CHARACTER One of the most important assets of an enterprise is the brand. The character of the brand is a critical success factor for the enterprise (and for the value of the brand). Character can be seen in terms of the attention, affection and trust awarded to the brand by the market. For a brand to have character, it needs to have positive public awareness. It also needs to have clarity, and a consistent brand proposition. This means that customers know what to expect from the brand in terms of product quality, customer service and so on. It also means that people supporting the brand (whether your own staff or third parties) know how to deliver the brand proposition. VISUAL SYMBOLS AND LOGOTYPES Everybody knows Nikes dash, Adidas three stripes, Nestlà ©s nest, Amuls girl. These symbols help us to understand the brands culture and personality. They are actually chosen as such, the corporate specifications handed over to graphic identity and design agencies mainly pertain to the brands personality traits and values. Logo should be: simple distinctive intuitive COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY AND BRAND Colour is one of the most important components in creating brand identity. The purpose of a brand identity system is to encode a brand in peoples memory and retrieve it from their memory. In a visual system, the two most powerful components are the consistent recognizable shapes and colours. It is best if these shapes and colours are distinctive. Colour can have a significant affect on peoples perception of a product or brand. For instance, burgundy and forest green are perceived to be upscale while an orange label or package indicates an inexpensive item. Third, colours can actually have an affect on a persons state of mind and cognitive ability as demonstrated by numerous research studies. For instance, pink has been shown to increase a persons appetite and calm prison inmates. Be aware that colors can have different symbolic meanings in different countries and cultures. BRAND NAME The importance of an image has become an emotional part of everyone. A brand name represents the image, character and personality of a brand. A brand name should be clear, lucid, easy to remember, distinct from the competition and should not be generic to the category. It should become customers Top of the mind brand (TOMB). Most successful brand names would satisfy these criterions to quite an extent. Brand names that are linked to associations of their origins or product will create first impressions to the user. BRAND IMAGE The vast flow of names today makes it harder to differentiate them unless they come out with their own uniqueness. This way, they could come to their special position in everyday life. The image following a particular name is also determined by the role of communication it undergoes; of which the followings are included: its manner, personality, behavior, ethics, values, etc. The importance of brands depends on the true ambitions of the company. It is important to take into account several factors and market circumstances before finalizing the brand name and its image. Company should take into account several factors and market circumstances like company goals, consumer wishes and expectations, trade groups and several other groups. A company builds its brand image through trade communication with its consumers. That is how a company informs the consumer of what the brand represents, what its values are, what the company is offering or guaranteeing the consumer, what its advantages are, its qualities etc. The consumers interpret all obtained information and form a subjective perception of the brand or its image. CHAPTER – 5 TRADEMARK REGISTRATION LEGISLATION (INDIA TRADEMARK LAW) The Indian law of trademarks is enshrined the new Trade Marks Act, 1999 came into force with effect from September 15, 2003. The old Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958 was repealed at the same time. The new Trademarks Act of 1999 is in line with the World Trade Organisation recommendations and is in conformity with the TRIPS Agreement to which India is a signatory. MAIN FEATURES OF NEW LEGISLATION IN INDIA Under the new Trademarks Act of 1999 Registration of Service Marks allowed in addition to Trademarks for goods. No separate application necessary for each category/class of goods or services; a single application would do, however filing fee will be charged separately for each class of goods/services. The term of registration of trademark is ten years, subject to renewal thereafter The system of maintaining registration of trademark in Part A and Part B with different legal rights, dispensed away. Registration of trademarks which are imitations of well known trademarks not permitted. Registration of Collective Marks owned by associations allowed. Offences relating to trademark made cognizable. Filing Fees enhanced by more than 8 times. Extension of application of convention countries. WHAT IS A TRADEMARK ? A Mark` may consist of a word or invented word, signature, device, letter, numeral, brand, heading, label, name written in a particular style, the shape of goods other than those for which a mark is proposed to be used, or any combination thereof or a combination of colors and so forth. Subject to certain conditions, a trademark may also be symbolized by the name of a person, living or dead. For the purpose of registration, a mark chosen should be capable of distinguishing goods or services of one person from those of the others. Further it should not be deceptively similar to an existing mark of another person and not the one expressly prohibited under the Act. The marks devoid of any distinctive character, or which are only indicative of the kind, quality, quantity, purpose, value or geographical origin of the goods, or which are marks already in vogue in the trade due to their customary use may not be registered. But these disqualifications do not apply to marks, which have already acquired distinction due to their popularity and consistent use. Internationally acclaimed brand names are freely available for use in Indi

Personal SWOT Analysis

Personal SWOT Analysis Introduction The process of creating my personal development plan (PDP) is a way to gain insight into where I am now and how to position myself to get to where I want to be. Having a PDP is more than having an ideal about a future job or career, it is about goal setting and creating a specific, measurable, realistic and time bound (SMART) road map about how to get there. Understanding the creation and use of PDPs is also, in itself, a useful skill to offer employers as personal development planning and objective setting are mainstays of human resource management in both the public and private sectors in the UK. At this time, my PDP is about getting me on the right track; while in the future achieving the identified objectives may well be necessary to achieve performance related pay and career progression. Commitment to the process of creating a workable PDP is therefore an important task. Where am I now? In terms of my performance on the degree so far, I have realised that I measure performance in a much broader sense than the grades that I have received in my coursework and examinations. Much of what I have learned at university so far has been about learning to manage time and commitments and ensure that I maximize the opportunities available to me. These opportunities include those afforded by my course, the university’s facilities, and also the opportunities that new friendships have brought. I have been pleased with my grades and consider myself to be on-track for a marketable 2:1; I have also received positive and helpful feedback from tutors. More pleasing has been the feeling of increased confidence in group situations with my peers that I have something to contribute and that I have the ability to influence and inspire others. This is particularly important to me as I do not simply aspire to a career in business but to achieve managerial and leadership responsibilitie s early in my career. From my SWOT analysis, the two things that I would identify as being critical to stop doing are spreading myself too thinly across too many interests and rushing onto the next project. The issue of spreading myself too thinly across a diverse range of extra curricular interests is important because, as stated, I have managerial and leadership ambitions. Membership of a wide array of groups and societies shows diversity of interests but it does not show depth and it is also hard to succeed in positions of responsibility within a group if you do not have the time to make a real commitment. The second issue, that of stopping rushing onto the next project is important for two key reasons. The first is that in rushing forward I have realized that I lose time to reflect, and reflection is critical in measuring project success or failure; secondly, in rushing forward, I can give a negative impression to peers that what I am doing now is less important than what I am going on to do[1]. In terms of what I plan to continue to do to maintain my performance, I have identified a good record of attendance at lectures and seminars and managing to keep up with the required reading. The primary reasons why I have identified these as critical factors would appear self-evident: I want to get value for money from my studies and to do this I need to attend lectures and seminars and ensure that I am sufficiently well prepared that I can follow lectures and contribute to seminars and tutorials. There is an additional factor too in that research has shown that attendance and success in coursework and examinations is positively correlated.[2] Brainstorming what I want to start doing brought up several items in my SWOT analysis. From this I have drawn out increasing employability by seeking internship and / or summer placement opportunities and also broadening my reading to develop a greater awareness of current affairs. I have identified the internship or placement as being critical as a successful placement would enable me to further fine tune my career plans in terms of sector sought and which aspects of business to focus on; it will also enhance my CV to future employers by showing that I was focused on my career before my final year. I have also identified broadening my reading as being critical as while I am passionate about business, research indicates that employers are seeking well-rounded candidates who are open minded and have an interest in the world around them[3]. Where am I going? My primary plan for what I hope to be doing within six months of graduating is to have successfully joined an established management training scheme. Having investigated the schemes available, I consider myself well-placed for those aimed at generalists, business specialists (operations / strategy), and also potentially schemes to develop future human resources managers. Given my broad interests in business, I would prefer a scheme that would give me exposure to a range of roles. I am particularly drawn to the MS Scheme, John Lewis Partnership Scheme, HMRC Talent Management Scheme, and also the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme for these reasons. Given the prevailing economic climate and uncertainty about the health of the job market that I will be graduating into, I propose to a contingency plan of obtaining a place on an MSc Business programme. How do I get there? Action plan outlining three personal objectives for the next 12 months that will help me in my career. References Flannes, SW and G Levin (2005) Essential People Skills for Project Managers. Management Concepts. Stewart, J and V Knowles (2001) Graduate recruitment: implications for business and management courses in higher education. Journal of European Industrial Training, 25, 2-4, 98-108. Appendices Personal SWOT Analysis First Name last Name Contact address: House name, Any town, Postcode E-mail: [emailprotected] Â ¨ Mobile telephone: 00000 00000 Anytown High School Highlights of A/AS and GCSE results WORK Experience Dates Organisation and location Your Role Your Responsibilities and any special projects you were involved in or areas of the business that you found particularly interesting Skills developed during employment: time management skills, giving effective feedback, etc. How this job influenced your application for the type of work you are seeking with this CV. 1 Footnotes [1] Flannes and Levin (2005) highlight the need to show consistent commitment to projects throughout the project cycle rather than focusing on the next stage or next project. [2] See Colby (2004) [3] Stewart and Knowles (2001)

Love and Marriage in Gallants The Other Paris Essay -- Mavis Gallant

The Other Paris Love waxes timeless. It is passionate and forbidden and a true head rush. Marriage, on the other hand, is practical, safe, a ride up the socioeconomic ladder. In "The Other Paris," Mavis Gallant weaves the tale of Carol and Howard, a fictional couple who stand on the verge of a loveless marriage, to symbolize the misguided actions of the men and women in the reality of the 1950s, the story's setting. By employing stereotypical, ignorant, and altogether uninteresting characters, Gallant highlights the distinction between reality and imagination and through the mishaps and lack of passion in their courtship mockingly comments on society?s views of love and marriage. Gallant typecast both Carol and Howard as ordinary young people, and like typical human beings, both have faults and beliefs that follow the accepted practices of society. As all women of a certain point in life (if that certain point can be said as the age of ?twenty-two?), Carol frets incessantly over her age, being ?under the illusion? that very soon she would be ?so old? that no man could possibly want her. Here, Gallant ridicules the standards of age and beauty expected by society from women like Carol, a thing common even in a more open and accepting world like today?s. Like her peers throughout time, Carol is pressured not only by her friends or parents but also herself to get a man while she able to attract someone much more suitable than that ?medical student with no money.? Her vanity and fear of ending up old and alone embodies societal views toward spinsters as women pining away in some dingy corner. Likewise, Howard also has the same pride as men now. His sister?s caution and unwelcome prediction that he will soon be just ?a... ...and approval. In the end, readers are unsure whether to laugh or cry at the union of Carol and Howard, two people most undoubtedly not in love. Detailed character developments of the confused young adults combined with the brisk, businesslike tone used to describe this disastrous marriage effectively highlight the gap between marrying for love and marrying for ?reason.? As a piece written in the 1950s, when women still belonged to their husbands? households and marriages remained arranged for class and money?s sake, Gallant?s short story excerpt successfully utilizes fictional characters to point out a bigger picture: no human being ought to repress his or her own desires for love in exchange for just an adequate home and a tolerable spouse. May everyone find their own wild passions instead of merely settling for the security and banality of that ?Other Paris.?

Distance Education Essay -- Learning Educational School Essays

Distance Education Traditionally, in the field of education, courses have been designed and student/teacher interactions have taken place through the teaching/learning process where the student and teacher are in the same location at the same time discussing the same topic. Students and teachers usually meet in this predetermined location at a predetermined time to interact in a classroom setting. The absence of either party usually has a negative result. Distance education has captured the interest of educators because it removes the restrictions of time and location for the involved learner and the teacher. Distance learning is "taking instruction to the student through technology rather than the student to the instruction" (Cohen, 1999, p. 218). Distance education seems new to many when in actuality it has been around for some time. It began as correspondence learning in the last century and continued into this century, transforming into mass communications through the use of radio and television (Cohen, 1999, p. 218). Distance education further developed in the forms of extended education, open education, and distance learning (McIssac & Blocher, 1998, p. 43). Now, distance education takes on many forms: teleconferencing, electronic mail, web-based instruction, chat rooms, satellite television, computer networks, and virtual classrooms just to name a few. Distance education has evolved from the use of primarily print-based materials into a worldwide movement using various technologies (McIsaac & Blocher, 1998, p. 43). Distance learning can be interactive or non-interactive learning. Interactive learning can be synchronic or asynchronic or a combination of the two. Synchronic learning is where "the teacher and stud... ...can Journal of Distance Education, 8, 2, 30-42. Kearsley, G. (March-April 1998). Educational technology: a critique. Educational Technology, 38, 2, 47-51. McIsaac, M. S., & Blocher, J. M. (March 1998). How research in distance education can affect practice. Educational Media International, 35, 1, 43-47. Moller, L. (1998). Designing communities of learners for asynchronous distance education. Educational Technology Research & Design, 46, 4, 115-122. Moore, M. G. (1990). Recent contributions to the theory of distance education. Open Learning, 5, 3, 10-13. Offir, B., & Lev, Y. (June 1999). Teacher-learner interaction in the process of operating dl (distance learning) systems. Educational Media International, 36, 2, 132-136. Willis, B. (January-February 1998). Effective distance education planning: lessons learned. Educational Technology, 38, 1, 57-59.

Linguistics and Language

1. The underlying assumptions, theories, and methods used by psychologiest, linguists, and researchers are believed to strongly affect the way each defines psycholinguistics. Please discuss some different conceptions of psycholinguistics in its relation to other branches of linguistics. Then, define yours. One of your reference should be â€Å"fundamentals of Pyscholinguistics by Fernandez and Cairns (2010)†OPsycholinguistics is an interdisciplinary field of study in which the goals are to understand how people acquire language, how people use language to speak and understand one another, and how language is represented and processed in the brain. Psycholinguistics is primarily a sub-discipline of psychology and linguistics, but it is also related to developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, neurolinguistics, and speech science (Fernandez: 2011). OPsycholinguistics examines the psychology of language; psycholinguistics is the name given to the study of the psychological processes involved in language.Psycholinguists study understanding, producing, and remembering language, and hence are concerned with listening, reading, speaking, writing, and memory for language. (Harley, Trevor A. 2001. The Psychology of Language. ) O†Psycholinguistic studies have revealed that many of the concepts employed in the analysis of sound structure, word structure, and sentence structure also play a role in language processing. However, an account of language processing also requires that we understand how these linguistic concepts interact with other aspects of human processing to enable language production and comprehension. ( William O'Grady, et al. , Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001 O†Psycholinguistics, there is a constant exchange of information between psycholinguists and those working in neurolinguistics, who study how language is represented in the brain. There are also close links with studies in artificial intel ligence. Indeed, much of the early interest in language processing derived from the AI goals of designing computer programs that can turn speech into writing and programs that can recognize the human voice. (John Field, Psycholinguistics: A Resource Book for Students. Routledge, 2003) OPsycholinguistics refers to the efforts of both linguists and psychologists to explain whether certain hypotheses about language acquisition and language competence as proposed by contemporary linguistic theories (e. g. : transformational generative grammar) have a real basis in terms of : perception, memory, intelligence, motivation, etc. (Hartmann and stork: 1973) Oâ€Å"†¦.. psycholinguists are interested in the underlying knowledge and abilities which people must have in order to use language in childhood.I say â€Å"underlying knowledge and abilities† because language, like all systems of human knowledge, can only be inferred from the careful study of overt behavior. † (Dan Isa ac Slobin: 1979) OBased on my reading, Psycholinguistics is study about language acquisition, language used one another, and study how language is represented and processed in the brain. Psycholinguistics is primarily a sub-discipline of psychology and linguistics, but it is also related to developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, neurolinguistics, and speech science. . Linguistic analysis might use similar language data or language corpuses as the object of analysis. Please give an example of language use which can be analyzed from different point of view, particularly from semantics, pragmatics, socialinguistics, discourse analysis, and psycholinguistics. Support your answer in term of their focuses of analysis. How are they similar, different, and how are they related one other. Linguistics study about human language as communication. In other hand, linguistics as fild of study that the object is language. Semantics is one of study that hand-in-hand with pragmatics. specia lizing in semantics studies, languageis study about the meaning of words, that is influenced by the context in which the words are presented. Semantics study how words are given meaning by their structure, tone, and the situation in which they are used.  ·Pragmatics is concerned with the role of context in the interpretation of meaning.  ·Pragmatics and semantics is different parts but the same general study. Both semantics and pragmatics are concerned with people’s ability to use language meaningfully.While semantics is concerned with a speaker’s competence to use the language system in producing meaningful utterances and processing (comprehending).  ·Sociolinguistics a close neighbour of psycholinguistics, can be defined as the linguistic study dealing with the functioning of language in society. Sociolinguitics has to do with the study of language from the viewpoint of how social, regional, individual and historical aspects influence the language and its use i n society which is specifically called speech community. OPsycholinguistics is the study of language acquisition and linguistic behavior.Psycholinguistics refers to the efforts of both linguists and psychologists to explain whether certain hypotheses about language acquisition and language competence as proposed by contemporary linguistic theories (e. g. : transformational generative grammar) have a real basis in terms of : perception, memory, intelligence, motivation, etc. (Hartmann and stork: 1973)  ·Discourse Analysis is approaches to analyzing written, vocal, or sign language use. discourse analysis is, like descriptive linguistics, a way of studying language.It may be regarded as a set of techniques, rather than a theoretically predetermined system for the writing of linguistic ‘rules'. (Yule, George. 1983. Discourse Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). ‘Doing discourse analysis certainly involves doing syntax and semantic, but it primarily consists o f doing pragmatics. In discourse analysis, as in pragmatics, we are concerned with what people using language are doing, and accounting for the linguistic features in the discourse as the means employed in what they are doing. . The objects of psycholinguistic studeis are addressed to language production, acquisition, and comprehension. Could you explain how are the processes of the three language uses in term of psycholinguistics analysis.  ·Language production based on Levelt, speech production divided into four stage; I. Conceptualization and formulation Primitive linguistic concept about first conceptualized in human mind by David Mcneill stated that linguistic concepts are formed as two current and parallel modes of taught. These are syntactic thinking and imagistic thinking.Then syntactic thinking and imagistic thinking ellaborate to conceptualize conversation in which speech utterance and gestures to be tied together in time. But this concept has gone record. Formulation as the output of the process language production. Lashely stated that production and comprehension of speech is linear process. Based on tradition od examining speech production, sleep tangue as a window of the formulation process. II. slips of the tongue Slip of the tongue is normal mistake, it happen to catch the goof ourselve. Then we can immediately correct. Slip the tongue as the production process . ut this concept has gone record too. III. Articulation In this stage we consider about what happens when all of he information go from our brain to articulation. IV. Self-Monitoring Self – monitoring seems that as final stage. It is not only produce speech and listen one to another, but also to keep one ear open on what they themselve saying.  ·Language acquisition Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive and comprehend language, as well as to produce and use words[-;0] and sentences[-;1] to communicate. Language acquisition began the same with the cognitive science at 1950’s.Chomsky argued that language acquisition falsified these beliefs in a single stroke: children learn languages that are governed by highly subtle and abstract principles, and they do so without explicit instruction or any other environmental clues to the nature of such principles. While Hence stated language acquisition depends on an innate, species-specific module that is distinct from general intelligence. Chomsky believes that every child has a ‘language acquisition device’ or LAD which encodes the major principles of a language and its grammatical structures into the child’s brain.In other point of view There are five stages in language acquisition stated by Chumbow and Adegbija (1984) such as babbling stage, the holophrastic stage, the two-word utterances, the telegraphic stage and recursive stage.  ·Language comprehension Clark and Clark argue that language comprehension is mental process by listeners ta ke in the sounds uttered by speaker and use them to construct an interpretation of what they think the speaker intended to convey. (Clark and Clark: 1977)In sum up, language comprehension is building the meaning from sounds.While Language comprehension is generally viewed in cognitive theory as con-sisting of active and complex processes in which individuals construct meaning from aural or written information (Anderson 1985; Byrnes 1984; Call 1985; Howard 1985; Pearson 1985; Richards, 1983). An-derson (1983, 1985) proposes that the mental processes necessary for comprehending aural and written texts are sufficiently similar that comprehension of both can generally be discussed as a common phe-nomenon. 4. Following Clark and Clark (1977), comprehension involves two processes-construction and utilization processes.The first is concerned with the way listeners construct an interpretation of a sentence from the speakers’ words. The second deals with how listeners utilize this int erpretation for further purposes for registering new infromation, answering questions, following orders, and registering promises. What really happens in our cognitive domains (memory) for both processes? Examplify your answer that the first happens earlier than the second OClark and Clark (1977) say that short-term memory is roughly related to the working memory in the construction process; long term memory is dealt with the process of utilization.In other word In short, short-term just focus on the surface of the utterance (how the sentence is constructed) while the long one concern on the meaning more (how the sentence is properly utilized). Outilization, consists of relating a mental represen-tation of the text meaning to declarative knowledge in long-term mem-ory. This process is referred to as elaboration in other descriptions of the reading process. Utilization is the key to comprehension and the basic determinant that facilitates it. In any mes-sage, there may be an interpla y between information we already know and information that is entirely new. . Production of a speech requires speakers to plan what to say before its execution. Theoritically, the plan begins firstly with discourse plan followed by sentence plan and, at last, constituent plan. What should be the underlying concepts of this order? In the execution of a speech plan, several mental activities happen, what are they? Explain your answer OSpeech production is the process by which spoken[-;2] words are selected to be produced, have their phonetics[-;3] formulated and then finally are articulated by the motor system[-;4] in thevocal apparatus[-;5].Speech production can be spontaneous such as when a person creates the words of a conversation[-;6], reaction such as when they name a picture or read[-;7] aloud a written word[-;8], or a vocal imitation such as in speech repetition[-;9]. Speech production is not the same as language production since language[-;10] can also be produced manually by signs[-;11]. The production of spoken language[-;12] involves three major levels of processing. The first is the processes of conceptualization[-;13] in which the intention[-;14] to create speech links a desired concept to a particular spoken word to be expressed.The second stage is formulation in which the linguistic[-;15] form required for that word's expression is created. This process involves such processes as the generation of a syntactic[->16] frame, and phonological[->17] encoding which specifies the phonetic[->18] form of the intended utterance, the third stage is articulation[->19] which involves the retrieval of the particular motor phonetics[->20] of a word and the motor coordination[->21] of appropriate phonation[->22] and articulation by the lungs, glottis, larynx, tongue[->23], lips[->24], jaw[->25], and other parts. Levelt, WJ (1999). â€Å"Models of word production. â€Å"[->26]. Trends in Cognitive Sciences 3 (6): 223–232) 6. Children acquire language fas ter than adults’. Please give your arguments to agree or disagree to this statement. How do children use their utterance compared to adult. You should refer to, at least, four references. OChomsky points out that a child could not possibly learn a language through imitation alone because the language spoken around them is highly irregular – adult’s speech is often broken up and even sometimes ungrammatical.In ways understanding and establish meaning in words, children and adults are different. Children tend to focus more on the superficial physical characteristics of an object when defining the prototype for an object and when comparing a stimulus to that prototype. Thus, children will gradually their understanding of an object. Steinberg at all (2001) conclude the progress started from vocalization to babbling, babbling to speech, naming and using holophrastic for one word utterances, and using telegraphic speech for two and three words utterances.Another exper t Mc Neill in Steinberg at all (2001:36) gives another opinion that the child who is learning language can compare the language that they have in their mind with what they hear from his parents. Children give priority to collocational links between words. For example, a child might respond with the word ‘night’ when told the word ‘dark’, whereas an adult more likely to respond with the word ‘light’ when presented with the same word ‘dark. Children may take time to discover the criteria by adult classify item as co-ordinates. 7.Language structure and language function can be seen differently by different scholars from the side of the meaning of an utterance. Please discuss your opinion about the function approach to meaning (the procedures and uses) Outterances has different meaning in context (including the situation, condition, location and the time in which the utterances are produced). For example : †Masak begitu saja jadi gila s ih? † this utterance May be in giving support or motivate somebody who just got disappointed or depressed. 8. Please quote a mass demonstrant’s discourse (at least consisting of ten sentences).Please analyze psycholinguisticly the discourse of the demonstrant by considering his/her mass psychology. ODemo guru bantu : ‘angkat kami jadi PNS. Kami telah lama mengabdi untuk negri ini. Kalau kami tidak diangkat jadi PNS, gaji kami tidak cukup untuk memenuhi kebutuhan primer kami. Yaitu kebutuhan hidup keluarga dan kebutuhan pendidikan anak-anak kami. Guru bantu perlu diperhatikan kesejahteraan hidupnya. Dari demo guru di atas terlihat semua individu memiliki kepentingan menjadi satu yaitu meminta kenaikan Gaji yang tidak sesuai standar untuk memenuhi kebutuhan utama.Dari kalimat demo di atas, setiap idividu guru lebih memiliki power yang lebih besar untuk meminta kenaikan gaji dikarekan mereka bersatu menjadi satu. OMass psychology is a branch of social psychology[->27 ]. Mass psychology is concerned with the behaviour and thought processes of individual mass members and the mass as a whole. The main idea of Sigmund Freud[->28]'s crowd behavior theory is that people who are in a crowd act differently towards people from those who are thinking individually.The minds of the group would merge to form a way of thinking. Each member's enthusiasm would be increased as a result, and one becomes less aware of the true nature of one's actions. Other major thinkers of crowd psychology include Rene Girard[-;29], Gustave Le Bon[-;30], Wilfred Trotter[-;31], Gabriel Tarde[-;32],Sigmund Freud[-;33], Elias Canetti[-;34], Steve Reicher[-;35] and Julia Constintine. 9. How do you agree (support) or disagree to the following ideas: a. language need not be taught, nor can it be suppressedOI agree that language need to be taught nor can be suppressed, Fernandez stated that language acquisition in the child is a naturally unfolding process, Every normal human acquires alinguistic system, and failure to do so is evidence for some sort of pathology. that children need to experience social, interactive language in order to acquire language. In fact, people acquire language at about the same speed during about the same age span, no matter what kind of cultural and social situation they grow up in. b. hildren everywhere acquire language on a similar developmental schedule OI agree that children everywhere acquire language on a similar developmental schedule. Based on (Fernandez: 2011) state that babies coo in the first half of their first year and begin to babble in the second half. The first word comes in the first half of the second year for just about everyone. In all societies, babies go through a one-word stage, followed by a period of early sentences of increasing length; finally, complex sentences begin. By the age of 5 the basic structures of the language are in place, although fine-tuning goes on until late child-hood.Children all over the wo rld are sensitive to the same kinds of language properties, such as word order and inflection. They make remarkably few errors, but their errors are of a similar type. While there is much individual variation in the age at which children acquire aspects of language, that variation is conditioned by individual char-acteristics of the child rather than by the language being acquired or the culture in which the language is used. c. language is universal in human being OI agree with that statement about there are close to 7,000 languages spoken in the world today and, on the surface, they differ greatly.However, there are profound similarities among the languages of the world – so many similarities, in fact, that human language can be thought of as a single entity. Language universals result from the way the human brain organizes and processes linguistic information: language universals are a product of human neurology. Thus, a person’s ability to acquire and use language is natural These universals do not derive from social, cultural, or general intellectual characteristics of humans. Instead, List of references: Clark, H. H. and E. V. Clark (1977): Psychology and Language, New York, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.Fernandez, Eva M. (2011). Fundamental of psycholinguistics. Oxford. Wiley-Blackwell Steinberg, at all (2001): Psycholinguistic: Language, Mind, and World. Malaysia, Pearson Education. Scovel, T (2001): Psycholinguistics. Hong Kong, Oxford University Press. Yasin, Anas. (2010). Tindak Tutur: sebuah model gamatika komunikatif. Padang: Sukabina Press [-;0] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Word [-;1] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sentence_(linguistics) [-;2] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Spoken [-;3] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Phonetic [-;4] – http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Motor_system [-;5] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Vocal_apparatus [-;6] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Conversati on [-;7] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Reading_(process) [-;8] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Writing [-;9] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Speech_repetition [-;10] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Language [-;11] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sign_language [-;12] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Spoken_language [-;13] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Conceptualization [-;14] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Intention -;15] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Language [-;16] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Syntactic [-;17] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Phonological [-;18] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Phonetic [-;19] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Manner_of_articulation [-;20] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Phonetics [-;21] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Motor_coordination [-;22] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Phonation [-;23] – http://en. wikip edia. org/wiki/Tongue [-;24] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Lip [-;25] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Jaw -;26] – http://www. columbia. edu/~rmk7/HC/HC_Readings/Levelt. pdf [-;27] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Social_psychology [-;28] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud [-;29] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Girard [-;30] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Gustave_Le_Bon [-;31] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Wilfred_Trotter [-;32] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Gabriel_Tarde [-;33] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud [-;34] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Elias_Canetti [-;35] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Steve_Reicher

Disastrous Consequence

In life, we encounter circumstances wherein we gave our all but we continue to fail. Our idealistic expectations were shattered by the realization that sometimes we cannot control our actions even if it was aimed for our individual betterment. In the end, the question remains to be on how we are going to address these hurdles and challenges facing us. The ability to recover and stand up despite these setbacks remains to be the ultimate goal for everyone.Looking back, there was one experience that disappointed me because I had ideal expectations towards a particular project that I had made. It happened when our instructor provided a topic for us to write about. This research shall be huge component for our research. I really need a good grade to pull out a good performance in the end. Due to this, we were allowed to choose a topic of our choice and relate it towards the lessons that were taught during the first half of the class.In addition to these, the specific details and objective s were given three weeks before submission. In a nutshell, the topic was my specialization since I had spent numerous times working on that issue. Moreover, I had gathered sufficient references that can guide me towards the process of writing. Since I really need a high grade for this paper, I made contact with the professor occasionally to inform her about my updates. Lastly, I was able to finish it one week in advance. That was why I had the chance to proofread and analyze the paper for errors.However, when the grades turned out, I was disappointed when I saw that my grade was not up to my expectations. In addressing this, I went to my professor and asked her the reason I got the grade. She indicated that I was too focused on creating a paper based on the idea that I know and failed to appropriately link it towards the subject. I felt bad on this because I had the opportunity to consult with her. But I used this experience as a learning opportunity for me to enhance and improve on my writing skills so next time I won’t achieve the same results.