Causes and Solutions to Pronunciation Problems Essay Example

Causes and Solutions to Pronunciation Problems Paper Causes and solutions to pronunciation problems Kim 12008815x, so He Hong Kong is one tooth most preferred locations tort international business in Asia Pacific, and is becoming more 50, Naturally business English skills is becoming increasingly important. Business English skills can be categorized into three different parts. These parts are writing, presentation and communication. All are equally important, but this essay will focus more on communication. To be be more specific, it will focus on pronunciation Error, when first came to honking, I realized that peoples grammar and vocabulary is quiet good, but s sometimes hard to understand them because of their pronunciation. Because relatively other aspects are quite good, think that Hong Kong can increase their competitiveness in business English by focusing on this aspect. So, the following will cover the objective of the essay, the causes for the inaccurate pronunciation and the solutions. The Objective is to look into how Hong Kong people can achieve an acceptable pronunciation. An acceptable pronunciation is a pronunciation when Other people can understand What he/she says and the speakers English is pleasant to listen to; in other words, the speaker is informally intelligible. (James,2010) To be short, the pronunciation doesnt have to be like a native speaker but just have to be understood comfortably. There are few factors that leads to the problem of pronunciation in Hong Kong, despite the early age the children start to learn English, One is the influence of their mother tongue. And the other is the way how pronunciation is taught in schools. Candace, 2006) There are lots of studies that proves that the first language have a propound affect on learning the second language (Carter,2001). In Hong Kong, their first language is Cantonese. And there are differences in phonology between Cantonese and English. First, unlike English, Cantonese is lexicographic. Because they learn their mother tongue in a lexicographic method, they might apply the same way whe n learning English. That is, they may lemma apply visual recognition method when learning English words rather than applying the phonetic analysis method. We will write a custom essay sample on Causes and Solutions to Pronunciation Problems specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Causes and Solutions to Pronunciation Problems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Causes and Solutions to Pronunciation Problems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer And this can decrease the ability to link letters and phonemes, which can affect their pronunciation. Also there are differences in the languages syllable structure, sound inventory and prosodic patterns. (Catherine, 002) But the more pressing problem is the insignificant emphasis placed on pronunciation teaching. For these kinds of problems can be overcome with a good system. First, teachers should clarify the differences between English and Cantonese phonological systems. In a study, a research(Candace,2006) was conducted to students Of Hong gang to find out where the most frequent pronunciation errors occur and the reason behind this. The research showed that most of these problems occurred, because the students did not have a clear idea of the differences between the two sound systems Error example, the / , sound in Cantonese cannot be found in a word-final position. Most of the students in the research had a tendency to not spell out the II/ when pronouncing will. Learning phonics in an appropriate method is also important. Phonics is teaching reading by training beginners to associate letters With their sound values. By learning phonics students will be able to read and pronounce properly. Recently in primary schools in Hong gang phonics has become a major component of the English language curriculum. But there still seems to be a lot Of limitation concerning this. The most pressing problem regarding this issue, is that the knowledge base for teaching phonics is not established. So the teachers will have to work on finding a dear methodology for teaching phonics in secondary language contexts. For example, in a study the researcher suggested adopting awareness raising activities for phonics learning. (Paul,2008) This means increasing students awareness to the general sensitivity to sound- spelling correspondence. This will increase their ability to notice and deduce the specific relationships themselves, This will lead to better performance t students in sounding out a new word trot its spelling or spelling a word from its pronunciation. Also, teachers should make use of Davis technology. For example, there are so many good computer program for learning English pronunciation these days. The strong point of using computer software is that it allows student to repeatedly listen to what they want, and help them to learn at anytime, anywhere. And by motivating them to use these systems in their daily lives, they can help students develop independence in learning pronunciation. Pronunciations in English is important, in peoples daily lives and also in business society. Poor pronunciation can have a negative impression and also create prejudice against the person. Sailor) So, in order to have a good communication skills in the business world, having an acceptable pronunciation is a necessity. The main cause for pronunciation problems in honking can be found in the huge difference between their mother tongue and English. But by applying an effective English education system it is not a problem that could not be overcome.. As international business in increasing in Hong Kong, overcoming this sake point will have great effect on the nations competitiveness as the center for global businesses.

What to do about immigration essays

What to do about immigration essays The concern about the impact that immigration impose on American society is not a new one. Since the discovery of the New World immigrants from all over the world moved to American continent in search of a better life, that this vast and rich in sources, yet scarce in population land had promised them. Soon the immigrants outnumbered the native population. They came from England, Europe and Asia. In addition, millions of Africans were imported as slaves. By 1700 the United States became a country of immigrants and more were still to come. At that time America welcomed everybody who ventured to settle in the new country. At the end of the last century, however, not all immigrants were gladly received. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 shut the door for Chines immigrants. It was followed by Quota Act of 1921 and Immigration Act of 1924 which restricted immigration from southern and eastern Europe. Finally, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 restricted the number of immigrants from every nation. Today, as the United States experience "the fourth wave" of immigration, the debate about what to do about it heats up. According to Linda Chavez, "In 1993 [...],over 800,000 legal immigrants were admitted to the United States and an estimated 300,000 illegal aliens settled here, more or less permanently. Over the last decade, as many as ten million legal and illegal immigrants established permanent residence..." (327). However, as Kenney David remarks the numbers by themselves, may not be so disturbing, for the foreign-born people represent only 8.7 percent of entire population of the United States (311). What bothers many Americans is the fact that the majority of immigrants comes from Latin America, predominately Mexico. The main objective of so-called "nativists", to whom one can refer Nicolaus Mills, is that the growing ratio of Hispanics leads to disintegration of the American nation as a union. In his article called "Lifeb...

Business - Leadership and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business - Leadership and Change - Essay Example Hence, a viable leadership in a contemporary scenario comprises of a talent for fluidity and adaptability aimed at recognising the need for change and then the potential to lead change (Mullins 2004). Therefore, the capability to create, manage and lead change is of immense importance in the contemporary leaders. Such a versatile mode of leadership rests on a plethora of apt abilities like a viable vision, the power to inspire, effective communication, emotional intelligence and appropriate conflict resolution skills (Kotter et al. 2006). Effective leadership most of the times rests on a sound and solid vision (Zaccaro 2001, p. 106). However, the term ‘vision’ here does not mean a chunk of imaginary green cheese, which is conceptualised by a leader, sans any concern for the aspirations and opinions of one’s followers. In contrast, ‘vision’ comprises of a set of reasons, which could lead to a better future in an individual and organisational context an d which could be easily grasped and adhered to by personnel placed at all levels within a set up (Zaccaro 2001, p. 106). The hall mark of an effective leader is that one is capable of coming out with a vision with which each and every follower could identify with and commit to. It is only when individual followers see a personal stake in the collective vision that they go beyond their capabilities and stamina to make it a reality (Zaccaro 2001, p. 106). For instance, John F Kennedy came out with a vision to place a man on the moon (Barnes 2005, p. 154). The eventual success of this vision could be attributed to the fact that it extended something to aspire for and be proud about to every individual American (Barnes 2005, p. 154). Inspiration lies at the foundation of an effective leadership approach (Adair 2002, p. 110). Great leaders do always have the ability to inspire others to follow them. Yet, the biggest asset of an inspiring leader is that one is always willing to live the c hange that one intends to bring about (Adair 2002, p. 110). It is one’s passion to engage oneself in all the aspects of a change that one desires to bring about that makes the other followers reach the heights of performance (Storey 2004, p. 113). The leadership style of Gandhi was best known for his ability to inspire others through personal example (Adair 2002, p. 322). The one big thing about Gandhi was that he was always the first to adopt the change that he aspired to bring about in the society (Gandhi 2006). Such an approach most of the times succeeded in inspiring his followers to engage with his vision of change in a sincere and selfless manner (Gandhi 2006). A successful leader by necessity needs to be really good at communicating his vision (Kirkpatrick 2001, p. 47). However, as usually understood, communication is not merely about a drab exchange of prosaic ideas and information between a sender and the recipient. Communication is something much more than that. It is about the ability to exchange ideas and information with all the essential passion and emotions hovering around those ideas (Kirkpatrick 2001, p. 48). In leadership, communication is not merely about informing but also about moving, inspiring, motivating, energising, pacifying, and a range of other abilities, as and when required by a particular situation or challenge. Communication is about bringing in that essential human element in the exchange of information and ideas, which has the ability to wrest

Analysis of Black History Month Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Analysis of Black History Month - Essay Example Celebrating African American history does a lot more than simply show us the contributions African Americans have made to society; it also promotes the idea of equality and understanding for all races which make up our society. Appreciation for black history does not have to be concerned with events and situations which developed concerning African Americans since they can also focus on individuals. People such as Willie Brown become good examples of how influential African Americans have been in recent history as Willie Brown served for more than three decades in the California State Assembly and remained the speaker of the body for fourteen years. He continued his political career to become the only African American Mayor to govern San Francisco as a Democratic Party member (Wikipedia, 2008). Going further back in time, we have figures such as Malcolm X who started off as a petty thief and ended up being one of the greatest leaders in American history. We can certainly compare his life to other leaders who went through trials and confrontations before coming to terms with their thoughts and their understanding of the world. However, Malcolm X often met opposition from those who respected and admired him once he changed his viewpoints about violence and the use of force. Malcolm was one of the major black leaders to advocate equality and understanding towards peoples of all religions whether they be Muslim or Christian (Wikipedia, 2008). Even further in history, we have Frederick Douglass who is perhaps the greatest African American leader produced by the country. He was a lot more than a mere politician since he was an author, a reformer, an abolitionist and a magnificent orator.  

The Effectness of Nike Brand Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

The Effectness of Nike Brand Marketing - Essay Example From this study it is clear that the Nike brand name and its swoosh logo is perhaps one of the most recognizable throughout the world along with those of Coca-Cola, Disney and Microsoft. Its products are greatly performing and currently, the brand is the market leader of its industry. The most recent market report places Nike comfortably ahead of Adidas, its closest competitor, with a 36 percent global sales as opposed to the latter’s 21.8 percent. Willigan credits much of this success to the fact that Nike is a champion brand builder, with its promotional slogans like â€Å"Bo Knows,† â€Å"Just Do it’† and â€Å"There Is No Finish Line,† -among others distinctive mantras- have moved beyond advertising into popular expression, demonstrating the extent of Nike’s intrusion in many people’s consciousness and how it has evolved.As the paper outlines  Nike’s history demonstrates a development and emergence of a quintessential   company. It was started by Philip Knight in his mother’s bathroom back in 1962 with the name Blue Ribbon Sports. From then until 1971, the â€Å"start-up† company was a fledgling player in the shoe industry. The year after, however, would radically change the fate of the shoe manufacturer. When William Bowerman, then a running coach at the University of Oregon, presented to Knight how a piece of malleable rubber on a waffle iron could actually enhance running performance, Knight took this presentation to heart, and Nike was born.... (MSNBC 2008) Willigan (2009) credits much of this success to the fact that Nike is a champion brand builder, with its promotional slogans like â€Å"Bo Knows,† â€Å"Just Do it’† and â€Å"There Is No Finish Line,† -among others distinctive mantras- have moved beyond advertising into popular expression, demonstrating the extent of Nike’s intrusion in many people’s consciousness and how it has evolved. Background Nike’s history demonstrates a development and emergence of a quintessential company. It was started by Philip Knight in his mother’s bathroom back in 1962 with the name Blue Ribbon Sports. From then until 1971, the â€Å"start-up† company was a fledgling player in the shoe industry. The year after, however, would radically change the fate of the shoe manufacturer. When William Bowerman, then a running coach at the University of Oregon, presented to Knight how a piece of malleable rubber on a waffle iron could actu ally enhance running performance, Knight took this presentation to heart, and Nike was born. Pinxten and Preckler (2006) chronicled this pivotal presentation: By attaching such a cushioning piece of rubber to the sole of the shoes, they would become both lighter in weight and more durable. In twelve years sales rose from $2 million in 1972 to $919 million by 1984. (p13) From the earliest stage of Nike’s history, promotions have been a fundamental part of its operations. This is best represented by the choice of Nike – the name of the Greek winged goddess of victory – as well as the swoosh logo, which, for its part, was designed largely for aesthetic purposes. This was, according to Gereffi and Korzeniewicz (1994), an

The Coca Cola Company Marketing Essay

The Coca Cola Company Marketing Essay 1.1 An overview of the company: The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) is the worlds largest manufacturer, licensor and distributor of non alcoholic beverages with over 500 brands worldwide. TCCC is a global behemoth and its presence spans over 200 countries with its head office based in Atlanta, USA. (thecoca-colacompany.com) The product portfolio covers over 3000 different beverages ranging from its flagship brand Coca-Cola, water, fruit juices, sport drinks to coffee including all types of non-alcoholic beverages (thecoca-colacompany.com). TCCC owns four out of the five biggest soft drink brands in the world namely Coca-cola, Diet coke, Sprite and Fanta.(Data Monitor,2009)According to the brand ranking by Interbrand, the company‘s brand value was worth USD $ 68,734 million in 2009. 1.2 TCCC in UK: Coca Cola entered UK in 1900 with its flagship brand, Coca-cola in late august when Charles Candler (owner of Coca-Cola then) brought a jug of syrup with him on a visit to London. TCCC has since then evolved into an international heavyweight backed by national partners. The companys presence in UK is represented by a management strategy that it calls the ‘Coca Cola System which is a combination of two separate companies-Coca-Cola Great Britain (CCGB) and the Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd (CCE). They serve different roles in the production-sales process of Coca-Cola and the other brands that fall under it. CCGB is a wholly owned subsidiary of TCCC responsible for marketing and development whereas CCE, an independent public company manufactures and distributes its products. CCEs product portfolio in 2007 included 20 brands and 100 products such as Coca-cola, Diet coke, Minute Maid, Powerade and so on. (Coca-cola.co.uk) 1.3 Diet Coke Diet Coke was introduced in USA for the very first time in 1982. Following its success, the brand then came to UK a year later. It was positioned as a lighter, sugar-free variant of Coca-Cola with a new advertising theme â€Å"just for the taste of it†. (dietcoke.com) Diet coke is now a international product available in over 173 countries and has a large loyal customer base who love the product. The success story continues till today. Diet Coke has various extensions in its product offerings such as Caffeine-free Diet Coke, Diet coke Lemon, Diet Coke Cherry etc. Diet coke celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2007 with the product accounting for a 40% share of the global diet sparkling beverage segment. (dietcoke.com) 2.0 Perception: 2.1 Semiotics in Advertising: When a consumer looks at an advert, he/she derives a certain meaning from it. To this purpose, marketers use a set of symbols or maybe even one that develops into a meaningful statement that the consumer relates to the product. And to achieve this meaning, the symbols have to precise, direct and should evoke a mental response to the imagery within. To understand how effectively symbols can be used is vital in marketing. For this, marketers turn to a field of study called semiotics which focuses on the co-relation between signs and symbols and their role in shaping a meaningful understanding by an observer. From a semiotic perspective, every marketing message has three components; An object; the product A symbol; the image/ statement that serves as an extension to the product. The interpretant; the message or the meaning derived from the advert. This relationship is described as the semiotic triangle. In relation to marketing activities, the advertising strategy incorporates semiotic symbolism by creating a relationship between the product and the desired attribute of the product. This strategy is usually long term as the message is constant and repetition helps to reinforce the meaning to the consumers. 2.2. Diet Coke Campaign-â€Å"Hello you†. Diet coke has changed its marketing focus to appeal to its female audience (FT, 2009). To this effect, the marketing team at CCE has been adapting its advertising approach and overall appeal to suit its target market appropriately. The latest campaign rolled out for Diet Coke is a multi-million push titled â€Å"hello you† featuring award winning Welsh singer Duffy, as a independent, confident woman who takes control of her life. As part of the campaign, outdoor publicity in the form of posters with the tagline Im no superwoman has also been advertised extensively (Image 2). The campaign on the whole â€Å"aims to represent confident young women taking a stand against the pressure of modern life†. (The Guardian 2009) The ads feature Duffy, 24 year old Welsh singing sensation who became a household name after clinching three Grammy awards including ‘Best British Female Solo Artist this year. The main advertisement is a 60-second TV advert. Duffy is seen taking a break during a live concert where the crowd asks her for an encore. But she gets onto to a bike cycles around for a bit whilst breaking into a cover of the hit song by Sammy Davis Juniors â€Å"I Gotta Be Me†. And yes, she takes a sip of diet coke before returning back to the stage to perform. This campaign marks a significant shift in Diet cokes marketing which in recent years saw the revival of the classic ‘Hunk advert in 2007. According to a company press release on the campaign, Catherin Sleight, Coca-Cola GBs marketing director, stated that the campaign aimed to show strong independent women taking control and saying no the pressures of modern day life.(coca-cola.co.uk) 2.3 Semiotic symbolism in the â€Å"hello you† TV advert: The semiotic symbolism is quite direct and tries to appeal to the ‘independent women that Diet coke wants to focus its marketing on. The campaign as a whole gives light to liberating women from pressures of modern- day life as explained by the marketing director for Coca-Cola GB ; Catherin Sleight. (18) The symbolism behind this advert can be represented with the semiotic triangle as given; Object/product Sign/Meaning: Message: 2.3.1. The Object/Product- Diet coke The product in itself is a global icon as it is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. It has been rated as the number one drink in the diet non-alcoholic beverage sector with a market share 0f 40% globally. The brand visibility is high globally being available in 173 countries as of 2007.The can and logo thus combines to produce brand recognition by any consumer viewing this advert. 2.3.2 Sign The message speaks for itself and is not rather complicated. There are two elements in the ‘sign leading to the creation of a meaning that the target consumer can relate to. The first element is the celebrity who endorses the product. Duffy has become a household name in Britain as well as internationally having won quite a few awards including three prestigious ‘Brit awards and a Grammy award (iamduffy.com). Cathryn Sleight, marketing director of Coca-Cola GB has reflected on the endorsement by saying that â€Å"Duffy as a young woman, who is in charge of her own destiny, perfectly embodies the independent attitude were championing† (coca-cola.co.uk). This could resonate well with their target market as she signifies independence and opportunism that women enjoy in todays world. The second element is the audio track used in the advert and its lyrics. It is a cover sung by Duffy of the old classic hit I gotta be me made famous by Sammy Davis Junior. It has a simple but moving depth to it that reflects well on a listener. It strongly reflects the new diet Coke campaign which celebrates womens right to express their individuality and take control. 2.3.3 The message: The advertisement gives out a strong message that tells the target consumer that Diet coke can you set free if you are an independent, ambitious young woman like Duffy. The advert along with the lyrics and the celebrity completes this meaning forming a symbolic message to the target female segment. 2.4 Evaluation: This television advert has a nice feminine touch to its portrayal and along with the lyrics drive the meaning home for consumers. Duffys voice is quite endearing and catchy adding to the recall value of this advert. Diet coke has used the study of semiotics to represent a deep meaning that most women can relate to. The product has successfully moved away from the ‘naughty girl staring at hunk to a more personal independent woman image. Diet cokes advertisement can further help the brand to establish a personal relationship with its consumers. 3. Reference Groups 3.1 Reference Groups A reference group is†an an actual or imaginary individual or group conceived of having significant relevance upon an individuals evaluations, aspirations or behaviour†. (Lessig Park1978) In terms of marketing, reference groups are relevant as they can provide important social cues that give insight into particular behavioral trends and associations with buying behavior. These cues extend to form an influence that is termed as ‘social power. Types of social power include information power, referent power, referent power, legitimate power, expert power, reward power and coercive power. Diet coke marketing utilizes the concept of social power in its new campaign using the referent power model. Referent power is the social power of a reference group that motivates a consumer to aspire to emulate the same behavioural patterns portrayed by the individual or group. This also leads to influencing the consumers purchase decisions. (Solomon 2008) 3.2 The Diet Coke Rebellion Diet coke has partnered with Company, a leading womens publication as part of its ‘Hello you campaign to motivate young women to join a rebellion against the pressures they face in a modern world. Company has a readership of 574,000 within the target segment. (NRS 2009) This partnership widens Diet cokes marketing to reach its target audience more effectively. The first issue of the ‘Rebel issue as it is called premiered in May and was designed exclusively keeping the target segments interests in mind. To maintain the campaigns visibility, two more issues were released in July and October. The magazine focused on topics of particular interest to women such as celebrity gossip, beauty tips, fashion etc with the rebel touch. This campaign was also supported by extensive online marketing through the cokezone website as well as getlippy.com. The campaign was designed as a follow-up to the Duffy advert encouraging independent women to break free of all the pressures they faced and to rebel against prejudices present in the modern day world in a positive manner. 3.3 The referent effect on Diet coke target market. Particular reference groups tend to have identifiable characteristics and unique forms of symbolic purchasing behavior, market segmentation in terms of such group characteristics as degree of exclusivity and formality is a useful means of pinpointing appropriate segment (Leigh et al 1992).Therefore the referent power of Diet Cokes target segment is further simplified as common behavioural characteristics are present in their target- female consumers. The cover story was the new face of Diet coke, Duffy the singing sensation and her rebellious ways helping women to identify with her as person more than a celebrity. Furthermore, the magazine established a common ground for the Diet cokes target segment to relate to their rebellious side. Diet coke thus engaged directly with its target audience reflecting its link with their lives with this tie-up. This encourages their consumers to relate to and emulate characteristics of the referent group- the modern women who wants to break free and be themselves. 3.4 Evaluation: In terms of referent power, the tie-up with Company magazine was an ideal choice. High readership of the magazine within Diet Cokes target segment would add to the success of this campaign. Diet cokes efforts to communicate it with its core target consumers will work provided that the PR activities support the marketing. Diet Coke has added value to its image with this partnership appealing to the hedonic side of young women. The cover story with Duffy is an excellent source of referent power especially with her star status as an award winning singer. 4. Motivation Involvement 4.1 Involvement Involvement is the degree of influence that a brand has over a consumer and how it motivates them to form a strong bond with the brand. It can be either cognitive or physical and the factors that affect it differ from one consumer to the other. The degree of involvement i.e. high or low, will determine the motivational drive of a consumer to connect with a brand and its marketing activities. It can be broadly classified into three classifications; Product Involvement, Message- Response Involvement, Purchase Situation Involvement. (Solomon 2008) Message- Response Involvement† refers to the consumers interest in processing marketing communications.† (Solomon: p168) It is also known as advertising involvement. Marketers try to involve consumers to participate in the exchange of marketing information and publicity through various media outlets utilizing this model of involvement. To this effect, they experiment with ways to increase consumer involvement by testing various approaches such as contests, reward schemes and so on. To appeal to the growing number of mobile phone users, marketers use mobile phones as a tool to get them to participate in the advertisement. This method of marketing is known as interactive mobile marketing. The content and method of advertising ranges from the simple text message format to a graphic website interface that consumers can access through internet on their mobile devices. Diet coke has utilized the message-response type of involvement through the use of interactive mobile marketing in its ‘Silver Room campaign. 4.2 Diet coke campaign- Silver Room The ‘Silver Room is an interactive mobile marketing campaign that was designed exclusively for Diet Cokes target segment of female consumers in the age group 16-24. Consumers logging onto the mobile website had access to content such as celebrity news, gossip, fashion, music, films, interactive games and more on their mobile phones. This campaign sought to involve the younger, tech-savvy female generation to connect with a brand whilst offering them content of value to them. The ‘diet Coke Silver Room is fronted by Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi, who is young and fits in well with the target audience.The campaigns content tries to appeal to young females who sought hedonic value in brands. It featured content and promotions born out of several key partnerships such as celebrity news from Heat magazine, fashion tips from Get Lippy, music with singer Gabriella Cilmi, film updates with Fox and Paramount, as well as environmental content from Green Thing. The highlight of its content was the Music Mobcast , a 2 minute voice call that covered music news and information in Gabriella Cilmis voice. The content is updated every three weeks. To access the ‘Mobcast consumers were asked to log onto the site, enter their number and receive a ‘Mobcast call. 4.3 Enhancing the level of Involvement : As Solomon (2008) suggests, marketers must enhance a consumers involvement in the marketing activity by using certain techniques such as appealing to hedonic needs, providing interesting stimuli, including celebrity endorsements or by building a personal relationship with the consumer. 4.4 Evaluation: The silver room campaign by Diet Coke has satisfied all the criteria with respect to enhancing the level of involvement of its target market. It appealed to the hedonic side of its young female consumers by its varied and value-added content. They also partnered with well known brands. The campaign prominently featured Gabriella Cilmi, a well-known female Australian singer who added value being a celebrity that young woman could relate to. This also adds to the image that Diet coke has built around music. Diet coke has also created a forum for their consumers to interact with each other and share their opinion as well as personal experiences thereby building a relationship with the consumers indirectly. The success of this campaign is yet to be seen as it was launched recently. Recommendations: Diet coke is one of the worlds top five best sellers in the non-alcoholic sparkling beverage sector. However, a news story published in the Financial Times has reported that the UK sales of Diet coke have fallen sharply despite their big budget advertising spend to reposition its offering to a female market(2009). It is recommended that Diet Coke must tackle a few issues that could be the problem behind this. A quick look at the figures comparing the number of unique visitors to cokezone- the UK website and dietcoke.com-its American counterpart has painted a dismal picture. It has been found that site traffic in to the cokezone website was considerably lesser than its American counterpart (refer appendix 2). It is recommended that an online portal designed for women in UK should be started to engage Diet cokes core consumer target. This would help them to relate better to the brands marketing activities. It would gradually enhance the involvement of the target market with the product. It is also recommended that brand should connect more personally with the consumer with the help of direct sales promotions, events for women. Diet coke in the US provides consumers with value added functions like cook shows, celebrity events on a regular basis on its website. It is recommended that a similar innovative campaign should be run in UK particularly appealing to the women here. An extension of the Silver room would be in the best interests of the brand. It has been noted in my research that silverroom.co.uk and dietcoke.co.uk still remains unofficial and unused. It is recommended that Diet Coke in UK must go beyond regular advertising and create another phenomenon like the ‘hunk advertisement. Conclusion: Coca-Cola is a global behemoth and the largest beverage company in the world (Interbrand 2009). This report has been directed towards analyzing and evaluating the aspects of consumer behaviour in relation to marketing. The report has scrutinized data with regard to Diet Coke, its main competitors such as Diet Pepsi, marketing activities and its response. Diet Coke spends extensively on its marketing and has created many a loyal fan amongst its consumer base worldwide. The new marketing strategy is sound but requires higher brand involvement from its chosen target consumers. Females consumers today are not entirely stereotypical, evolve continuously and not all women are lured by the idea of a rebellion. Diet Coke has to work on reworking its current marketing activities and attempt to connect to consumers more personally.

Analysis of My Last Duchess by Robert Browning :: Robert Browning, My Last Duchess

A dramatic monologue is a poem in which a single speaker who is not the poet recites the entire poem at a critical moment. The speaker has a listener within the poem, but the reader of the poem is also one of the speakers listeners. In a dramatic monologue, the reader learns about the speaker's character from what the speaker says. Robert Browning is said to have perfected this form of writing. One of his most famous dramatic monologues is "My Last Duchess." The speaker in the poem is an Italian duke who ordered the murder of his wife and is at the offset of the poem showing off the portrait to his future son-in-law. Browning lets the reader know in a roundabout way that the duke only shows the portrait of his late wife to select strangers. In doing this, the speaker is able to show off his wealth to the stranger and he seems to enjoy telling these people the story of how he ordered her to death. The speaker tries to convey to the people that he shows the portrait to that he is in control of everything that takes place in his household. In lines 8-9, the speaker interjects "since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you†¦" In this line, the speaker is saying that he doesn't draw the curtain for just anyone. He has drawn the curtain particularly for his future son-in-law and he should feel privileged because the portrait can only be seen under the speaker's complete control. The Duke believes that he should be shown complete respect and be the center of attention while in his home. The Duke thought his wife should be for him and his pleasures only. He did not like it when Fra Pandolf, the artist who painted the portrait said: "Fra Pandolf chanced to say 'Her mantle laps Over my lady's wrist too much,' or, 'Paint Must never hope to reproduce the faint Half-flush that dies along her throat." to the duchess in lines 16-18. And then again in lines 27-28, the duke tells about how some "officious fool" brought her cherries from the orchard. The duke also could not stand the fact that the duchess treated everyone and every gift equally; "all and each / Would draw from her alike the approving speech, / Or blush, at least" (lines 29-31). The duke thought of his wife as one of his possessions and she could never be treated as his equal; "E'en then would be some stooping; and I choose / Never to stoop" (lines 42-43).