Essay --

SOLAR ENERGY IN THE PHILIPPINES Nowadays, our environment has been experiencing several challenges that leads to it slight decline towards being damaged. Many things have occurred that has caused harm because of the effects of damage towards the environment. And as of now, we are seeing nature slowly depleting and getting destroyed due to the activities man engage to that consume our surroundings. These problems are now accepted as global problems since this issue affects the planet all throughout and not contained in only certain areas. Currently, we are facing issues that damage our planet slowly and yet despite finding ways on how to alleviate the problems, nothing seems to work since our planet still continuously shows signs of not improving. According to the World Population Review (2013), the Philippines is ranked as the 12th most populated country in the world. With less than 100 million in population, there is no doubt that the country’s energy consumption and production has been increasing over time. The Department of Energy states the Philippines’ main sources of energy come from natural gases, coal and petroleum. While all of these sources provide power and energy for the country, at the same time they also cause negative effects to the Philippine environment. Because of these sources, the country has been experiencing some issues regarding environmental problems such as large emissions of CO2 or commonly known as carbon dioxide that is one of the root causes of one of the biggest known factors of global warming, the Greenhouse Effect. These greenhouse gases come from burning millions of tons of CO2 that eventually harm the environment just by making contact with air, along with this it is also produced after having ... ...from the sun, energy consumption will be at its lowest and cheapest. In conclusion, solar energy should be utilized as the country’s primary source of electricity due to the fact that it has many benefits that would be good for several factors and do good not only for the environment but to the economy and the people of the country as well. As our country’s energy consumption increase rapidly annually, the government must find alternatives and be aware of the options that could save the country’s situation in terms of energy consumption and environment issues, which is why it is much more preferable to opt to use solar power because it is less costly, it is harmless to the environment, it is versatile and it will always remain as an abundant source of energy. All in all, solar energy must be our main source of power in order to improve the situation of the nation.

How Does the Film “the Breakfast Club” (1985) Perpetuate Teen Stereotypes Essay

â€Å"The Breakfast Club† shows the typical stereotypes of before, specially the 80s. The snob girl that thinks she shouldn’t be there, the popular sports boy, the rebel that is not understood, the nerd that doesn’t want to be in trouble, the outcast that is ignored, and the teacher that thinks to highly of themselves and thinks that teenager equals problem. In the 80s â€Å"The Breakfast Club† became really popular. This could be because the teenagers that saw it found themselves identified with the characters. It also made adults and teenagers see from the outside what was happening, and that stereotypes did exist. Nowadays these stereotypes still exist in a way, but not as marked as before. Now teenagers could communicate with other people from different groups, not like in the film, were the â€Å"popular† girl doesn’t think the rebel, nerd or outcast should be with her there. She thinks to highly of herself. Internet has also helped people not label others as much. Now people sometimes meet though internet, and this makes the first impression useless in what it refers to appearance. Teenagers get to know each other more, so they don’t fall for the stereotypical appearance of others. I find that what has also changed between the 80s and now, is that studies have become more important. It is true that we still think a lot about our appearance, clothes, etc. but the society has made us more aware of the fact that without studies we maybe wouldn’t be able to go far. More information on TV has also influenced, now people are informed better on what’s happening around the world. Teenagers now know there is more apart from school and friends, and are more worried about their future and world-wide problems, than to belong to a group. We are more understanding on what is around us, we are less narrow minded. Know we know there are people the same as us, so we give more opportunities. However, are stereotypes still giving problems? Many adults stereotype teenagers as being lazy, unmotivated, and undetermined individuals. Loud, obnoxious, rebellious, out of control, and up to no good†¦ Many people in different generations sincerely believe that all teenagers are guaranteed trouble no matter where they are. I am not arguing that teenagers like that don’t exist, because there are plenty of them out there, but it is bothering that one type of teenager has been able to spoil the image of all the others. Things like long or coloured hair, black clothes, heavy make-up, ect. Create a wrong idea of the person. Things like saying that a teenager is bad just because they are trouble makers is wrong, someone could be just having fun and act serious somewhere else. People, specially teachers and parents, think that all teenagers are always ready for the battle, that they are not capable of reasoning, listening, or saying something interesting. In an external point of view, I personally find teenagers more interesting than any other group of ages. We are in the middle of children and adults, our view of the both is split into two and our exposure between them is different, this creates a wider point of view. Therefore, a different opinion. In conclusion, Stereotypes have changed throughout the years, people don’t label as much. However, it’s still there, and is still harmful.

Crito Essay - 1581 Words

Socrates has been accused of corrupting the youth by Meletus and has been sentenced to death. He has thoroughly justified his own decision to obey the opinions of the majority and serve out the sentence that his own city has deemed appropriate for his crimes. At the beginning of this piece, Socrates has presented a period of questions and answers through dialogue with Crito. Throughout the dialogue Socrates is explaining his reasoning for not evading the government. Crito does not understand the madness of Socrates, and would like nothing more than to help his dear friend escape to freedom. quot;†¦I do not think that what you are doing is right, to give up your life when you can save it, and to hasten your fate as your enemies would†¦show more content†¦Any person who would unjustly disobey these laws creates a deliberate attempt to destroy them, as well as, the society that has imposed them. For example, quot;†¦However, that whoever of you remains when he sees how we conduct our trials and manage the city in other ways, has in fact come to an agreement with us to obey our instructions.quot; (Crito p.54e) If the decisions of the city’s governing agents are not thoroughly respected as just and cohesive parts of society, the very structure by which the society stands is subject to collapse. If a person is found to be in violation of what his society stands for and does not accept the consequences for his actions, then there can not be a system of law in place to create order. quot;You must either persuade it or obey its orders, and endure in silence whatever it instructs you to endure, whether blows or bonds, and if it leads you into war or be wounded or killed you must obey.quot;(Crito p.53b) The society in which a person lives creates a mutual relationship in which every person in that society is indebted to, if he willingly accepts that society for his own. Following along these basic concepts, Socrates then adapts them to his own circumstances, which have presented to Socrates by his companion Crito, that being the option to escape from his captors and renounce their decision on his fate. Socrates concludes that if he were to follow Crito’s advice he would beShow MoreRelatedPlatos The Crito Essay954 Words   |  4 PagesPlatos The Crito In life, people are guided by moral beliefs and principles. Whether their beliefs are good or bad, their decisions are based on them. In Plato â€Å"The Crito†, Socrates emphasizes his moral beliefs and principles when he decides not to escape from prison. Although Socrates had the opportunity to escape his death sentence, he chose not to do so becauseRead MoreEssay about Socrates Argument with Crito536 Words   |  3 PagesSocrates Argument with Crito Socrates has presented a period of questions and answers through dialogue with Crito to examine if he going into exile will damage his reputation. Socrates questions and answers with Crito establishes that a person must decide whether the society he or she lives has a just reasoning behind its own standards of right and wrong and that a person must have pride in the life that he or she leads. By confirming these two concepts through questions, Socrates attemptedRead MoreThe Presentation of Socrates Arguements in Plato’s Apology and Crito792 Words   |  4 PagesIn both Plato’s Apology and Crito, Plato presents Socrates arguments clearly and precisely. Socrates is wise man with a different perspective on life, which presents us with a mass of contradictions. Socrates is an expressive man, yet he never recorded any works. He is ignorant, but wrongfully convicted who is willing to fight his unjust execution. Behind these dilemmas is an opposition not often explored. Socra tes is the most patriotic of philosophers, who is dedicated to his state. Exploring thisRead MoreThe Function of the Quest or Journey Motif in the Apology and the Crito966 Words   |  4 Pagesat the beginning there was nothing known. The quest in its very nature is a search to find an answer, an artifact of power and wealth or perhaps even for peace; in the platonic dialogues they play a crucial role in the Apology of Socrates and the Crito. The Apology in the trial and death of Socrates is an example of a quest or journey motif applied, whether or not quest or journey is the preferred word is left to you who are reading this. In the apology, Plato is accused of corrupting the youth ofRead MoreFate Or Free Will?882 Words   |  4 Pageswas one of the most distinguished philosophers to demonstrate free will. He would demonstrate this by choosing in which manner he would perish, and when the phenomenon would transpire. His apprentice Plato would write with reference to this in C rito. On the other hand, Niccolo Machiavelli from the Renaissance epoch, writes references to the fate of one in The Prince. He would acknowledge the virtues that under any circumstances could dictate and control one’s fate. Socrates and MachiavelliRead MoreThe Concept Of Individual Rights1787 Words   |  8 Pagesflourishing personal identity and a flourishing community when a mutually beneficial goal seems to interfere with an exclusive goal; oftentimes, individuals reject making personal sacrifices unless they can see immediate, personal results. The Apology and Crito, written by Plato on the behalf of Socrates, explore the higher ethical concerns that dominated Socrates’ personal life and philosophy, and thus explore his view on how the society and individual should interact. The Republic expresses the views ofRead MorePlato s The Trial And Death Of Socrates Essay1671 Words   |  7 PagesPlato’s The Trial and Death of Socrates presents the reader with complex competing conceptions of what should be considered â€Å"the good life†. According to Socrates, â€Å"the most important thing is not life, but the good life† (Crito, 48b). The majority, who live a non-philosophical life, believes the goods of life include wealth, reputation, and honor: all things that can easily be taken away or destroyed. On the other hand, Socrates lives a philosophical life filled with self-sufficiency. He views wisdomRead MoreThe Trial And Death Of Socrates1701 Words   |  7 Pagesdeath as the greatest evil and pro vided his sons a positive role model. He showed calmness in the face of his trouble, while the vulnerable and fragile majority would have been in constant fear of death. Socrates, in saying goodbye to Crito in his cell â€Å"Then let it be, Crito, and let us do as I say, seeing that God so directs us.† (Plato, 102) Socrates believes that you cannot harm a good man in life or death. Through The Trial and Death of Socrates, Socrates’ has to overcome a test of his ideals. HeRead MoreAutonomy in Hamlet and Oedipus952 Words   |  4 Pagesand by living his life within the boundaries of the laws and justices of society. Socrates sees this as a commitment by an invisible contract and he must commit himself to obey them even though these laws have wronged him. He is urged by his friend Crito to escape but Socrates feels that this would be wrong as it is going against state, country and his life’s work he states, â€Å"I am not able to abandon the arguments I previously made, now that this misfortune has befallen me†, (Plato, 2007, p. 40). SocratesRead MoreKant, The Rallying Call For Kant s Enlightenment1026 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Sapere aude!† is the rallying call for Kant’s enlightenment. Translated, it roughly means dare to be wise. Plato, through the voice o f Socrates in the dialogues The Euthyphro and The Crito, demonstrates the ultimate example of Kant’s definition of enlightenment. Socrates fearlessly dares to be wise. In 1784, Immanuel Kant wrote a groundbreaking essay addressing a question posed by Reverend Johann Zollner. The essay was entitled â€Å"What is Enlightenment†. Within this essay, Kant defines what enlightenment

Convert ACT to SAT A 2017 Table for Score Conversion

The Story Of Electricity Is Told By Al Khalili Essay

The Story of Electricity is told by Al-Khalili, a British theoretical physicist, and begins the three part TV program with the â€Å"Spark† or dawn of human knowledge of electricity, showcasing the simple and primitive experiments. Leading next, the second part of the program goes over 18th and 19th centuries and how many scientists and physicists harnessed the power of electricity and magnetism and created practical devices and how these devices complete transformed the way people lived and continues to do so today. In the third episode, Khalili finishes up the story with how what we applied what we have learned in the past 200 years to connect the world with electricity via networks and broadcasting. He explains that our era is defined by electricity, and how our understanding of electricity is proportional to our reliance upon it. The first episode starts us off with Isaac Newton and Francis Hauksbee in the Royal Society and the experiments they created. One of the firs t experiments regarding electricity involved a spinning glass hollow sphere vacuum. In a dark room, as the glass span, Hauksbee placed his hand very near the surface without touching it, and light emitted from inside the glass. This experiment was groundbreaking since it was the first time mankind had seemingly created a power reserved to the All-Mighty. Even though this discovery was groundbreaking, its practicality was nearly nil. Conjurors and street magicians called themselves â€Å"electricians† and

Derivatives Project NYMEX WTI Crude Oil

Question: Derivatives Project Select a specific financial asset traded in a spot market (e.g., specific fixed income security, common stock, foreign exchange, or commodity contract). Select two or more derivatives as part of a trading strategy, (e.g., a speculative strategy, hedge, straddle, etc. that are combined into a portfolio. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Assets that are selected must be available in the Bloomberg database accessed via the Bloomberg terminals. Answer: Introduction This report is significantly focused on the specific financial asset that is traded in the spot market. The commodity selected is NYMEX WTI Crude Oil. Two or more derivatives would be selected as part of a trading strategy, (e.g., a speculative strategy, hedge, straddle, etc. that are combined into a portfolio. Hedging is the utilization of techniques related to investment to minimize risk within a portfolio. This could be possible by expert money managers and by individual speculators. There are numerous approaches to hedge, however it essentially is making a bet, trade or investment trying to shield a financial investor from potential losses in another speculation. So as to hedge effectively, the second venture must be in negative relationship to the original investment or trade. This implies that one speculation is creating returns that surpass those of the more extensive financial markets, and the other venture, which is the trade that is being placed to hedge; by and large it re sults in the generation of returns that are basically under the markets (Yun and Jae Kim, 2010). Numerous investors utilize hedging in a portfolio to give a level of protection against potential losses and against surprising and undesirable shifts in price within the securities. Modern trading instruments and strategies, for example, derivatives that incorporate alternatives securities, are intended to give this layer of security. Options are financial instruments that, for a price, give speculators the privilege to purchase or offer a security at a given cost before the close date. These financial securities can be connected to a large group of diverse asset classes, including bonds, securities and additionally commodities among others (Loss, 2012). This report will focus on the most effective hedging strategies which are also fundamentally typical for almost all Gasoline companies. They are discussed as below: Hedging Strategies It is a well-known fact that there are primarily 6 energy futures contracts where the four of them are traded on the NYNEX i.e. NY Harbor ultra-low sulfur diesel, RSOB gasoline New York Mercantile Exchange, WTI crude oil, and Henry Hub natural gas. A futures contract gives the purchaser of the contract, the obligation and debt, to purchase the underlying commodity at the cost at which he purchases the futures contract. Then again, a futures contract gives the contract seller, the obligation and right, to sell the fundamental commodity at the cost at which he offers the futures contract. On the other hand, practically speaking, there are only few commodity futures contracts really bring about delivery, most are used for hedging and are purchased or sold back preceding expiration. The Natural gas futures is illustrated below: As a case, how about we accept that the researcher is a producer of natural gas who needs to undertake the hedging strategy for the price of natural gas generation within future. For purpose of simplicity, it should be accepted that one is looking to hedge (by locking or fixing the price) 10000 MMBtu of the production within June 2015. To support this production with respect to the futures, one would be selling one natural gas futures contract within June 15. On the off chance that one had sold this contract in view of the end cost on Friday, one would have supported 10,000 MMBtu of the June 2015 production at $2.839/MMBtu. If it is assumed that that it is May 27, 2015, the closing date of the June 2015 futures contract for natural gas. Since one would prefer not to make delivery of the futures contract, followed by the buyback of one June natural gas futures contract at the prevailing price of the market (Dash and N.S., n.d.). To think about how the methodology will function if natural gas futures for June settle at prices both above and underneath the cost of $2.839, one should inspect the accompanying two situations. In the first situation, if one expects that the prevailing price of the market, at which one buys back the futures contract for natural gas, is $3.089/MMBtu, which is $0.25 higher than the cost at which one sold the futures contract. In this situation, one would get more or less $3.089/MMBtu for the June 2015 production for natural gas production. Then again, the net value would be $2.839/MMBtu, the cost at which one initially sold the futures contract, barring the basis differential, transportation and gathering fees. This is on the grounds that one would bring about a loss of $0.25/MMBtu ($2.839 - $3.089 = $0.25) on the futures contract. In the second situation, if it is assumed that the prevailing price for the market, at which one buys back the natural gas futures contract for June, is $2.589/MMBtu, which is $0.25 lower than the cost at which one sold the prospects contract. In this situation, the producer would get $2.589/MMBtu for natural gas production June 2015. Like the first situation, the net price would be $2.839/MMBtu, again barring the basis differential, transporting and gathering fees. This is on account of one would cause an addition of $0.25/MMBtu ($2.839 - $2.589 = $0.25) on the futures contract. While there are various points of interest that need to be considered before you support your common gas generation with fates, the fundamental philosophy is fairly straightforward: in the event that you are a characteristic gas maker and need or need to fence your presentation to regular gas costs, you can do as such by offering a characteristic gas prospects contract (Fonseca and Rustem, 2012). Another hedging strategy could be related to swaps. The commodity selected would be Brent Crude oil. Before discussing the trading strategy for this, it is quite necessary to discuss as to what is a swap. A swap is an agreement whereby a market price or floating price is traded at fixed cost or a fixed cost is traded at a skimming cost, over a predefined period(s) of time (Lautier and Galli, n.d.). The instrument is alluded to as a swap on the grounds that the transaction would include the sellers and buyers cash flows that are swapping with each other. Swaps are ostensibly the most prevalent instrument related to hedging utilized by producers of oil and gas to support their introduction to volatile prices for gas and oil as hedging with swaps permits them to fix or lock in the price they get for their gas and oil production (de Ville de Goyet, n.d.). Notwithstanding organizations trying to hedge their exposure to the commodity prices of energy, swaps are additionally used by organizations looking to hedge their exposure for agricultural commodities, foreign exchange rates, metals, interest rates and others as well. If the trading strategy in accordance with the swap is to be proposed to conduct a hedging strategy for the production of crude oil, then it should be assumed to hedge the July 2015 production for crude oil to guarantee that the revenue for July meets or surpasses the estimate for budget of $60.00/BBL. For the purpose of simplicity, it should be assumed that one is looking to hedge 10,000 barrels of the foreseen, July 2015 production. Keeping in mind the end goal to fulfill the objective, one could offer a 10,000 BBL July 2015 calendar swap for Brent Crude Oil July 2015 (Fonseca and Rustem, 2012). In the event that one had sold a July 2015 calendar swap for Brent Crude Oil last Friday the price would have been roughly $63.00/BBL. Presently it should be investigated as to how hedging with this swap would affect the revenue, and thus the cash, if the futures contracts for Brent Crude oil amid the month of July average $15 higher and $15 lower than the cost at which one sold the swap (Hao, n.d.). It ought to be noticed that in light of the fact that the futures for Brent Crude oil expire almost two weeks prior to the production or delivery month, the prompt month contracts amid the month of July production are the August and September futures contracts. The August contract will be utilized to ascertain the settlement cost on July 1-16 where 16th July is found to be expiration date for the contract within August while the September contract will be utilized to compute the settlement price for July 17 to 31. In the first situation, it should be expected that the average settlement price for the futures for prompt Brent crude oil, for every business day in July, is $78.00/BBL. For this situation, the price one attains at the wellhead for July production of July crude oil would be roughly $78.00/BBL. In any case, on the grounds that one supported with the $63 swap, one would acquire a loss related to hedging of $15/BBL which compares to net income of $63/BBL (Giandomenico, n.d.). In this situation, while one did experience a supporting loss of $15/BBL, the hedge performed as foreseen and permitted the producer to secure a price which was $3 per BBL more than the planned cost of $60 per BBL. In the second situation, it is assumed that the settlement price on an average for the prompt Brent crude oil futures in accordance with every business day in July is found to be $48.00 per BBL. In accordance with the settlement price that is $48.00, one would attain $48.00 per BBL for the production of crude oil within July. Then again, because of the way that it was hedged with the swap of $63, one would acquire a supporting increase of $15 per BBL. Like the first case, the net revenue for this situation will be $63 per BBL and the hedging gain balances the lesser real price. By and by, the hedge did perform obviously and permitted to lock in the price worth $63 per BBL and either $3 per BBL more than the cost of $60 per BBL. In accordance with this particular example, the gas and oil producers can moderate the exposure to the prices of crude oil being volatile costs while getting it hedged with swaps. In the event that the crude oil price amid these months averages not exactly the cost at which the swap was sold by the producer, the addition on the swap balances the abatement in revenue. Despite what might be expected, if the crude oil price amid the month averages above the price at which the the swap was sold by the producer; the loss on the swap is balanced by the revenue increase. However, the above scenario addresses how the producers of gas and oil can utilize swaps to hedge the risk for oil price, a methodology quite similar to this can be utilized to hedge NGLs and natural gas as well. Also, marketers, consumers and refiners can likewise use the swaps for crude oil so that the cash flows can be hedged, inventories, costs, revenues and profit margins (Giandomenico, n.d.). Another strategy could be to hedge with put option. In accordance with the commodity markets, an option is basically a contract which gives the contract purchaser the privilege, yet not the obligation, to buy or sell a particular volume of a particular commodity (for example, natural gas or crude oil) or the financial equivalence of the commodity mentioned, at the latest a particular date or time period. There are two essential sorts of options, put options that are in considered as floors or call options that are referred as caps. A call option gives the purchaser of the option with a hedge against possibly rising costs and however, a put option gives the purchaser of the option with a support against conceivably declining costs. Numerous producers for gas and oil hedge with put options as doing as such permits them to mitigate the exposure to reducing natural gas, NGL and crude oil prices. Essentially, numerous customers hedge with call options as call options permit them to minimize the effect of conceivably rising costs. As a case of how the above example of selected commodity can hedge with put options, the producer of crude oil need to hedge the exposure to lower prices for crude oil to make sure that one can service the debt, as needed by the moneylender. All the more particularly, how about if it is assumed that one has to guarantee that one is hedged if there is trade by WTI underneath $50 per BBL. For the purpose of this illustration, how about if it is assumed that one is looking to hedge 5,000 BBLs of the production of crude oil by August 2015. In order to fulfill this, one could purchase a $50 WTI within August a put option for crude oil. As this is being composed, a $50 August WTI average price for the cud oil(otherwise called an Asian or APO) put alternative is trading a premium of $2.95/BBL which implies that the cost for the hedging of 5,000 BBLs in accordance with this strategy would be $14750 i.e. 5,000 BBLs X $2.95/BBL. Presently we should look at how the $50 WTI crude oil for August's put option of crude oil will affect the business, and guarantee that one has the capacity to administer the debt, if the average of WTI crude oil futures prompt month amid August settles both above and underneath the strike price K being $50 per BBL. The prompt month futures contracts for WTI terminate before the month of production. On account of the August 2015 month of production, the brief month WTI contracts for future are the September and October contracts (Parkinson, 2013). The September contract will be utilized to ascertain the settlement cost from August 1-20 and (August 20 is the close date of the September futures contract for WTI) while the October contract will be utilized to compute the settlement cost for August 21-31. In the first case, we should accept that normal settlement cost for the prompt futures for WTI crude oil, for every business day in August, is $70.00/BBL. For this situation, the actual price that one realizes ought to be roughly $70.00/BBL, barring basis, social transportation and gathering fees. On the other hand, on the grounds that one hedged with a $50.00 put option, the hedge would be "out-of-the-cash" and one would not acquire a gain or loss on the put option being $50.00 . As mentioned earlier, one needed to pay $2.95/BBL for the choice, so the real net, including the premium for option, would be $67.05/BBL (this does not involve gathering, basis emulated by the transportation expenses too). Plainly, this would be a decent surprise as $67.05/BBL would permit one for the servicing of debt as well as to generate an additionally productive profit also. In the second case, one should expect that average settlement price for the prompt crude oil WTI futures, for every business day in August, is found to be $35.00 per BBL. In this situation, the real value that one understands at the wellhead ought to be near to $35.00 per BBL. Nonetheless, on the grounds that one supported with a put option of $50, the hedge would be in accordance with the money and one would not acquire a hedging gain of $15 per BBL. Moreover, one needed to pay $2.95 per BBL for the alternative, so the real net, including the option premium, would be $47.05 per BBL (once more, this avoids premise, transportation and gathering fees). While not almost as perfect as the first situation, a net of $47.05 per BBL would for sure permit one to guarantee that one can then service the debt, and ideally pay himself a bit as well (Parkinson, 2013). The chart below demonstrates the potential results of the producer for crude oil hedging with a $50.00 WTI put option for a crude oil, as portrayed in the case. As the chart demonstrates, when NYMEX WTI unrefined petroleum costs normal $50/BBL or less, the net value including the alternative premium of $2.95/BBL, is 47.05/BBL. Alternately, when NYMEX WTI prices for crude oil normal more than $50 per BBL, the net cost is the NYMEX WTI month to month average minus the option premium of $2.95 per BBL. As this example demonstrates, hedging in accordance with put option gives the producers of gas and oil gets the best of it as put option give a support against conceivably declining crude oil (and also natural gas fluids and natural gas as well) prices while permitting the maker to possibly benefit from higher prices additionally. So as to hedge effectively, the second venture must be in negative relationship to the original investment or trade. There are numerous approaches to hedge, however it essentially is making a bet, trade or investment trying to shield a financial investor from potential losses in another speculation. This implies that one speculation is creating returns that surpass those of the more extensive financial markets, and the other venture, which is the trade that is being placed to hedge; by and large it results in the generation of returns that are basically under the markets. On the other hand, practically speaking, there are only few commodity futures contract s really bring about delivery, most are used for hedging and are purchased or sold back preceding expiration. Then again, a futures contract gives the contract seller, the obligation and right, to sell the fundamental commodity at the cost at which he offers the futures contract. A futures contract gives the purchaser of the contract, the obligation and debt, to purchase the underlying commodity at the cost at which he purchases the futures contract. References Dash, M. and N.S., A. (n.d.). Exchange Rate Dynamics and Forex Hedging Strategies.SSRN Journal. de Ville de Goyet, C. (n.d.). Comparing Conditional Hedging Strategies.SSRN Journal. Fonseca, R. and Rustem, B. (2012). Robust hedging strategies.Computers Operations Research, 39(11), pp.2528-2536. Fonseca, R. and Rustem, B. (2012). Robust hedging strategies.Computers Operations Research, 39(11), pp.2528-2536. Giandomenico, R. (n.d.). Valuing an American Put Option.SSRN Journal. Hao, T. (n.d.). Option Pricing and Hedging Bounds in Incomplete Markets.SSRN Journal. Lautier, D. and Galli, A. (n.d.). Dynamic Hedging Strategies: An Application to the Crude Oil Market.SSRN Journal. Loss, F. (2012). Optimal Hedging Strategies and Interactions between Firms.Journal of Economics Management Strategy, 21(1), pp.79-129. Parkinson, M. (1977). Option Pricing: The American Put.J BUS, 50(1), p.21. Yun, W. and Jae Kim, H. (2010). Hedging strategy for crude oil trading and the factors influencing hedging effectiveness.Energy Policy, 38(5), pp.2404-2408.

International Marketing Plan Apple Essay Example

International Marketing Plan Apple Paper Intenational Marketing Plan Table of Contents Executive Summary Situation Analysis Description of product and or service Geographic description of the target market Environmental analysis Cultural analysis Economic analysis Legal environment Political factors and risk analysis Evaluate the market potential of a targeted buyer/ consumer segments Identify factors that influence their purchasing decisions Financial conditions (GDP, discretionary income, debt, credit) Competitive analysis (SWOT) Strategy Development Segmentation, targeting, positioning Marketing strategy Product Promotional strategy Pricing strategy Place Channels of Distribution Modes of entry Implementation Action plans Implementation and control Timelines and milestones Monitoring Review and evaluation Executive Summary In 2001, Apple was having a tough time finding an undefined market that had not been well established. They realized that digital music players lacked in quality and did not have a well thought-of market. Apple branched from this idea and assigned their engineering assembly team to design the first iPod within a year’s time. After all the hard work the engineering team at Apple underwent, the Apple iPod was made public. On October 23, 2001, Apple introduced the first series of iPods to the world (Schlender, 2001). The iPod is designed to store media on a built-in hard drive or by the use of flash memory. It also serves as an external data storage device when connected to a computer. It plays media files anywhere a user chooses and is designed in a very convenient size. In 2003, Apple released another series of iPods that included the iTunes software. iTunes is program that stores a comprehensive library of the users music, video and photos on their computer (Donovan, 2006). We will write a custom essay sample on International Marketing Plan Apple specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on International Marketing Plan Apple specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on International Marketing Plan Apple specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This program can play, download and rip music from a CD onto the library and is exclusive to Apple iPods. The Apple iPod is the world’s best selling digital audio player. Over 50 million iPods have been sold throughout the world, since its release (Hesseldahl, 2005). It dominates the market and has become a generic name when referring to MP3 players. The mental association most people make with digital music players is the Apple iPod. The market share Apple had in the Untied States in 2004 for all MP3 player types was over 70% of the market (Hesseldahl, 2005). The iPod has also caused a halo effect which encourages users to switch to Apple products. Apparently, Apple Corporation is correctly implementing numerous advertising and marketing. I will attempt to create an international marketing plan for the Apple iPod in the United Kingdom. It’s a challenging task since Apple has been so successful with the iPod. Situation Analysis Description of Product and or Service The Apple iPod and the Apple iTunes brand names, designs and symbols have helped to differentiate them from their competitors. The iPod encompasses the personality dimension of excitement and competence. The imaginative, tech-savvy image along with being recognized as an intelligent and successful brand has put them in a league of their own. The functional attributes of â€Å"1,000 songs in your pocket† and the emotional attribute of â€Å"which iPod are you? † have been very successful for this brand. The predominate language that’s spoken in the United Kingdom is English the theme would be kept the same. Apple has gained brand recognition with the use of the lowercase i†. It is associated with many Apple products. In fact, name switches have occurred to reflect the lowercase i† such as the iMac which was formally known as Macintosh computer. Other products include iTunes, iChat, and iBook among other name switches (wikipedia. com). Another recognizable aspect of the iPod is the white cord earbud headphones which has become symbolic of the iPod brand. In addition, the use of iTunes has also become part of the brand. iTunes is a program that stores a comprehensive library of the users music, video and photos on their computer. This program can play, download and rip music from a CD onto the library. This is used in conjunction with the iPod. Users connect their iPod to their computers to transmit songs, video and photos to or from their device using iTunes. The program is exclusive and made only for the iPod. Geographic Description of the Target Market Information directly from http://www. odci. gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uk. html Location:Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France Geographic coordinates: 54 00 N, 2 00 W Area:total: 244,820 sq km land: 241,590 sq km water: 3,230 sq km note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands Area comparative:slightly smaller than Oregon Land boundaries:total: 360 km border countries: Ireland 360 km Coastline:12,429 km Climate:temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast Terrain:mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast Environmental Analysis Inform directly from http://www. odci. gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uk. html Natural resources:coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land Land use:arable land: 23. 23% permanent crops: 0. 2% other: 76. 57% (2005) Irrigated land:1,080 sq km (1998 est. Natural hazards:winter windstorms; floods Environment – current issues:continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12. 5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move toward a domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government aims to reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and to recycle or compost at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015; between 1998-99 and 1999-2000, household recycling increased from 8. % to 10. 3% Environment – international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants Cultural Analysis Information directly from http://www. odci. gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uk. html Population:60,609,153 (July 2006 est. ) Age structure:0-14 years: 17. 5% (male 5,417,663/female 5,161,714) 15-64 years: 66. 8% (male 20,476,571/female 19,988,959) 65 years and over: 15. 8% (male 4,087,020/female 5,477,226) (2006 est. ) Median age:Total: 39. years male: 38. 2 years female: 40. 4 years (2006 est. ) Population growth rate:0. 28% (2006 est. ) Birth rate:10. 71 births/1,000 population (2006 est. ) Death rate:10. 13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est. ) Net migration rate:2. 18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est. ) Sex ratio:At birth: 1. 05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1. 05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1. 02 mal e(s)/female 65 years and over: 0. 75 male(s)/female total population: 0. 98 male(s)/female (2006 est. ) Nationality:noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural) adjective: British Ethnic groups:white (of which English 83. 6%, Scottish 8. %, Welsh 4. 9%, Northern Irish 2. 9%) 92. 1%, black 2%, Indian 1. 8%, Pakistani 1. 3%, mixed 1. 2%, other 1. 6% (2001 census) Religions:Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 71. 6%, Muslim 2. 7%, Hindu 1%, other 1. 6%, unspecified or none 23. 1% (2001 census) Languages:English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland) Literacy:Definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est. ) Economic Analysis Information directly from http://www. odci. ov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uk. html The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is one of the quintets of trillion dollar economies of Weste rn Europe. Over the past two decades, the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. GDP growth slipped in 2001-03 as the global downturn, the high value of the pound, and the bursting of the new economy bubble hurt manufacturing and exports. Output recovered in 2004, to 3. 2% growth, but fell in 2005, to 1. 7%. Despite slower growth, the economy is one of the strongest in Europe; inflation, interest rates, and unemployment remain low. The relatively good economic performance has complicated the BLAIR governments efforts to make a case for Britain to join the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Critics point out that the economy is doing well outside of EMU, and public opinion polls show a majority of Britons are opposed to the euro. Meantime, the government has been speeding up the improvement of education, transport, and health services, at a cost in higher taxes and a widening public deficit. Legal Environment Information directly from http://www. odci. gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uk. html Government type:constitutional monarchy Dependent areas:Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena and Ascension, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands Independence:England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; the union between England and Wales, begun in 1284 with the Statute of Rhuddlan, was not formalized until 1536 with an Act of Union; in another Act of Union in 1707, England and Scotland agreed to permanently join as Great Britain; the egislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927 Const itution:unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice Legal system:common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Executive branch:Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948) head of government: Prime Minister Anthony (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May 1997) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister Legislative branch:bicameral Parliament comprised of House of Lords (consists of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26 clergy) and House of Commons (646 seats since 2005 elections; members are elected by popular vot e to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier) elections: House of Lords no elections (note in 1999, as provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain there; pending further reforms, elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise); House of Commons last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by May 2010) election results: House of Commons percent of vote by party Labor 35. 2%, Conservative 32. 3%, Liberal Democrats 22%, other 10. %; seats by party Labor 356, Conservative 197, Liberal Democrat 62, other 31; note as of 30 September 2005 the seats by party Labor 354, Conservative 196, Liberal Democrat 62, other 34 note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Assembly (because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of 1999 and has been suspended four times the latest occurring in October 2002); in 1999 there were elections for a new Scottish Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly Judicial branch:House of Lords (highest court of appeal; several Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life); Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprising the Courts of Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the Crown Courts); Scotlands Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary Political Factors and Risk Analysis Information directly from http://www. odci. gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uk. html Political parties and leaders:Conservative and Unionist Party [David CAMERON]; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party [Anthony (Tony) BLAIR]; Liberal Democrats [Charles KENNEDY]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Dafydd IWAN]; Scottish National Party or SNP [Alex SALMOND]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Mark DURKAN]; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Sir Reg EMPEY] Political pressure groups and leaders:Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers Union; Trades Union Congress International organization participation:AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CBSS (observer), CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador David G. MANNING chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500 FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, San Francisco consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, Seattle Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Holmes TUTTLE embassy: 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 1AE mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040 telephone: [44] (0) 20 7499-9000 FAX: [44] (0) 20 7629-9124 consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh Evaluate the market potential The target population has internet access as well as discretionary income to spend. As you can see from the chart below more than half of the UK population have internet access. A study conducted by Billboard Music concluded that 43% of the United Kingdom currently downloads music and 35% of them have MP3 players. There is definitely a strong market in the UK. Population:60,609,153 (July 2006 est. ) Telephones main lines in use:32. 943 million (2005) Telephones mobile cellular:61. 091 million (2004) Radio broadcast stations:AM 219, FM 431, shortwave 3 (1998) Television broadcast stations:228 (plus 3,523 repeaters) (1995) Internet country code:. uk Internet hosts:4,688,307 (2005) Internet users:37. 8 million (2005) Identify Factors that influence their purchasing decisions Economic factors help to influence consumer decisions in the Untied Kingdom. Currently this factor is not to point where it would cause concern. The Euro is currently the strongest monetary currency. Competition is another factor that can sway consumers. However, with the Apple iPod being know as the 1st MP3 player and becoming a generic name this may not be an issue but we must remain at this position, especially crossing the international border. Financial conditions (GDP, discretionary income, debt, credit) Information directly from http://www. odci. gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uk. html GDP (purchasing power parity):$1. 869 trillion (2005 est. ) GDP (official exchange rate):$2. 218 trillion (2005 est. ) GDP real growth rate:1. 7% (2005 est. ) GDP per capita (PPP):$30,900 (2005 est. ) GDP composition by sector:agriculture: 1. 1% industry: 26% services: 72. 9% (2005 est. ) Population below poverty line:17% (2002 est. ) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2. 1% highest 10%: 28. 5% (1999) Distribution of family income Gini index:36. 8 (1999) Inflation rate (consumer prices):2. 2% (2005 est. ) Investment (gross fixed):16. 3% of GDP (2005 est. ) Budget:revenues: $881. 4 billion expenditures: $951 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est. ) Public debt:42. 2% of GDP (2005 est. ) Electricity imports:5. 1 billion kWh (2003) Exports:$372. 7 billion f. o. b. (2005 est. ) Exports commodities:manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco Exports partners:US 15. 3%, Germany 10. 8%, France 9. 2%, Ireland 6. %, Netherlands 6%, Belgium 5. 1%, Spain 4. 5%, Italy 4. 2% (2004) Imports:$483. 7 billion f. o. b. (2005 est. ) Imports commodities:manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs Imports partners:Germany 13%, US 9. 3%, France 7. 4%, Netherlands 6. 6%, Belgium 4. 9%, China 4. 3%, Italy 4. 3% (2004) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$48. 73 billion (2004) Debt external:$7. 107 trillion (30 June 2005) Economic aid donor:ODA, $7. 9 billion (2004) Currency (code):British pound (GBP) Exchange rates:British pounds per US dollar 0. 55 (2005), 0. 5462 (2004), 0. 6125 (2003), 0. 6672 (2002), 0. 6947 (2001) Competitive Analysis (SWOT) Strengths Weaknesses Apple is one of the most established and healthy IT brands in the World, Sales of notebook products are also very strong, and represent a huge contribution to income for Apple. It is reported that the Apple iPod Nano may have a faulty screen. a batch of Apple iPods has screens that break under impact Sales of iPod music player had increased its second quarter profits to $320 (June 2005) Apple has sold over 50 million iPod digital music players and more than 500 million songs though its iTunes music store. It accounts for 82% of all legally downloaded music in the US. There is pressure on Apple to increase the price of its music download file, from the music industry itself. Many of these companies make more money from iTunes (i. e. ownloadable music files) than from their original CD sales. Loyal set of enthusiastic customers that advocate the brand. Early iPods had faulty batteries Favorable brand perception causing Halo Effect: recruiting new customers, it retains them they come ba ck for more products and services Early in 2005 Apple announced that it was to end its long-standing relationship with IBM as a chip supplier, and that it was about to switch to Intel. Some industry specialists commented that the swap could confuse Apples consumers. OpportunitiesThreats Apple has the opportunity to develop its iTunes and music player technology into a mobile phone format. High level of competition in the technology markets. Podcasts are downloadable radio shows that can be downloaded from the Internet, and then played back on iPods and other MP3 devices at the convenience of the listener. The listener can subscribe to Podcasts for free, and ultimately revenue could be generated from paid for subscription or through revenue generated from sales of other downloads. High product substitution effect in the innovative and fast moving IT consumables market. Tomorrows technology might be completely different. Wireless technologies could replace the need for a physical music player. Opportunity to extend to new products Vulnerable to leaks that could cost them profits. Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning Geographic Variables Country United Kingdom Demographics Variables Age11-28 years old GenderMale and Female Income0-$50,000 Occupation Influence family decision makers – Part-time/full-time employees/college students Psychographics Variables ?Social, self conscious, need for belonging , hormonal ?Lives with a parent/s or guardian, college campus or apartment ? Enjoys the internet and other new technologies ?Craves attention, trendy, enjoys music, likes material objects Behavioral Variables ?This group influences sales of products for the household ? This group will first look to the Internet to acquire information ? They would likely want a product that everyone else has Developing choice patterns and product loyalty ?They will be devastated if a purchase of their desire is not made Marketing Strategy Product Packaging is very important to a sale and protection of a product. The exterior must be durable, pleasing and must catch attention. The interior must contain the product and the accessories i n a stable, protective way. The elements of the package will remain consistent with all other communications. It will be easily identifiable, pleasing to the eye and effective in catching attention encouraging potential buyers to purchase the product. The other elements of the package include the exterior and the interior. The exterior of the packaging will feature the bright color background and a silhouette cutout on the box. There will be a physically unbreakable display window to reveal the iPod. The package will be oversized to help reduce the risk of theft. It will be packaged in such a way that it will be protected from damage caused by physical force, weather elements and shipping pressures. Information on the use, the handling of the iPod and the disposal will be placed on the package. Any government regulated information will also be placed on the box. The interior of the packaging will hold the iPod and the accessories in place despite any movement. The iPod is packaged with software enabling users to uploading music, photos, and videos called iTunes. Also contained in the package is a charger, instructions, connection cords, earbud headphones and a promotional card for free downloads with regards to the promotional game. All these essentials will carefully be placed in a plastic molded design to prevent any displacement during turbulent movement when crossing the international seas. Promotional Strategy There are many types of promotions that can be utilized to increase the changes of a purchase. The one from of promotion I will use to engage the consumer and encourage them to purchase the Apple iPod will be an interactive sweepstake. The promotion campaign will utilize the same elements as that of advertising to create a single voice. The promotions campaign of the Apple iPod would include the silhouette as part of the promotion. The idea is to engage viewers, readers and listeners to participate in the â€Å"Shadows of the Silhouette† promotional sweepstakes game. The promotional game consists of silhouettes of famous musical artists from the U. K. Each artist has a different prize level. Participants will receive pieces of the silhouette after they complete online registration or mail-in a postcard. The pieces or clues will help them fill-in the silhouette. They have an opportunity to win several prizes based on the completion of the silhouette. For every iTune song downloaded, any Apple product purchased, entering promotional codes found within the magazine ads will give participants clues. Of course, no purchase is necessary to enter. Pricing Strategy The prices will allow for sufficient gross profit to cover overhead expenses. Apple utilizes a markup method, based on costs. The markup will depend on the product, but will be around 40% to cover expenses. A cost book will list each individual product and their costs. We will not attempt to offer drastically lower prices. However, we will be relatively lower than our competitors in the beginning of the introduction. Channels of Distribution, Modes of Entry Products will be shipped via freight and flight across the English channels, utilizing mostly freight to enter the following ports Hound Point, Immingham, Milford Haven, Liverpool, London, Southampton, Sullom Voe and the Teesport. We would follow all government restrictions and regulations as it pertains to shipping and value added taxes while maintaining a strong relationship with our suppliers. Implementation Action plans, Implementation and Control Advertising plays a key role in persuading members of the United Kingdom target market about our products and services. These advertisements create awareness, response and brand knowledge among other qualities. Apple Corporation has used this strategy to implement many new product announcements that are on to the market today and we will continue this method in the international borders. Apple has promoted the iPod and iTunes brands in several successful advertising campaigns, a large number of which are part of their series of silhouette commercials. They also produce commercials with popular artists performing their songs. These commercials have been very successful in creating awareness and recognition of the Apple iPod. The commercials I am proposing would include various artists from different genres of music. These artists would appeal to a wide spectrum of music listeners in the U. K. This would create a sense of belonging, acceptance and relationship building among consumers. The artist would perform part of their song against complex bright animation. Then towards the end of the commercial the artist would hold their iPod while connecting their earbud headphones. Then transform into a silhouette on their iPod as it falls ever so gently to the ground. The screen will display the words â€Å"Are you part of the iScene? †. These effective advertisements will capture the attention of the target audiences. Our main focus is advertising to increase brand knowledge within the target audience. In addition, we will create a desire among the target audience with the message â€Å"Are you a part of the iScene? † To this end we will be utilizing the following forms of media, television, radio, magazine, internet, out-of-home and alternative advertising. Since TV commercials are one of the most effective, most pervasive, and most popular methods of selling products we will be using this to reach our main target audience. Radio commercials will also be another effective media to utilize with this advertising campaign. The radio and television commercials will be placed on station that are appreciate in reaching our target audience. Television stations that are popular among the U. K. target audience would be utilized. They will play at times when the target audience views/listens to these stations. Also the ads will be repeated over and over, which achieves the frequency that is need. Other communication channels that will be utilized include internet, magazine, out-of-home and alternative advertising. Internet ads will be a nice supplement to the overall advertising campaign. There are 840 million people who use the internet, according to the Global Reach Agency, which translates to reaching a lot of people. A way we will draw people to visit the iPod website is by the use of chat rooms, blogs, pop-up ads and search engines. The use of the website will enable more people globally to explore information, promotions and other information that Apple Corporation has to offer. Special focus will be placed on the Apple iPod. The internet will also enable us to send promotional information, news and coupons via e-mail to our customers and potential customers. We would be able to post events and supporting activities on the website. We will utilize magazine advertisement that the target audience reads. The magazine advertisement will have the same design as the rest of the communications. It will also play a vital role within the promotion aspect of this plan. As a communications tool customer magazines are enormously powerful and allow a level of contact with consumers. They range from general interest titles such as Time, GQ and Cosmopolitan, which appeal to a variety of readers, to highly specialist titles covering particular hobbies, leisure pursuits or other interests. They also measure and track fairly well, offering tangible information on return on investment. The most common type of out-of-home advertising is the billboard but also extends to the other outdoor ads such as posters. The message on the billboard will be readable in a very short period of time because people usually pass billboards going at high speeds. There will be only a few words, Are you a part of the iScene? , in large print, with an eye-catching silhouette image with a bright colorful background. The same attention-grabbing advertisement will extend to buses being wrapped, buildings painted and an iPod Mobile. These advertising methods would depend on the government’s regulations and requirements. Timelines and Milestones Monitoring, Review and Evaluation †¢What is evaluation all about? †¢Did we implement the activities we proposed? †¢Did attitudes change-among the community, customers, management-as a result of our programs? Evaluative research, sometimes called summative research, is conducted primarily to determine whether a marketing plan has accomplished its goals and objectives. A variant of evaluation can be applied during a program to monitor progress and indicate where modifications might make sense. The key word in society today is accountability, which means taking responsibility for achieving the performance promised. With resources limited and competition fierce, managers at every level demand accountability for every activity on which they spend money. That’s what evaluation is all about. Marketing professionals are obligated today to assess what they’ve done to determine whether the expense was worth it. In the end we reported back to management. Evaluation findings should be shared with management. This reinforces the notion that marketing is contributing to management goals for the organization. Conclusion The Apple iPod is a great example of a well designed campaign. The Apple Corporation has come a long way since the â€Å"Think Different† campaign of the 1980’s. They now have greater strength as company and as a brand. The use of innovation, creativity and well made products have put Apple at the forefront of technology. Enhancing the brand by crossing the international border will be challenging since it is unfamiliar territory. However, the concepts and the use of the international concepts in a reliable manner will help to create a stronger marketing plan. This plan may help to gain additional market share as well as increase sales, brand awareness and recognition among other advantage points. References Chaudhuri, Arjun Holbrook, Morris B. , (April 2001). The channel of effects from brand Trust and Brand Affect to Brand Performance: the Role of Brand loyalty. Journal of Marketing 90 Goldman, Jordan. Public Relations in the Marketing Mix, Lincolnwood, Ill. :NTC Business Books, 1984 Hesseldahl, Arik (2005). The numbers inside the new iPod. Business Week Schlender, Brent (2001). Apples 21st-Century Walkman. Fortune Donovan, Alan. (2006). Using an iPod with Linux. Technology Weekly, 84 Holdrum, Mike. (November 8, 1999) Great Age of the Brand. Advertising Age, 36 Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is a site that provides full text of services the foundation offers. (http://www. komen. org) Wikipedia is a site that presents the full text of many essential works in the literature of many topics (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ipod) Global Reach Agency provides online marketing, multilingual Web promotion and Website translation. (http://www. glreach. com/) CIA provides fact book information on various countries (http://www. odci. gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uk. html) Images provided from www. apple. com and www. ipod. com