Running of the Bulls History of Spains San Fermin Festival

The Running of the Bulls is a part of the annual Festival of San Fermà ­n during which six bulls are released into the cobblestone streets of Pamplona, Spain, to be corralled to the city’s bullring. Participating runners demonstrate their bravado by attempting to dodge the angry bulls en route to the city center. Bull running is only one part of a larger festival to honor San Fermà ­n, the patron saint of Pamplona, but it is the bull run that draws thousands of annual visitors to the celebration each July. This popularity, particularly with Americans, is due in part to Ernest Hemingway’s romanticization of the event in The Sun Also Rises. Fast Facts: San Fermà ­n, Spain’s Running of the Bulls Short Description: As a part of the annual Festival of San Fermà ­n, six bulls are released into the streets of Pamplona and corralled to the bullring in the city center, accompanied by thousands of visiting bystanders.  Event Date: Annual, July 6 - July 14Location: Pamplona, Spain Though the contemporary festival is largely symbolic, its original purpose, dating back to the 13th century, was to allow herders and butchers to drive cattle from pens outside of the city to the bull ring in preparation for market days and bullfights. Pamplona still hosts bullfights on the evening of the bull run, a fact that has stirred significant controversy from animal rights organizations in recent years. Since 1924, 15 people have been killed at the running of the bulls, most recently a 27-year-old Spanish man in 2009.   Running of the Bulls   Every morning in Pamplona at 8 a.m. during the Festival of San Fermà ­n, six bulls and at least six steers are released into the streets and corralled into the city’s bull ring. This running of the bulls, called the encierro, takes less than five minutes. Before the run formally begins, participants sing a benediction to San Fermà ­n asking for protection. Most wear a common uniform: white shirt, white pants, red neck scarf, and red belt or waist scarf. The white of the uniforms is thought to reference the aprons of the medieval butchers who corralled the bulls through the streets, and the red is worn in honor of San Fermà ­n, who was beheaded in France in 303 A.D. After the benediction is complete, two rockets are fired: one to signal that the pen has been opened, and another to indicate the bulls have been released. The cattle used in Pamplona are four-year-old true bulls, or uncastrated males, that weigh upwards of 1,200 pounds and boast uncapped razor-sharp horns. The bulls run with steers, some mixed in with the bulls, and some running behind the bulls, encouraging forward movement. At the end of the run, a rocket is fired to indicate the bulls have entered the ring, and a final rocket concludes the event. Thanks to Ernest Hemingways The Sun Also Rises, Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls is the most famous bull run in the world. However, since bull running was once a common European village practice, it is an important feature at many summertime festivals in Spain, Portugal, southern France, and Mexico. The festival is undoubtedly dangerous; between 50 and 100 people are injured each year. Since 1924, 15 people have been killed, most recently a 27-year-old Spaniard in 2009 and a 22-year-old American in 1995. None of these fatalities have been women, owing in part to the fact that women were not permitted to participate until 1974. Despite the danger, thousands of people return to Pamplona year after year. Hemingway attended nine times, though he never participated in the run. American author Peter Milligan has run with the bulls more than 70 times over 12 years. History and Origins   The practice of bull running in Europe dates back at least to the 13th century. Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls is thought to have been an element of the Festival of San Fermà ­n since its inception in 1591. Far more than a festival practice, bull running—or, more accurately, corralling—was an essential activity for medieval butchers and herders who were tasked with moving cattle from ships or breeding pens outside of the village into a central enclosure in preparation for the next day’s market and bullfight. Originally taking place during the middle of the night, bull running gradually became a daytime spectator sport. Likely during the 18th century, the spectators began running with the animals, though few records exist to document this transition.   Contemporary Criticism   Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls has been a target of criticism in recent years, particularly from animal rights organizations. PETA hosts an annual Running of the Nudes, a naked march in Pamplona two days before the start of San Fermà ­n to protest the run and the ensuing bullfights, during which the bulls are killed. This criticism has extended to other bull runs across Europe, leading to policy changes. In the Occitan region of southern France, bulls have not been purposefully injured or killed in bull runs since the 19th century. In Catalonia, bullfighting was banned in 2012. Festival of San Fermà ­n The Running of the Bulls is part of the larger Festival of San Fermà ­n, which takes place from July 6th at noon to July 14th at midnight each year. The festival is held to honor San Fermà ­n, the patron saint of Pamplona. Fermà ­n, who is thought to have lived during the 3rd century, was the son of a Roman senator from Navarre who had converted to Christianity. Fermà ­n was educated in theology and ordained in Toulouse, France. While preaching in France later in his life, Fermà ­n was beheaded, making him a martyr. There is speculation that before losing his head, Fermà ­n was dragged through the streets by bulls, hence the contemporary festival in Pamplona. The Festival of San Fermà ­n takes place over nine days, and different events are held each day. Bull runs, bullfights, parades, and fireworks shows are held every day. Chupinazo: The official commencement of San Fermà ­n is marked by the firing of a chupinazo, or a firework, from the balcony of city hall on July 6.  San Fermà ­n Procession: On July 7, city officials parade a statue of San Fermà ­n through the streets, accompanied by religious leaders, community members, the local marching band, and Gigantes y Cabezudos (oversized, papier-mache, costumed figures).  Ã‚  Pobre de Mà ­: At midnight on July 14, the Festival of San Fermà ­n comes to a close with the singing of the song Pobre de Mà ­ at city hall, followed by a final fireworks display. During the song, participants ceremoniously remove their red scarves. Sources   â€Å"Fiestas De San Fermin.† Turismo Navarra, Reyno De Navarra, 2019.James, Randy. â€Å"A Brief History of the Running of the Bulls.† Time, 7 Jul. 2009.  Martinena Ruiz, Juan Josà ©. Historias Del Viejo Pamplona. Ayuntamiento De Pamplona, 2003.Milligan, Peter N. Bulls before Breakfast: Running with the Bulls and Celebrating Fiesta De San San Fermin in Pamplona, Spain. St. Martins Press, 2015.Ockerman, Emma. â€Å"The Surprisingly Practical History Behind Spains Running of the Bulls.† Time, 6 Jul. 2016.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What Is the Running of the Bulls?† San Fermin, Kukuxumusu, 2019.

Problems Faced By Japanese Foreign Investments Relations...

This business study will define the problems in the United States due to Japanese investments. In the current global economy, the foreign investments relations between the U.S. and Japan have been one sided due to the inter-Asian business models of the Japanese markets. Japan has traditionally been cooperative with the United States in allowing its products to be manufactured and sold in the United States, which has provided some manufacturing jobs in the U.S. This causes problems for the U.S. because they are disadvantaged by one-sided trade agreements that decrease job opportunities for American workers, since the Japanese are increasingly moving their manufacturing plants into Asia. More so, the Japanese government has manipulated its†¦show more content†¦This complex issue defines a major problem for job opportunities for the American economy due to Japan’s shift in foreign investment in the Unite States: The Japanese will place more of their emphasis on investment in Asia, leaving less capital to finance United States budget deficits or to buy up American companies or open new factories. Japanese electronic goods and automobiles will not disappear from American shelves or showrooms, but increasingly they will come from factories in Asia, rather than in Japan or the United States (Sterngold, 2016, para.8). In this manner, Japanese foreign investments will begin to shift away from the American manufacturing sector to Asian labor markets. This is an important problem with Japanese foreign investments that continue to seek out lower cost labor markets in order to avoid the higher costs in America: â€Å"That will mean less job creation in Ohio or Tennessee, as the Japanese start up fewer new ventures in the United States† (para.8). This is an important factor in the evolving foreign investment strategies of Japan, which now threaten American job markets in the 2010s. Historically japan had found the American consumer market to be an invaluable part of consumer orientated foreign investments, which relied heavily on

Best Buy Marketing Plan Free Essays

2012 4/26/2012 Marketing Plan The Micro Environment The Company: Best Buy’s mission statement is â€Å"Our formula is simple: we’re a growth company focused on better solving the unmet needs of our customers—and we rely on our employees to solve those puzzles. Thanks for stopping. † Their company perspective is the following â€Å"Our vision is to make life fun and easy. We will write a custom essay sample on Best Buy Marketing Plan or any similar topic only for you Order Now Our business strategy is to bring technology and consumers together in a retail environment that focuses on educating consumers on the features and benefits of technology and entertainment products, while maximizing overall profitability. We believe our stores offer consumers meaningful advantages in store environment, product value, selection and service, all of which advance our objectives of enhancing our business model, gaining market share and improving profitability. † Best Buy strives to continue its growth and innovation in order to come up with new ideas and new ways to intrigue their customers and also new ways for their employees to work as a team and work together. One of their goals is to offer solutions for entertainment and technology that will meet their customers’ needs, â€Å"end-to-end. † Best Buy’s core competencies is simply to make technology and entertainment products affordable and easy to use for their customers. â€Å"We’re world-class in store experience, customer orientation, inventory management, executing new store concepts, and rallying our people around common goals, as well as, marketing, merchandising and related disciplines. † Some areas of improvement that Best Buy is currently undergoing are to be greener. In order to do so, they have to add more green vehicles when it comes to transportation and also stocking more green products in their stores so they can educate their customers about the impacts they may have by purchasing green products. Competitive review: Best Buy’s top three main competitors include Wal-Mart, Target, and RadioShack. Wal-Mart not only engages in the retail sale of electronic goods, but also offers food, health and beauty aids, apparel for women, girls, men, boys, and infants, jewelry, and a wide variety of many other products. Their market cap is $211. 51 B, which as you can see is much larger than Best Buy’s market cap, but the reason is simply because Wal-Mart specializes in selling a wide range of products and not solely electronics. Wall-Mart is the world’s largest retailer and grocery store by sales, which amounts to almost 50% more than its closest competitors combined, such as Target and Sears. One of Wal-Mart’s biggest strengths is that many suppliers give in to Wal-Mart’s pressure because they depend heavily on the discount retailer that they offer for a majority of their sales. One of Wal-Mart’s weaknesses has to do with their reliance on Chinese-made imports because the company may become vulnerable to a weakening dollar or strengthening of the Yuan. Since Wal-Mart purchases the majority of their products from China every year, if the Yuan dollar strengthens, Wal-Mart will soon have to pay more for their merchandise that comes from China, which will further affect Wal-Mart’s bottom line. Target is very similar to Best Buy and like Wal-Mart they offer far more then just consumer electronics. Most of their stores include clothing, furniture, and a grocery department. In the last year, their stock has hit a 52-week low of $45. 28 and 52-week high of $58. 95, compared to that of Best Buy, which has a low of $19. 79 and a high of $32. 85. The reason the stock for Target is worth more is because they offer a larger variety of products so they have a larger market share then Best Buy. When you compare the quality of electronic products between Best Buy and Target you will see that Best Buy has the advantage. For example with TV’s, Target will offer more of the smaller named more affordable televisions. These TV’s can not compare to the quality of the big name products that Best Buy offers, such as Pioneer Elite. The biggest strength that Target has is their wide array of products from many different departments. But they also have a weakness for their customer service. Many times you can go into the store and never be helped by one of the employees. Then when you find one, they are uneducated on many of the products. RadioShack is similar to Best Buy since they both engage in the retail sale of electronic products and services. Some products include home entertainment systems, scanners, GPS products, digital camera, and many others. â€Å"As of March 31, 2011, the company operated 4,467 company-operated retail stores under the RadioShack brand name in the United States; and 1,304 kiosks located in Target and Sam’s Club stores. † Their market cap is a total of 732. 80 M, compared to Best Buy’s market cap of 8. 88 B. RadioShack recently launched a new low price guarantee on mobile phones in order to attract customers and show them that they are offering the best deals. It is also has a Trade and Save program which allows customers to trade in their used mobile phones and other electronic devices for immediate credit toward their next purchase. The company also has a new Mobile Product Support which provides customers with free specialist support to help them resolve any of their mobile phones or other device-related issues at no additional cost. RadioShack is currently undergoing a plunge in their stock price due to the significant growth of the online retail market, such as eBay and Amazon. Corporate partners review and channels: Best Buy is an electronic retail store, according to the Best Buy 2011 fiscal year report, they operate 1,099 US Bes Buy stores, 6 Magnolia Audio Video Stores specializing in high-end electronics, 6 Audio Visions Stores, 117 Best Buy Mobile Stores and 35 Pacific Sales kitchen and bath center Stores (in Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada). Best buy also operates on the international market with 71 Best Buy Stores in Canada, 2440 Best Buy’s in Europe – Small Box, 6 Best Buy’s in Europe – Big Box, 166 Five Star Stores, 8 China Best Buy Stores, 10 Best Buy Mobile Canada, 6 Mexico Best Buy Stores, 2 Turkey Best Buy Stores and 146 future shop stores throughout Canada. In the U. S. Best Buy has a 1,200 square foot Best Buy Mobile store as well as a 20,000, 30,000 and 45,000 square foot Best Buy big box store. In Canada, Future Shop stores average 26,000 square feet and Canadian Best Buy stores average 32,000 square feet. In Europe, The Carphone Warehouse and The Phone House stores average 800 square feet. Best Buy also operates online, allowing Customers to purchase product on line at www. bestbuy. com. The main challenge associated to Best Buy distribution is that the company relies on a handful number of vendors for the supply of their product. Best Buy only accounts for 60 percent of the merchandise it purchases, therefore if any supplier is unable to supply or there is disruption and lost from any vendor, the company may not be able to meet the demand of the customers. Product review: Best buy offer product such as electronic, home office product, entertainment software, appliances and related services. Consumer electronic is their largest product category which includes video and audio equipment such as television sets, DVD player, audio system, portable audio player and car stereo. Some of the Home office products are computers, telephone, cellular phone, copier and calculator. Entertainment software offered are CD, DVD, computer software and video games. Best Buy home appliances are dish washer, air conditioners, washing machine, dryers, ranges and refrigerator. Best Buy offers sales on multiple of their items which are computer, tablets, home theater, mobile phones, IPod, cameras, car GPS, appliances, home, finesses, music instrument, video games and movies. However, Best Buy’s most famous sale is on black Friday, they are among â€Å"the top 3 brick and mortar retailers† according to blackFridayads. com. Best buy has a price matching guarantee police they state â€Å"Best Buy will match the price if you find a lower price on an identical available product at a local retail competitor’s store, a local Best Buy retail store or BestBuy. com. Simply let us know when you are making your purchase or during the return and exchange period. † Matching prices to competitor such as Amazon and Wal-Mart. The Bureau of Economic Analysis recorded negative growth rate for retail stores during the third and fourth quarters of 2008. Best Buy is the largest U. S consumer electronic retailer by revenue, with $40 billion in net sales in fiscal 2008. Best Buy revenues have increase since 2007 it went from 35. 9 billion in February 2007 to 50. 3 billion in February 2011. The gross profit has also considerably increased by 46. 5% since 2008. There is also a considerable increase in their net income, it went from 1. 38 billion to 2. 70 billion in 2011. However, and their operating incomes have also increased, due to an increase of 92. 14% in the depreciation and amortization. In overall their profit has been increasing since 2007. Market/industry description and overview: Over the last few years the consumer electronics retail industry has taken a big hit. One of the big factors for this is the recession; people have less money to spend on material possessions then they used too. The big retail stores such as Best Buy and Target have lost profits due to customers looking to find the best deal possible to save money. Some of Best Buy’s biggest competitors, Amazon for example, have been able to take advantage of this by selling items online at a much lower price. Many times it is a price that Best Buy and many other large retail stores cannot match. An article from http://ledfrog. com/blog/2011/04/the-future-of-big-box-retailers/ stated, â€Å"I can go to the store, check out a new camcorder or surround sound system and then decide if it’s something I want. If it is, I’ll ask the manager if they can match Amazon’s deeply discounted price. If he can, I’ll buy it at Best Buy. If not, I’ll go home and order it online. † Because of the online shopping, the market for electronic retailers is shrinking so it will be important to capitalize on the market that is there. The Macro Environment Culture Best Buy wants its main consumers to be in the middle to upper class. It is because of this that they do not specifically target any one gender or race. As long as the consumer has the money to spend Best Buy will want to service them. Those apply to Best Buy as a whole throughout the country; regionally things are a little different. Depending on what region the store is located Best Buy will have to focus on different things. For example in South Los Angeles where the population is predominantly Hispanic and primarily speak Spanish, the employees that are hired there are going to have to know how to speak Spanish, and many of the product signs can have Spanish written on them too. So Best Buy can have the same message throughout the company, but you are going to have to focus more on the little details of where the store is regionally so you do not offend the customers. Demographics: As a company Best Buy has divided its core customers into five different demographic segments, and they call it customer centricity. They have given a name to each one of these segments, Barry, Jill, Buzz, Ray, and Mr. Storefront. Barry is a man in the age range of 24 to 45 who is an affluent tech enthusiast; typically he will be in the higher income bracket and spend more money. Jill is a suburban mom with a targeted age of 24 to 45; she is also in a high income bracket but does not like the whole shopping experience for tech products. Buzz is either male or female with a targeted age of 18 to 24. They would be young shoppers into gadgets, video games, and movies, and is in a low income bracket. Ray is a price-conscious family guy between the ages of 24 to 45; he will be looking for the best deals and likes to see advertisements, also he is in a middle income bracket. Mr. Storefront is a small business owner in any age bracket and any income bracket. They have also divided two other segments of customers who are outside of their core targets. The first is named Carrie and she is a young single woman in a low income bracket between the ages of 18 to 30. The second is targeted at empty nesters they are both male and female between the ages of 45 to 55 they are in a middle income bracket and are named Helen and Charlie. The purpose of the customer centricity program is so that a store can meet the needs of its main shoppers. You have to first find out the find out what type of shopper goes to a store most and then tailor that store to their desires. For example if you have a store that is tailored to a Barry and Jill that store will have a lot of lighting and fixtures to meet the needs of Barry and personal shopping assistants to help the Jill’s find their products. Best Buy as a whole has decided to focus its demographic segments on people in the income bracket of the upper to middle class. The reason for this is that our core customers are in these income brackets, and knowing this allows the company to build the store to what those classes want. I would not consider dropping any of these customer segments because they cover a vast majority of the shoppers that Best Buy receives. The customer centricity program is what helped keep Best Buy so profitable when companies like Circuit City went out of business. I would however create a new segment named Andy. Andy will be a single man living on his own. This person will be in the mid to high income bracket and be a new tech and gadget shopper. His main purchases would be in home theater and computer. Social trends: Social trends are one of the biggest driving factors for the income that Best Buy receives. But they also can have a negative impact if we do not address the trends properly. It is very important to keep up with the social trends to help keep our business relevant and in the news for positive reasons. One of the bigger trends right now is marketing through Face book and Twitter; about 41. % of Americans are active users of Face book. That is a lot of people we can market to at a basically free price since Face book and Twitter are free to use. Price sensitivity is also a major concern to deal with. If we only have high end products that are very expensive to buy you are limiting your customer demographic which will in turn lower profits. The best way to deal with this is to car ry the high end products but also carry similar products that are at a lower cost. One of the bigger concerns that we have to deal with is energy consumption. The Go Green social trend is a big thing right now and three of our big departments, Home Theater, Appliances, and Computers. These departments not only consume a lot of energy in the store but the products we sell do too. I feel that we can capitalize on this market by purchasing products to sell that are more energy efficient, and advertising these products. This can help drive up our business while also having a greener impact on this earth which looks good for our public relations. Other macro environment factors: Current technological trends have had a negative effect on Best Buys current and potentially future success. One of the main tech trends eroding Best Buys business model is the increased utility and web capabilities of smart phones. With the increased web capabilities of phones a new type of shopper has emerged known as the â€Å"mobile price matchers† (Smith). According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Internet project â€Å"More than half of adult cell phone owners used their cell phones while they were in a store during the 2011 holiday season† (Smith). These customers routinely use their phones while in retail locations to price match, find product reviews, and/or ask friends for advice. This trend has been especially damaging to Best Buy who is a chief victim of this new style of shopping. It is not uncommon for customers to walk into a local Best Buy view a product and immediately search for reviews or better prices on their smart phones. It is possibly to use this technology to our advantage. One way is to develop a smart phone app for Best Buy that is fun, interactive, and informative. This will allow the customer to use the app to find if the product he wants is in the store, and compare it to other major retailer’s prices for the same product. The economic situation is quite possibly the most damaging thing for Best Buy. When the country, let alone most of the world, is in a recession it affects the number of customers that come into the store and the amount that they are willing to spend. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s America was at its highest. People had more money then ever and they were looking to spend it. Then when the big recession hit in 2008 customers still were looking to purchase products but their style of purchasing changed. For a while there, a lot of customers did not care what they spent for their item, they just wanted it. Now they are looking for the best deals out there, it does not matter how they get their product as long as they get the best deal for it. This is where it has hurt Best Buy the most because they can not compete with most online store prices, and still be able to make a profit. The key for future success for Best Buy may be to offer more variety of products at a lower cost. This can help them drive more consumers to the store and make purchases. Marketing Strategy Sustainable competitive advantage: Best Buy enjoys a sustainable competitive advantage because to this date, they are the biggest U. S specialty electronics retailer. Although they are currently experiencing financial problems due to the recession a few years back, Best Buy still seems to have many loyal customers that continue to keep shopping at their stores. The reason why Best Buy contains such a sustainable competitive advantage amongst their competitors, such as Walmart or Amazon, is because it relates not only to product excellence, but customer and locational excellence as well. Best Buy has achieved product excellence through offering the top of the line products in consumer electronics. This is why Best Buy has a lot of loyal customers; they provide products with great quality and high perceived value. They know that if they buy a product from Best Buy that this product will last them a long time, especially if they buy the warranty for it. Another reason why Best Buy enjoys a sustainable competitive advantage is because they also have customer excellence. Best Buy contains a service, known as the Geek Squad, which is a group of employees that help customers with problems they may be having with their electronics. Also, customers are able to rely on the well rained employees when they have a question regarding certain products. Best Buy also has locational excellence since they have over a thousand stores both domestically and internationally. Many say â€Å"The three most important things in retailing are location, location, location. † With this many stores Best Buy is going to be an appealing choice to those other than loyal customers, because it’ll become more convenient to go to a Best Buy that is less than 20 minutes away from your house. There are plans to open up at least 100 stores by 2013 http://www. innovationexcellence. com . This will not only help with their sales, but it will also allow for more customers to become loyal to Best Buy because it’ll be convenient for them to go to their local Best Buy. Growth strategies Best Buy pursues a marketing penetration strategy. The company employs existing marketing mix and focuses the firm’s efforts on existing customers. Best Buy attempts to increase market share by using existing products and services. The company wants to attract new customers to the current target market and encourage current customers to patronize the firm more often, or buy more merchandise on each visit. In order to accomplish its goals Best Buy has to develop great marketing effort, they have to increase advertisement, sales, and promotions. For instance, Best Buy will broadcast ads on TV every time they want to advertise a new product in the store, such as the latest IPhone. The company wants their current costumers to be aware that the store is carrying new products and new costumers to know what kind of products they sell. During holidays and events such as black Friday, the company advertises their deals, so their current costumers buy more merchandise on each visit. SWOT STRENGTHS: Large amount of retail outlets in prime locations * 1,099 US best buy stores, * 6 Magnolia Audio Video Stores * 6 Audio Visions Stores, * 117 Best Buy Mobile Stores * 35 Pacific Sales kitchen and bath center Stores * Brand Loyalty * Very strong brand name * Stores are large * Flexibility exists to add new product lines due to ample space * Value adding customer service * Excellent customer service an d technological know how * Geek Squad WEAKNESSES: * Best Buy relies on vendors to supply a large percentage of products which can potentially lead to supply disruption. Example: If Sony and Apple decide to no longer supply Best Buy it would be devastating. * Weak online presence * Late start in e-commerce * E-Bay and Amazon far better online Limited product selection in OPPORTUNITY: * Capture emerging â€Å"mobile price matchers† market * Use social media to reach out to this market * Capitalize on iPhone ; Smart Phone market * Pursue the business of young bachelors more aggressively * Undervalued customers with high interest in technology * Social Media * Utilize Face book and Twitter more effectively build relationships * Going green Can lead to potential overhead savings and good public relations THREATS: * Retail discounters such as Wal-Mart and Target * Discounters are stealing electronics market share due to higher foot traffic fueled in large part to product mix * Cons umers spend more time at discounters locations because they can buy food, clothing, and entertainment under one roof * Rising trend of â€Å"mobile price matchers† * Consumer deciding to buy elsewhere while in Best Buy can prove to be fatal because it negates all other core competencies Objectives/Goals and Problem to be Addressed Based on the results of your SWOT analysis, clearly state the Problem that you are planning to address (once you have described the current situation of the company, you should be able to articulate the specific problem you want to address and the goals of your marketing plan. ) Please make sure to clearly identify your specific Objectives/Goals. Segmentation (See Chart in Index) When making the market segmentation we decided to separate it into three different segments, gender, age, and income. We chose these segments because they provide the bulk of our customers that shop at a store. Gender was first because that is the most identifiable one. It is easy to separate and calculate who is coming to the store based on their gender. Age is a big factor because we can determine the type of customers that are coming into the stores, a young person will see things much differently then an older person and they both will be looking to buy different things. Finally we picked income because it will tell us how much money people have and are willing to spend at our stores. If we have a store that is getting a lot of low income people going into it, we can not have it stocked full of products that they can not afford. Using this we were able to create a customer segment chart. (See Customer Segment chart in the Index) After making the Customer Segment chart we found that we had 18 different segments to work with. Each segment is a little different, but as a whole they make up most of the customers that shop at our stores. When looking at the chart you can see that each segment has something different. The chart covers male and females from different ages to different income levels. You can see that in segment 1 you have males who are under 17 and are in the low income, which is different then segment 4 who are the same but middle income and segment 7 who are in the high income. The information provided by the chart will be very useful in determining which segments to target, and which segments will be unprofitable so we can eliminate them. Targeting Market segments 1. Gender: Male and Female 2. Age: teenager 17 and under, young adult 18-29 and adult 30-59 3. Income: middle class and upper class Segment attractiveness It is essential for Best Buy to evaluate segment attractiveness for each of these segments. They first must determine if the segments are worth pursuing, using specific criteria: is the segment identifiable, substantial, reachable, responsive, and profitable. Identifiable: * Teenagers 17 and under have high interest for video games and cell phones. They are aware of the new technology innovation but don’t really use complex ones which might be to high-tech for them, therefore Best Buy will have to take in consideration that they might not be able to know how to use a MacBook Pro as a young adult would. Young adults 18 to 29, such as college students, are more open to try new technology which would later build up in lifelong brand-loyal customers. As a result Best Buy always tries to keep up with the latest technology, offering the newest version of Mac laptop or the last android. * Older adults age 30 to 59 tends to stay with products they are accustomed to. They have difficul ties getting used to new technology or do not have the actually time to keep up. Older adults have long working hours or have children to take care of; they do not really have time to used new technology. Most even have to rely on their children in order to know how some electronics around the household work. Best Buy should also consider the differences in incomes among the classes. They should divide customers by their incomes in order to provide services and products that are affordable to all. We consider middle and to upper classes since they are the ones who can purchase higher priced electronics. The middle class which is price sensitive makes between 30,000 to 50,000 dollars a year. They have the ability to purchase electronics such as computers, cell phones or TVs but only at affordable prices. In the upper class, customers are ready to pay high prices for high end goods. However we wouldn’t target gender because it just represents one segment. Best Buy doesn’t sell one type of product that attract men and another that attract women; they do not focus on gender differentiation. For instance they are no special gadgets or section for women in the store. Substantial: This criterion consists on measuring the target markets. If a market is too small it is insignificant and it will not generate sufficient profit. If it’s too big it might need a bigger store. In this case we should consider the segment of Loyalty; loyal consumers are lifelong customers which make them a substantial segment. Most loyal consumers are those living near the location. For instance it would make more sense for a customer to go grocery shopping at a Vons store that’s 2 miles away and become a regular customer, than drive 20 miles to an Albertson store. Database such as census. gov can be really useful to determine how many people live in the area or how long they have been living in that area. For instance 1,068,344 people in Los Angeles have been living in the same house since 2005, which is 33. 2% of the population in Los Angeles. So this means that some of the 33. 2% might be loyal customers to their local store. We wouldn’t consider occasion consumer because they don’t represent a large enough market segment. Since they are not a usual customer it is hard to consider them as a significant segment. Video game companies always promote a new game, and teenagers like to be up to date and purchase the latest one, which is profitable on the long run. Young adults also represent lifelong consumers, since they are interested in technology innovation. For instance college students like to purchase new gadgets to work on their school work or just to stay in touch with their friends, classmates or family members. It would be a good idea for Best Buy to use census data to allocate to younger consumers. Reachable: It means that the consumers know the product exists, understand what it can do for him or her and recognize how to buy it. It is essential for Best Buy to care different types of technologies at different prices. Their product must attract all ages and be affordable for all Incomes. Different items are offered at different prices, which means everybody can afforded regardless of their incomes. * Middle classes are price sensible, they want to own technology but at affordable prices. It is easier for a company to reach them during sales and holidays, where they purchase items in large county, buying for family member, friends or just for the good deals. * Upper classes are easily reachable; they want to get high end products and are ready to pay the price. They usually want to purchase the latest high-tech product, new IPhone or biggest 3D TV. They are mainly up to date and are aware of new innovation through the different media outlets. Both young and old generations should be aware that Best Buy caries different types of technologies. For instance phone with lots of different applications and new innovations. Such as the iPhone, it attracts younger crowds, whereas less complex gadgets mainly attract an older crowd. * Teenagers and young adults are usually aware of the latest technology and where to purchase them. They have easy access to media; they follow TV and internet ads. Moreover, young generations share information among each other talking about the latest Apple computer or Android. * Older adults found out about new technology or where to purchase them from their children, friends or coworkers. They are also easily reachable; they have access to internet, TV or older media such as newspapers. Loyal consumers are the most accessible; stores mainly collect their information; email addresses or phone number. It makes it easy for the store to send them ads about new products or inform them about a sale on existing products. Loyal consumers also frequently come in the store to check on new product or get information about items they want to purchase. Responsiveness: The customers in the segment must react similarly and positively to the firm’s offering, move toward firm’s product and services and accept the firm’s value proposition. It is easy for a company to measure the responsiveness of loyal consumer, since loyal consumers are highly responsive to a company’s product. They have learned to appreciate what the firm has to offer and accept their value, which lead them to become usual. Companies have to make sure they can properly respond to their consumer needs and wants, if they can’t provide them with the product they want, they shouldn’t target them. For instance, Best Buy would probably fail if they decide to sell bridal gal to attract more female customers. Best Buy is known to offer technological products and their consumers come in the store looking for electronics. They would be confused to see an electronic store selling bridle gal. Teenagers are highly responsive to new technology, they always want to upgrade to newest and fastest gadgets. For example if new video games come out, teenagers are the first to line up at the store and purchase it at any price. Young adults are open to trying new technology, therefore it would be easier to get them positively respond to new innovations. They are the early adopter of new media and technology. The middle class are price sensitive; however they are open to spend money when the deal is right. They are more responsive during sales period, such as black Friday and holidays, such as Christmas. They are big spenders compared to the upper class; which according to the book â€Å"The millionaire next door† put 20 percent of their money into investments and savings accounts. During sales and holidays the middle class purchase in large quantities, as they find the best deals to buy for family and friends. Nevertheless the upper class is still responsive to new innovation; they want to possess the latest technology no matter the price. They like to purchase luxury electronics that provide the experience and the comfort that high-tech has to offer. Profitability: Market segments that generate profit Teenager: According to the U. S census Bureau, there are 247,215 out of 3,772,486 people in Los Angeles who range from 10 to 14 years old, which is 6. 6%. 273,419 out of the same number are between the age of 15 and 19, it represent 7. 2%. let say out of the 520,634 teenagers 10,000 (2%) play and purchase video games on regular bases . The average video game at Best Buy cost 19. 99$. Video games are realize every 5 to 6 days, which mean there is a realize every week. We will consider they purchase the video game every 2 month when they receive pocket money. Variable cost would represent 1/3 of the price sold 6. 66$. Best Buy spend 10,325,000 on fixed cost a month and they have 1099 stores which means each store spends 9,394. 90$. It is 112,738. 80 a year Segment size 520,634 X Segment adaptation percentage 2 %X Purchase behavior (19. 99*6) X Profit margin percent (19. 99-6. 66)/19. 99 -Fixed cost 112,738. 80 = 724,022. 08 Best Buy would make a profit of 724,022. 08 a year by selling video games to teenagers. Middle class: 176,674 out of 1,314,198 household in Los Angles make between 35,000 to $49,999 which is considered as middle class income. Most of these household spend a large quantity of money during holiday. Especially during Christmas on gift items, which mean they would purchase them 2 a year IPad is really famous not only among children but also adults. It is a great birthday or Christmas gift. Let say 500 of this household purchase iPads, at least two iPad per household either own by two children or one child one adult or two adults. 100 iPads. One iPads cost 499. 99$. The variable price is 259. 60$. Segment size 176,674 X Segment adaptation percentage 0. 3 %X Purchase behavior (499. 9*2) X Profit margin percent (499. 99-259. 60)/499. 99 -Fixed cost 112,738. 80 = 141, 66571 Upper class: 62,319 out of 1,314,198 household make between $150,000 to $199,999, they are the Upper-class. They like to purchase brand new electronics as gift or because it is the brand new model. We will consider 3 purchases a year; birthday gift, holiday gift and the realize day for the brand new model. 5000 of the 62,319 household purchase iPads the same year. Upper class family usually do not have a lot of children, high income just represent 5. % of the working class with families. They buy 5 of them a year, 2 birthday gifts for children and wife/husband, for they realize of the new model and Christmas gift for friends and family 2. Segment size 62,319 X Segment adaptation percentage 8 %X Purchase behavior (499. 99*2) X Profit margin percent (499. 99-259. 60)/499. 99 -Fixed cost 112,738. 80 = 2,280,262. 94 Best buy would definitely make a higher profit if they target the upper class for the sale of IPad. Market targeting strategy We will use the Differentiated (segmented) marketing as our market targeting strategy. Differentiated marketing strategy is a market-coverage strategy in which a firm decides to target several market segments and designs separate offers for each segment. This strategy is the most appropriated for Best Buy since its goal is to target specific market segment. It wouldn’t make sense for them to practice an undifferentiated marketing strategy, which involve ignoring the different segments and going after the whole market. Moreover, Best Buy is a retailer of consumer electronics, which means they sell all types of electronics coming from different brands, they are already able to provide the consumer with a wild varieties of brands. By using the differentiated marketing strategy they can assist all of their consumers regardless of their preference, income or age. They would provide them with the exact product they want. This strategy is also profitable in the long run, helping build up lifelong consumer. The consumer is able to get the product that he wants and also has varieties of other options, which gives you an advantage over your competitors. The practice of concentrated marketing strategy will not allow Best Buy to have the flexibility to offer different electronics, this strategy only concentrate on a single target market. Micromarketing strategy wouldn’t apply to Best Buy because it only focuses on satisfying the need and want of a single consumer, whereas Best Buy groups his Customers within segments. Perceptual Positioning Map (See Index at the end) Positioning: One of the reasons Best Buy has been so successful over the years is because of its brand loyalty. We believe that this was created from the good customer service that we provide and the relatively low prices we maintain, as you can see from the chart. Some of our competitors have lower prices than us but the ones that do tend to have poor customer service. One of the biggest concerns that we as a company have to worry about is the low prices that Wal-Mart offers. As the economy continues to be in a recession people are looking for the best price possible as they have to be thriftier with their money. Wal-Mart has dominated the low price position for years and it will be very hard to compete with the prices that they offer. One of the ways to compete with them is our price match guarantee, that way if they have the exact same product at a lower price we can keep our customer by matching the price. Another concern that we may have is with Apple. They have built one of the strongest customer loyalty companies in the world. People are willing to spend more money on Apple products and services just because of the strong brand name that Apple is. Even now that Best Buy is offering Apple products in our stores people will still choose an Apple store over ours. We believe that that main reason for this is the customer service that Apple has provided over the years. They are known for having some of the most advanced technology in their market. For us to gain the loyalty that Apple has we will have to focus on meeting all of our customers’ needs. Most notably the place on the map we would like to be is at the lower right side at low price and high customer service. This is a position that is not covered on a map that there will be a wide open market for. Target, Wal-Mart and online stores such as EBay are able to offer lower price on many of the products that we sell, but they do not provide the quality of service that we do. If Best Buy can keep or even improve its customer service while at the same time lowering many of our prices, we can open the doors to a much larger market. The best position to be taken by Best buy would be one of cheaper prices and better customer service. Now it is true that Best Buy has fairly cheap prices already and with Geek Squad they have fairly good customer service but my belief is they need go further with what they have already accomplished. Given the facts and findings there is an entire untapped market of lower priced products and great customer service that would be incredibly lucrative. Now the obvious reasoning behind why there is an untapped market in this area is the financial problems. There isn’t an easy way to have cheap products and great customer service because of the fact that customer service is expensive. However there is one way to successfully do it. As stated earlier they need to target their ideal markets better and literally know when a customer walks in where he or she would be best suited to go and make that area the most appealing. Maybe give the areas themes that would attract the ideal market. The next thing that they would have to do is steal customers away from places like Wal-Mart and Apple because it is the fact that they are loyal to those companies that is the most damaging to Best Buy. Now granted this would not be the easiest thing to do. They would have to consistently promote cheaper products and better customer service. After they have done that however, the number of customers that they have would make up for the cheaper prices, the increased customer service, and the advertising (in theory). And if this is successful they would have gained access to an un-tapped market where they literally could not be touched, because no one could compete with them. The way the company is currently focused is on targeting wealthier customers. Our store associates are trained to spot customer demographics in the middle to upper class and push our products to them. In many cases this can cause them to focus too much on a one demographic and leave out great customer service to other social classes. If we change our position and start offering similar products at a lower price than our high end products, we will attract the thrifty spenders to Best Buy. So by offering these products at lower prices but still providing top notch customer service we can see a large growth in customer loyalty. The most important thing to this is to treat the lower income families just as well as we would treat the higher income families. This is where places like Wal-Mart and Target fail, they offer the better bargains but it is hard to find good help from an employee when you go into the store. Marketing Mix Products and Services Best Buy is currently one of the last major consumer electronics retailers out there because they provide a wide variety of products that customers can choose from. Since Best Buy sells everything from televisions to refrigerators, which are two completely different appliances, what more can Best Buy offer? Instead of introducing new products, Best Buy should consider offering cheaper prices for their current products in order to attract a different group of customers. Currently, Best Buy is more focused with attracting the wealthy consumers by providing them with products such as the iPad and Blu-ray televisions to keep those customers interested and loyal to their company. By offering cheaper prices, this could allow the middle-/lower-class to be able to attain great quality products with affordable prices. Since our marketing positioning is to target those customers with lower incomes, what better way to do so than lowering their prices on certain products to show that Best Buy products are great and affordable for everyone? As far as their products are concerned, the main modifications they need to make to existing products is providing a wider range of video games and gaming systems. Since the younger generation is becoming more accustomed to using electronics at such a young age, it might be an advantage for Best Buy to sell more video games, which will in turn attract the younger audience to convince their parents to bring them to the store. The company will not only benefit in bringing in the younger crowd, but will also bring in their parents, who will more than likely become attracted to the big screen televisions and wide range of laptops that Best Buy has to offer. Also, Best Buy should consider hiring qualified employees for the Geek Squad in order to minimize customer complaints. Since this service provides customers with assistance for their broken electronics, some one who has background knowledge and has had experience fixing broken laptops, cameras, etc.. should be the one assisting them with their problems. The Geek Squad is known for hiring employees who have not had past experience with fixing broken electronics. Although the Geek Squad does a good job, customers will be more comfortable knowing that the â€Å"geek† helping them with their broken electronics is someone who knows what they are dealing with. Best Buy provides many products for their customers, some that even some people wouldn’t expect for their store to provide. For instance, the company should consider dropping the home appliances section because since Best Buy is known more as an electronics store, kitchen accessories such as refrigerators and microwaves seem to be products the company is selling just to make extra profit. From past experiences of visiting the store, the home appliances section is always either empty or with very few people taking a look at their washers and dryers. Most of Best Buy’s customers are concerned with the laptops and televisions, and to sell kitchen appliances doesn’t go along with the â€Å"entertainment† feel that Best Buy provides. Also, now that technology is improving and more people are switching to buy Blu-Ray televisions, Best Buy should consider dropping the VHS section. Since people are learning to adapt to the new technology, more customers are interested in buying Blu-ray DVD’s since they provide better quality than VHS. Pricing In the consumer electronics retail business having competitive pricing is of the utmost importance. This is due in large part to the ultra-competitive nature of the electronics business. Consumer electronics such as new TVs and the latest computers/tablets are highly desired by the masses. However, these items tend to be highly elastic in there demand, making pricing a key component in attracting customers. Furthermore, in today’s consumer electronics market many major retailers regardless of specialty carry consumer electronics, making it possible to purchase socks and a computer all under one roof. Moreover the emergence of e-commerce has made it easier than ever to perform real time price comparisons. The growing practice of online price comparisons has given online retailers who benefit from lower overhead costs an advantage, because they possess the ability to offer low prices along with a massive selection. Taking the preceding factors into consideration it is clear that the importance of being price competitive is greater than ever. As a result we have conducted a price analysis of Best Buys top selling product lines. The retailers compared to Best Buy in this nalysis are Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Target. The products to be compared consist of top selling T. V. ’s, Tablets, Laptops, and Mp3 players. T. V. Price comparison: Televisions have been of Best-Buys top selling product lines for years and a vital component of any future success. It is important that Best-Buy continue to dominate television sales if we hope to remain atop the consumer electronics retail mountain. Continued dominance in television sales will be a problem. Due to increased competition from retailers who now offer a host of televisions for sale, Best-Buy is losing market share. Because consumers are more likely to frequent Wal-Mart and Target for every day purchases such as soap, it is important to convey value through pricing when customers enter our doors. Our price survey shows that Best-Buy continues to be highly competitive on television prices. For example, a Samsung 51† (PN51D450) television can be found at Amazon for $697, but Best-Buy and Target are not far behind at $699 and Wal-Mart is priced highest at $799. Amazon beats Best-Buy by 2 dollars but the added convenience of in-store pickup outweighs the slight price difference. Generally Best-Buy is the lowest price if not it is very close to its competitors. The television price strategy is spot on. However, offering a one-time sale of loss leader 32† could go a long way in establishing Best-Buy as the go to retailer for television purchases. Tablet price comparison: Tablets are the hottest devices in the electronics market today. Tablets continue to rise in popularity and it is likely that they will eventually replace laptops as the device of choice for mobile computing. Because of tablets rising popularity it’s important for Best-Buy to capture market share in this product line. The best-selling tablet and industry leader is Apples ipad3 this product is currently offered by all of Best-Buys competitors at the same price across the board. It is unlikely that any retailer will ever have a price advantage on Apple products. Next in line behind the iPad is the asus eepad, this tablet has the potential to one day compete with the iPad. Best-Buy offers the eepad at the lowest cost on the market at $349; Target can match this price but struggle to keep stock levels up. Amazon and Wal-Mart offer the eepad at $359 and $379 respectively. Offering the next best option to the iPad at the lowest cost puts Best-Buy in an excellent position to capture market share. Laptop price comparison: Although tablets continue to increase in popularity the staple of mobile computing continues to be the Laptop. The versatility and portability of Laptops have kept it in high demand. It is likely that tablets will not possess the computing power to replace laptops anytime soon because of this Best-Buy must remain a major player in this market. A price comparison of laptops shows that this is an area Best-Buy can improve in. For example, HP 17† dv7-6c90us laptop is priced $1029 at Best-buy, but is $959 at Amazon. The price difference is between Best-Buy and Amazon is $70 in favor of Amazon. A savvy consumer armed with a smartphone can quickly discover this, and it is highly likely that Best-Buy would lose this sale. Large price discrepancies such as this one hurt Best-Buys reputation in the long run. Consumers are quick to share the news of their cost savings with friends and family which will in turn make them less inclined to look towards Best-buy for electronics. The loss is two -fold, because not only did Best-Buy lose the sale but it also lost the opportunity to capture the most powerful form of advertising; word-of-mouth. Best-Buy must drop its prices on laptops to the point where they can beat Amazon who consistently sell laptops at a lower cost than Best-Buy. (See Price Chart in the Index) Place Best Buy has a few of different forms of distribution. The first is in-store shoppers who physically come in the store and purchase the products. Our stores need to make sure that we have a full inventory for the product that our customers are looking for. To do this we have to have a good computer program that keeps track of our inventory, as well as near by stores inventories, and the distribution centers inventory. With this information we can tell customers about another store that may have their product. Or we can specially order it from the distribution center and give them an accurate time of when it will be delivered to our store for them. The second distribution strategy and the most important one for our companies growth is our online store. Distribution for www. BestBuy. com needs o be fast, efficient, and available for our customers to make their purchase. Online shopping will allow customers to purchase the products without ever having to step foot on  a sales floor. With the purchases made online they can have the products shipped to their homes, or they can choose in-store pickup (which is free) where they have the option to possibly get the product that day if it is available. The third distribution strategy is the Be st Buy vending machines found at Airports and major hotel chains. These vending machines will hold small electronics for customers to purchase. They can hold many things such as gift cards, pre paid cell phones, ear phones, mp3 players, and even movies. What is important about these is it will provide a strong advertisement for the Best Buy brand for new customers traveling the world, who might not know what Best Buy is or experienced one yet. The biggest change that needs to be made with the Best Buy distribution strategy is how many physical stores there are in America. Back in 2006 Best Buy was on top of the world when it came to consumer electronics and we over expanded in America. As the recession hit like everyone else profits began to drop. By having too many stores costs were now a lot higher and revenue was a lot lower. So in America we should actually be closing down stores that do not have enough of a demographic to keep them running and profitable. But the international expansion should continue as a slow and steady process. This way we can find out where our company works and where it doesn’t. The biggest area of need in our supply chain is how fast we can get products to our store that are shown online, but are not physically in the store. There are many customers who see a product on the website but do not purchase it there because they want to actually see the product before the purchase is made. It is important to be able to get that product to the store as soon as possible to help the customer make their purchase. To do this we have to have a distribution center that can process our request that minute so we can get the product to the store within the next day. The best way of doing this is running a real time processing program that is connected to all the distribution centers. When the order is placed the program will find the product and the fastest way it can be shipped to the store. Advertising and Promotion Our Best Buy advertising message is â€Å"Help you get more from your technology†. This message best conveys the image of our company. Best Buy focuses on providing the best customer service possible, through training. Our employees acquire a vast knowledge of the different technology in the store, so they can better assist customers and help them get more from their technology. We also assist our customers through our technology and repair department, Geek Squad. Geek Squad offer services such as TV and computer home setup. The goal of our company is to help customers choose the right technology based on what they are looking for. For example there are a large number of customers coming in our store looking to purchase a computer but they do not know exactly which one to get. Our employees help them identify the right brand and model, based on their interest and taste. The advertising Medias that we have chosen are Television, Newspaper, Internet and direct Mail. Each of these mediums have specific characteristics that make it suitable for meeting specific objective. 1. Television offers a mix of visual and auditory techniques and it provides a wide reach. Television advertisement allows us to both show our products and verbally talk about it. Best Buy has a wide reach; they can reach usual customers as well as potential customers. TV helps us catch the attention of the audience and then reinforce their retention rates by repeating the message. TV has a mass appeal, individuals watch television for different reason: to watch a movie, the news or any other sports. People from different segments watch TV, which helps you reach a large variety of individual with different background. Moreover, well done TV ads are appealing to the audience. For instance, every super bowl viewers not only looking forward to watch the games, but also the commercials. They want to witness the latest creative Super Bowl commercial, it can help build up a loyal customer base. 2. Newspapers offer flexibility, they are timely and help you localize a precise segment. Newspaper Ads can easily be modified to adapt to changes. They are also timely which means they are more affordable deals than TV Ads, since they are usually advertised once in a while. Newspaper Ads allows you to target a certain segment of customers. There is a certain demographic that reads the Newspaper such as older adult or intellectuals. Moreover, most people expect advertising in the newspaper, some even purchase it for the advertisement and the deals they offer. Newspapers allow you to communicate certain extra information such as a telephone numbers or price. It also helps you offer deals such as coupon which couldn’t have been possible on TV. 3. Internet can be linked to detail content. An internet Ad on any webpage will link the customer to the website of the company if he clicks on the Ad. It allows the company to provide more information about the product to the potential customers and promote other products or just the company itself. Internet offers a vast reach; it allows a company to promote their product on a wider market. A good medium would be social network website, such as Facebook or twitter. These social networks provide the ability to reach an international market. Moreover, social networks allow a company to interact with their customers. They can post feedback on the company Facebook wall or suggest ideas on their twitter page. Internet also offer flexibility, you can change an Ads any time or add extra information. Internet advertising offer targeting method that allows you to reach a specific segment, those who see your ads are the ones most likely to buy. 4. Direct mail is highly targeted, it focuses on a specific segment, mainly the consumers who purposively signed up for them or are frequent costumers. It is a useful medium to send sale advertisements to customers and promote new products as well. The company has a direct control over who they are targeting and which product they are offering. A letter can be personalized via mail-merging techniques and you can also use a more informal language in writing your Ad. The company can develop graphics and design the way they want, they don’t have to go through newspaper regulations. Best Buy chooses to focus more on reach. Reach allows a company to build product awareness. Since Best Buy is a retailer of consumer electronics, we get different electronics coming from different companies on a regular base. These different items include new models of the previous technology. We need to inform costumers of the new product entering the market. Most of the companies that come up with a new product, do not want to spend a lot of money on advertising the product on the different advertising Medias, therefore Best Buy is the one who was to promote the new product. The goal of our company is to reach a broad audience; as a result we promote our new product during major sporting events and holidays. During a major sport event, such as the super bowl, there are a large number f people who turn in to watch the game. And as we said earlier some are as eager to watch the commercials. Holidays are also a perfect time to promote a new product because people are looking for presents to give to their loved ones. Consumers are looking for inspiration everywhere, mainly through TV Ads, magazines, or newspapers. Companies want to persuade the costumer that their latest Smartphone is the best Christmas gif t for their teenager, or that the brand new MacBook pro is the exact gift their husband was dreaming of. Costumers are more likely to trust a holiday Ad than any other, they don’t have the time to think of an original gift and they mostly believe the Ads stating that â€Å"this is the hottest items of the holiday, a must have! † Reach is also useful for a product with long purchase cycle. Since Best Buy sells electronics, all the Items have a long purchase cycle. People buy phones, laptop, TV, video game once in a while. They usually purchase new ones after a year or so. Our main advertising objective is to remind. Reminder advertising is a communication used to remind or prompt repurchases, especially for products that have gained market acceptance and are in the maturity stage of their life cycle. According to www. twice. com Best Buy is the No. 1 retailer on this combined list of consumer electronics and major appliance retailers in the United States. Our company has gained a market acceptance coming before stores such as Wal-Mart and Sear’s that are usually known for their low cost. Best Buy’s goal is not to promote lower cost but quality which is promoted through our customer service. Best Buy believes that customer service is the key to provide a quality service and build up customer loyalty. Therefore our company provides training to all of our employees working on the floor, we teach them how to interact with a customer, and we provide them with the sufficient knowledge about the different gadgets in the store so they can give better advice to the costumer. Our advertisement mainly focuses on the quality customer service that we offer. We want to remind the costumer, why they always chooses us first in retail electronics. Best Buy has established an image of professionalism, knowledge and assistance through its customer service. We want the consumer to know that he is in good hands every time he comes to one of our store. Best buy uses information appeal to portray its products and persuade consumers to purchase them. Our company uses factual information and strong arguments to attract consumers. We want our costumer to evaluate our products on the basis of the key benefits they provide. Best Buy offers different high tech products that are sometime really complex, so it is in our best interest to inform our customers on how to use those products. For example, Apple iPhones offer and develop new features that might be too confusing for our regular costumer, so Best Buy develops Ads that explain to costumers how to use them. Our goal is to improve our customer knowledge; therefore they can enjoy the entire attributes their new gadget has to offer. Consumers are more willing to buy a product that they understan How to cite Best Buy Marketing Plan, Essay examples

Amys Journey With the Lord free essay sample

If I had to pick an influential person in my life it would be my 21 year old sister, Amy. She is a huge influence on me because of what she represented and shared with others. Amy represented hope in the Lord and morals that only few people carried. She knew the real meaning of living life to the fullest through Christ. On September of 2010, abdominal cancer became apart of Amy’s journey. She always sought out the best in things despite the reality of what was taking over her body. Amy would state without doubt â€Å"God has a purpose and role for everyone in this world, and your life should be spent fulfilling your mission to praise him.† She is my inspiration because of what she taught people in the short amount of time she had on earth. Amy knew that God had a mission for her. My family and I stood beside her every move and supported her through thick and thin. We will write a custom essay sample on Amys Journey With the Lord or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page God had impressed upon Amy to testify of what the Lord had done in Amys life. Amy gladly accepted the challenge of fulfilling her last mission on the earth. Amy was an incredible woman, everything she stood by was in the Lords name. As time moved forward Amy’s faith was unmoved. She believed God would use her lifes trials to minister to others. While in the hospital Amy would find ways to give God glory. After two years of struggling with cancer, Amy received the good news, the cancer was in remission. She had overcoming cancer and beat the odds. Amy was soon cleared to go home. The burden our family had endured was slowly being lifted, and everything appeared to be getting better for Amy. Amy had been asked by the church Pastor to give her testimony to the church. Amy was excited about getting to share what God had done and was doing in her life, but she was also nervous about speaking. Amy was confident in what the Lord laid on her heart to share with others. As church service began, Pastor askedAmy up to the pulpit and the congregation began to clap.Amy appeared to be anxious as she held her notes and folding them repeatedly. When she began to speak, it was evident the Holy Spirit was was guiding her. The congregation stood still as she gave testimony of what God had done in her life. Amy shared how through her diagnosis of Cancer she was able to minister to others. The most influential part of her speech was when she described how God is inside each and every person there. She challenged everyone to find their own journey and through praise and worship fulfill the journey God has for each one of them. She reminded us of how God is always with us, and Miracles happe n when we allow the Holy Spirit to move through us. Furthermore, â€Å"God will always be constant and he will always be there,†The way she described it will always stick with me. A few days later, Amy started to get sick again. Cancer was overcoming her body again, this time it was different, it seemed worse than times before. On the 22nd day of April, the Lord called Amy to join the angels up above. She left big footprints to follow, and I tell myself everyday I will live for God and commit to him. Amy would have wanted that. Amy, to this day, is the most influential person in my life. She left tracks that led to unimaginable places. She represent things that no one can wrap their head around or even comprehend. She is the person I look up to every single day, and no one will ever change that. Amy lived life to the fullest for the Lord.

Control Of Internet Essays - Computer-mediated Communication

Control Of Internet During the past decade, our society has become based solely on the ability to move large amounts of information across great distances in a very short amount of time and at very low costs. The evolution of the computer era and our growing need for ultra-fast communications has caused a global network of interconnected computers to develop, commonly referred to as the Internet or the world wide web. The Internet has influenced practically everyone's life in some way whether it was done directly or indirectly. Our children are exposed to the Internet at school, and we are exposed to the Internet simply by just watching our television sets. The Internet has become the primary key to the future of communication in our society today. Because of this, the government feels that it has the right to regulate and control the contents of information distributed through the World Wide Web, contrary to the opinions of most Internet users, myself included. Freedom of Speech Over the Internet At the present, this network is the epitome of the first amendment, freedom of speech. It is a place where people can speak their minds without being reprimanded for what they say, or how they choose to say it. The key to the success of the Internet is its protection of free speech, not only in America, but in other countries as well, where free speech is not protected by a constitution. Because there are no laws regulating Internet material, people may find some of its content offending, ranging from pornography, to hate-group forums, to countless other forms of information. With over 30 million Internet users in the U.S. alone, some of the material is bound to be interpreted as offensive to some other Internet user. My advice to these people is to "change the station if you don't like what you see". Laws and the Internet The newest waves of laws making their way through Congress threaten to stifle spontaneity of the Internet. Recently, Congress has considered passing laws that will make it a crime to send vulgar language or encryption software over the web. These crimes could result in prosecutions punishable by jail time. No matter how insignificant, any attempt at government intervention on the Internet will stifle the greatest communication innovation of this century. The government wants to maintain control over this new form of communication, and it is trying to use the protection of children as a smoke screen to impose these laws upon us. Censorship of the Internet threatens to destroy its freelance atmosphere, while wide spread encryption could help eliminate the need for government intervention. How Do We Interpret the Internet The current body of laws existing today in America does not apply well to the Internet. Is the Internet like a broadcasting medium, where the government monitors what is broadcast? Is it like a bookstore, where servers cannot be expected to review every title? Is it like a phone company that must ignore what it carries because of privacy? The trouble is that the Internet can be all or none of these things depending on how it is used. The Internet cannot be viewed as one type of transfer medium under the current broadcast definitions. The Internet differs from the broadcasting media in that one cannot just happen upon a vulgar site without first keying in a complicated address, or following a link from another source. "The Internet is much more like going into a book store and choosing to look at adult magazines" (Miller 75). Because our use of the Internet varies from person to person, its meaning may be interpreted in a number of different ways. Nudity on the Internet Jim Exon, a democratic senator from Nebraska, wants to pass a decency bill regulating sexual content on the Internet. If the bill is passed, certain commercial servers that post nude pictures, like those run by Penthouse or Playgirl, would of course be shut down immediately or risk prosecution. The same goes for any amateur web site that features nudity, sex talk, or sexually explicit words. Posting any sexual words in a Usenet discussion group, which occurs routinely, could cause a person to be liable for a $50,000 fine and six months in jail. Why does it suddenly become illegal to post something that has been legal for years in print? Exon's bill apparently would also "criminalize private mail," ... "I can call my brother on the phone and say anything--but if I say it on the Internet, it's illegal" (Levy 56). Internet

The Effects of School Culture and Climate

The Effects of School Culture and Climate Free Online Research Papers The school is a place where many people with different beliefs, attitudes come together to achieve certain goals. In order to be an effective leader in such an environment one must meet the needs of their employees but still allow them to successfully achieve their goals as individuals or as a group. The problems school districts face today is not all individuals or groups are willing to commit themselves to work to achieve the mission statement set for their school. However, factors that influence this type of behavior are ones beliefs and values. Such groups can be studied by leaders through theories to help gain knowledge on how to address certain issues. An effective leader is one who can control school culture and climate in today’s fast growing school system. The article researched was An Audit of the Culture Starts with Two Handy Tools, written by Christopher Wagner and Penelope Masden-Copas. The article can be found on The Center for Improving School Culture out of Bowling Green, Kentucky. The authors believe that a school without a healthy culture will hinder the faculty in a way that will not allow them to be open or receptive to professional learning opportunities. It is often thought that school improvement starts with the receptiveness of the individual teacher. A theory stated by Wagner and Masden-Copas (2002) â€Å"If people don’t improve, programs never will† (p.42). One way to achieve one’s improvement is through professional development meetings, which allow for the staff to collaborate on new ideas. Ultimately, Wagner and Masden-Copas (2002) state how a school culture will â€Å"only occur in a healthy school culture designed to promote higher levels of professional collaboration, collegiality, and self- determination† (p.43). In the article Wagner (2000) describes school culture as: Shared experiences both in school and out of school (traditions and celebrations) that create a sense of community, family, and team membership. People in any healthy organization must have agreement on how to do things and what is worth doing. Staff stability and common goals permeate the school. Time is set aside for school wide recognition of all school stakeholders. Common agreement on curricular and instructional components, as well as order and discipline, are established through consensus. Open and honest communication is encouraged and there is an abundance of humor and trust. Tangible support from leaders at the school and district levels is also present. (p. 43) In the article it’s clear on the issues that will cause for a school culture to be toxic. One issue that will clearly interfere with the development of a school culture is when teachers blame students for the lack of progress. As adults one must realize that attitude reflects leadership. If the students can see a lack of communication, and collaboration between the administration and faculty a toxic culture is all that will be created. A negative school culture and climate have also been linked to the increase dropout rate of students. An increase in school drop out means a decrease in state funding. It is important that the school district come together to identify the weak areas to decrease the number of students leaving school, due to feeling negative about the school environment. The main points of this research are to describe how school cultures and environments affect the behavior of teachers and students. School culture is the shared belief and attitude that characterizes the organization and establishes boundaries. The culture of a school integrates and implements its mission and vision. It is often thought that leadership guides behavior and respect. A school with a positive culture has relationships among everyone that gives a sense of caring to all learners and the community. Successful schools recruit and retain strong leaders, but sustainable culture survives beyond individual leaders because it exists in the heart and soul of the organization (Collins 2001; Fullan 2001; Hargreaves and Fink 2006). Gaining a deep understanding of what a strong, positive culture looks like and how it works can help educators become more thoughtful about developing one. Russell Hobby (2004) of Britain’s Hay Group suggests, â€Å"Viewed more positively, culture can also be the ultimate form of ‘capacity’ –a reservoir of energy and wisdom to sustain motivation and co-operation, shape relationships and aspirations, and guide effective choices at every level of the school†. At successful schools participants are empowered. In almost all successful schools the school leader encourages participation by parents, students, and teachers. The teachers and parents in many cases serve on advisory boards for the school and they are part of the decision- making process which also empowers them. They are then committed to the philosophy of learning and encouraged to always do their best. When teachers are actively involved in making change, the end result is improved morale and will to participate and follow the leader of the school. Building a strong culture does not happen in a short period of time, it could take months even a couple of years to get the positive culture into the school. According to Bryk and Schneider (2002), â€Å"relational trust is not something that can be achieved simply through some workshop, retreat, or form of sensitivity training, although all of these can be helpful. Rather, relational trust is forged in daily social exchanges. Trust grows over time through exchanges where the expectations held for others are validated in action† (p.136-137). â€Å"For relational trust to develop and be sustained,† say Byrk and Schneider (2002), both staff and students â€Å"must be able to make sense of their work together in terms of what they understand as the primary purpose of the school: Why are we really here† ( p.137)? Changes must begin with the superintendent of the district and the central administration, backed by the school board. Within each building, the principal plays a primary role, providing leadership, articulating goals and behavioral expectations of teachers, and supporting staff in developing an effective school (Gonder Hymes, 1994). The school leader must push for a positive culture within the school to create an environment in which learning can flourish among the staff and students. One of the scenarios presented in this week’s reading dealt with an assistant principal going against the school leader and convincing others to go along with her. The new leader failed to look at the culture already established within that school and therefore didn’t accomplish the project. He didn’t realize that the assistant had a negative attitude and able to influence others at any expense. Another scenario consisted of a veteran teacher questioning the competency of a first year teacher being able to perform a duty. The leader must have a positive culture instilled in the staff and allow them to voice their opinions and value their suggestions and not hurt anyone’s feelings. The leader must achieve better and equitable outcomes for everyone to work together and must create organizational culture. Of course, this will not be simple, easy, or quick. As Michael Fullan (2001) puts it, â€Å"Reculturing is a contact sport that involves hard, labor-intensive work. But it is a sport that must be played more aggressively if our schools are to achieve the kinds of results we now expect of them.† In conclusion, we as the leaders for tomorrow must remember that public schools should be an establishment built on caring for the needs of their staff as well as their students alike. Therefore school culture and climate includes everything that is done within the school. The key to creating a positive school culture is in the hands of the school leaders. Most importantly the way people treat and value one another, share ideas for teaching all come down to support and that is what is important in today’s schools. Trust between parents, students, community, and especially the members of the school district is the foundation for a healthy school culture that will strive to maximize students learning ability. References Bryk, A.S. Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in schools: A core resource for improvement. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. (p.136-137) Collins, J. (2001). Good to Great. New York: Harper Collins. Frieberg, H.J. (1998). Measuring school climate: Let me count the ways. Educational Leadership,56(1), 22-26. Fullan, W. (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Gonder, P. O., Hymes, D. (1994). Improving school climate and culture (AASA Critical Issues Report No. 27). Arlington, VA: American Association of School Administrators. Hargreaves, A., and D. Fink (2006). Sustainable Leadership. San Francisco: John Wiley Sons. Hobby, R. (2004, March). A culture for learning: An investigation into the values and beliefs associated with effective schools. London: Hay Group Management. (p.6). Phillips, G., Wagner, C. (2003). School culture assessment. Vancouver, BC: Mitchell Press, Agent 5 Design. Wagner, C. (2000). School culture analysis. Manitoba Association of Resources Teachers (MART), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Wagner, C., Masden-Copas, P. (2002). An audit of the culture starts with two handy tools. The Center for Improving School Culture, Bowling Green, Kentucky. 42-47 Research Papers on The Effects of School Culture and ClimateStandardized TestingTrailblazing by Eric AndersonHip-Hop is ArtEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeGenetic EngineeringBringing Democracy to AfricaDefinition of Export Quotas

Case study for waste management Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

For waste management - Case Study Example Waste was collected in pits in many areas of the world so that the people could remain hygienic and also reduce the rate of mortality among the population. (Bilitewski, Hardtle and Marek, 1997, p. 1) Medical waste is mainly produced in hospitals where it is mostly considered infectious but in most cases not all of it is. The medical wastes include cultures and stocks of infectious agents; pathological wastes and also sharp objects such as needles and scalpels as well as body parts. (Brunner, 1996, p. 6) The amount of Medical waste generated in the world is difficult to tell since for example the amount of this waste that is generated in the US is not even known and the figure cannot even be estimated. Different reports estimate different figures based on how they calculate it. Most medical waste goes into the incinerators which are mainly used for pathological and infectious waste but this is a problem because the emissions from these incinerators are not managed, (Dutta, 2002, p. 259) The waste that is generated in the hospitals will need to be reduced through pretreatment which will help lower the quantity at the time for disposal. They will also need to be separated depending on their source and type to ease the process of managing it after that. Due to the increased cost of incineration in the recent years, non-incineration methods will greatly cut the cost of this form of disposal if they are employed. This will also reduce the emissions that come from these incinerators. Methods that are cost effective like autoclaving, chemical disinfection and compaction can be used towards this cause. Since incineration is the primary method for treating medical waste and this is likely to remain so, pollution control equipment that is more advanced should be included to be a standard part of the incinerator design. Major limitations

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, CROSS-CULTURAL LEADERSHIP, FACILITATING CHANGE Research Paper

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, CROSS-CULTURAL LEADERSHIP, FACILITATING CHANGE - Research Paper Example The dimension of Power-distance addresses existing inequality level across the cross-cultural workforce. The inequality operational is acceptable within the power setting of the organization with regard to positions held in the work environment. In a low PD leadership system, power is well distributed as opposed to a high PD system where the management positions held are key in decision making in the organization. As such, closed-door meetings are done and communication is different in the different states that are created. Visionary leadership applies a hybrid system that allows acknowledgement of everybody’s role in decision-making. During crisis, a high PD system is preferable in making decisions while low PD useful where the decisions made affects policies. In addition, the dimension of Individualism-collectivism (IVD) that focuses on the strength of ties within the organizational community should be applied. An organization with high IDV displays characteristics of loose connection, little responsibility and a demand for high privacy. On the contrary, organizations with low IDV display qualities of respect, loyalty and strong cohesions within the work force in the organization. Visionary leadership lays down strategies that emphasize the benefits of working as a community with the aim of motivating labor force intrinsically and encouraging teamwork. Similarly, visionary leadership assesses the role of the dimension of Masculinity (MAS) in its environment. It refers to the ability of an organization to appreciate the traditional male and female roles in workforce. Organizations where the score of MAS is high expect men to be assertive and tough. In this setup, men occupy the managerial positions. In a leadership where the MAS score is lower, the roles played by men and women are related and are assigned in regards to professionalism and qualification. Visionary leaders embrace workforce based on qualification and professional

Response to Peer Comment Reasoning with Economics Essay

Response to Peer Comment Reasoning with Economics - Essay Example The U.S unemployment rate rose after the recession of 2008. The U.S. unemployment for February 2012 was 8.3% (Bls, 2012). The stock market is important because a lot of people depend on this investment alternative to build up retirement portfolios. Inflation hurts people because it decreases the purchasing power of money. I agree with you that rationality is a difficult form of information to correct. When an individual makes up his mind about something it is often difficult to reason with such a person. It is imperative for employees to keep the lines of communication open in order to ensure information that is incorrect is properly identified. When people have limited options they should properly assess the implications of each alternative. Problem solving requires not letting obstacles cloud your judgment. I also agree with your viewpoint about the importance of retrospection. People should always analyze the past in order to learn from their mistakes and make better

Cultural Adaptations to Heat Stress in Dry Environments

Cultural Adaptations to Heat Stress in Dry Environments Human beings have long inhabited hot environments, and have developed several physiological mechanisms in order to deal with heat stress. We are exposed to two kinds of heat stress, environmental and metabolic, on a regular basis. Heat can be gained from the environment through radiation, convection and conduction, as well as created during the course of metabolic activity, which is compounded by exertion. The heat gained from these sources must be balanced by convective heat loss to the environment and through the evaporative cooling mechanisms (Hanna and Brown). Failure of these cooling mechanisms can result in heatstroke, a serious condition which can cause severe damage to the central nervous system (Bouchama and Knochel 2002). Over reliance on evaporative cooling can lead to another debilitating condition, dehydration. Hot desert environments, such as those found in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, are a perfect storm of stresses on human heat tolerance. High ambient temp eratures maximize heat gain from the environment, while severely reducing our ability to lose both environmental and metabolic heat by convective means. This causes an increase reliance on evaporative cooling in order to deal with rising body temperature. Increased sweating, combined with the lack of readily available water in desert climates severely increases the risk of dehydration. Populations native to desert areas exposed to the dual stresses of heat and lack of water employ a variety of cultural adaptations in order to buffer their natural thermoregulatory processes. Primary amongst these adaptations is the creation of a favorable microclimate through the use of clothing and architecture. (Hanna and Brown). Human heat tolerance can be summed up through the equation; Mb + Ma + S = E + R + K + C In this equation Mb and Ma represent heat generated by the body through basal metabolic activity and physical activity respectively. S is representative of the amount of heat stored by the tissues of the body. The right side of the equation represents environmental heat, with E, R, K, and C standing for evaporation, radiation, convection and conduction, the primary methods by which heat is lost to, or gained from, the environment. Evaporative cooling takes place as water secreted by the endocrine glands onto the skins surface undergoes a phase change and draws heat away from the body. Radiative heat gain is based on the transference of wide span length electromagnetic waves. Factors such as an objects temperature, reflectance and surface area, as well as those of objects around it, affect the net heat flow through this mechanism. While there is a positive gain of radiant heat by the human body from the sun under all circumstances, environmental conditions can greatly affect the magni tude of this gain. Heat flow by conduction functions in a manner similar to diffusion, between materials in contact with one another and from high to low heat areas. Environmentally, conductive heat exchange can occur between the body and the ground, while with-in the body it is the mechanism by which heat is transferred from the core to the surface of the skin. Convective heat flow occurs between an object and a moving fluid. The movements of the fluid can carry heat away from the body; this is the reason why a cool breeze can be so refreshing on a warm day. When ambient temperatures are at or above body temperature, however, convective currents can significantly increase heat load, sometimes beyond the bodys ability to compensate through other means (Hanna and Brown). Heat stroke is caused by an elevation of body temperature, usually due to failure of cooling mechanisms caused by exposure to high external temperatures, and is the most severe form of heat illness. Exertion can accelerate the onset of heat stroke by increasing metabolic heat production in active muscles. Symptoms of heat stroke include confusion and irrational behavior, weak pulse, elevation of breathing rate and unconsciousness. Severe cases can cause brain damage and organ failure, leading to death. An early symptom of the onset of heat illness is profuse sweating, caused by the bodys attempts to return to homeostasis. Salt loss through this excess perspiration can lead to muscle cramps, while the increase in water loss itself further elevates risk of dehydration (Heat Emergencies). Dehydration is the result of an imbalance between fluid loss and intake. Illness is a common cause of this condition, especially in children and the elderly. Reliance on sweating as a cooling mechanism without adequately rehydrating is another frequent cause of this condition. In hot dry environments, where increased sweating is required in order to maintain body temperature, dehydration is particularly common. Cases of Dehydration can randge from mild to severe, depending on the percentage of overall body water lost. Mild dehydration is easily treatable, and has relatively few long term consequences. Severe dehydration, if not treated quickly can result in damage to the central nervous system or death. Symptoms of dehydration include low blood pressure due to reduced fluid volume, elevated heart rate, dry mouth, low urine production, and in severe cases, lethargy and coma. One sign of dehydration is a reduction in skin turgor. Reduced water levels in the tissues cause skin to lose its elasticity, causing it to slowly return to position after being pinched upwards (. Cultural adaptations can serve as a buffer between the environment and the body, allowing survival in environments where physiological responses would be inadequate for or impede survival. Remarkable examples of this are seen in the populations of Northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The populations native to these regions, such as the nomadic Bedouin and semi-nomadic Tuareg have developed specialized clothing and architecture that allow them to survive in some of the hottest, driest areas in the world, the Sahara and Arabian Deserts. The specialized material culture utilized by these groups facilitates the creation of a favorable microclimate around the body which allows them to maintain homeostasis without relying as strenuously on physiological mechanisms. A desert environment is defined by the KÃ ¶ppen-Geiger climate classification system as a region where the mean annual participation in mm is less than or equal to 5 Pth, which is defined by the following equation, In order to be designated as a hot desert, the region must also have a mean annual temperature greater than or equal to 18ÂÂ °C (Kottek et al). The Sahara Desert is the largest in the world, covering an area of 9,100,000 km2 across the breadth of North Africa. The central region of the desert receives less than 25 mm of rainfall annually, while regions on the eastern margin receiving as little as 5 mm annually. Rainfall is extremely sporadic when it does occur; a single storm sometimes accounts for multiple years worth of precipitation. The region is also amongst the hottest on earth, with temperatures exceeding 50ÂÂ ° C in the summer months. Diurnal variation in temperature can be considerable, the recorded maximum variation being 38ÂÂ ° C. Extreme winds are common in the Sahara, which when laden with dust make the environment even less hospitable. Underground aquifers occasionally break the surface and create oases amongst the otherwise barren landscape of stone plat eaus, salt flats and dunes (Berrahmouni and Burgess). The Arabian Desert is the dominant eco-region on the Arabian Peninsula, covering 1,851,300 Km2. Contained within the larger desert region is the vast Rubal-Khali, the Empty Quarter, which is the largest continuous area of sand in the world, stretching 500,000 km2. Salt flats and limestone cliffs are present in other regions of the desert. Average annual rainfall is less than 35mm, while temperatures average around 47ÂÂ ° C in summer. Temperatures drop significantly at night, sometimes reaching low enough for frost to form (Llewellyn-Smith). The Bedouin are a primarily nomadic pastoralist group located in the desert regions of the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. Their subsistence is based around the raising of sheep, goats and camels, with limited dependence on seasonal agriculture in groups inhabiting regions with more predictable seasonal rains. The Bedouins traditional form of shelter is the bayt, a large rectangular tent constructed from sheeps wool. The roof is supported by a series of tall poles, while the walls of the tent are pinned onto the edge of the roof. The bottoms of the wall pieces are buried in the sand or pegged down, depending on the nature of the terrain. The interior is divided into sections, one for cooking and storage, the other for the entertaining of visitors. (Chatty) The tent is typically open along one of its long sides. This open wall, called the face of the tent or wej al bait, is on the leeward side. In the event of a sudden change in the wind, the back wall of then tent is unpinned and moved to what was formerly the face of the tent. In particularly hot weather parts of the side walls are unpinned to increase air flow throughout the tent. Carpets are sometimes employed to thicken the roof of the tent when the sun is stronger than usual (Dickson). When the wind is not particularly strong the side walls can be lowered entirely in order to maximize ventilation and cooling (Musil). The Bedouin traditionally dress in long, light garments that cover a majority of the bodys surface. For men, typical garments include a long tunic like shirt with wide sleeves that reaches to the ankles, loose trousers, a sleeveless cloak and a head cloth held in place by a woolen cord wound around the head. Womens clothing is similar, consisting of a long sleeved dress, black cotton over garment, loose trousers, cloak and various degrees of head covering, depending on the region the particular group hails from (Dickson). The Tuareg are a predominantly nomadic group inhabiting the nations of Mali, Algeria Niger and Libya. Different Tuareg groups practice widely different modes of subsistence, ranging from nomadic stock-breeding and trading to oasis gardening, although the latter is viewed with somewhat of a social stigma (Rasmussen). The Tuareg utilize a variety of both portable and non-portable dwellings, depending on their particular mode of subsistence. Nomadic Tuareg generally utilize a combination of mat and skin tents depending on regional conditions and availability of materials. Both of these tent forms follow the same basic layout, with the roof and sides suspended from a series of poles anchored in the substrate, while a wooden bed forms the floor of the structure. The particular arrangement of the poles varies significantly by region and preference, ranging from a small number of arches to a series of upright posts. The more sedentary groups amongst the Tuareg construct a variety of mud and mud coated stone houses, some of which are subterranean or semi-subteranean. These houses are typically rectangular, with small windows and flat roofs, although conical and domed forms are not uncommon in some regions of the Tuaregs territory. The most conspicuous aspects of traditional Tuareg clothing amongst both men and women are elaborate head coverings, taking the form of a veiled turban-like garment amongst men and a less elaborate head cloth for women. The mens veil, called a teguelmoust, is typically worn so that only a small space for the eyes is exposed. The amount of the face exposed varies considerably, however, depending on social circumstances. Mens garb consists of loose trousers and multiple sleeveless gandurah (a loose fitting cloak-like garment). Although sleeveless, the gandurah is loose enough that it typically extends below the hands. It is folded up over the forearms or shoulders when necessary to free the hands for manual labor. Womens costume includes either baggy trousers or a cotton skirt reaching to the knees, a gandurah similar to those worn by men but stitched higher on the sides, and a combination of shawl and headscarf made from the indigo dyed cotton popular amongst the Tuareg. This is often folded across the face for protection from the elements when riding or in the sun (Briggs). The primary benefit of clothing in a desert environment is its ability to minimize radiant heat gain by blocking solar radiation. Layers of clothing and air pockets caught between the layers insulate the body and prevent heat from being transferred to it. Baggy clothing allows for ventilation and air flow around the body, which encourage both convective and evaporative heat loss while still protecting the individual from environmental heat gain. Traditional populations in the regions of the Sahara and Arabian Deserts benefit from these concepts by dressing in layers of loose clothing that covers a majority of the body. A study performed by Henschel Hanson demonstrates the effectiveness of protective clothing in maintaining body temperature. This study demonstrated that acclimatized individuals wearing desert fatigues sweat 30% less than unclothed individuals when at rest, due to protection from radiant heat gain. Further benefit is seen in a lower core temperature and reduced heart rate relative to unclothed resting individuals. Clothing becomes less effective protection as metabolic heat production increases through exertion. The same study demonstrated that the benefits experienced by the individuals in desert fatigues were reduced by half (15% less than unclothed individuals) while engaged in physical labor (Hanna Brown). This reduction is due to an increased need to vent internally produced heat as compared to the benefit of preventing the uptake of environmental heat. The traditional clothing worn by the Bedouin and Tuareg is looser than typical fatigues, allowing for better circulating and larger pockets of insulating air, as well as providing superior protection to the head, neck and shoulders. This would likely increase the protective benefit gained by an individual at rest. The design of the clothing, allowing for more significant ventilation than desert fatigues, would likely allow an individual at work to still reap the maximum protective benefit w hile at the same time shedding metabolically generated heat. Another benefit of the head coverings worn by the Bedouin and Tuareg is their ability to protect the lungs and face from the desiccating effects of the hot dry winds. When pulled across the face, these veils can maintain a small pocket of air which is relatively humid compared to the environment, which greatly reduces the discomfort caused by exposure of the mucous membranes to the dry desert air (Briggs). Amos Rapoport describes in his book House Form and Culture several architectural traditions employed in hot dry climates that create favorable microclimates for human survival. Amongst these cultural adaptations are the use of stone and clay as building materials, small windows, use of courtyards, mutual shading and underground construction (Rapoport). Building materials such as stone or mud have a significant advantage in desert environments due to their high heat capacity. These materials function as a heat sink, absorbing radiant and convective heat during the day without significantly transferring heat to the shaded interior of the building. An added advantage to this style of architecture is its ability to hold onto heat gained over the course of the day, which can help deal with the low overnight temperatures common to deserts. A similar tactic is seen in underground construction. Dwellings constructed underground can take advantage of the tremendous heat capacity of the soil i tself to buffer interior temperatures from the outside environment. An example of this can be seen in the Matmata house found in parts of the Sahara. This structure takes the form of a series of subterranean rooms built around a central, pit-like courtyard. Upwards of 30 feet of earth shield the interior rooms from the heat of the sun, allowing the inhabitants to remain significantly cooler than they would be able to in an above ground structure (Rapoport). Surface Buildings in deserts are frequently constructed with few and small windows. This functions to reduce the amount radiant heat reaching the interior of the building directly. Placing windows high in the walls further serves this purpose. Permanent dwellings constructed by the Tuareg conform to these design standards; utilizing materials with a high heat capacity and minimizing opportunities for radiant and convective heat to enter the interior through windows or large doors (Nicholaison). The tents employed by the Bedouin cannot employ the techniques described above to the same degree, but instead function in a fashion similar to that of dessert clothing. Like the long robes worn by the Bedouin, the tent absorbs radiant heat, but prevents it from reaching the cooler microclimate within the tent. Attaching extra rugs to the roof of the tent in particularly hot weather furthers its ability to block and absorb radiant heat by increasing the amount of material able to take in heat and the distance that heat has to diffuse to reach the interior of the tent. The ability to adjust the walls of the tent in accordance with the need for ventilation and the strength of the wind also is a significant advantage. Ventilation can be adjusted in order to maximize air flow through the interior of the tent, and therefore cooling, while minimizing convective heating. Even with the back walls of the tent all the way up, enough air should penetrate through gaps in the panels to create a c urrent through the tent and out the front opening, removing hot air from the interior of the tent. The mat tents used by the Tuareg are thought to be vastly superior to the skin tents in the hot, dry season. They are better ventilated and, according to claims made by anthropologist Johannes Nicolaisen, the mat covering is not heated to any great extent by the sun (Nicolaisen, p. 375). Desert environments are extremely difficult conditions under which to live. They combine high ambient heat with a lack of water, pushing the human ability to maintain thermal homeostasis to its absolute limit. This taxing environment has encouraged the use of cultural adaptations to provide a buffer between the environment and the physiologic mechanisms necessary to keep cool. The primary areas in which these adaptations are applied are clothing and architecture. Loose, light clothing is utilized to block the absorption of radiant and convective heat from the environment, while at the same time creating an environment that maximizes convective and evaporative heat loss by creating a cycling zone of cool air next to the skin, allowing thermoregulation while only minimally engaging homeostatic mechanisms. Desert architecture utilizes high heat capacity materials and the earth itself as a heat sink to keep indoor temperatures at reasonable levels. The microclimate created through these cultural techniques provides a buffer zone that protects desert populations from the harmful effects of overtaxing their bodies cooling mechanisms and allows them to survive under some of the harshest conditions on earth.