Analysis of Nikes Air Max Shoes Example

Essays on Analysis of Nikes Air Max Shoes Book Report/Review ï » ¿NIKE Air-Max Customer Traits: For a successful and experienced business like Nike, maintaining customer loyalty through clearly understanding the customer is the key. This is done through having a clear understanding of consumer ´s geo-demographics, psychographics and other personality traits. In a business where Nike faces direct competition from brands like like Adidas, Puma, Reebok and indirect competition from other shoe wear like Converse, Sketchers, Timberland etc, differentiation strategy is very important. Nike has been successfully maintaining its differentiation strategy with help of Brand Ambassadors, massive campaigning, and producing differentiated products like Nike Air Max Shoes. Nike ´s Air Max Shoes possess a highly competitive advantage due to its differentiation strategy in bringing in a new air technology that provides comfort, long term satisfaction along with durability in brand (Berthon et al, 2011). A clear customer profiling and segmentation for Nike Air Max is described below: Customer Segment: The idea behind Nike Air Max was to create comfortable shoes for athletes for sporting and casual users casual wear purpose. If we go along with the tag line of  ´Just Do It ´, it refers to all those people who have a drive and motivation to excel in life, be it sports, and be it other aspects. But since sports is considered to be a true demonstration of one ´s skills, abilities and passion, the excellence aspect in Nike Air Max Shoes it shown by athletes (Goldmen Pepson, 1998). Target Market: Target market is explained on the basis of geo-demographics (geographics and demographics), psychographics and brand positioning: Geographic Segmentation: Nike Air Max, like all other Nike assortments is a global brand therefor there is no geographic boundary. With the help of franchises, company-owned outlets, exports and online sales, Nike Air Max is available worldwide to its broad target market. Demographic Segmentation: Age: The age segment include young people, mainly including teens and youth. However, the purpose and spirit of Nike as a brand is for the people who are young at heart and have a passion to excel, the demographics in terms of age can be extended to 18 till 40 years (Rubini, 2010). Sex: The market for Air Max includes both Males and Females. Income Level: Nike, as compared to other snicker brands and shoes, is an expensive brand, therefore the income levels for targeted customers include middle-upper to upper-upper class. Psychographic Segmentation: The psychographics determine the consumer inner, intrinsic nature and personality which is external factors and situations and here in particular, with purchasing. Some factors that apply in this case are: Lifestyle: In terms of Nike Air Max, the consumer psychology is the need to stay comfortable and enjoy the experience, be it in sports or any other field. Therefore for Nike, it is critical that it targets the customer need of satisfaction and comfort during their experience to excel in any aspect of life. Personality: As discussed, Nike Air Max is a brand for people young at heart and full of spirit, therefore it aims at creating such image by advertising celebrities like Rafal Nadal, Christiano Ronaldo, Ashley Cole and Mario Balotelli. Considering Maslow ´s hierarchy of needs with respect to personality, the target market of Nike Air Max falls in the category of  ´Self Esteem ´ needs and  ´Self-actualization ´ needs. It is when people want to be associated with Nike, due to its brand name and high class product assortments, they also want to self-actualize by aiming to reach the zenith by excelling in their field (Fortin Uncles, 2011). Positioning Positioning defines the perception of brand into the minds of consumers. Therefore even though different marketing, branding aspects work on the background, the similar positioning is formed into the minds of consumers. On technical grounds, the positioning of Nike Air Max is based on the unique technology of storing air pockets into the shoes in order to give more comfort to the users (Neale Fullerton, 2010). This translates into the minds of consumers as unique, techy shoes that give style, separates from others along with giving comfort and ease. Nike Air Max has been successful at maintaining this positioning into the minds of consumers as they consider the brand as different and sporty as compared to any other brand from direct competitors like Adidas and Reebok and they treat Air Max exclusively. References: Berthon, P. Campbell, C. Pitt, L Ian, M. (2011). Creative consumers: awareness, attitude and action. Journal of Consumer Marketing [internet], 28 (7). Pp, 500-507. Available from: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17003528show=abstract [Accessed 08 May, 2013] Fortin, D. Uncles, M. (2011). The first decade: emerging issues of twenty first century in consumer marketing. Journal of Consumer Marketing [internet], 28(7). Pp. 472-475. Available from: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17003574show=abstract [Accessed 08 May, 2013] Goldman, R. Pepson, S. (1998). Nike Culture: The sign of Swoosh (Cultural Icons Series). London. SAGE Publications Neale, L. Fullerton, S. (2010). The international search for ethics norms: which consumer behaviours do consumers consider un(acceptable). Journal of Services Marketing [internet], 24(6). Pp, 476-486. Available from: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/case_studies.htm/journals.htm?articleid=1886201show=htmlWT.mc_id=alsoread [Accessed 08 May, 2013] Rubini, A. (2010). The role of brand in consumer behaviour: A case study of how sneakers have turned into status symbol. Savonia University of Applied Sciences (internet). Available from: http://theseus17-kk.lib.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/16097/Rubini_Andrea.pdf?sequence=1 [Accessed 08 May, 2013]

Chinas High Dependence On Child Labor - 1677 Words

Child labor is a commonplace in China. Most of the children in China, families work income is dependent on their family’s survival. Child labor is a major issue throughout the global economy, especially in developing countries like China. Although, China has anti-child labor laws, many children in China are forced to work against their will. China is the home of many poor families and some of these families force their children to work because of their struggle with poverty and their lack of income. China’s urban poverty is mainly related to the living conditions of migrant laborers (Huang, 2012, p. 36). Many children start work at twelve years of age and younger and do not get the opportunity to finish school. These children have to work†¦show more content†¦Having these young children working instead of being in school becoming educated, hinders China’s future development. Attendance at many China schools are declining, since children start to work in fields and factories at a younger age each year. Many children lie about their age or falsify their birth certificates to be able to work in factories with no overtime pay and late night shifts. There are many reasons children begin work at such a young age in China, but one reason these children are taking part in the work force at a young age is because they can’t afford the school cost. Some social implications are the family’s financial standing, the Chinese cultural beliefs, and the lack of government actions. Child labor in China is a major problem that has existed for many years, but it still has not been acted on completely. Even with the many child labor laws, the Chinese government has not yet buckled down on child labor. Although collective bargaining is allowed under the current labor law, an independent union movement capable of negotiating workers’ interests claims does not yet exist in China (Oakley, 2002, p. 70). The Chinese government seems to have a soft enforcement when it comes to child labor. Child labor has been banned largely and has become very limited, however lately it has emerged again in a few factories that manufacture electronic products. To hire a child

The Ethics of Cognitive Enhancement free essay sample

Achievement is valued highly in our society. Coaches want their players to give 110 percent, professors encourage their students to study harder, and parents want to see their children become the best person they can be. Not only do we want to keep up with the Joneses, we want to surpass them. In the pursuit of excellence, some people will take drugs as an enhancement for their cognitive abilities. What makes this path to excellence ethically questionable? There are two large issues to using cognitive enhancements: fairness and the pressure to use them. While there may be nothing intrinsically wrong with using cognitive enhancers, the use of these drugs will likely have major side-effects on society which need to be taken into consideration. Cognitive enhancements have been proven to increase mental capacity in healthy people. This gives them an advantage over their peers who are not using these drugs. This will apply pressure on normal people to use enhancements in order to gain this advantage. We will write a custom essay sample on The Ethics of Cognitive Enhancement or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If nobody in a workplace is using enhancements, the temptation to start using them will exist to gain an edge. If everyone in a workplace is using enhancements, then those coming into that workplace would also need to use them in order to be competitive. If cognitive enhancements were made legal for all people, the use would become very widespread and some companies may even make it mandatory to increase productivity. There would probably not be an issue with most people using cognitive enhancements if they came with no side effects and it was the cultural norm. One of the concerns that come up with using these drugs is the availability factor. Unless cognitive enhancements are available to everyone, they should not be legalized. If enhancements are expensive, this will give the wealthy population another advantage over the poor. Wealthy students already have an advantage in being able to afford tutors, attend private schools, go to college, etc. Leon Kass speaks of this unfair advantage in his article and says that it is especially unfair by participants in competitive activities such as school and work. The division between the wealthy and the poor communities would become even larger with cognitive enhancements. Anyone that did not use them may be seen as a lower class in the social order. Students seem to be getting lazier as the years go on which presents a huge problem for society. I understand that technology has made things easier for people to do things, which some people argue is the reason why people are considered â€Å"lazier†. For example, if you want to know how fast a cheetah could run, you can find it instantly by going to Google and typing it in. Twenty years ago, you would have to go to the library, find a book or encyclopedia, and look it up to find this information. Yet, I do not think that technology is the problem here. There is much more to education than just learning facts. Students who are more than capable of learning without medication are too lazy to put in the time and effort, which is a huge concern. If they could take a pill and learn with less effort, this would further increase laziness in our society. If cognitive enhancement drugs became widespread, students would no longer see the value that they obtain from education and working hard for something. Healthy people who are using cognitive enhancements for improved performance are seeking an unfair advantage over those students who are honest. An honest student who works hard and does what is viewed as â€Å"the right way to do things† would not be rewarded for his effort. If stimulants were provided to those without disorders, the standard for what is considered â€Å"normal† performance would rise. This, which Carl Elliot calls the problem of â€Å"relative ends†, would lead to many hard-working, honest people not being considered normal anymore. Performance enhancers, such as steroids or human growth hormone, make sports less entertaining for everyone. An athlete that uses enhancers that are illegal for normal people gains an unfair advantage over the other athletes who do not use enhancers. The respect is lost for the athlete who cheats by using enhancers. Was it Barry Bonds who hit 762 homeruns over his career or was it the steroids? Should we admire someone who finds a way to increase performance in a way that is condemned by most people? I know I wouldnt be as proud of an achievement if it was drug enhanced. I would see myself as a cheater and wonder if my success was because of the drug and not me. It seems as if an athlete on performance enhancing drugs goes from being well-liked and a role model to being despised by most once they are caught using the drug. If they are never caught or nobody knows about their use of enhancers, all is well for the athlete, the sport, and the fans. Other athletes do not want to see their competitors using this unfair advantage because it makes them look inferior comparatively. Sports fans also do not want to see someone succeed that cheats by using enhancers. They want to see someone who works hard and earns what they are trying to accomplish. Enhancement drugs in sports should be discouraged by everyone. However, I see enhancements in sports as less of a problem to society than enhancements for the brain. This is because there is less of an impact on society for the use of enhancement drugs in sports than there would be with mind enhancing drugs. Enhancing drugs would not only change society, but it would change how we think, who we are and who we become as an individual. Would we really be happy if our success depended on taking drugs? Will we even know who we are? Our strengths and weaknesses help make us become the person we are. Artificially enhancing the way a person thinks and learns will change who they are. With the drug, they may not have learned to study correctly, to work hard, to focus, or to persevere through tough times. By popping a pill they are not given the opportunity to become a better person and learn these virtues. It is one thing to try hard and do your best, but it is quite another to have to use a drug to be your best. The drug enhanced you is different from the real you. Imagine if everyone did this. One area where I think cognitive enhancements should be encouraged is in the military, especially during critical situations like war. Alertness is necessary at all times during war and these drugs can help achieve this. This is a situation where human’s lives are on the line and troops rely on one another to stay alive. They often times have no control over their environment and work with little sleep and a high degree of stress. It’s not necessarily about improving a soldier’s performance, but maintaining a level that the individual would not be able to maintain if it were not for the drug. Normal people that are not in the military and use cognitive enhancements do not need cognitive enhancements to stay alive, whereas those in the military sometimes do. In conclusion, the use of cognitive enhancements is wrong because it provides the people that are using the drugs with an unfair advantage, widens the gap between the wealthy and the poor, and fails to recognize the importance of effort in society. It is selfish for normal people to use a drug that was made to aid individuals who have a disability and use it to enhance themselves. Competition is a huge part of society and encouraging the use of cognitive enhancements would lead to chaos and the loss of human dignity.

Steel Pan History free essay sample

From the palm tree laden beaches of the Caribbean a comes an iconic instrument whose distinctive tune has for decades been characteristic of the British West Indies, the afro-Caribbean culture and the island way of life. Though its unique melody can be found throughout the islands, many westerners may be surprised to know that this instrument does not come from the popular islands of the Bahamas, Jamaica nor Barbados but from the small island of Trinidad Tobago. Though this instrument is relatively new on the global music scene, appearing as recent as the 1940’s it is no doubt that in its short life it has made a notable impact in Trinidad, the Caribbean and the world. Unlike many instruments the term â€Å"steel pan† has multiple meanings and may refer to a single instrument, orchestral arrangement or family of instruments. The steel pan’s culture and tradition is like that of any other instrument in that the world’s perspective of it is based on a combination of its history, artists, repertoire, and performance context. We will write a custom essay sample on Steel Pan History or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Trinidad Tobago are a pair of twin islands in the southern Caribbean Sea. Though they are geographically considered part of the Americas, due to their proximity to South America and Venezuela in particular, of which they are 6. 8 miles away (at their closest point), Trinidad has shared and absorbed much of its culture from its indigenous inhabitants, colonial history, and the people who came to work on the plantations. Trinidad was discovered in 1492 by the Spanish explorer Columbus, on his first voyage to the Americas. Like many of its neighbours, though it originated as a Spanish colony through wars, acquisitions, treaties and varied emigration it has changed hands many times resulting in immense cultural diversity. This long line of colonial masters began with Spain, who in 1532 appointed its first governor to oversee its new acquisition. Very soon after its role as a labour colony was solidified, its primary source of labour, the indigenous population quickly eradicated through hard labour, disease and displacement. In order to resolve this labour deficit and increase population the Spanish government invited the French to settle in Trinidad and they came with their slaves, property and traditions of their own. They saw the opportunity to migrate to Trinidad as a blessing. †(â€Å"Emancipation Day†, 7), as planters in Martinique, Guadeloupe and other French territories feared that the revolt in Haiti could happen in the other French islands, and so they became afraid. â€Å"In February 1797, during the wars of the French Revolution, Trinidad capitulated to a British force, and in 1802, following the Treaty of Amiens; it was formally ceded to Great Britain. (â€Å"Colonial rule, 1). It was Britian’s rule that lead to: the freedom of the slaves in 1853. Trinidad becoming a liberated part of the Commonwealth in 1962 and a sovereign Republic in 1976. Though the British shaped the political, economic and social aspect of Trinidad, it was the French influence that brought Trinida d one of its most iconic pseudo-religious celebrations, Mardi-Gras or Carnival. This celebration would play a major role in the cultural development of the nation and the emergence of the steel pan. When the freed slaves (slavery was abolished in the West Indies in 1834) joined in the festivities, they could not afford the conventional instruments, so they used African drums, the instruments of their ancestors, then created percussion bands made up of bamboo joints cut from the bamboo plant. † (Pan a short history,1) Due to the fact that many of the plantation owner were absentee, it was these (former) slaves from the â€Å"Yoruba, Hausa, Congo, Ibo, Rada, Mandingo, Kromanti (Koromantyn) and Temne† (â€Å"Emancipation Day†, 7) traditions that became the founders of this nation and the innovators of this new instrument. To an ethnomusicologist the origins of the steel pan, as a percussion instrument will come as no surprise as bells rattles and drums have been used in African societies for communication, entertainment and worship from as early as â€Å"6000 B. C In Trinidad and Tobago African drums were used in churches, orchestras, dances and festivals. There are different types of drums such as the bougarabou, djembe, dun dun and talking drum. † (â€Å"Emancipation Day†, 8) In 1884 the beating of skin drums was prohibited in Trinidad as it was used as a method of accurate communication amongst slaves. This, simply forced the slaves to become more creative in there methods of communication, eventually leading to the beating of hollow bamboo stick and the tamboo-bamboo. The tamboo-bamboo are large hollow pieces of bamboo of varying sizes that are used to create tunes of varying sounds. After the emancipation of the slaves, the tamboo-bamboo progressed from a necessary method of communication to an alternative form of entertainment with accompanying, songs, dancing and celebrations. It was this step to multi-tonal percussion that was one of the largest progressions towards the steel pan as it is known today. Tamboo-bamboo bands were often accompanied by â€Å"non-traditional instruments like as scrap metal, metal containers, graters and dustbins† (Pan a short history,1). By the 1930’s these became the dominant component of Tamboo-bamboo bands. As metal became more readily available it gradually replaced bamboo. Metal playing musicians in these bands realised that raised sections of the instrument tended to make different sounds than flat sections of the instrument. During the World War II years there was a growing demand for oil and due to Trinidad’s large oil reserves, excess and discarded oil and chemical drums were plentiful. Through experimentation, luck and persistence by the unemployed and underprivileged youth came â€Å"the birth of steel pan, the only musical invention of the twentieth century. †( Pan a short history,1). It was discovered that by striking sections of the pan that had been warped by heat and mallet that one could achieve a variety of tones. According to tradition, a young man from Laventille, one of the most poverty stricken areas was the first to do this. Pan however; as an item was not invented by any person. It evolved and there are a number of people, including myself, who advanced it through certain stages of that evolution. (Elliott, 200) Some of these artists include ‘â€Å"Winston ‘Spree’ Simon is credited with creating the first ‘melody pan’†¦ Ellie Mannette is credited with being the first to wrap the playing sticks with rubber which softened the attack and produced a more refined tone (now called the hammer) Anthony Williams is credited with inventing the ‘spider web pan’ which was designed in a cycle of fourths and fifths. )† ( Pan a short history,2)â€Å"Today they are made using empty oil drums that are cut to varying depths depending on their role in the orchestra (bass, cello, guitar, ping-pong). The surface is then sunk about two inches and delicately seamed with a punch and hammer. A struck section will resound relative to its size and depth. The drum face is then exposed briefly to fire and doused with water or oil, which has the effect of retempering the steel and further insulating the notes. † (Sewell,1) In modern times, steel pan does not refer to a single instrument but rather a family of instruments that when played together in harmonies are referred to as â€Å"steel band†. Steel pan musicians are called pannists. The voices that compose the steel band are high tenor which ranges from D4 to F#6, low tenor which ranges from C4 to E6, double second pan uses two pans and ranges from F3 to B5, quadraphonic pan uses 4 pans and has an extensive pitch range, from B2 one octave below middle C to Bb5, guitar pan which ranges from one octave below middle C, to F#5 one octave above middle C, cello pan which uses a combination of 3 pans. One pan therefore contains the notes C, Eb, Gb and A; another pan contains C#, E, G and Bb; the third pan contains B, D, F and Ab, and the four pan bass which range is from G2, two octaves and a 4th below middle C, to D4 above middle C. The engine room as it has come to be known is a miscellaneous compilation of various non-traditional percussion instruments. Though its roots are as a method of communication for the slaves, the art of musical percussion in Trinidad has gradually become one of the most central and important aspect of the entertainment and cultural scene on the island. Panorama and Carnival are the greatest examples of the context of steel pan performance in the West Indies. â€Å"In 1963, the government of Trinidad and Tobago in conjunction with the National Association of Trinidad and Tobago Steel bandsmen (NATTS) launched a new steel band competition called Panorama. ’ (Steel band competition,1) Panorama is an annual steel band competition which consists of hundreds of bands and thousands of musicians. Though the compositions of the bands may change with regards to the musicians that participate the style, form and presentations of the band does not. People will often follow a particular band from year to year and round to round similar to the way people may support a team during the world cup. The competition consists of three rounds preliminary, semi-final and finals. Some world famous steel bands are the desperadoes, North Stars and the Harmonites. Each band plays a total of a 6 minuet recital, this performance is judged on arrangement, tone, rhythm and overall performance, four aspect controlled primarily by the arranger. Steel pan arrangers are among the most revered and beloved within the island musical community. Music is seldom written specifically for the steel drum. Though the steel drum can technically play any form of music, it’s repertoire comes primarily from the music in the popular culture. The most common form of music found in pan yards today is a popular form of music in Trinidad today called soca, some examples of soca played by the steel band include David Rudder’s The hammer, Marshall Montano’s Vibes cyah done and many more. Depending on the arranger the same song has the capacity to sound totally unique. The steel pan, being primarily a folk instrument does not share the bourgeois class statement that tradition musical instruments have. As a result transmission musical knowledge occurs in a much less formal setting than conventional western music. Some may seek lessons and theory books, but knowledge of the steel pan is most commonly acquired through friends, relatives or miscellaneous others. In conclusion the steel pan and steel pan culture have revolutionaries the way the world views the Caribbean. â€Å"indeed, over the past four decades, the steelpan has come a long way, moving from the panyards of the most depressed areas of a society to some of the most prestigious concert halls around the world. The Desperadoes, for instance, have performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Carnegie Hall, the Apollo and Lincoln Theaters in New York, the United Nations building, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D. C. Other bands like Renegades, All Stars, Phase Two, Exodus have wooed audiences from London to Paris to Japan, mesmerizing them with their renditions of some of the most complex works of the classic composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Sibelius, Rossini, Borodin. †( Pan a short history,1) It has given the West Indies a sound of it own, drawing thousands annually to its sweet sound and characteristic tone. Though it is just as much a part of the history of Trinidad and Tobago as the island itself the fact is that it is slowly disappearing. The steel pan has become a symbol of the islands’ peaceful past, as the average age of the musicians grow and the participation rate among youth gradually shrinks so two does it’s relevance in the modern world. The decline in the popularity of the steel pan has been related to rising gang violence, immoral behaviour and crime.