Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example Corporate social responsibility helps build sustainable and stable business environments with healthy markets and surrounding communities (McCabe, 2). The key aspects for corporate social responsibility include; firstly, social investment which involves the company contributing to the infrastructure of the community. Secondly, transparency and accountability whereby the company is transparent on what they do, this will help build confidence from the outside on their business. Thirdly, CSR is aimed at enlightening self interest whereby they are able to work well with the community and, lastly, to increase the expectations of the community on their business and that it is not all about getting profits but, also for providing employment and helping the community in their projects. Corporate social responsibility involves a company’s social investment in a society and the trust they build through their CSR activities. A strong CSR is associated with good business and successful le adership; the way they relate to the community will affect their relationship with their customers and stakeholders (McCabe, 4). They, therefore have to be very careful in ‘giving back to the community’. This report will analyze the WD-40 company corporate social responsibility. WD-40 is a global consumer product company that deals with fabrication of products such as cleaning agents, chemicals, and aerosols. The board manages how the company handles its management and social responsibility, which includes compensations. The WD-40 CSR program assists the neighboring community, stakeholders and investors (WD-40 Company). The community is the greatest beneficiary of the CSR program. In terms of leadership and business ethics, they ensure that they treat all the stakeholders, customers and investors in the same way (Samuel & Celine Louche, 28). Leadership ethics involves the company’s culture of making ethical choices. It measures the company’s obligation to incorporating into the social aspects in their laid down objectives. Another important feature of CSR at WD-40 is transparency. Transparency put in place to ensure that the company is open in what it does to both customers and stakeholders. This help build trust in the whole society. WD-40 makes sure that it involves the employees in the verdict making process and administration of the company. This feature of CSR ensures that the company has a list of its stakeholders and how they engage with them and, that its part of global entities. In the aspect of community development, the company shows how it relates with the community through giving, donations and involvement in development activities (O'Brien, 2). The company should show their responsibility in protecting the health of the community at large. If they are engaging in construction activities, they devise ways to protect the environment by carrying out impact assessments and, giving the community a chance to show whether they are comfortable with their activities, i.e. they should be part of decision-making (McKinsey & Company, 5). The category that involves products and services covers the company’s responsibility in development and management of products and their impacts on the community. The company focuses on the health of consumers and market opportunities available. The quality of their products influences how a product or service will sell; they should ensure that their products work especially, that their products deal with cleaning (WD-40 Company). The human rights category measures the company’s commitment to respecting human rights and the freedoms associated with the human rights. This will help the company be recognized as one that values human

Innvovation and Sustainability Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Innvovation and Sustainability - Research Paper Example population is multiplied by (A) which is the consumption per individual then multiplied by (T) which is the technology that drives and services consumption. The product of these factors including P, A, T and I represent a rough estimate of the much humanity degrades the ecosystem services that it depends upon. Hence, the impact of the population on the environment is determined by the number of people involved as well as the used technologies and relative levels of affluence and material consumed (Ehrlich, 1995). One of the factors affecting the consumption habits is overpopulation. The population of the earth is around 6.5 billion today. In the recent decades, environmental scientists and ecologists have fixated on the factor of P, population as the number of human in the 1900 was two billion to almost a figure of seven 2010. The high number of individuals translates to a high environmental degradation. Much of the greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. If this number is opting for driving as a means of transport rather than riding, consumption of this much petroleum will be damaging to the environment. The factor of overpopulation has led to the collapse of human societies. The addition of population causes more damage to humanity’s life-support systems that are critical (Turk & Bensel, 2011). For instance, when the population of the farmers living in well fertile lands goes up, the additional people would move to the ever poorer lands, deeply drill the wells and then spend farm fields, homes and factories. The concerns on the growing population are focused on developing countries that are poorer, though IPAT and footprint analysis have both shown that the high rates of consumption in the developed countries are also significant impacts of the environment (Turk & Bensel, 2011). Technology encompasses the need for alternative fossil fuel energy. It involves switching to the ultra-light and cars that will provide for a short-term advantage that are

Disaster in Franklin County Essay Example for Free

Disaster in Franklin County Essay Section A. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has a large Chain of command. At the head is the EOC Commander, who receives information from the other parts of the chain, and is responsible for relaying that information to other agencies, and also the Homeland Security agency (formerly Federal Emergency Management Agency). The Safety Officer is in charge of making sure safety policies are followed, and also for relaying what safety equipment might be needed. This person also keeps track and investigates injuries reported as a result of rescue operations. The Liaison Officer answers questions and provides briefings for the other agencies during this emergency. This person is the main point of contact for other agencies. This role takes the pressure off of the agency commander, diverting attention and questions to the liaison officer. The Public Information Officer gathers together the proper health information needed and ensures that the public is informed of pertinent health information specific to the emergency. This person also ensures that everyone has the same information and is aware of which information is to be disseminated to the public. The Legal Officer will ensure that the legal aspects of emergency operations are followed. This will include following and enforcing the contractual obligations of several different agencies involved in this emergency event. The EOC coordinator will coordinate all of the command staff, and ensure that each one is performing adequately, and assisting each unit as necessary in obtaining or completing required tasks. The next tier of command includes the Operations Chief, the Logistics Chief, the Financial/administrative Chief, and the Planning/Intelligence Chief. The Operations Chief will develop, organize, and carry out the incident objectives. Such objectives will include which areas to search, or survey, and which assets and field resources are utilized. The Operations Chief will supervise each team and area, utilizing the resources effectively. Theà ‚  Logistics Chief does exactly that, takes care of logistics. This can consist of finding equipment needed for health workers, emergency personnel, or finding space to put refugees and pets. The Finance and Administrative Section Chief plays an important role in tracking finances, expenditures and tracking both resources on hand and resources that have been distributed during the emergency. This enables the department to be aware of supplies that are low and allows for the department to request needed items from outside sources. This section also ensures that proper contractual processes are in place. The Planning Section Chief gathers information, analyzes the information, and then manages the information gathered, ensuring that all of the sections of the incident responders are informed of everything happening with each section of the response. They then compile the Incident Action Plan. The last tier of the EOC group is the individual Public Health Organizations. This includes the Community Services Branch Director, the Medical/Health Branch Director, the Fire Branch Director, the Public Works Branch Director, and the Law Enforcement Branch Director. Each director forms their own Chain of Command similar to the EOC chain of command for their own department. Each director is in essence the EOC commander for their particular department. The Public Health Nurse serves under the direction of the Medical/Health Branch director (United States Department of Labor, n.d.). Section B. Public health personnel played several different roles in this disaster scenario. The command structure is the incident commander on the first tier, the public information officer and the liaison officer on the second tier, and the third tier consisting of the operations chief, planning chief, logistic chief and finance/administration chief finishing out the third and last tier. The Public Health Nurse is not listed on the departmental command structure. The Public Health Nurse will analyze the incident and apply nursing judgment to public health needs for the incident. In the disaster scenario, the nurse needed to be aware and ask for needed resources such a s potable water and sanitation, as well as vulnerable populations in need of home oxygen, needed medications for various co-morbidities such as hypertension and diabetes, and environmental hazards brought about by the natural disaster, such as the possibility of typhoid, cholera, possible mold exposure. The Public Health Nurse will also conduct interviews with the affected population, access and populate  information to be relayed to the Public about direct and/or possible health hazards and safety hints/tips to help keep the population safe. This may include public information sheets, information fairs, public meetings, and media interviews. The Public Health Nurse should also be aware of possible environmental hazards and which supporting agencies to contact in regards to the possible environmental hazards (University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, 2006). Section C. The community health nurse has many resources available to enable them to deal with situations outside of the community health nurse’s scope of practice. These include the Public Works department, for sewage, water, road management, building inspection, and environmental services. This department also has resource information available to the nurse for companies in the private sector. The public nurse will also have available to them the Fire and Police departments, which also include the State and County Police. The Fire department and Police departments have search and rescue teams available, which can include water, mountain, and land rescues. The Health Department also has resources for the Community Health Nurse, such as environmental inspectors, food inspectors, and resources available such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Available through Community Services Department are work crews, interpreters, and public buildings to be used as shelters (University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, 2006). Section D. The nurse utilized the resources available at the time to arrange for environmental health specialists to inspect residences and assist community members. The nurse also arranged for transportation to shelters, provisions and medications for those sheltering in place. The nurse also relayed information regarding hazardous waste cleanup and education concerning combustions engines and inadequate venting. The nurse was able to get information on the needs of the community at large and relay that information to the EOC task force to enable education and interpretative needs to be fulfilled (University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, 2006). Section E. The community health nurse was able to advise residents on depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) signs and symptoms, and was able to make referrals to community services for treatment of the possible depression and PTSD. The nurse was able to take the information gathered from the phone calls to facilitate news flyers for distribution to the community and churches on  what symptoms and behaviors to look for, and resources to help the affected residents. The nurse was also able to educate community members on health and mold issues, and to refer and send out a specialist to inspect potential hazards. The nurse notified 911 in response to a reported injury from a chemical spill that had been reported contained and cleaned up. The nurse then notified environmental specialists about possible contamination and chemical exposure near public parks and recreation sites. By facilitating the emergency response, the area was secured and helped prevent other possible injuries (University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, 2006). Techniques used to comfort, calm and educate the people consisted of empathy and an open approach. Active listening, non-confrontational empathetic concern relayed to the people that their fears were normal and were valid concerns. This approach made the people feel comfortable and facilitated open conversation between the nurse and the community members (University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, 2006). Section F. Nursing personnel can be prepared for large scale disasters by joining the National Nurse Response Team (NNRT). The National Nurse Response Team is a specialty team used in any scenario requiring hundreds of nurses to assist in chemoprophylaxis, a mass vaccination program, or a scenario that overwhelms the nation’s supply of nurses in responding to a weapon of mass destruction event (Public Health Emergency, 2009, para. 1). Nurses can also be better prepared for disasters by being prepared at home, as well as attending continuing education classes on disaster preparedness, as well as large scale disaster training and scenarios. References Public Health Emergency. (2009). http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/responders/ndms/teams/Pages/nnrt.aspx United States Department of Labor. (n.d.). https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ics/what_is_ics.html#Information University of Minnesota, School of Public Health. (2006). https://cpheo1.sph.umn.edu/fcs/index.asp

The Difference Between International Banking And Global Banking Finance Essay

The Difference Between International Banking And Global Banking Finance Essay To define a banking system as International or Global is quite difficult because there is no clear-defined Bank system model. We can make a certain classification by looking at the way in which foreign assets are funded and liabilities are managed. The international model of banking system relies more in Centralised funding which means that assets funds and liabilities (gathered mostly by bank domestic market) are shared among the main Bank units and then allocated to other member of the banking group. While Multinational or Global Banking has a more decentralised tendency which means that funds and liabilities are local claims. To diminish our uncertainties regarding the banking classification we can see the currency in which rely the bank assets and liabilities. In this way we can see the dependency on foreign exchange of the cross-border funding. International Banking is very dependent on foreign exchange rather than Global Banking which use local currencies and consequently elimi nates transfer and exchange rate risks. Identify five ways in which a bank headquartered in the USA can fund loans to a borrower in Japan, and classify them as examples of international or global banking Real life examples can give us a better understanding of Banking System models. We can take into account a Bank which its main offices are situated in USA. We can distinguish five ways where this bank can fund loans to a borrower located in Japan. Looking carefully the way this funding is done, we can make a certain classification as International or Global Banking. USA customers deposit their money to Bank Head Office which follows these funds to Japan gives them as loans to Japan borrowers. Since this process involves cross-boundary it is considered as International Banking. USA customers deposit their savings to Head Office which in turn deposits these funds at its Bank Unit in Japan. The Bank unit can give these funds as loans to Japan borrowers. This is also an International banking system. Another way to move funds is that Head Office gets Japan deposits and in turn gives loans to Japan borrowers who need financing. So the whole process is done by the head office in USA without involvement of any bank unit or USA saver. This is International Banking classification again for the same reason. If a Bank unit in Japan takes deposits from Japan savers and gives these funds as loans to Japan Borrowers then we are in the same country, so it called Global Banking system. Still we have the same system as the last one when the USA saver deposit their saving to Bank units in Japan and the funds goes for Japan borrowers. The ratio of locally funded foreign assets to total foreign assets is referred to in the reading. What value will this take for a pure global bank? What will be the value for a pure international bank? Use the data provided in you case study to illustrate this. The foreign assets, especially the ratio of cross-border assets to locally funded ones, is the best measurer to classify a banking system as International or Global. Since it is difficult to have a banking system totally Global, this measurer ratio would be, (total local assets)/(total foreign assets)=1. For banking system totally International this ratio would be 0. If we have another measurer ratio such as, (total cross-border assets)/(total foreign assets)=0 for Global Banking and 1 for International banking. These are the sides of the segment and the most of the banks relies between these sides. Identify five reasons for the move away from international and towards global banking since 1980s. According to BIS reporting data at the reference Global Banking System, we can see the movement that banking system had during certain different periods. If we choose a starting point such as year 1980 till now, we can see that Global banks has been expanded more than International ones. Especially US Banks local claims has been increased by 400% instead of the foreign claims which were increased by 55% (Bis Reporting Data table). We can identify some reasons to explain how this shifting is done: Most of Bank strategies tended to increase their assets and liabilities in foreign markets. This goal is achieved by trying to make the saving customers into more credit card holders or mortgage customers. Another reason for the shift was by increasing the market of Bonds and Securities. So, the aim was to increase borrowers of local obligations or local government bonds. The period of 80 is known as Debt Crisis, where most of the banks couldnt pay back their debts (region as Latin America was most hit by this crisis and also other well-developed countries). In such Market Risk, moving toward global banking was a good solution to reduce risk. Also, having different currencies in different countries makes the exchange of currencies very risky for bank transaction and funding. So, having the funds in a country and investing those funds there eliminates this kind of risk. Acquisitions of cross border banks and by expanding existing operations was one of bank strategies that makes banks more and more global. If we look back at 90s the data show an increase of inflows in some developed countries by 21 % (UNCTAD (2001)) and this came by merging and acquisitions. Another reason for expansion of Global Banking are the countries restriction which are becoming more and more easy in the meaning that they are becoming more opening to new financial institutions. Having lots of country boundaries like financial laws or any other restrictions makes the global system quite difficult to enlarge. Why is Europe an exception? use data from you case study Reading through the article Global International Banking, we can see that the regions involved are mostly of USA or Asia. So, Europe its not so much involved in this kind of Globalisation. Even from the data in table 1 ( BIS Report 2001) we can see that Europe countries has a high number on international claims (Europe area shares almost 38.6 %of international claims vs all countries and Western Europe shares 62.2%) This is possibly due to the main head offices which are located in Europe, in countries like London, Amsterdam, Zurich and Luxemburg and thus they tend to have more cross-border activities. These activities are also strongly related to Europe money market. The goal is to have cross-border funds in order to strength the position of Euro currency and also to increase local claims in Europe. Also many large business companies tend to have securities and obligations in other countries outside Europe using the funds raised up in Europe in euro currency. Such activity increases the competition between these large companies and tends to avoid main retail transactions in Europe countries. Also there are other factors that exclude Europe from this shifting towards global systems such as, Institutional ones. The existence of Cartel groups makes difficult the shift because of the fear of losing the group value. Also most of the Europe banks are affected by different regulatory systems, differen t tax and labour laws, accounting and reporting systems, and also having different country restrictions in Europe, impede the shifting to global systems. Distinguish between Transfer Risk and Country Risk. How does global banking diminish Transfer Risk? Every banking system, International or Global involves certain kinds of risk such as Country Risk, Transfer Risk and other risks hanged on by the institution itself. Since these systems lay down in different countries, they face the countries restrictions e.g country economic, political, social. From this tendency comes factor such as interest rates, currency evaluation or other issues (not dependant on country economy, such as natural disasters) which may affect a lot the foreign investor. The risk that arises from the country, in which it is being invested, is called country risk. Part of such risk can be considered Transfer Risk. This is due to preclusion of exchanging the foreign currency to the country one to make transactions. The transfer risk is limited to country in the terms of the countrys demand for foreign currency and also to the foreign exchange which could fluctuate in different periods. Investing in one country and using those funds for loans or other possible invest ments, like global banking does, diminish the transfer risk in terms of currency devaluation. International banking involves funds transfer through the countries and in this way the transfer risk is at high levels. During the Argentine crisis, USD deposits and USD loans were treated differently by the Argentine authorities. Deposits remained in USD, while loans could be repaid in pesos at a devaluated exchange rate. What are the implications of this for global banking strategies? Include some data from the case study When a country is in financial crisis, happens that lots of foreign investors move away, inflation goes up, unemployment arises and other effects take presence in that country like Argentina in our case. The Argentine government took a decision to treat bank deposit in USD and loan instalments to be paid in pesos. Having peso currency depreciated, makes that the exchange rate between Dollar and Peso to be high (more peso for one dollar). When the exchange rate is high, the effect it has on interest rate is that it goes down. by keeping at low level the interest rate of the country, more money will be in circulation, and more cash flows for any investment. In this kind of situation, Argentina can be attractive to new investors, especially global banks which operate locally. The government decision has an effect on local claims in local currency. In this way the peso currency gains strength foreign reserve in USD can be kept at the same level as the cash circulation. Since the ratio lo cal claims versus international claims was 34% (table 1, BIS reporting (2001)) the government tented to increase such ratio. Argentina is a good example of shifting from international to global system because such a decision helps global strategies to be developed in this country and to diminish transfer risk. Part Two: Capital Flows in East Asia since the 1997 crisis In what sense can the net capital outflows from East Asia since the 1997 crisis be said to have supported the global economic and financial system in recent years? Explain your answer fully. The 1997 was a year to be remembered for countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries that form the East Asia region. Due to lack of financial system and poor governance, those countries were affected by stock market devaluation, asset prices going down and also currency devaluation. Having such financial problems, lots of investors move away causing capital withdraws. But since then, gradually improvements have been made by passing from account deficit to account surplus valued at $88 billion. Current account balance surplus or deficit shows how well the net foreign assets of that region are and in the calculation are included government or private payments of the certain period. The net capital flows from East Asia to other part of the world involved the creation of foreign exchange reserves. Viewing the data (BIS Quarterly Review (2003)) between two references of times 1998 and 2003, we can see that the region reserves has been growing time after time, increasing in this way the global reserve by almost 50%. But the usage of this reserve didnt focus on region domestic investment but to other part of the world. The country, which played a great role in region recovery, was United States. Having current account deficit in the same period, at about $240 billion (BIS Quarterly Review (2003)) United States imported for East Asia region a net value of $116 billion. In other word we can say that United States invested in Asian assets with high risk and the region gradually transferred the risk to global markets which want to diversify their investment portfolios. Despite this growing there are some criticisms regarding how well can this reserve be used on the region itself and not to the rest of the world. But what are the benefits from the yield of the foreign exchange reserve comparing to the investment inside the region. What can be the profits in each case? The region main profits on the first case are by balance payments in order to have assets in financial markets at the rest of the world, and this is called risk free global market. The other case is to invest in the region, and in this way to improve the regions financial market. Some critics believe that in the last case there will be much more profits than the first one and makes the reserve less rational. Another critic is done to the net Capital outflows in the sense of externalities involved in the process. As we all now, Externalities are behaviours or any financial decision which dont takes into account the country or region interest. In our discussion we can say that the resources of the region are putting into work for the other part of the world rather then for the private companies or corporate. In what sense have the gross flows of capital into and out of East Asia involved an international exchange of risk that is restoring and strengthening national and corporate balance sheets in the region and rendering the regions economies more resilient? Explain your answer fully. Capital flows have two point of view in which has to be seen, capital inflows or capital entering in the region and capital outflows or capital going out of the region. Both ways of flows involves risk in the process, but this risk involves different counterparties. What is in common, is that Capital flows in East Asia has been influenced by so called, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) which was the main source of capital inflows in the region and data shows that before the 1997 crisis the region was receiving almost 20% of global FDI. Even after the crisis, the region had some difficulties to attract new investments but still the FDI were at high level, especially in China. The main FDI for the region are USA, Japan and investments between the regions countries. In 2002 East Asia was having 16% of net USA FDIs and 15% of Japan net FDIs. Also, having trade arrangement between regions countries is one of the possible investments flows. Being in an international exchange of capital flow s, it involves risk for sure and it comes in different forms such as, portfolio investments and bank channels. Equities of portfolio in the region went down after the crisis, especially in Thailand (80% between 1996 and 1998 (Graph 5, BIS Quarterly Review (2003)). Gradually region equity market got some strength and local equities versus international equity began to be more correlated. This was due to exports, industrial production and the region economy as a whole. Even, foreign bank lending to the region fell dramatically after the crisis. If we look at graph 6 (BIS Quarterly Review (2003)) we can see that Japanese banks reduce their claims on East Asia. Some of East Asia banks sold their debts to USA investor and other corporate bonds were sold in international market. In contrast to counterparties involved in the inflow of capital process, the outflow process is through bank channels. After the crisis East Asia began to buy securities of US Treasuries, US Agencies and some European and Japanese government debts which we know that they are low risk. Also banks began to have deposits outside the region, in international banks. Paying back low-risk debts and selling its own equities, East Asia was giving to the outside world secure capital and in turn its financial structures, such as corporate balance sheets were getting stronger. But if we compare the yield from capital inflows and the yield from capital outflows, data shows that East Asia during 1997-2002 is getting less than its giving. But, from this exchange of capital the region is getting liquidity. But, how much could East Asia earn if the capital on gross basis have been invested in the region and not to flow outside it. Till now, only USA had more benefit by East Asia, and local market bond of the region has been left behind.

Dianne Williams Stepps The Filbert Orchard portrays a uniquely Essays

Dianne Williams Stepp's The Filbert Orchard portrays a uniquely haunting experience. Dianne Williams Stepp's "The Filbert Orchard" portrays a uniquely haunting experience. The poem blaintly attempts to draw the reader in through its critical lense and perspective. Stepp's usage of many carefully connected literary devices creates a distinctive tone, effect, and message that exposes the tragedy behind southern ideology and values during the civil war. The success of "The Filbert Orchard" can then be traced to its tight construction and use of historical references portrayed through literary detail. Stepp's choice of both imagery and metaphor comprise the poems strength in terms of its overall effect and message. Stepp utilizes imagery as a means of developing her message about southern ideology. This can be seen at various points in the poem where emotions, sights, sounds, objects, places, and figures are all being used to demonstrate the purposely behind a lost generation. In that they are continuing to fight even though family and friends may be on either sides. The author is thus indirectly questioning the ethical and moral nature of the south portrayed through her obvious literary judgments: "the way they staggered in rows down the hill. In spring they sprouted sparse flags waved them foolishly at the jays." (Stepp, lines 4-7) In this example Stepp vividly uses the description of a tree for representation of the lost generations pride. Their pride in the sense of fighting a war that seems not worth fighting for both because of the scarcity of men and their inescapable death. Stepp also accomplishes her message through metaphorical comparisons, which aid in expressing the south's futility: "A compa... ... of a story. The ending changes that perspective and shifts the major themes of loss and disullisionment towards a more local individual level The close attention given to literary elements ultimately enables "The Filbert Orchard" to achieve an extreme level of insight into the southern identity and culture during the civil war. Through its exploration of southern values translated into a vivid storyline the reader is blown away by its short profound thematic integration. The poem is aided by its progressive literal development from appealing to the general society to the localized individual. The journey becomes compounded with introspection because of its ornate literary devices. PS MS KASTE: Did you choose this poem because of your interest in Faulkner and its relatable themes? What is your connection or fascination with literature about the south?

History as We Leave It :: History Historical Essays

History as We Leave It Literary description always opens onto another scene set, so to speak, "behind" the this-worldly things it purports to depict. --- Michel Beaujour, "Some Paradoxes of Description" When I was very young, my grandmother told me that my great, great grandfather came to northern Minnesota in the 1890s and settled the small town we lived in, Askov. She said that he was a very brave pioneer who tread across unknown territory, and no one had ever lived on that land before. I pictured my ancestors arriving here and finding nothing but animals that they had to fight away — like they were the only people around for miles until other people came to join them. Until they arrived, Minnesota was a land untouched, unconquered and uncivilized. I never heard of Indians, or that they had once inhabited the land — even my teachers hardly mentioned them in elementary school. I thought they were just fictitious characters on Saturday morning cartoons until I eventually learned that they were real and once inhabited the land. As illustrated in the story that my grandma told me, how we tell our stories have an impact on the history we leave; how we talk about the Nativ e Americans (or fail to talk about them) influences history and how we leave it. The most raw accounts of how people tell their stories is in personal letters where they feel free to use their own words and thoughts, thinking that their words have little effect on the ones reading them or the world around them. Consider the excerpt from a letter written by Sophie Bost, a white settler in Minnesota during the Minnesota Uprising in 1862: And then there are these Indians! I would really like to know where they are after all the scare they’ve given us! [. . .] I dreamed night before last that my children were butchered before my eyes [. . .] and I had taken them into my bed and was sleeping with an arm under each one, [as comfortable] as though I had been massacred myself. [italics mine] (Bowen 214) The words â€Å"butchered† and â€Å"massacred† show the fear she carried about Indians and exasperation about how she and her husband were going to protect their children. I do not doubt that living in those times must have been terrifying for anybody. In other words, Indians could just as easily have used the words â€Å"butchered† and â€Å"massacred† to describe white attacks upon them.

Power of Emotional Branding

The Power Of Emotional Branding Scope – This paper attempts to define emotional branding & techniques used to achieve the same â€Å"People spend money when and where they feel good† – Walt Disney The word brand is derived from Old English meaning â€Å"burning stick† (and ultimately from the Indo-European word meaning â€Å"to be hot†). Livestock branding was used by the ancient Egyptians as early as 2700 BC as a theft deterrent, as stolen animals could then be readily identifiable. A Brand is something that encapsulates the key features of the product – its image, usage and price – in an easily recognizable and interesting form. From the consumer viewpoint, the brand is a signal of quality. Their positive experience with brands helps establish both a preference for the brand as well as an emotional attachment. Advertisers today do not advertise by simply selling a product to consumers but rather to sell a lifestyle and an identity through their products. The emotional branding falls in the zone of pull strategy. Emotional branding targets pain points like ladies & children. Brands enable their owners to enjoy sustainable competitive advantages—and therefore superior financial performance. We can consider that as per the Maslow’s pyramid different people have same needs at different stages of their life. So the emotional branding is done depending upon the product and the niche in which it has positioned it self. Like for a trendy ladies bicycle you would not take a muscle man for emotional branding rather the emotions will be focused on a pleasing looking young lady with whom the other girls can identify themselves with . Here we would like to say that the characters shown in the emotional branding should not always be the end users , it could be aimed at the decision makers. Like for example a baby shown in the advertisement is a very strong catalyst for mothers who are the decision makers ,to purchase the product. When for emotional branding if the organization shows a player or is showing a celebrity it wants to state the message that its product also has in it the energy, skills or looks like the brand ambassador. For experiential or credence goods, product quality is often difficult to discern even after consumption, and you might need extensive experience before arriving at such an assessment. After all, you do not drive a car for a week and become convinced of its overall reliability! In such cases, the consumer’s brand perceptions of intangibles such as implied reliability; quality and image of product innovation and expertise play a critical role in determining customer loyalty. Experience with a brand lowers perceived risk and enhances loyalty. Lack of experience with a product leads to higher risk perceptions reducing the likelihood of that option being tried by consumers. Thus, in â€Å"experience† goods consumer often rely on the sellers’ expertise. In this case the sellers brand associations lead the consumer’s choice. Recently Toyota appointed Aamir Khan as their Brand ambassador for their Innova model , the link is perfect ness off all features between both. Products confirm to some specifications, comply with some tolerance range and confirm to some quality standards. The product-features get translated to functional value propositions (FVP) for the customer. The better functional value proposition could be also be offered by offering similar functionalities at lesser price. Thus, the products offering just functional value proposition are quite vulnerable. A better safeguard is to offer the customer an emotional reason to purchase over and above the functional one. Let us call it Emotional Value Proposition (EVP) The emotional reason is difficult to be replicated by the competitor, hence, even of the competitor matches the FVP, EVP creates the immunity. The customer starts seeing a definite benefit in associating with it. Successful brands own the emotions in the customers mind. The customers associate feeling of safety with Volvo and trustworthiness with TATA. Over a period of time the Brands develop a relationship with the customer. Since, the Brands consistently evoke the emotions, customers tend use them to express themselves. That is the ultimate level the Brands can reach. At this level, they become the part of customer’s personality. The only a handful Brands can achieve this enviable position and therefore become immortal. Out of close to 50 Tea brands tracked in NRS 2002, there is only one brand that has made to the Superbrand status in India. Each brand offers a tangible functional value proposition, the missing link is emotional connect. Surf, Pears, Maruti, Titan, TATA are all brands that people have come to trust and love because they have not only delivered exceptional products but a great experience to go with them. [pic] [pic] Branding began as a way for consumers to identify the product with the craftsman . Today the link between product and name may be more tenuous but it’s as effective as ever . Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Amitabh Bachan lend star power to products that otherwise would be starting from zero to create an identity and image in the minds of consumers. In the late 80’s the handloom saris of Sambalpur , Orissa got a indirect celebrity branding due to the use by the late then Prime Minister of India Smt. Indira Gandhi & adopted by one of the news anchors of Doordarshan. Celebrities are brands. They are defined by what people think about them, they have a competitive positioning relative to other celebrities. Fans of celebrities get excited when they see them; they want their endorsement; they often feel some kind of affinity to what a particular celebrity â€Å"stands for. When a celebrity becomes the face of a charity, or lends his name to another product or service, customers of that celebrity show rising levels of interest in the associated organization, product or offer. Some of the image of the celebrity is â€Å"transferred† to the third party. The inherent upside of attaching a celebrity to a brand is that the brand literally has a face, name and personality that immediately projects an image of a living, breath ing, credible person as opposed to a faceless corporate entity. The downside is that individuals are not as stable or as easily controllable as corporate entities. As fame comes and goes, so goes the brand. But when the star is ascending, the idea is to capitalize on the glamour of celebrity by selling a piece of the dream. Jennifer Lopez sells music, movies, clothes and perfume bearing her name. The brands are aspirational and literally sell the fairy-tale like qualities of the celebrity and his/her life. KBC is a hit because for the first time, Indian TV participants are able to walk home with large amounts of money, which taps into a basic, if often denied, human characteristic: greed. But the biggest plus factor in the show is Bachchan. His importance lies first in his stature as a past Bollywood star; his skill as a host is a bonus. Bachchan brand has transitioned from the angry young underdog fighting for social justice, to a caring achiever who, having journeyed from rags (in a manner of speaking) to riches, is willing to hold your hand and guide you along the same path. He’s the striver who succeeded and the people love him for it. Legend has it that Tommy Hilfiger’s clothing brand enjoyed a US$ 100 million sales climb over a one year period after rapper Snoop Dogg appeared clothed in a Hilfiger logo rugby shirt on television program â€Å"Saturday Night Live. J. Lo’s first perfume â€Å"Glow by J. Lo,† released in 2002, was an instant hit among 15 to 21 year old females – the same group who buy her albums. While no exact figures are public, in early January 2003, industry observers estimated that her fragrance sales totaled $44 million in the scent’s first four months. Similarly we have Michael Jordon associated with Nike which catapulted its sales from about $1 billion (1985) to over $9 billion (1997). Pierre Cardin is often cited as an example of an over-extended brand, which lost credibility for exactly this reason. When there were more extensions and diffusion lines than core product, the brand almost collapsed. By analogy, if David Beckham does too many non-footballing activities, of if Jennifer Lopez launches too many clothing lines, one suspects that they will no longer be taken seriously in their day jobs. Amitabh Bachan is likely to loose his brand appeal if he continues to advertise for literally anything & everything . Key Mandates for Emotional Branding From Consumers to People: Consumers buy, People live. Create a desire in a customer in a positive manner without harassing them. From Product to Experience: Product fulfill needs, experiences fulfill desires. Customers buying just for need is driven by price and convenience. A shopping experience as being provided in the modern Malls has added value and will remain in consumers emotional memory as a connection made on a level for beyond need. From Honesty to Trust: Honesty is the best policy. Truth is even better. It needs to be earned. One of the most powerful moves towards building consumer trust was retailer’s implementation of the â€Å"no questions asked† return policy some years ago. From Quality to Preference Quality is a necessary offering if you want to stay in business; it is expected and had better be delivered. Preference toward a brand is the real connection to success for example Amul. There is no stopping a brand when it is preferred. From Notoriety to Aspiration :Being known does not mean that you are also loved! Reliance Industries is a household name in India. But the company’s recent malpractices in the telecom sector (where TDSAT imposed a fine of Rs. 150 crore to be paid to Department of Telecom) are not something that a customer would aspire emotionally. So more than visibility, a brand has to be inspirational. From Identity To Personality : Identity is recognition. Personality is about character and charisma! Identity is descriptive. It is recognition. Personality is about character and charisma. Brand identities are unique and express a point of difference on the competitive landscape. They have a charismatic character that provokes an emotional response. BSNL has a strong identity, but Airtel has personality. From Function to Feel Functionality of a product can become stale if its appearance and usage are not also designed for the senses. The Apple iMac and Gillette razors are brands that are focused on presenting fresh shapes and sensory experiences consumers appreciate. From Communication to Dialogue Communication is telling. Dialogue is sharing, a two-way street, a conversation with the consumer. From Service to Relationship If we greet customers, exchange a few extra words with them and then custom-make a drink exactly to their taste, they will be eager to come back. † – Howard Shultz, CEO of Starbucks. Service involves a basic level of efficiency in a commercial exchange. But relationship means that the brand representatives really seek to understand and appreciate who their customers are. A well-managed celebrity endorsement comes down to â€⠀ the ability to convey to the target market that the celebrity is benefiting from the brand, and they will too. So Emotional Branding is the new mantra. As Mike McNight said, â€Å"People don’t really care how much you know until they know how much you care. † Bibliography Marc Gobe – Emotional Branding, Allworth Press Vivek Vaidya – Separating Brands from Labels , Associate Project Director – Vertebrand Management Consulting Rajendra Srivastava , Greg Metz Thomas – The Executive’s Guide to Branding ,Corporate Performance and Brands: The Risk and Return Effects of Branding – Zyman Institute of Brand Science, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. [email  protected] com , [email  protected] com. Alycia de Mesa – Sell-lebrity : Products Get Star Treatment Chris Grannell and Ruwan Jayawardena – Celebrity Branding Cabell AK – Celebrity Endorsements –Reach for the Stars Vincent Grimaldi – The Fundamentals of Branding David Liss – The Brands We Love to Hate Angela Phipps Towle – Celebrity branding Glenn Livingston, PH. D. -Emotions vs. Emotional Benefits in Marketing Executive Solutions, Inc. Syosset New York ,[email  protected] com Raju Bist – A brand in the life of Bachan