What is the impact of international refugee laws on the incidence of human trafficking on the eastern border of the EU?
Introduction
States in South- and Central-Eastern Europe find themselves at the confluence of major migratory
and transit routes from the Southern part to the Northwest. Migration through the complicated area
is frequently erratic. People cross borders without permission or forged documents (İçduygu,
2021). It might happen with the help of intermediaries who are either part of or not part of
trafficking groups. It might also be part of an all-inclusive initiative that begins in a distant country
of origin and ends in a land of destination in central or eastern Europe (Koser, 2011). Since the
recent Syria crisis, the Western Balkan route has become a critical migratory and smuggling route.
However, after 2015, and especially after the EU–Turkey agreement in 2016, more migrants have
begun to use the Eastern Balkan and Eastern Borders routes. On both roads, one can see an almost
three-decade-old practice of migrant trafficking. Migrants, refugees, and traffickers seeking to
escape the Southwestern, Northern, and Eastern Mediterranean paths may find these routes
appealing (Lumley-Sapanski, Schwarz, and Valverde-Cano, 2021). The countries affected by both
ways do not constitute a unified front. The first cluster consists of Central and Eastern European
countries. In the 1990s, visa trafficking fueled a robust Smuggling of Migrants (SoM) sector for
regionals in both nations. Currently, Hungary and Romania are experiencing an influx of transit
refugees entering via Turkey and bypassing Greece (Jandl, 2007). Despite knowing all the
trafficking routes, why didn’t the EU stop it? What legislative measure does it take to reduce it?
All these questions are essential to discuss. Therefore, this research will dig deep into these
questions to find what the EU has done to reduce human trafficking.
Research Aim
This research aims to find the impact of international refugee laws on the incidence of human
trafficking on the eastern border of the EU.
Research Objectives
• To find whether the EU considers human trafficking a human rights crisis or not.
• To analyze the situation of human trafficking and human rights crisis in Eastern Europe.
To show whether the active role of the EU reduced the incidence of human trafficking in
Eastern Europe.
• To assess the legal framework of the EU to see how it incorporates international refugee
laws.
• To show up to what extent the EU implements international refugee laws.
Research Questions
• What is the impact of international refugee laws on the incidence of human trafficking on
the eastern border of the EU?
• What is the human trafficking and human rights crisis in Eastern Europe?
• How does the active role of the EU reduce the incidence of human trafficking in Eastern
Europe?
• How does the legal framework of the EU incorporate international refugee laws?
Submit a project on how Social media has changed the perception of customer service today and its effect on brands
Approval Code:
| E1- Application Form FOr APPROVAL TO CONDUCT RESEARCH Business School Ethics Committee |
| Dept/School and unit code: Please select Postgraduate Project Undergraduate Project (Double click on the box then click ‘Checked’ for a cross to appear in the box) “Social media has changed the perception of customer service today and its effect on brands” Project Title: Researchers Name(s): Supervisor(s): Date: |
| Applications should be submitted electronically to the Secretary of the School Research Ethics Committee as one single file. One original hard copy must also be submitted with the signatures of all applicants and Supervisors. |
| Rationale: Please give a BRIEF description of the project in ‘lay language’. This summary will be reviewed by UREC and may be published as part of its reporting procedures. 75 words max.-approx 5 lines (for database reasons). Detail should be provided in Q. 27 I will be discussing the effects of social media has on customers service. Ethical Considerations: Please give a BRIEF description of the ethical considerations of this project. Please mention questions raised specifically in the form and, where appropriate, show that the basic ethical criteria have been met in any use of (a) participant information sheets (b) consent forms (c) debriefing procedures. This summary will be forwarded to and reviewed by UREC and may be published as part of its reporting procedures. 75 words – approx 5 lines (for database reasons). Elucidation, if required, can be given in Q. 27. During my research I will be conducting a survey, participants will have the choice to withdraw any time during the survey and they will also be able to consent before starting the survey. |
| Section C: RISK AND SAFETY For Qs 22-25, tick the box to show if your answer is YES, or NO. You should elaborate in Q. 27 where appropriate. Yes No Deception. Will your project involve deliberately misleading participants in any way? If YES, explain in Q. 27 why it is necessary and how debriefing will occur. Risk to Participant(s). Is there any realistic risk to any paid or unpaid participant, field assistant, helper or student involved in the project? (Nb, ‘risk’ means experiencing any physical, psychological distress or discomfort) If YES, please explain in Q.27, saying what you will do if they should experience any problems, eg who to contact for help. Risk to Researcher(s) Is there any realistic risk to the investigator? If YES, have the appropriate risk assessment forms been submitted to the appropriate Safety Committee(s)? Risk of Harm or Damage. Do you think the results of your research have the potential to cause any damage, harm or other problems for people in your study area? If YES, explain in Q. 27 why it is necessary and how debriefing will occur |
| Section D: WORKING WITH CHILDREN/VULNERABLE PEOPLE For Qs 26a-g, tick the box to show if your answer is YES, or NO. You must elaborate in Q. 27 any ‘YES response in this section. Vulnerable individuals. Do participants in this study fall into any of the following special groups? If they do, please tick the appropriate answer, refer to the relevant guidelines and complete Q.27. Yes No a. Children (under 18 years of age). b. People with learning or communication difficulties. c. Patients (including careers of NHS patients). d. People in custody. e. Institutionalised persons. f. People engaged in illegal activities, eg drug-taking. g. Other vulnerable groups. (please specify) |
There is an obligation on the Lead Researcher & Supervisor to bring to the attention of the School Ethics Committee (S.E.C.) any issues with ethical implications not clearly covered by the above checklist. |
| Section E: ETHICAL STATEMENT Write a clear but concise statement of the ethical considerations of this project, clearly stating how you intend to address each of them. Assuring Confidentiality. As we regard informants’ consent to be finite, please say how and where you will store your data (to guard against accidental data loss) and the date by which your data will be destroyed (usually, within 6 months after the completion of your course). Protecting data |
| Section E: DECLARATION I, the researcher declare that… No Yes I am familiar with the ……………… (insert appropriate guidelines for your discipline, eg BPS, ESRC, BAAL, MRC and ASA) Guidelines for Ethical Research Guidelines for Research practices, and I have discussed them with all researchers involved in this project. I have attached all relevant paperwork linked to this project. (Nb, supervisors may need to seek guidance before giving approval.) I understand that any substantive changes to this proposal will require No Yes a new application to the School Ethics Committee. Leniya Nepali Researcher(s) Leniya Signature Date Supervisors must ensure they have read both the application and the guidelines before signing below. Supervisor(s) Signature dd/mm/year No Yes Date |
| OFFICIAL USE ONLY |
| STATEMENT OF ETHICAL APPROVAL This project has been considered using agreed University Procedures and has been: Not Approved Approved More Clarification Required New Submission Recommended Referred to UREC Convener’s Name Signature dd/mm/year Date: |
Adapted by TM Nov 2011 from: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/utrec/SCHOOLFORMS/index.shtml
Present A chi-squared analysis that tests for a difference in how life stages are distributed across treatments
The experiment was undertaken in external university campus science labs.
The experiment involved working with meal worms of various sizes and assigning them into three treatment groups.
Treatment 1 contains 100% oat bran
Treatment 2 contains 505 oatbtran and 50% polystyrene
treatment 3 contains 100% polystrene
Three mealworms of varying mass were randomly assigned to one of the three treatment groups.
Treatment 1 had been randomly assigned mealworm of mass 0.196 grams
Treatment 2 had been assigned mealworm of mass 0.172
Treatment 3 was assigned a mealworm of mass 0.202
Hypothesis.
Hypothesis: a polystyrene only diet will affect the growth and survival of mealworms
Prediction
A diet based solely on polystyrene in mealworms will affect mealworms development and surbibability..
The life stage was then observed after 4 weeks. And put in a collated file with every ones results. At the end of the 4 weeks it was either dead ,larva stage, pupa stage or adult. Everyones results were compiled and placed in a collated file and graphed.
Further clarification:
Your report should include THREE Figures. Two of these have been generated already and are available for download (as either Word or Excel files) under the Assessments tab. You will need to construct the third Figure. There is a “how-to” guide with detailed instructions for doing this.
Specifically, the three Figures to include are:
1. A clustered column graph of the life stage distribution across treatments (supplied)
2. A mean +/- standard error graph of final body weights across treatments for the adults & pupae pooled (supplied)
3. A mean +/- standard error graph of final larval body weights across treatments (for you to construct)
Note that you will need to include Figure legends for all of these, and formatting should adhere to any guidelines specified in the instructions to authors for the Journal of Cromulent Science.
The results of two analyses should be reported. These are supplied within the class dataset file:
1. A chi-squared analysis that tests for a difference in how life stages are distributed across treatments
2. An Analysis of variance (ANOVA) that tests for a difference in body weight across treatments (i.e., whether the feeding treatment influenced body weight).
There are also “how-to” guides that step through each analysis and provide advice about how to correctly report and interpret the results. These guides have been updated to ensure they are consistent with the above instructions. Please ensure that you work from the updated versions (v2).
I hope that this advice clears up any and all confusion regarding assignment expectations.
Based on what you see in the news, what do you think the country’s trend will be? Will the level of democracy (or non-democracy) remain about the same over the next few years, will the country become more democratic, or will the country become less democratic?
Paper proposal/short concept paper
The week of May 3-9, you are asked to preview the “Democracy Paper Assignment” – which will be the culminating paper of the course. (You can find it under the “assignments” tab of the course. You don’t need to start that full assignment yet! – but it will help you to read that entire assignment and review the rubric that accompanies it).
However, this week you ARE asked to begin the process by developing a “Short Concept Paper” that should get you started thinking about this assignment.
To complete this assignment, go to the Fund For Peace’s Fragile States Index 2020 (click on “download the full report”) (Links to an external site.) and look through the list of states, considering which one you might want to focus your Democracy Paper on. Because your paper is required to be focused on a state that is not “clearly democratic”, it is suggested that you select a state that is ranked anywhere from “stable” to “very high alert”. States that rank above this (in the “more stable” to “very sustainable” are often clearly democratic and don’t make great choices). You may find democracies in this part of the list as well, and you cannot choose a “clear democracy” – please ask me if you are not sure – but read some about the country and it will probably become obvious.
To earn the 25 points for this week’s assignment, you are asked to write a 1-2 page paper proposal. The proposal should contain the following elements:
1. Country Selected. (2 points for selecting an appropriate country between the categories I have explained)
2. Regime type (you can do lots of reading right on the Fund for Peace website). Determine what type of government the country currently has – use your developing knowledge from the readings we have had so far… especially Chapter Three!
Explain to me why it fits this category. (The explanation CANNOT be “because the FFP website says it is”)…. it should explain what the qualities of this type of regime are and what evidence you see that the country fits that description. How long has this regime been in place? How stable does it seem? This should be a full paragraph. (14 points for having specific evidence and a reasonable tie to textbook categories)
3. A second paragraph explaining why you chose this particular country or why it seems interesting. This can be of a more personal nature if you have a specific tie to the country but it should ALSO include at least two facts you find interesting regarding the country. (5 points)
4. Two current event article links regarding contemporary political events in the country from 2019 forward. In addition to the links, provide a “Resources Cited” page citation for the articles. (2 points for each article, 4 points total).
5. ONE link to a scholarly, peer reviewed article regarding the particular regime (this article can be dated pre-2019, but should discuss the CURRENT regime). You don’t have to have read these in depth, but this is the beginning of developing your research. A scholarly article comes from an academic institution or think tank, it is a peer reviewed publication – NOT a newspaper or magazine. You will do best working through the library website to find the scholarly articles. (2 points this article). Please note that if you use an academic library other than Foothill College, I will not be able to access the link. In that case, download and attach pdf of the article along to your paper. In addition to the link, provide a “Resources Cited” page citation for the articles.
***This website (Links to an external site.) has some helpful information on evaluating sources and how to find a “peer reviewed” article.
Democracy Paper
Directions: Using class lectures and discussion, the course textbook, and outside resources as appropriate, please complete the following assignment. The total response length (i.e., the text itself) is estimated to be about 3-4 double-spaced pages (with 11- or 12-point font).
Choose a country; try to avoid countries that are clearly democratic and countries that are discussed at great length in the course textbook.
Based on one or more definitions/measures of democracy provided in class, does your country qualify as a democracy? Briefly analyze the definitions/measures of democracy as applied to your country. If your answer is “yes,” explain why this is the case. In other words, what conditions have been met or what evidence exists that the country is a democracy? If your answer is “no,” explain what would need to happen for the country to be considered a democracy. In other words, what is the evidence of a lack of democracy or what are the obstacles to democracy? The evidence may be mixed for your particular country; placing your country clearly in the “democratic” or “non-democratic” category may be difficult. If so, please discuss this difficulty. Make sure that your evidence is based on academic, reliable sources. It is suggested that the bulk of your evidence comes from peer reviewed academic journals (Links to an external site.). You will need to use the library website to find these. (40 points)
Then, take a look at recent news from this country. Do recent events give you any cause to question the stability of your assessment? Based on what you see in the news, what do you think the country’s trend will be? Will the level of democracy (or non-democracy) remain about the same over the next few years, will the country become more democratic, or will the country become less democratic? Please explain and provide supportive evidence for your argument. (20 points)
5 points of the paper are allocated to proper grammar, spelling and citations.
10 points of the paper are allocated to structure, having a strong introduction with a clear thesis and preview statement, body paragraphs with topic sentences and a clear conclusion paragraph
Your responses must be submitted in electronic form here no later than Friday, March 18th. All quotations, graphics, material, and ideas drawn from resources must be linked with in-text citations to a references portion of the completed assignment. An example of an acceptable referencing system appears below. Please be concise and direct in your response.
The total potential value for the assignment is 75 points. Your responses will be evaluated based on evidence of critical thinking, completeness, and your ability to reflect upon and integrate different sources of information. You must complete the assignment individually. Evidence of plagiarism (i.e., claiming somebody else’s work and ideas as your own) will result in consequences in line with Foothill’s Academic Integrity policies .
Potential Resources (aside from news articles and reliable summaries):
Freedom House (https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2020/leaderless-struggle-democracy)
Polity IV Project (https://www.systemicpeace.org/polityproject.html)
CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html (Links to an external site.))
Polyarchy Dataset (http://www.prio.no/Data/Governance/Vanhanens-index-of-democracy/ (Links to an external site.))
Formatting References
Students are required to use in-line references in the author-date manner, which is common in the social sciences. The Chicago Manual of Style serves as a useful resource for this type of referencing (see the author-date examples at http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html). In the author- date system, a summary reference is followed by parentheses that contain the author(s) and date of the publication, while a direct quotation contains that information plus a page number. For example:
This is a summary of the author’s argument (Jones 2001).
“This is a direct quotation” (Smith and Jones 2002, 130).
The following are examples of how references may appear in the references section of a paper:
Book Example
Smith, John, and Mike R. Jones. 2003. Book Name. Publisher’s City: Publisher’s Name.
Book Chapter in Edited Volume
Jones, Mike R. 2001. “Chapter Name.” In Book Name, edited by. Mike R. Jones and John Smith,
88-103. Publisher’s City: Publisher’s Name.
Conference Paper
Jones, Mike R. “Paper Name.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Organization Name, City, State/Country, Date(s).
Internet Source
Johnson, Bill. 2008. “Article or Webpage Name.” Accessed http://www.websitename.com/location/.
Journal Article
Smith, John, and Mike R. Jones. 2002. “Article Name.” Journal Name 32: 127-44.
Magazine Article
Smith, John. 2000. “Article Name.” Magazine Name, Date.
Newspaper Article
Johnson, Bill. 2005. “Article Name.” Newspaper Name, Date.
Critically employ theoretical sources and empirical data to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a chosen topic and the research process in the field of HRM.
| Size or length of assessment | 10,000 words (+/- 10%) |
| Unit learning outcomes | 1. Critically employ theoretical sources and empirical data to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a chosen topic and the research process in the field of HRM. 2. Independently design, plan, manage and execute a research project utilizing appropriate research methods and leading to useful outcomes and/or unique insight |
| What am I required to do in this assignment? |
| You are required to produce a dissertation building on the work from your Academic Poster which demonstrates your ability to investigate and diagnose a ‘live’ human resources issue or problem, to collect and analyse relevant data, to derive supportable conclusions and make recommendations for modification and/or change of practice. You will also be expected to complete a statement reflecting on this process. Please refer to the Dissertation Handbook for more detailed information for each section of the dissertation. |
| What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF) |
| Demonstrate an understanding of the processes involved in the identification of suitable research methodsArticulate an appropriate method to meet the objectives of the project;Provide justification for the chosen research method and acknowledgement of its limitationsDemonstrate a sound grasp of the chosen subject area by analysing, evaluating and synthesising theoretical sources and empirical data.Produce useful outcomes and/or unique insight in the subject area |
| How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade? |
| We will be filling this section in together in class. Please make sure you have downloaded/printed out the Assignment Brief and bring it to the session with you. |
| How does this assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions? |
| You will learn through your research methods classes how to conduct various forms of primary and secondary research and how to make sense of data-bases in researching HRM problems. You will then focus on identifying an HRM research problem and investigate it using a combination of primary and secondary research strategies. Your decision on the type of enquiry to embark on will be influenced by your consideration of research context, limitations of approaches, and an appreciation of different research philosophies and strategies. You will engage in a series of one to one meetings with your supervisor. |
Does International Relations theory help us to understand Russia’s war in Ukraine?
Does International Relations theory help us to understand Russia’s war in Ukraine? Give at least two examples of events during the war which either supports or challenges a key concept, thinker, or theory from the field of International Relations.
Use the following as the sources:
Chapter 6: Liberal internationalism
Ikenberry, “The end of liberal international order?”, (pages 7-23)
Robert Cox, “Social forces, states and world orders: beyond international relations theory”, (pages 126-135)
What does IR Theory say and how does it help understand Russie’s war in Ukraine?
Liberalism
- Economic interdependence make wars costly
- International institutions can organize allies to fight
- Democracies fight together (mostly)
What does IR Theory say?
Marxism
- This is a war about class (Russian oligarchy)
- Capitalist powers seek empire
Find the empirical research proving or disproving the hypothesis that a government’s failure to provide security leads to insurgency or other forms of political violence.
Topic:
Hypothesis that a government’s failure to provide security leads to insurgency.
Description
QUESTION: Find the empirical research proving or disproving the hypothesis that a government’s failure to
provide security leads to insurgency or other forms of political violence.
This paper doesn’t require much writing, all that is required are the links to the research questions, but there
has to be a short/brief introduction. Provide at least 10 website links/references where more info about the
research topic can be found
How strong are the companies’ brands in the market?
Course Resource
Slate Case File
Client Name: Slate, Inc.
Industry: Cell Phones
Competitors: 1. Samsung
2. Apple
Product Line: Smart Phones
Slate, Inc. has asked us to provide a brand analysis report on these two competing brands to inform Slate’s decisions on the direction of its own branding strategy.
Samsung is locked in a never-ending smartphone battle with Apple, its biggest competitor. Some may argue that Samsung is winning, at least in terms of value for money. Unlike its Apple, Samsung has flooded the global market with a series of Galaxy phones from the dirt-cheap to high-end models (Spendelow, 2021). In addition, Samsung has just expanded its smartphone lineup by high-end foldable water-resistant phones that are built using cutting-edge hardware (Vazharov, 2021). Apple has responded by introducing a new iPhone 13-line of smart phones that have a faster processor, more storage, a larger battery, and a better camera (Holland, 2021).
References
Holland, P. (2021). iPhone 13: Everything we know about Apple’s new 2021 phone line. Cnet. https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/iphone-13-everything-know-apple-new-2021-phoneline/
Spendelow, N. (2021). Best Samsung phone 2021: Which Galaxy smartphone is right for you? ExpertReviews. https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/mobile-phones/1407169/best-samsungphone
Vazharov, S. (2021). The best Samsung smartphones worth buying today. https://www.bestproducts.com/tech/electronics/g158/best-samsung-phones-andsmartphones/
Primarily, we want you to examine the branding strategies of our competitors. This report will function as a brand audit that allows us to examine our competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, customer expectations, and our own relative position in the market.
These details form the basis of the main branding elements. I met with our CEO, Shanice Watts, and she wanted me to emphasize the following eight categories we would like you to analyze in your report about our two biggest competitors:
- brand personality
- brand image
- brand identity
- brand differentiation
- brand positioning
- brand communication
- brand loyalty
- brand equity (including financial equity)
To carry out this assignment, you need to understand Slate’s competitors’ brand strategies, their consumers, how to acquire market knowledge through primary and secondary research, and how to use that knowledge to build and support a brand.
To start your research, visit the websites of Slate’s two biggest competitors and review both scholarly and reliable nonscholarly sources to explore their branding decisions. Your research of the two companies should focus on the branding elements discussed in the previous step.
Consult a minimum of three scholarly sources and twelve reliable nonscholarly sources (15 total). Make sure that you use reliable, nonscholarly sources such as Reuters, Bloomberg, Yahoo! Finance, Statista, Barrons.com, Morningstar.com, Money, Forbes, Fortune, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review, as well as the UMGC Library databases such as Hoover’s, IBIS World, and ABI/INFORM.
In addition, explore the following branding websites for relevant content:
- www.adage.com
- www.adweek.com
- www.brandchannel.com
- www.ama.org
- www.cmo.com
- www.marketingprofs.com
Then proceed to the next step, where you will discuss branding strategy.
Branding Elements
Branding elements are the foundation of a branding strategy and help distinguish a brand from its competitors. There are several elements that are important in distinguishing a brand. These include brand personality, brand image, brand identity, brand differentiation, brand positioning, brand communication, brand loyalty, and brand equity. Analysis of these elements will allow marketers to understand the performance of a particular brand.
The branding elements described in the sections below are critical for a successful branding strategy.
Brand Personality
Successful brands acquire a brand personality over time, which is a set of human characteristics that is associated those brand name. Consumers “assign personality traits to products”—for example, rugged, romantic, rebellious, or sophisticated—and choose those brands that are more in line with their “desired self-image” (Kerin & Hatley, 2017, p. 304). Marketers can instill a brand with a personality; for example, Pepsi’s personality traits include exciting and young, while Coca Cola is real and all-American. On the other hand, Harley-Davidson portrays defiance, masculinity, and individualism (Kerin & Hartley, 2017).
The five key dimensions of brand personality include the following (Imagibrand, 2017):
- brand competence—Is the company branding its expertise? The attributes represented by this brand personality are success, intelligence, expertise, and reliability.
- brand sincerity—Does the company have a genuine brand? The attributes represented by this brand personality are honesty, wholesomeness, genuineness, and cheerfulness.
- brand excitement—How daring is the company’s brand? The attributes represented by this brand personality are daring, playfulness, spirit, and imagination.
- brand sophistication—Would James Bond ever use the company’s brand? The attributes represented by this brand personality are poise, elegance, and charm.
- brand toughness—Can the company’s brand stand against the competition? The attributes represented by this brand personality are potency, forcefulness, power, and ruggedness.
Brand Image
The American Marketing Association (AMA) (n.d.-b) defines brand image as the “The perception of a brand in the minds of persons. The brand image is a mirror reflection (though perhaps inaccurate) of the brand personality or product being. It is what people believe about a brand—their thoughts, feelings, expectations.”
There are two conventional—but incorrect —wisdoms about brand image (Johansson, 2009):
- Brands are only important for luxury products. The typical reasoning behind this misconception is that luxury products are hedonic (i.e., not bought for functional utility).
- Brands are not at all important for B2B products. The typical reasoning behind this misconception is that business buyers are coldly rational and are not influenced by emotions.
Research has shown that even utilitarian product choices are influenced by brands., and the driving force is competition. When competition is intense, all products will soon offer equal functional advantages (benchmarking, “me-too” strategies, follow-the-leader, etc.). Accordingly, the one sustainable advantage is the brand image. Anything can be differentiated and branded, even a commodity such Butoni or Barilla pasta (Johansson, 2009).
Brand Identity
Brand identity refers to the distinct and relatively lasting characteristics of a brand. A brand tends to have an appealing and solid identity when consumers perceive its identity as more distinct and prestigious (Bhattacharya & Sen, 2003).
Creating a company’s brand identity involves more than designing its logo. A brand identity is both emotional and visual and communicates trustworthiness and relevance. Building an effective brand identity takes many years of perpetual tweaking and hard work; however, it is crucial to the success of the company. When it comes to creating and maintaining a brand identity, every small detail counts. It is a delicate task of following the company’s core values, while simultaneously being able to adapt to changing market forces and trends. This task is difficult for even big multinational companies (Jansen, 2018a). Remember how Kodak failed to adapt to changing market conditions?
A strong brand identity can help a company succeed (e.g., Apple and Amazon). This success requires a strong focus and strict brand guidelines to maintain the company’s brand and keep it elevated in the face of the changing market forces. In order to do this, companies are advised to heed the following guidelines (Jansen, 2018b):
- Keep things simple and focus on their core values.
- Be flexible and adapt to changing market trends.
- Follow data, but do not ignore emotion.
- Do not jump on market trends without thinking of the bigger picture.
- Do not wait too long to rebrand themselves.
- Do not ignore market trends.
Brand Differentiation
Building a strong brand is crucial to success in today’s business world, and strong differentiation is necessary to build a compelling and powerful brand. Brand differentiation is the means by which a company’s brand is set apart from its competition, by associating a superior performing aspect of its brand with multiple consumer benefits (Carter, 2014).
Brand differentiation is related to a company’s corporate reputation. There are several elements of reputation, including a good customer service, packaging, prompt response to problems, and product-specific comments, that consumers seek when buying. These elements not only provide a basis on which the company can improve its reputation, but also help it differentiate itself from the competition. Corporate reputation may be enhanced by different activities that are closely related to the vertical differentiation of a product, such as technological innovation and a strong brand image. On the other hand, a solid corporate reputation may also help to differentiate a brand. Companies are increasingly recognizing consumers as their most important asset in building an estimable corporate reputation (Vahabzadeh et al., 2017).
In this era of globalization and hypercompetition, companies need to rethink the way that they manage their customer portfolio, as well as how they interact with their customers. Fader (2012) stresses that customers are an asset (customer equity) that should have a place on a company’s balance sheet. The author defines customer equity as “the sum of the customer lifetime values across a firm’s entire customer base” (p. 62). Since every company’s objective is to maximize its overall equity and since customers are perceived as an asset (customer equity) that is an integral part of the company’s overall equity, the company should dedicate the necessary resources to maximize its customer equity (Fader, 2012).
Employees are another crucial factor in enhancing a company’s reputation. They may help differentiate the company from the competition, as consumers evaluate the corporate reputation that is behind the product and brand presented to them. Accordingly, many companies use their corporate reputation as a vital resource in developing their strategic value. Reputation includes corporate social responsibility, innovativeness, and honest communication, which customers subconsciously convert into brand differentiation of the company’s products (Vahabzadeh et al., 2017).
Brand Positioning
Brand positioning is the designing of a company’s offering and image to occupy a distinct place in the mind of the target customers (Kotler & Keller, 2015). Brand positioning is the sum of all the marketing activities that position the brand in the target customers’ minds relative to the competition. Positioning does not create something new or different, but rather manipulates the mindset (Ries & Trout, 2001).
Positioning is a crucial stage in a brand management strategy. A good brand positioning strategy helps in the development of new products, communication, market expansion, pricing, and the selection of the distribution channels (Fayvichenko, 2018). Brand positioning is a process of creating the brand’s own image, values, positive associations, and distinctive properties in the customers’ minds in order to create a sustainable brand image and ensure consumers’ attachment to that brand (Fayvichenko, 2016). Today, brand positioning is perceived as a process that begins with the design of a trademark position; however, it is “difficult to specify the essence of positioning when its ultimate goal is not clearly understood” (Fayvichenko, 2018, p. 245). To understand the essence of brand positioning, it is crucial to determine the ideal position of the brand. A clear representation of the ideal position of a brand is a “prerequisite for researching positioning as a target process and developing a system for evaluating its effectiveness” (p. 245).
Ideally, a brand will be positioned so that the customer has positive associations with a brand, is convinced of its unique advantages over other brands, and considers the brand to be of high value or a necessity. This brand-supporting customer is convinced that people who buy other brands are making the wrong choice, considers it a duty to recommend this brand to other consumers, and feels a spiritual unity with consumers who have chosen this brand (Kendukhov, 2008).
Accordingly, Kendukhov (2008) perceives brand positioning as a process of managing the perception of a brand by a customer. The purpose of this process is “persuasion of the consumer in the unique advantages of this trademark over other brands; formation of the consumer’s exclusive affiliates with this trademark; formation of the consumer’s sense of the indispensability and vital necessity of the brand; formation of fanatical devotion to the brand; raising a sense of duty to recommend this brand to other consumers; forming a sense of spiritual unity with consumers who chose this brand; forming a belief in the consumer that other consumers who buy goods under other brands make the wrong choice” (Fayvichenko, 2018, p. 246).
Brand Communication
The value of a company’s brand may rise or fall with its brand communication. Even strong brands must communicate their values and core benefits to the customers in order to sell. Successful brand communication involves satisfied employees and enthusiastic customers. Companies used to communicate their brands using PR and advertising. Nowadays, customers and company employees define the reputation and reality of a brand. They discuss their experience with the company and its products around the clock using social media. Trust plays a crucial role here, and is only built up when the customers receive a consistent and credible brand experience. Employees help a company earn its customers’ trust if they credibly communicate the brand’s values and positioning (BrandTrust, 2018).
Social media provides an array of constantly changing brand communication tools in the corporate world, which play a crucial role in how customers research and share information, and learn about their brands. Similarly, companies use social media networks for the advertising and sponsorship of their products and services brands in order to develop trust and create sustaining relationships with their customers (Khadim, Hanan, Arshad, Saleem, & Khadim, 2018).
Social media comprises well-built platforms that have a significant and substantial impact on brand loyalty. Customers use social media as a tool to communicate and respond quickly to each other at any time (that information moves much faster on social media compared to traditional media). In addition, social media allows a company to send its brand messages to multiple audiences and collect their recommendations. This feature is crucial, as markets and customer preferences, needs, and wants change quickly, especially in this era of globalization. Social media allows a company to judge how its customers think about its brand and what they want from it. It also enables the company to make improvements to its brand and think forward to anticipate changes in customer needs and preferences (Khadim et al., 2018).
Brand Loyalty
Consumers usually benefit from branding, and trademarks may help them shop more efficiently, as they avoid brands that they dislike, while buying the brands that they like most. Brand loyalty is a favorable perception of, and the consistent buying of, a certain brand over time. The marketplace has been dramatically changing in the past decade thanks to advanced and cheaper communications technologies, which enable consumers to make better choices and share their buying experiences with others, worldwide. Consumers are now increasingly dependent on the internet to acquire information and compare brands before buying. Consumers can easily shift brands if they believe that they have not been treated fairly by a certain company (Kotler & Keller, 2015).
Brand Equity
AMA (n.d.-a) defines brand equity as “the value of a brand. From a consumer perspective, brand equity is based on consumer attitudes about positive brand attributes and favorable consequences of brand use.”
According to Johansson (2009) brand equity is “the value of the positive associations that consumers have with a product’s brand name. These associations often involve emotional attachments, affinity, positive brand image, and brand identity. They also involve cognitive factors such as familiarity, knowledge and perceived quality, as well as social factors including peer-group acceptance. When these associations turn negative (as in antiglobalization sentiments against global brands) the brand equity can go down very quickly.”
Brand equity is basically the added value that a brand gives to a product beyond the functional benefits that it provides. Brand equity provides competitive advantages; for example, Mercedes Benz implies quality. A second advantage is that consumers are willing to pay more for a product with a brand equity. Here, brand equity is represented by the premium that a consumer is willing to pay for a certain brand over another when both brands provide similar functional benefits. Acura, Infinity, and Lexus cars enjoy a price premium that arises from their brand equity (Kerin & Hartley, 2017).
Brand equity takes time to develop and is carefully crafted and nurtured by marketers who forge unique, strong, and favorable experiences and associations with the brand. Brand equity resides in the consumers’ minds, and results from what they have seen, heard, felt, and learned about the brand over time. Brand equity is not quickly or easily achieved (Kerin & Hartley, 2017).
Financial Brand Equity
Financial brand equity is the monetary value of a brand in terms of net revenues the brand is expected to generate over time, across all country markets. The set of assets linked to a brand name include the following (Johansson, 2009):
- brand name awareness
- brand loyalty
- perceived quality
- brand associations (in the consumer’s mind)
Financially lucrative brand licensing agreements may arise from brand equity. Successful brand licensing needs a thorough marketing analysis to ensure compatibility between the licensor’s brand and the licensee’s products. Companies such as Ralph Lauren, Disney, and Luxottica eyewear earn millions every year from licensing their brand names to others (Kerin & Hartley, 2017).
Global Brands
Why are global brands often the most valuable assets of a global company? Global brands are important because product differentiation is difficult to sustain. Accordingly, global brands become the most sustainable competitive advantage. Global brands have become more important because financial brand equity is strongly correlated with global reach (Johansson, 2009).
References
AMA (n.d.-a). Brand equity. Retrieved from https://www.ama.org/resources/Pages/Dictionary.aspx?dLetter=B
AMA (n.d.-b). Brand image. Retrieved from https://www.ama.org/resources/Pages/Dictionary.aspx?dLetter=B
Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2003). Consumer-company identification: A framework for understanding consumers’ relationships with companies. Journal of Marketing, 67(2), 7688. doi:10.1509/jmkg.67.2.76.1860
BrandTrust (2018). Brand communication. Retrieved from https://www.brand-trust.de/en/glossary/brand-communication.php
Carter, L. (2014). Brand differentiation: 30 ways to differentiate your brand. Persona Design [Web log]. Retrieved from https://www.personadesign.ie/brand-differentiation-30-ways-to-differentiate-your-brand/
Fader, P. (2012). Customer centricity (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wharton Digital Press.
Fayvichenko D. (2016) The concept of brand positioning. Mignarodnii naukovo-praktuchniy gurnal «Tovaru I runki», 1(21), 25–32.
Fayvishenko, D. (2018). Formation of brand positioning strategy. Baltic Journal of Economic Studies, 4(2), 245–248.
ImagiBrand (2017). The 5 key dimensions of brand personality. Retrieved from http://imagibrand.com/5-key-dimensions-brand-personality/
Jansen, K. (2018, a). The dos and don’ts of building a brand identity (Part 1). Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/03/05/the-dos-and-donts-of-building-a-brand-identity-part-1/#7287b18a61bc
Jansen, K. (2018, b). The dos and don’ts of building a brand identity (Part 2). Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/04/02/the-dos-and-donts-of-building-a-brand-identity-part-2/#1f763498644a
Johansson, J. (2009). Global marketing (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Kendyuhov V. (2008) Effectivnist vucorustannya marochnogo capital [Effectiveness of using branded capital]. Donetsk: Institute economy promislovist, 96–103.
Kerin, R. & Hartley, S. (2017). Marketing (13th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Khadim, R. A., Hanan, M. A., Arshad, A., Saleem, N., & Khadim, N. A. (2018). Revisiting antecedents of brand loyalty: impact of perceived social media communication with brand trust and brand equity as mediators. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 17(1), 1–13.
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2015). Marketing management (15th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson.
Vahabzadeh, A., Vatanpour, H., Dinarvand, R., Rajabzadeh, A., Salamzadeh, J., & Mohammadzadeh, M. (2017). Impact of corporate reputation on brand differentiation: An empirical study from Iranian pharmaceutical companies. Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 16(4), 1658–1670.
Based on your research of the two companies’ brands, write an eight to nine-page report (four pages on each company under its own heading, and each brand element discussed and supported separately under its own subheading) that addresses the following branding elements:
- brand personality
- brand image
- brand identity
- brand differentiation
- brand positioning
- brand communication
- brand loyalty
- brand equity (including financial equity)
As you examine these branding elements, your report should also answer the following questions:
- How strong are the companies’ brands in the market?
- What are the factors contributing to their strengths and weaknesses?
- How are these two brands competing against each other? How strong is their global performance?
- How do consumers perceive their brands?
- Are there any sub-brands? Are there any brand extensions?
Support your work with course readings, scholarly sources, and reliable nonscholarly sources, such as Reuters, Bloomberg, Yahoo! Finance, Barrons.com, Morningstar.com, Money, Forbes, Fortune, the Financial Times, Statista, the Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review, as well as UMGC Library databases, such as Hoover’s, IBIS World, and ABI-Inform. All sources have to be cited using APA formatting, both within the text and in the reference list.
Also, include the following:
- A one-page executive summary that highlights the most important findings of your analysis.
- A clear recommendation on Slate’s branding of the new product that they intend to launch and include your rationale (at the end of the paper).
- A one-page table in an appendix at the end of the paper that compares the eight brand elements for the two brands.
Your final report should be 11-13 pages, excluding cover page, executive summary, the reference list, and appendices. Any graphs, tables, and figures should be included as appendices. Your report should have one-inch margins and be double spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font. The report should be organized using headings and subheadings to improve its readability.
“The self in modern society is frail, brittle, fractured, fragmented – such a conception is probably the pre-eminent outlook in current discussions of the self and modernity” (Giddens 1991: 169). Discuss with reference to postmodern theories of identity
Topic:
Post modern theories of identity
Description
“The self in modern society is frail, brittle, fractured, fragmented – such a
conception is probably the pre-eminent outlook in current discussions of the
self and modernity” (Giddens 1991: 169). Discuss with reference to postmodern theories of identity
Students are required to engage in a research project about a topic of their choice related to Medieval Britain.
Topic:
Battle of Hastings/Norman Invasion Paper
Provide 275 words summarizing the paper and upload it in a separate file
Description
The research paper is the primary means of evaluating your use of historical methods. Students are required
to engage in a research project about a topic of their choice related to Medieval Britain. This will include
writing a prospectus, assessing primary sources (Professor is BIG on primary source use), writing a book
review of secondary sources, and exchanging preliminary drafts with peers for an in-class peer-review
workshop. These steps will help you in producing a 4,000 word original research paper which includes both
primary and secondary sources. We discuss research topics early in the semester to learn about sources that
are available and will have several in-class workshops. This is your most significant assignment of the
semester and your paper should reflect a high level of work
Underline thesis
Defending your thesis is the job of the remainder of the paper.
Historians make arguments.
All/ONLY sources are here with the link
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ur8cnPQriPegqRk6LeTBffZrHs9auuHn?usp=sharing
make sure to include all
