Racism and video games Essay

Video games are not what most people would go to when they think of racial controversy, but every media medium has had their own form of controversy one that happened most recently was the release of a game called Resident Evil 5 which is centered around a guy named Chris Redfield who is basically in a FBI like group centered around killing zombies. As you may have guest this is not the first in the series of the game the series has been around for about 15 years and has had been set in many different countries and such killed many a different zombies. The creators wanted to set this particular game in Africa when the trailer was released the was a racism claim against the game because Chris is white guy going around killing black zombies it was so bad the game release date was pushed backed and slight changes were made Chris was given a black side kick named Sheva Alomar. The second trailer for the game, released on May 31, 2008, revealed a more racially diverse group of enemies, as well as Sheva, a BSAA agent who assists the protagonist. However, designer Jun Takeuchi denied that complaints about racism had any effect in altering the design of Resident Evil 5. Takeuchi commented that the game’s producers were surprised by the controversy. In an interview with MTV, he explained that Capcom’s staff is racially diverse, and acknowledged that various cultures may have had different opinions on the trailer. In an interview with Computer and Video Games, producer Masachika Kawata also commented on the issue, stating, â€Å"We can’t please everyone. We’re in the entertainment business – we’re not here to state our political opinion or anything like that. It’s unfortunate that some people felt that way. â€Å"Well personally as a person of African American decent while me personally is not offended I can see where some people can be somewhat offended but it’s set in Africa what type of zombies do you think Chris is going kill. There just zombies not salves and he is not going around raping and lynching people. I personally think as far as video game African Americans are more or less symbolically annihilated rather than video games having racist tendencies toward us as a race of people. And what I mean by that is you don’t really see that many black people in video game as main characters. There are a few, Cj from Grand theft Auto 3 San Andreas Is one that comes to mind but his game is full of stereotypes about the â€Å"Hood† And I’m not going to sit here and lie I played this game and enjoyed it back in middle school. As far I know there are only a few truly without a doubt racist games one them being Custer’s Revenge In the game, the player controls the character of General George Armstrong Custer, depicted as a man wearing nothing but a cavalry hat, boots, and a bandana, sporting a visible erection. Custer has to overcome arrow attacks to reach the other side of the screen. His goal is to have sex with a naked, large-breasted Native American woman named Revenge. (And Yes This Game Dose Exist but it was released back on the Atari 2600 in the 80’s here a wikiapiea link http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Custer’s_Revenge ) Even with this game it’s was not licensed by Atari and nor did Atari have anything to do with its production. The video game medium has become a very big part of media and I do not think that anyone in their right mind would even think of releasing anything racially offensive to anyone if they want to keep making the multimillions that they continue to make. As I stated earlier I would say that video game would more likely be a candidate for social annihilation more anything else I would like to more black people in video games kicking butt and taking names and so far we have a few but not as much as I would like well I guess it’s just more of a personal preference than anything else.

Nursing Management of Care Delivery and Therapeutic Interventions Essay

Nursing Management of Care Delivery and Therapeutic Interventions Summary Management of a Proposed Service Improvement Word Count: 1,051 The following assignment will discuss a proposed service improvement. It will detail what the proposed improvement will be, why this is a significant improvement to current services. How the plan would be managed and implemented. The student has chosen to plan an improvement to physical health needs assessments for mental health service user’s in the care of community teams. Physical health is historically largely overlooked in mental health services, although many people with severe and enduring mental illnesses are at an increased risk of contracting serious illness, for example, diabetes, coronary heart disease and obesity (DH, 2006 a). The ‘Refocusing the Care Programme Approach’ 2008 document, discusses the links between mental ill health and physical ill health and the consequential increase in the rate of mortality and morbidity for those with mental health illness. The possible reasons for these inequalities include; side effects from medication leading to physical ill health i.e. weight gain, raised blood pressure. Low expectations of health care services, issues around stigma and possible communication problems with health care professionals. (DH 2006 b). The Sainsbury centre for mental health (SCMH) states that someone with a schizophrenic illness could expect to die up to ten years younger than someone who does not have a mental health illness (SCMH, 2010). This shocking statistic is a prime example of the inequalities faced by those with mental health problems within the health care services. For these reasons the student feels that more rigorous and frequent physical health assessments are required for those people with mental health illnesses, to monitor any changes to the state of their physical health. Within the student’s community placement areas there has been a lack of detailed physical health checks or assessments. Although the community teams deliver effective care for the clients mental health needs there appears to be a lack of awareness around physical health needs and the importance of regular checks. The current physical health assessments that are undertaken in the students ward consists of a very basic overview of any current diagnosed health issues, any medications prescribed for said illnesses and generalised questions around smoking, smoking cessation services etc. Rethink, a national mental health charity, recognises the short comings of mental health professionals concerning current physical health assessments. It has therefore published a detailed physical health check for practitioner’s use. The student has created a physical health assessment using the Rethink model. The rethink PHC complies with all aspects of annual review process put forward by the department of health (DH 2006 c). This includes basic health checks such as; blood pressure, BMI, current meds and any side effects, blood tests and lifestyle review i.e. smoking, alcohol intake. The student has taken the lead from the Rethink PHC document as it appears very thorough and detailed. The student PHC contains the headings below (See Appendix 1): General Health and lifestyle Symptoms checklist Screening checks Action Plan The student feels the most effective use of the PHC would be to conduct the full assessment at least once every four months, increasing frequency when and if necessary. This enables the service user and the mental health practitioner enough time to take effective action on any identified needs and assess the outcome. The student plans to implement this service improvement in a staged approach using the NHS institute for innovation and improvement model for improvement (NHS 2005). (See Appendix 2). The first stage of the plan will involve liaising with the multi disciplinary team, consisting of mental health nurses, occupational therapists and social workers. Discuss the current system of PHC and the various aspects of how the new PHC will be implemented and managed. Discuss with staff the proposal of offering this PHC to clients on a four monthly basis and the rationale  behind it, this being the likelihood of a person with a mental health problem suffering from a serious physical illness. The Chief Nursing Officer’s review of mental health nursing, ‘From values to action 2006’ recommends that mental health nurses attain the skills required to improve the physical well-being of people with mental health problems. In a community setting, many RMN’s as well as other mental health practitioner’s act as care co-ordinators and, as such, are in a particularly strong position to ensure that the whole range of health needs are assessed and responded to. (DH 2006 d). In doing so, community teams would be offering completely holistic care. All mental health practitioners within the team would be given training around the various parts of the assessment and how to utilise the tool most effectively. The Rethink document is accompanied by a Physical Health Check Information resource Pack; this document can be downloaded for free from ‘the mental health shop, (The mental health shop, 2007). There would be a hard copy of this document available to all practitioners to assist with implementation of the PHC. Once the training is complete and staff have gained consent from clients the PHC will be put into action. The student feels that the most effective management of the implementation would be to offer time within clinical supervision and multi disciplinary team meetings to discuss any queries around implementation or the effective use of PHC. The student feels that the system should be revised after a period of eight months to gain insight from p ractitioners and service user’s about the effectiveness of the PHC and if there are any suggestions for improvements to the plan. The student has included a copy of the questionnaire’s that would be distributed to staff and clients after a period of eight months (See Appendix 4 and 5).This process would be extremely beneficial to gain the points of view of those conducting the assessment and those who are subject to the assessment. The student has included a flow chart showing the staged implementation (see Appendix 3). In discussing the proposed improvement and detailing why this would be an effective change the student has demonstrated the current need for better physical health monitoring within mental health services as a hole, but specifically focusing on community care. Completing the implementation of these more detailed checks should allow service users a better quality of life and make a change to the overall life expectancy to someone that is diagnosed with a mental health illness. Department of health. (2006 a). Choosing Health: Supporting the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness. Pg 7. Retrieved from the department o health website: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4138290.pdf Department of health. (2006 b). Choosing Health: Supporting the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness. Pg 8. Retrieved from the department o health website: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4138290.pdf Department of health. (2006 c). Choosing Health: Supporting the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness. Pg 14. Retrieved from the department o health website: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4138290.pdf Department of Health. (2006 d). From Values to action: The Chief Nursing Officer’s review of Mental Health Nursing. Retrieved from the department of health website: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4133840.pdf Department of Health. (2008). Refocusing the Care Programme Approach: Policy and Positive practice Guidance. DH Publications: London NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. (2005). Improvement Leaders’ Guide. Process mapping, analysis and redesign. General improvement skills. Retrieved from the Chester University Intranet: http://ganymede2.chester.ac.uk/view.php?title_id=483592 Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health. (2010). Mental Health Inequalities: Measuring what counts. Retrieved from the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health website: http://www.scmh.org.uk/pdfs/mental_health_inequalities_paper.pdf Rethink. (2007). The PHC: a physical health check for mental health service users. Retrieved from the Rethink website: http://www.gmw.nhs.uk/sites/earlyinterventiontraining/Rethink%20PHC%20final.pdf Rethink. (2007). Physical Health Check Information Resource. Retrieved from the mental health shop website: http://www.mentalhealthshop.org/applications/shop/mhs_complete.rm?delivery=fa

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter One

Elena stepped into the clearing. Beneath her feet tatters of autumn leaves were freezing into the slush. Dusk had fallen, and although the storm was dying away the woods were getting colder. Elena didn't feel the cold. Neither did she mind the dark. Her pupils opened wide, gathering up tiny particles of light that would have been invisible to a human. She could see the two figures struggling beneath the great oak tree quite clearly. One had thick dark hair, which the wind had churned into a tumbled sea of waves. He was slightly taller than the other, and although Elena couldn't see his face she somehow knew his eyes were green. The other had a shock of dark hair as well, but his was fine and straight, almost like the pelt of an animal. His lips were drawn back from his teeth in fury, and the lounging grace of his body was gathered into a predator's crouch. His eyes were black. Elena watched them for several minutes without moving. She'd forgotten why she had come here, why she'd been pulled here by the echoes of their battle in her mind. This close the clamor of their anger and hatred and pain was almost deafening, like silent shouts coming from the fighters. They were locked in a death match. I wonder which of them will win, she thought. They were both wounded and bleeding, and the taller one's left arm hung at an unnatural angle. Still, he had just slammed the other against the gnarled trunk of an oak tree. His fury was so strong that Elena could feel and taste it as well as hear it, and she knew it was giving him impossible strength. And then Elena remembered why she had come. How could she have forgotten? He was hurt. His mind had summoned her here, battering her with shock waves of rage and pain. She had come to help him because she belonged to him. The two figures were down on the icy ground now, righting like wolves, snarling. Swiftly and silently Elena went to them. The one with the wavy hair and green eyes- Stefan, a voice in her mind whispered-was on top, fingers scrabbling at the other's throat. Anger washed through Elena, anger and protectiveness. She reached between the two of them to grab that choking hand, to pry the fingers up. It didn't occur to her that she shouldn't be strong enough to do this. She was strong enough; that was all. She threw her weight to the side, wrenching her captive away from his opponent. For good measure, she bore down hard on his wounded arm, knocking him flat on his face in the leaf-strewn slush. Then she began to choke him from behind. Her attack had taken him by surprise, but he was far from beaten. He struck back at her, his good hand fumbling for her throat. His thumb dug into her windpipe. Her attack had taken him by surprise, but he was far from beaten. He struck back at her, his good hand fumbling for her throat. His thumb dug into her windpipe. But he was stronger than she was. With a jerk of his shoulders, he broke her hold on him and twisted in her grasp, flinging her down. And then he was above her, his face contorted with animal fury. She hissed at him and went for his eyes with her nails, but he knocked her hand away. He was going to kill her. Even wounded, he was by far the stronger. His lips had drawn back to show teeth already stained with scarlet. Like a cobra, he was ready to strike. Then he stopped, hovering over her, his face changing. Elena saw the green eyes widen. The pupils, which had been contracted to vicious dots, sprang open. He was staring down at her as if truly seeing her for the first time. Why was he looking at her that way? Why didn't he just get it over with? But now the iron hand on her shoulder was releasing her. The animal snarl had disappeared, replaced by a look of bewilderment and wonder. He sat back, helping her to sit up, all the while gazing into her face. â€Å"Elena,† he whispered. His voice was cracked. â€Å"Elena, it's you.† Is that who I am? she thought. Elena? It didn't really matter. She cast a glance toward the old oak tree. He was still there, standing between the upthrust roots, panting, supporting himself against it with one hand. He was looking at her with his endlessly black eyes, his brows drawn together in a frown. Don't worry, she thought. I can take care of this one. He's stupid. Then she flung herself on the green-eyed one again. â€Å"Elena!† he cried as she knocked him backward. His good hand pushed at her shoulder, holding her up. â€Å"Elena, it's me, Stefan! Elena, look at me!† She was looking. All she could see was the exposed patch of skin at his neck. She hissed again, upper lip drawing back, showing him her teeth. He froze. She felt the shock reverberate through his body, saw his gaze shatter. His face went as white as if someone had struck him a blow in the stomach. He shook his head slightly on the muddy ground. â€Å"No,† he whispered. â€Å"Oh, no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He seemed to be saying it to himself, as if he didn't expect her to hear him. He reached a hand toward her cheek, and she snapped at it. â€Å"Oh, Elena†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he whispered. The last traces of fury, of animal bloodlust, had disappeared from his face. His eyes were dazed and stricken and grieving. The last traces of fury, of animal bloodlust, had disappeared from his face. His eyes were dazed and stricken and grieving. He stared at her a moment, the pain in his eyes reaching a peak, and then he simply gave up. He stopped fighting completely. She could feel it happen, feel the resistance leave his body. He lay on the icy ground with scraps of oak leaves in his hair, staring up past her at the black and clouded sky. Finish it, his weary voice said in her mind. Elena hesitated for an instant. There was something about those eyes that called up memories inside her. Standing in the moonlight, sitting in an attic room†¦ But the memories were too vague. She couldn't get a grasp on them, and the effort made her dizzy and sick. And this one had to die, this green-eyed one called Stefan. Because he'd hurt him, the other one, the one Elena had been born to be with. No one could hurt him and live. She clamped her teeth into his throat and bit deep. She realized at once that she wasn't doing it quite right. She hadn't hit an artery or vein. She worried at the throat, angry at her own inexperience. It felt good to bite something, but not much blood was coming. Frustrated, she lifted up and bit again, feeling his body jerk in pain. Much better. She'd found a vein this time, but she hadn't torn it deeply enough. A little scratch like that wouldn't do. What she needed was to rip it right across, to let the rich hot blood stream out. Her victim shuddered as she worked to do this, teeth raking and gnawing. She was just feeling the flesh give way when hands pulled at her, lifting her from behind. Elena snarled without letting go of the throat. The hands were insistent though. An arm looped about her waist, fingers twined in her hair. She fought, clinging with teeth and nails to her prey. Let go of him. Leave him! The voice was sharp and commanding, like a blast from a cold wind. Elena recognized it and stopped struggling with the hands that pulled her away. As they deposited her on the ground and she looked up to see him, a name came into her mind. Damon. His name was Damon. She stared at him sulkily, resentful of being yanked away from her kill, but obedient. Stefan was sitting up, his neck red with blood. It was running onto his shirt. Elena licked her lips, feeling a throb like a hunger pang that seemed to come from every fiber of her being. She was dizzy again. â€Å"I thought,† Damon said aloud, â€Å"that you said she was dead.† He was looking at Stefan, who was even paler than before, if that was possible. That white face filled with infinite hopelessness. â€Å"Look at her† was all he said. A hand cupped Elena's chin, tilting her face up. She met Damon's narrowed dark eyes directly. Then long, slender fingers touched her lips, probing between them. Instinctively Elena tried to bite, but not very hard. Damon's finger found the sharp curve of a canine tooth, and Elena did bite now, giving it a nip like a kitten's. Damon's face was expressionless, his eyes hard. â€Å"Do you know where you are?† he said. Elena glanced around. Trees. â€Å"In the woods,† she said craftily, looking back at him. â€Å"And who is that?† She followed his pointing finger. â€Å"Stefan,† she said indifferently. â€Å"Your brother.† â€Å"And who am I? Do you know who I am?† She smiled up at him, showing him her pointed teeth. â€Å"Of course I do. You're Damon, and I love you.†

Discussion Board 4-1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Discussion Board 4-1 - Assignment Example One of the reasons that counselors handling cases of domestic violence have to assess every member of the affected family relates to the view of families as systems made of interdependent parts by Systems Theory of family therapy. This means that affect of any part can spread to destabilize the whole system. In that line, every member of family carries some stakes or makes certain contributions towards commitment of domestic violence. A father may batter a mother because of failure by the latter to attend to the needs of a crying five years child. This may happen even when the mother had plans to attend to the child but delayed slightly due to some other crucial commitments (Jackson-Cherry & Erford, 2014). Assessing the child may help understand the nature of relationships of the family systems and ways or areas to balance and unbalance the family for sustainability with reduced violence. Assessment of the child may also help in discouraging the child from nagging a lot, and urge pat ience when needing attention (Jackson-Cherry,

Recession in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Recession in UK - Essay Example Bankruptcy and unemployment on the other hand rises (Office for National Statistics, 2010). The general belief in the cause of inflation is that recession comes after there is an extensive drop in spending. In combating the problem of inflation, governments usually adopts expansionary macroeconomic policies. These involve increasing the amount of money in circulation, decreasing taxation and increasing government spending. In looking at the case of the UK Economy, it is a good example of the whole process of the period before recession and the macroeconomic conditions prevailing then, the start of recession and the conditions then, the whole recession period and the effect of the government actions on macroeconomic parameters and finally how the economy managed to come out of the recession. The recession in UK economy began after it had experienced two quarters of negative growth in the period between June and December of the year 2008. This led to the falling of the GDP by 1.5 percent during the three last months of the year after the previous quarter had dropped by 0.6%. This is the biggest decline in GDP between two quarters ever recorded after the year 1980. This second quarter experienced the biggest fall in GDP within the same period or quarter. This recession lasted for a period of 18 months and it is the longest recession in the UK economy ever. The economy was characterized by an increased public borrowing of up to approximately 178 bn, and the GDP went down by 6%. Credit Crunch is one of the factors that have been experienced in the UK economy during the recession period. This is an unexpected shortage of money for giving out as loans. As expected this leads to a fall in the amount of loans available. This can be caused by a sudden increase in interest rates, drying up of funds in the capital markets and a control of money directly by a government (Finance Blog, 2010). In the case of the UK recession, the credit crunch was as a result of a sharp increase in subprime mortgages which originated in America but the result was felt in the rest of the world. In the UK, not many bad mortgages where given out like in the US, as it was better controlled than in the US. This however led to a serious problem for Northern Rock which had a high percentage of loans which where risky. It was not able to raise enough funds when the crisis came by in the capital market. It thus resulted to asking the Bank of England to be given emergency funds. Because of this, the customers did not have faith with the bank any more and they thus started withdrawing their funds from the bank. The credit crunch has resulted in an increase in the price for mortgages in UK where mortgages have become expensive (UK Economy Ltd). Another factor experienced due to the recession is falling in prices for houses. This is as a result of the high cost of mortgages which has led to a fall in demand for houses. As a result, the price of houses has been forced to come down and this is a show that many are met with a negative equity. When the prices for houses are low, it means that the banks are not able to get back the initial loan. This has affected the firms dealing with such business like Bradford & Bingley which had specialized in buying and letting which is affected by falling house prices. There is a collapse in confidence in the entire sector of finance. This result in loss of confidence on

First Indian reservation in New Jersey, in the Watchung Mountains Term Paper

First Indian reservation in New Jersey, in the Watchung Mountains - Term Paper Example rom the northern Arctic shores to southern tip of Cape Horn, everywhere alike in the main physical characteristics, with exception of the Eskimo in the extreme North, whose features were Mongolian. This belief that Columbus was in India was later refuted by Amerigo Vaspucci after whom the continent was named. History of original inhabitants of this continent encompasses a broad range of cultures and uniqueness. American Indians, as they are commonly referred to, varied greatly from region to region, as did their reactions to European settlement. The Watchung Mountains in New Jersey, whose natural beauty characterizes the locale, came into existence some 125 million years ago when volcanic eruptions covered the area with two thick lava flows (Meisner, 2002) 1. Millions of years of geophysical transformation gradually exposed the basaltic jutting edges of the buried lava and came to be known as the First and Second Mountains of Watchung. Between them nestled a broad fertile valley through which flows the Green Brook and the peaceful valley-river, Passaic 2. The name Watchung is derived from an Indian word meaning "on the hill" or "high place". A large Native community known as the ‘Lenape’ or ‘Delaware Indians’ lived in this area that they called ‘Lenapehoking’, which meant land of the Lenape. Delaware Indians are a closely-knit Native American group of the Algonquian branch of the Algonquian-Wakashan linguistic stock. In the 17th century their territory included all of what is now New J ersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, Southeastern New York State, Northern Delaware and a small part of Southeastern Connecticut. As part of the Eastern forests Lenapehoking had many rivers, streams, lakes and dense forest with rich wildlife. The Passaic River was integral to the Lenape existence, providing transportation and sustenance. Two branches of the Great Minisink Trail, known as the Indian highway between the shore and the Delaware River, ran along the Passaic. Many

The Greater Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Greater Freedom - Essay Example To address the intricacies arising from the freedom of expression, several considerations will be put in place. To begin with, the influence of the political class on judicial proceedings will be limited or completely prohibited. In China, Woodman (2015) asserts that the freedom of expression is accorded selectively depending on the social standing or due to the subjectivity of a powerful political figure. The judiciary is thus not autonomous, and prevalence of justice is sabotaged. Secondly, the government will be held accountable through democratic platforms. Margaritis (2013) illustrates how Greece protects the presidency against criticism by all means regardless of the position of the country. The author postulates that such provisions ought to be overturned to allow critics to express their opinions about the leadership of their country legally. Lack of questioning or critique of the government breeds corruption and other dubious deals whose burden and effects are borne by the c itizens. At the very least, these two approaches and foreign precedents are fundamental in strengthening the freedom of expression.Also, it will be beneficial to carry over the First Amendments into the new nation. This is because the amendments were made at a time when the United States was experiencing a lot of turbulence due to the then government’s discrimination against those who defied its rulings no matter how weird they were. It was during this period that the people were allowed to be affiliated with their religious groups of choice.

Marketing Research and Segmentation Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing and Segmentation - Research Paper Example The author of this research essay "Marketing Research and Segmentation" considers that marketing can help a firm to improve its image in the market and expand its customer base. He analyses the real existing example - Macquarie University Hospital. He makes a brief description of the hospital and makes a market research – psychographic & lifestyle analysis. An appropriately customized lifestyle analysis has been used for helping the organization to proceed to market segmentation. In this way, the relationship between the organization and its customers would be improved leading the organization to a long – term growth. In conclusion the author sums up that the lifestyle analysis of people in NSW can help marketers in Macquarie University Hospital to develop an effective marketing plan based on market segmentation, in terms of income and gender. However, the potential drawbacks of lifestyle analysis, as analyzed earlier, should not be ignored. Also, marketers in the Macquarie Hospital should take into consideration the fact that in current market conditions, which are highly turbulent, it is difficult for market trends to remain unchanged. By the way, the author is accurate with demographic information: the demographic information used in this paper has been based on reports published by the Australian government and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. From this point of view, the validity and the accuracy of information used in the development of this study could not be doubted.

European Employment Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

European Employment Policy - Essay Example Therefore minimum wage laws have been introduced which foresee crisis of unemployment, if fewer employers are interested to hire labor, where as more people are willing to offer their services. Therefore, the law intends to maintain the equilibrium, to avoid social and economic turmoil. The amount of labor supplied by the workers is directly proportional to the nominal wage, a certain increase in the wage, forecast increase in the labor supply. The observation is based on the assumption that an employee hired at a low wage will prefer to consume 'leisure and forego wages', a slight increase in the nominal range, it becomes difficult to practice leisure and avoid labor, therefore there is an increase in the number of workers wiling to offer labor. The relationship between the labor supplied and nominal wage is function of different variables including price. A substantial increase in the price level will reduce the number of workers, at all wages (Wascher, 1995). The charter of European Union has observed that there exists an inverse relationship between the nominal wage, and the 'amount of labor demanded by the organizations'. A substantial increase in the wages is likely to compel the organizations to reduce recruitment schemes. The relationship has been derived on the basis of an assumption that the organization prefers saving for increased proportion of profitability i.e. such level of production is aimed by the organization which increases the profit i.e. the difference between expenses and revenue. The revenue is based on the price of an item, and quantity of the items sold (Christopher, 2005). The expenses include the amount of wages, which is based on the labor and services. Therefore, the company will prefer to maintain a minimum threshold level to secure profit, on the basis of reduction in the wages, as more workers are employed, the labor wage increases which turn the organization less profitable. The price factor may compel the organizations to recruit the employees for all wage levels (Gold, 1993). As per the regulation, the commission has defined a minimum age for the employment; the minimum age is greater than the minimum school leaving age. The charter has focused upon the fact that parent employees shall be provided parental leave, and parent employees have been urged to spend their time with their families particularly children. The charter has listed provisions for the access to childcare during working hours. The charter has defined a maximum limit for the weekly working hours; the maximum weekly working hours shall not be greater than forty eight, which is inclusive of the working hours. As per the charter, the employees are eligible for at least four week's paid annual leave, on unconditional basis. The charter has described minimum rest period which shall be eleven hours on daily basis, and minimum one day on weekly basis. The charter has limited the duration of work during might hours, and has limited the working hours during night time to maximum of eight hours (Gol d, 1993). Minimum Wages and Labor Market: Equilibrium It has been predicted that minimum wage laws are expected to increase unemployment, if minimum wage is established above equilibrium wage. It is because, a large number of employees will be interested in offering their services in exchange for higher wages, on contrary on small and limited number of such

Staffing Shortage in the nursing profession Research Paper

Staffing Shortage in the nursing profession - Research Paper Example Exploring the problem of the nursing shortage is essential in order to come up with structured and long term solutions. Some of the factors known to have contributed to this problem include the aging of the registered nurses and the impact of educators in the nursing field. Negative perception of the nursing perception of the nursing procession has a profound effect on the enrollment rates. The negative impact of some of these factors has been felt in both nursing profession and the quality of patient care. Nurses are supposed to provide adequate safe care in a critical care setting. The problem is linked to the high turnover rates of registered nurses in the profession. The problem has been compounded by the incompetent leadership with is hand-off and laisser fair. The shortage of the nurses is a multicultural set up can only be addressed through a balanced approach. The leadership style used by the nurse manager is essential. This is because it can be a source of inspiration, or reduce the morale among nurses (Bland, 2008). The leadership style of the manager was easy going but keen of getting the job completed. During the clinical experience, the clinical nursing management was evidently approachable, trustworthy and naturally quiet. The quality of nurse education depends on the clinical experience. Both professors and hospitals play a crucial role. However, management and leadership can affect the effectiveness in the profession. Research shows that effective students placement given rise to confident professional nurses (Peter & David, 2009). The experiences are central to student nurse preparation before entering the workforce. Clinical experiences expose nurses to role models and develop their problem solving skills. It becomes easy to incorporate the theoretical skills into practical experiences in a clinical environment (Buchan, 2006). Pa tient care is a priority. When nurses are subjected to strenuous professional conditions, patient care tends to falter. Studies show that staff shortage and strenuous jobs cause the nurses to have emotional exhaustion and excellent job dissatisfaction. This can result to avoidable deaths. Nursing shortage is said to affect the work-life of nurses, and the time spent with patients. A survey indicated that 75 percent of the registered nurses believe staff shortage increases stress among nurses. 93 percent indicated that nurse shortage lower the quality of patient care and 93 percent also believed this resulted in high rates of turnover. Therefore, the clinical experience indicated that increasing the staff leads to a reduction in hospital mortalities. However, it is increasingly becoming clear that hospitals lack the required supply of nurses to cater for the increased workloads. The staff mix depicted a multicultural set up with 60 percent Philippines, 30 percent whites and a minorit y of 10 percent blacks. This called to an inclusive culture where negative ethnicity or racism was highly discouraged. The attribute of cultural diversity was viewed as strength. Multilingual skills were a strong advantage in the hospital when it came to overcoming

Chinese movie street angle Zhou Xuan Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Chinese street angle Zhou Xuan - Movie Review Example is seen when Xiao Hong entertains the guests by singing indirectly about her disturbed life as it can be seen in her sorrowful and slightly angered face (1 min 52 sec). She seems vulnerable as she sings of a woman who has fled her home after losing her dear parents. This outlines a quote from the book The International Film musical â€Å"female performers as protagonist and for spectatorial attraction". Xiao Hong is the central character in this film, as her singing has boosted spectatorial attraction; thus improving the film. From this movie, Xiao Hong character is presented as impish teenager in love. From her life story, she is characterized as a loving girl. The character of love is clear in the film where Xiao Hong recalls of how she longed to see her parents and her hometown. Because of the war, she lost her loving parents. She expresses her sorrow and love for her parents to the audience by telling them about her torments at nights when she wakes up at night and finds no parents, only the moonlight. She is left to work for her living by entertaining guests in the form of singing. Evidently the song of seasons poetically talks about Xiao Hong life before and after the war. Moreover, Xiao Hong is characterized as broken hearted when she starts singing; â€Å"maiden sits by the window embroidering a pair of mandarin ducks†. Anciently, mandarin ducks symbolized people in love, and there was a heartless blow that tore the ducks apart. When the war broke, and she fled her home, she was separated f rom her life and her lover. She recalls how she would sew winter clothes and take to her lover (2 min 40 sec). She is characterized in this movie as shy but brave. This is seen when she starts fondling her hair and biting her cloth before telling her story , and at the same time brave and wise enough to entertain and also tell her story, that even if she was exiled taken from her home, she could still find lovely scenery in â€Å"the south of the river†. Moreover as a

Ethnic Market Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Market Essay With mounting western influence and focus on revival of traditional Indian fashion elements, diversity in India sees many faces. To maintain the dignity of the culture and to provide a platform to small Indian brands, future group initiated ethnocentrism concept by opening ethnicity store in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This initiative has provided new format insights to organized retailers to expand their horizons in highly volatile Indian consumer oriented market. A new format has always been a challenge to any retailer to sustain into the market. In the changing face of market, to regain preference of consumers towards nationalized brands, can be looked from a confronting angle. This created an anxiety in the mind of researchers and inspired them to undergo the research to understand the ethnicity concept. Ethnicity format is studied based on the first ethnicity store set up in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat and glimpses are taken from the second and third store set up in Mumbai and Pune respectively. Research is secondary followed by primary in nature. This paper gives insights into the overall set up of ethnicity format that includes differentiating Criterias of ethnicity in comparison to regular retail formats based on observation at the store. Questionnaire based survey is also performed to get opinion on ethnicity store and paper gives insights into preferential category for purchase for future developments Consumers have given a very good response to the new concept. Along with shopping, experiences of consumers with the format have given a lasting impact on their mind-set. Further Raja market, Rani Market, Thoda aur market are found attractive to consumers and have gained good preference of consumers followed by Sona-chandi market Chota India and Ghar aangan market. The insights into concept development and suggested potential extended formats of ethnicity may readily work as a pillar to stand into the market for new retailers. Keywords: Ethnicity, Ethnocentrism, Organized Retail, Nationalized brands. Introduction Indian fashion industry is moving towards westernization due to high level of acceptance of foreign brands by the consumers. Due to this ,western brands are getting a wider platform than the ethnic brands across the country. As a result, national/ethnic products are even overlooked by consumers and time may come that such products may disappear from the market. To protect the Indian heritage, Future group took up the maiden initiative to provide a space to Indian products and brands under its own name and fame Future Group, Indias leading business house with strong presence in retail sector, launched a new retail format, family lifestyle store Ethnicity, in Ahmadabad to market ethnic brands and products of India in 2008. This chain is a major family format developed after the launch of *Professor, G. H. Patel Post Graduate Institute of Business Management, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar. **Assistant Professor, N. R. Institute of Business Management (GLS-MBA), Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad. Pacific Business Review International 2 highly successful family formats like Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, and Home Town. The new store format that has been billed as Everything Indian, seeks to promote ethnic brands, ranging from ethnic and fusion wear, Jewellery, handicrafts, home decor, beauty products to accessories and gifts. Thus ethnicity showcases a large number of small Indian brands under one roof. Ethnicity besides promoting the culture of ethnic products, provide a modern platform to augment the presence of the retailers into the industry. Research Objectives †¢ †¢ †¢ To understand the concept of ethnicity as a new retail format To understand differentiating factors of ethnicity store in comparison to the modern retail stores. To understand the consumers preference towards the new format. Scope of the Study The study has explored the concept of ethnicity. In includes understanding of the theme and concept development, merchandise development and differentiation criteria of format in comparison to existing formats. Further to understand acceptance of the new format, consumers preference towards the offerings has also been analyzed Data Collection Sources Secondary data sources have been used to understand the concept the ethnicity. Information has been taken from leaflet provided by ethnicity store of Ahmedabad, and Company website to get insights into ethnicity store of Pune and Mumbai. Articles kept on the websites are also used at the launch of ethnicity. Primary data has been collected through questionnaire to know consumers preference towards the new format. Respondents were the consumers of Ahmedabad who visited ethnicity store. Sample of 100 respondents was administered out of which 94 responses identified as valid sample for the study. Literature Review Ethnic origin has been defined as a group of people who share a common descent, a sense of collective identity and usually a shared cultural heritage and tradition (Crysdale and Bettie, 1973). Ethnicity implies common customs, values, and attitudes within a group of people who are bound by a common cultural identification. Because values reflect a standard or criterion that people use in the guidance of behavior, they act as a norm for ethnic consumer behavior and an influence on many consumption motives. Ethnic Marketing Ethnic marketing is an important aspect of lifestyle marketing, a strategy that tailors a companys products and services towards the customers lifestyles. According to Technopak Analysis, the current market of sarees and ethnic wear stands at Rs 31,000 crore and is projected to grow at 10 per cent to reach Rs 45,000 crore in 2014. Views expressing rationale towards ethnic marketing Mr. Arvind Singhal, chairman of management consulting and retail specialist firm Technopak Advisors (201011) said, Overall apparel category spends are rising, with special focus on ethnic wear brands, where many new brands have emerged as market heroes. They sensed the vacuum in the market, ease of entry, and attracted women the most interesting target consumer, which places the Indian ethnic wear market at Rs. 56,800 Crore, growing at 9% annually. Govind Shrikhande, customer care associate and managing director, Shoppers Stop said Branded ethnic Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) wear is one of the top selling categories in our stores. For the past few years this segment has seen double digit growth, Mr. Gaurav Mahajan, CEO, Westside, a Tata group company said ,Indian ethnic wear is an integral part of our customer promise. We widened the Westside range and introduced Zuba, which offers silks and authentic handlooms. This autumn will see the launch of two more brands, Mr. Rakesh Biyani, joint managing director, Future Group said ,There is a significant rise in demand for womens ethnic clothing. There is a big gap between the opportunity and what is being delivered today by organized players. This gap identification generated a lead to cover the untapped ethnic market and future group took up the initiative to establish ethnicity store as a revolution in the existing apparel format. Concept development of Ethnicity Store by Future Group. Store Design Future Group has launched the first of a chain of stores aimed at retailing Indian wear in 2008 in Ahmedabad city. It is the branded Ethnicity store that keeps the a range of ethnic and fusion wear, jewelry, handicrafts, home decor, beauty products and accessories and gifts. All the products are India inspired. The store is having a spread over an area of 25,000 to 30,000 sq. ft. Store Objective The apparel labeled as traditional and indoor clothing a decade ago, has laid the foundation for todays contemporary Indian ethnic chic. Ethnicity proudly follows the Indian values of being sensitive to Ahmedabad city, environment and community. It provides a platform to bring together traditional or ethnic 3 retailers and consumers. It recreates the know-how of a traditional ethnic market in a modern retail format and is an aggregator of the multi-faceted ethnic merchandise and traditional selling practices. It revives and rejuvenates anything and everything that is Indian. It aims to truly open out the urban ethnic market and redefine the scale of ethnic merchandising. Ethnic-Theme Positioning at the Store The concept Ethnicity is not limited to ethnic clothing but it is a destination to get the unique experience. The key differentiator for Ethnicity lies in its 360-degree shopping experience. Ethnicitys store design reflects a distinctly ethnic character visual merchandising tools include artifacts, paintings and decor pieces from Rajasthan, Orissa and Gujarat. Visual merchandising at ethnicity is like the synopsis of a story book. Ethnicity has gone the Desi way (Highly traditional) to become attractive and communicative. It is vital to not only be a differentiated retailer but also to draw out the true essence of the products. Branding in ethnic wear has been led by region of origin of the product like Benaresi sarees, Lucknowi kurta, Kutchchi Bandhani. The store is colorfully designed and the flashiness gives it an ambience of luxury and festivity. Atmosphere at Ethincity Store Atmospheric at ethnicity store is a reflection of Indian heritage. Instead of halogen lights, everywhere light is reflected by lanterns. Instead of room freshener or perfumes, a raw fragrant of essential oil from flowers known as attar is used to mesmerizes the entrant and bring them to the Indian culture. All the racks for display of merchandise are developed from wooden and outside decoration is of handicraft, which gives a reflection of Indian art. Instead of having all the racks or shelves for display, few of the merchandise is displayed on cot. Store assistants are dressed in ethnic kurtas for refreshments, Coconut water is served in a lorry (Cart) which gives a flavor of typical Indian culture, on the road serving. Pacific Business Review International 4 Use of multi colors, art and fancy designs, air fragrance and traditional lightings give all time festival feeling experience. market. Chosen name for the market is based on arterial language of India. With the theme of ethnocentrism, the collection represents only Indian brands in all the merchandise. Merchandise at Ethnicity Store All the offerings are divided into a Niche name of Overall Analysis of Ethnicity Store Table 1 Store Sections Generic category name Ethnic name at ethnicity store Women’s wear category Rani market-everything ethnic for women Men’s wear category Raja market-everything ethnic for men Kid’s wear category Chota India market Jewellery/ accessories Sona –chandi market- ethnic Jewellery Home accessories Ghar –aangan- ethnic ideas for your home Stationary/medical items Thoda aur- ethnic accessories and more Source: http://www. indiaretailing. com/organising-ethnic-retail. asp Data Analysis Regular formats of organized retail stores have their specific offerings. While ethnicity store has differentiated the same to give a new experience to the consumers. Based on observation at ethnicity store, the following comparison has been made to derive the differentiation criteria Table 2 Comparative Analysis: Organized Regular Retail Format V/s. Ethnicity Format Parameter Organized Retail Organized retailOutlet outlet Theme A move culture Objective To give exposure to western To give platform to Indian brands culture dynamics and appeal to ethnocentrism Size of the outlet Large size Comparatively small size Structure Vertical departmentation Horizontal departmentation. Availability of brands Global brands Only Indian brands Atmospheric Exclusive halogen lights lantern /yellow lights towards Ethnicity Store Ethnicity store western A move towards Indian legacy Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) 5 Decoration No additional decoration Fully decorated with colors, lamps, handicraft ,puppets etc. -looks like all time festival Music Western songs Indian instrumental Fragrance Room fresheners Raw fragrant of essential oil from flowers known as attar Shelves Racks Along with racks Traditional village themed cots with four legs Merchandise division Products are separate Gender wise product bundling. Apparel gets displayed in one section, accessories other section, footwear another section and so on e. g. Raja market includes apparel ,accessories ,footwear addressing men. Rani market includes apparel, accessories, footwear for women Merchandise name English names Traditional Indian names Store assistant’s dressing Western formal wear Traditional Indian kurta Packaging Plastic printed bags Paper bags with traditional look Merchandise Western outfits western designs and indo- Indian traditional embroidery work outfits with Shoes Mojaris and chappals Indo-western painting Handicraft Cosmetic products. Natural ayurvedic products and aromatherapy Perfumes Incense stick, fragrances Light chandelier Candles and Lantern Artificial jewellery Stone work, Kundan jewellery Refreshments Food court with multi cuisine Small push cart/lorry with coconut water Deliverable Shopping Experience attar, natural Source: Primary data collection through observation Analysis of Consumers Preference Towards Ethnicity Store: Consumers survey has been performed to get insights into their experience towards the format with the help of questionnaire. Respondents were the consumers who visited the ethnicity store. Pacific Business Review International 6 Figure 1 Consumers Preference towards the Market based Merchandise at Ethnicity Store with Mean Rank ( where 1 is least and 5 is maximum) 0 1 2 3 4 5 4. 25 Raja Market 4. 02 Rani Market 2. 80 Chota India 3. 20 Sona Chandi Ghar Aangan 2. 05 4. 15 Thoda aur Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Consumers preference towards the ethnic theme based markets is analyzed to know the preferred market. This analysis is aimed at developing the market to increase the preference †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Consumers are highly satisfied with Raja Market offerings followed by Rani market and thoda aur market. New introductions in thoda aur market like lamps, candle and fragrances, ayurvedic products etc have grabbed attention of people which gives a lead to introduce more unique and Indian traditional items. Sona chandi market has got a good response. Thus it can be interpreted that fashion accessories in ethnic look are keeping tune with the ethnic garments. As per consumers opinion, Chota India is yet to gain preference may be because of traditional designs that are not preferred more for kids in †¢ comparison to western attractive outfits with cartoon characters Again as per consumers opinion, Ghar aangan is also yet to gain preference may be because of bed sheets, utensils, toys , purchase for rituals like puja ka saaman etc. have pre-existence of established unorganized market. Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) 7 Consumers Preference towards Ethnic Products for Three Most Preferred Markets Figure 2 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Females as Rani Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Fusion wear and Mix Match are able to attract consumers as it is a new and unique base of ethnic products. As Saari, salwaar kamiz have become a common purchase and many platforms are available to address the demand, preference is found at the moderate level. Figure 3 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Males as Raja Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire In mens wear traditional wear in the form of Jodhpuri, Chudidar and kurtas along with traditional mojaris have attracted consumers to larger extent Pacific Business Review International 8 Figure 4 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Thoda Aur Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Full range of Fragrances and Candles Incense has been introduced by ethnicity store. It has got extra ordinary preference of consumers. Thus it has contributed towards maintenance of Indian legacy Consumers preference towards Aromatherapy Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical wellbeing. Aroma therapists blend therapeutic essential oils especially for each individual and suggest methods of use such as topical application, massage, inhalation or water immersion to stimulate the desired responses. Aroma therapy oils may include : †¢ Peppermint Digestive disorders †¢ Rosemary Muscular pains, mental stimulant †¢ Sandalwood Depression, anxiety and nervous tension †¢ Sweet orange Depression and anxiety. †¢ Tea tree Respiratory problems, antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral †¢ Lavender Headaches, insomnia, burns, aches and pain Ethnicity store has provided the platform for Aromatherapy. Full range of essential oils has been displayed to generate the awareness and preference towards the same. It is aimed at generating awareness towards ayurvedic medicine in the arena of allopath for better and secure treatment. Ethnicity has taken maiden initiative to mould the consumers psychology towards naturopath. (Graph on next page) It can be interpreted from figure-5 that first hand response has been satisfactory with 49% for. Aromatherapy and thus it enjoys the potential to increase the preference in future. The atmospheric of traditional products is supporting the purchase of traditional way of health supplements. The advice and explanation given along with the product has played important role in making realization to go for natural products Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) 9 Figure 5 Preference has been Analyzed for Aroma Therapy Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Figure 6 Analysis of Consumers Satisfaction towards Ethnicity Store: Consumers level of satisfaction towards the differentiated offerings has been analyzed. Such analysis is aimed at identifying the most appealing differentiation for future positioning of the store and developing the strategies that may lead to future satisfaction Competitive Assessment Matrix with Mean Rank ( Where 1 is least and 5 is maximum) Regular Organized Retail Formats and Ethnicity Store Consumers’ satisfaction on competitive assessment matrix 0 1 2 3 4 5 4. 05 4. 95 Theme 2. 30 2. 60 Price 3. 25 4. 00 Variety 3. 94 4. 35 Display 4. 00 Experience Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Keys : Regular organized retail outlets Ethnicity store 5. 00 Pacific Business Review International 10 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢. Competitive assessment matrix depicts that ethnicity theme is highly appealing to the people. The differentiation point of giving experience to the consumers than only to provide a platform for shopping is getting correct positioning in the mind set of consumers as it is applauded by consumers with the mean rank of 4. 95. Unique display of ethnicity is highly appreciated by consumers in comparison to regular organized retail formats. On the dimension of variety ethnicity is lagging behind in comparison, the contributing reason may be limited number of Indian brands into each category. As far as pricing is concerned none of the outlets satisfied the consumers expectation. It brings out the fact that price structure is too high. Here opportunity lies with ethnicity store to discriminate pricing strategy to get competitive edge over other formats. It might be feasible to reformulate the pricing strategy due to nationalized brands. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Suggestions †¢ Major Findings †¢ †¢ †¢ Ethnicity is indeed a revolutionary move towards consumers ethnocentrism. National players have also joined hands with the big retailer and accepted the opportunity to address the mass market. Thus it has contributed to a greater extent in providing a wider platform to small retailer of India. Further is has contributed towards generating awareness of ethnic products and brands of allover India which were not noticed by the consumers and importance was not realized by consumers. It is an absolutely unique model into organized retail formats. Everything starting from atmospherics to collection of brands, merchandise display and packaging is uniquely positioned with the nationalized theme. It provides a feel-good factor and thrilling experience to the consumers. Consumers are getting attracted by the theme and getting exposed and penetrated by ethnic products. Today consumers look for fashionable clothes. National brands which were not recognized earlier, have provided a platform of fashion to explore Consumers are highly satisfied with Raja Market offerings followed by Rani market and thoda aur market. Fusion wear, Mix Match, Jodhpuri,Kurtas, Chudidars, Mojaris and fragrances ,candles and incense are able to get preference of people. Aroma therapy is able to get good welcome form the consumers. Ethnic designs are getting acceptance in the form of novelty. In all this innovative concept well applauded by consumers as they are getting exposed to all the variety and designs of products of all the corners of India under one roof. †¢ †¢ †¢ More Indian retailers should be motivated to provide huge collection of ethnic products in the categories of mens wear and womens wear to provide more varieties. There is a need to increase the range of aroma therapy offerings to increase the awareness and consumption. Fragrances, candles and incense offerings have brought Indian values back in the preferences. This has showcased a very good business potential as a whole. There is a need to provide more and more offerings into the segment with more and more varieties. Potential revolutions into existing format of ethnicity for India. Format can be expanded by introducing specialties of major states/cities of India †¢ Rajasthan market Art craft †¢ Jamnagar market-Bandhani Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Bangalore -Silk garments Chennai- Pearl jewellery Kerala market-Spices Format can be expanded by introducing specialty food of major states/cities of India it may help to give a back shift to the consumer trend which is moving towards western food Gujarati food Punjabi food South Indian food Rajasthani food North Indian food Kathiyawadi food Potential revolutions into existing format of ethnicity for other countries. It has been witnessed that countries are getting specialized into technological innovations but spread of such innovations into the same continent reflects questionable behavior of consumers. Many a times it is because of lack of awareness. Such type of format may provide a common platform to explore the small innovative products at consumer end E. g. European countries. Fashion based Ethnicity- As fashion industry is one of the major growing industries in Europe, all fashion statements can be displayed under one platform †¢ Fashion statement of Italy †¢ Fashion statement of France †¢ Fashion statement of United kingdom Technology based ethnicity- Technical Research. innovation driven countries, all innovations can be displayed under one platform †¢ Big to small innovative products of Finland †¢ Big to small innovative products of Germany †¢ IT Renewable technology based products from Sweden †¢ Electric technology innovations of Netherland E. g. Asian Countries 11 Technology based ethnicity. †¢ Robotic technology based innovative small to big products from South Korea Japan References Crysdale and Bettie, 1973, Retrieved from, http:// www. manifolddatamining. com /html /products/ ethnicmarketing. htm on 15/02/2012 Anuradha Shukla, Ethnic wear market booms in India retrieved from http://wonderwoman. intoday. in/ story/ethnic-wear-market-booms-in-india/1/ 88440. html http://indiatoday. intoday. in/story/ethnic-wear-marketto-grow/1/124981. html retrieved on 06/02/2012 koregaonparkplaza, pune (2011) retrieved from http:// w w w. k o r e g a o n p a r k p l a z a . c o m / s t o r s details. asp? id=77catid=1st=1 retrieved on 06/ 02/2012 Runul Vashistha, (2009) retrieved from http:// www. indiar et a iling. com/ R et ailC oncep t _ details. aspx? Id=58 retrieved on 02/02/2012 Pooja nair, (2009). retrieved from http://ahmedabad. metromela. com/Lamps+and+ethnic+ wear+at+. Ethnicity/article/3183 retrieved on 15/02/2012 Shailesh Shah, (2012). Ethnicity: Towards organising ethnic retail, retrieved from http: // www. indiaretailing. com/organising-ethnicretail. asp retrieved on 02/02/2012 http://www. pantaloonretail. in/pdf/ethnicity_karigari. pdf Reference Book Jr. Churchill Gilbert A. , Lacobucci Dawn, Israel D. , (2009),Marketing Research- A South Asian Perspective, India Edition, Delhi: Cencage Learning. Additional material Leaflet circulated at ethnicity store 12 Glossary Attar: A fragrant of essential oil typically made from rose petals Ayurvedic: It is a Hindu system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. Ayurveda can be defined as a system, which uses the inherent principles of nature, to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individuals body, mind and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature Bandhani: A process of patterning cloth by tie-dyeing in which the design is reserved on the undyed cloth by tying small spots very tightly with thread to protect them from the dye especially popular in Rajasthan and India Chappal: An item of Indian footwear, similar to a flipflop with a toe strap Chota (India market): Younger, junior child related products. Pacific Business Review International Kundan Jewellery: Kundan is a traditional Indian gemstone jewelry, a method of gem setting in a jewellery piece, consisting of inserting gold foil between the stones and its mount, usually used to create elaborate necklaces believed to have originate in royal courts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is the oldest form of jewellery made and worn in India Kurta: A knee-length, collarless shirt worn over pajamas by men in India Mojaris: A style of South Asian handcrafted footwear mostly using vegetable-tanned leatherproduced in India Organized retail: Organized retail has been defined as a network of similarly branded stores with an element of self service Raja (Market): A prince, chief, or ruler related products in India Rani (Market): Indian princess related products Ethnicity: Ethnicity implies common customs, values, and attitudes within a group of people who are bound by a common cultural identification Saree: a dress worn primarily by Hindu women; consists of several yards of light material that is draped around the body Ethnic groups: A group of people who share a common descent, a sense of collective identity and usually a shared cultural heritage and tradition Sona-chandi (market)-Gold silver related products/jewellery Ethnic Marketing: Ethnic marketing is an important aspect of lifestyle marketing, a strategy that tailors a companys products and services towards the customers lifestyles Ghar -aangan (market):Home decoration related products Handicraft: Items made by hand, often with the use of simple tools, and are generally artistic and/or traditional in nature . They are the objects of utility and objects of decoration. Incense stick: It is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned Thoda aur (market): somewhat more than the existing here in the context of more than the regular offerings.

Russian Standard Vodka Strategies For Global Markets

Russian Standard Vodka Strategies For Global Markets Introduction Roustam Tariko, founder of the Roust Holdings planned to establish a brand that will set up new standards of world class quality for new breed of global Russian brands. Tariko focused on setting up the standards by a product which is distinctive because of its Russian Heritage so that Russians can take pride in it, and to fulfill this requirement vodka was the obvious option as it is developed in Russia and strongly associated with the country. Tariko launched the vodka and by 2002, Russian Standard was outselling all other brands achieving the top position in the vodka market. This success of the Russian brand was attributed because of its consistent product quality, packaging, and merchandising and of course because of its strong depiction of Russian heritage. Encouraged by its success, Tarikos management launched the Russian Standard in the European countries aiming to make it the best vodka globally. Russian Standard vodka was making business in around 10 European countries, the company wishes to enlarge the business by further crossing the boundaries by entering into the US Market. Vodka is very famous in the US; it has a huge market, largest around the globe and there are many best selling companies which offer premium quality vodka. Launching Russian Standard vodka in US would mean high competition with the already existing brands that are quite popular among customers. The Russian Standards also expanded the list as Tariko decided to launch a new type of bank which will serve foreign trade companies, small business and individual customers. The challenge faced by the Russian Brands team was to make the two diverse businesses compatible with each other while maintaining the standards of the Russian Brand. The report presents a brief overview of the brand equity concept of the Russian Standards and the reasons behind its success story, discusses the horizontal brand diffusion in terms, and also debates over the possibility of launching Russian Standard in US and whether it needs to change its strategies to attract the customers. Brand equity is considered to be a crucial source for profitability. A firm with strong brand equity can have a significant edge in the market as compared to its competitor. It can be able to charge higher prices with its brand image backing it up. The firm can also enjoy a larger market share, a possibility of further product extensions and even draw more investment into the existing business. This is the reason why in the present world, branding or brand image has become a very important strategic issue for businesses. Businesses such as Pepsi, Coca Cola, Ralph Lauren, Nestle etc have very strong brand equities, because of which they are able to enjoy huge market shares as well as the ability to price their products higher than what they would have if they did not have their respective brand names. Brand equity is the value of a company which is only because of its name. As observed by Dr. Ramachandran (2010) brand equity is the outcome which is attributed to the products brand name as compared to the same product without a brand name. Due to the benefits strong brand equity can provide, every corporate entity works their utmost to excel others in the retail sector. However the question arises that what makes a brands equity stronger than it is? According to Kellers (2003) brand equity pyramid, there are mainly four steps and six building blocks which establish a consumer based brand equity for a firm, namely; Salience (identity), Performance and Imagery (meaning), Judgments and Feelings (Response) and finally Resonance (relationship) (Appendix 1). These are the steps at which the consumer asks respective questions related to the firm, and each step leads onto the next until the consumer places complete confidence in the firm, and thus the firm is able to acquire strong brand equity. This model by Keller (2003) can be used to explain how the Russian Standard brand was able to establish strong brand equity and how this brand equity helped the company to gain commendable success in Russia. Brand Salience The very first step in the pyramid is that of Salience, or identity. This is the step where the consumers ask the firm or product, who are you. This means that when a firm is introduced in the market, the firm establishes distinct identity. It establishes its association to a particular product class, i.e. consumers consider the firm/product according to this distinct identity. Brand salience can be defined as to how often and easily the brand is evoked under various situations and circumstances? (Keller, 2001) The beginning of the Russian Standard brand was with a mindset that its products were to be established in such a way which would be able to gain long lasting consumer association. The objective was to establish an exclusive product, which focused on Russian traditions. The brand identity established by Tariko was such that the Russian Standard brand was identified as the standard for Russians. The aim was to reach for the emotional aspect of consumers while they can relate themselves to the brand and claim pride in owning it. As the case study points out that the Russian Standard Vodka is identified as a traditional Russian souvenir, like matryoshka wooden dolls, Red Army captain watches, and lacquer boxes from Palekh (Grigorian, 2000). The intricate details taken into account in establishing the brand salience for the Russian Standard Vodka can be largely attributed to the brand equity that it enjoys today. Keeping the brand equity in order to build and protect the equity a brand positioned as a premium brand has to keep up with the expectancy by the consumers. For a premium brand the customer expectancy is not only from the quality of the product but it starts from the manufacturing to the pricing to packaging to delivering as well as to promotion (NetMBA). In all these levels a premium level of quality is expected. Russian standard has been careful in keeping quality at the utmost level while carrying out the four Ps. The product was produced with quality ingredients. The packaging was outlining quality in every aspect including meticulous details like design, labels, bottle caps and cases. The pricing was done to put the product in the premium to super premium category and the distribution was carefully laid out to acquire shelf spaces in fancy restaurants and night clubs and even in the highly perceived supermarkets. Brand Meaning Moving onto the next step of the Kellers pyramid, Performance and Imagery are what gives a brand its meaning in the minds of the consumers. The performance block includes all the principal characteristics of the brand, i.e. how well is the brand able to conform to the consumers psychological and functional requirements. This portion of the pyramid basically includes the basic features of the product, pricing, design, durability etc. Whereas, the brand imagery portion of the pyramid includes all the characteristics that are connected to the product, i.e. the products user profile, the values and history that the product reflect along with the distributional structure of the product(Keller, 2003). The Russian Standard brand was known for its quality, packaging and strong distribution channels. It was designed to be the first domestic brand to create a rich mosaic of imagery. It focused not only on quality but also on the price, packaging, merchandizing and communication. The Russian brand emphasized on depicting the Russian heritage to connect to the Russian customer and also achieve and ensure product quality that will attract the customers and make them loyal to the brand. The Russian major scientific institute which specialized on food research, in 1990s, along with Mendleev formulated a formula for vodka, this was patented to be exclusively Russian, it was considered a symbol of quality. The quality based on Mendeleevs recommendations of the vodka was of utmost importance to Tariko, which was then communicated to the people through extensive advertisement promotion, the designed bottle of vodka showed Mendeleves signature so that the customer will felt secure about the qua lity of the product. By establishing this strong connection of vodka with the Russian heritage, Traiko developed a certain sense of meaning and understanding among his customers that they were attracted emotionally and physiologically towards the Russian Brand vodka, and this sense of owning and connecting to the product not only attracted as many locals but also ensured their loyalty towards the product. Other than this, the Russian Brand also priced the product in a very appropriate way; the price was in support of its image as an exclusive brand. The vodka was priced more than other local brands, while still it was less expensive than the imported brands. This helped the Russian Standard Vodka to be recognized as an elite brand, in league with the imported brands; whilst at the same time it helped in gaining profits for the firm as well (Appendix 3) (Anselmsson, 2007). It mainly targeted the connoisseurs and strivers who preferred high quality products and prestigious brands. Moreover, the packaging of the Russian Standard Vodka was unique and fashionable. The exclusivity of the product and its other brand values was reflected by its packing. Attention was paid to every little detail of packaging of the vodka bottle; from bottle case to its cap and more importantly the shape of the bottle all were designed to emphasize on Tarikos objective of depiction of the Russian heritage and also ensure class and quality to the customers requirement and satisfaction. The packaging was designed by one of the top most design house, so that it would reflect the brands quality. The act of focusing on the packaging of a product was in itself something new for a business in Russia. Quality used to be the sole source of focus for a product, leaving the focus from pricing, packaging or the distribution channel, whereas, in modern marketing techniques, product, price, place, packaging and promotion make up the marketing mix for any product. Therefore, packaging was another on e of the major reasons for the Russian Standard vodka to acquire its brand meaning in the eyes of the consumers. Furthermore, the nostalgic touch to the packaging which reflected the value of the brand increased the brand meaning. The shape of the bottle resembled that of the traditional Russian orthodox churches, and there was a historical signature on the packaging as well.. This helped the consumers in establishing distinct brand imagery for the Russian Standard brand and relate to it. On the other hand, the strong distribution channel of the Russian Standard Brand also helped to setup its brand imagery. The Tarikos import business before the Russian Standard brand helped the new vodka to acquire advantaged shelf space as opposed to what it would have had in case Tariko had no prior reputation. Therefore, the beginning for the Russian Standard Vodkas placement in the market was privileged with supermarket promotions, access to prominent restaurants, clubs and bars. Brand Response The judgment and feelings of the consumers are the next building block. . This is basically the feelings and perceptions of the consumers about the brand (Keller, 2008). The brand judgment includes the brand quality, credibility, and differentiation. The quality includes the value or satisfaction the brand provides the consumers. The Russian Standard Vodka was trusted by the consumers for its quality. The advertised quality was supported by the actual quality of the product. The appropriate marketing mix helped the consumers to relate to the product. The idea of the campaign was to show a transformation from the previous Russian standards and the new ones. It was meant to create a modernized image in the minds of the consumers. However, this was not perceived as desired by many consumers. Most of the people thought of it as disrespectful to degrade Russian traditions no matter which era they belonged to and the message could not transfer to most people as well. So the campaign failed to communicate the intended premium image. It was designed for the international market but the response from the Russian market stopped it from being used abroad. It was not portraying the embracing the past and inspiring progress mantra the company was following. The feeling that was called upon by the advertisement within the consumers was such that they preferred using the Russian Standard Vodka as opposed to the imported brands. The brand acquired more appeal through its unique packaging and quality. The on-premise promotion on the other hand worked better for the company. It was promoted as a prestigious brand in restaurants and night clubs. The off-premise promotion was also carefully planned to portray its elegance by acquiring quality displays and shelves in the supermarkets. Brand Resonance The consumers in the modern times demand much more than just the functional benefits from a product. They demand intangible benefits such as image, status, personality, lifestyle, success and other factors that they can strongly relate to (Aziz and Yasin, 2010). The Russian Standard brand was one of the very first brands in Russia which used all these aspects into account when introducing its products in the market. Prior to this, quality and the product was the only consideration for the businesses. They believed in the supply making its own demand style of selling as opposed to the making a product in accordance to the demand of the people. However, the Russian Standard brand changed the traditional style of marketing and therefore was able to hugely benefit from rapid success in Russia. The Russian Standard brand used all the five Ps of the marketing mix to powerfully introduce itself in the market. From there onwards, it maintained its quality and built a solid name for itself by being consistent and innovative in promotion. The Russian Standard brand was able to establish a reputation which appealed to the consumers nationalistic sense. The idea was to create a strong consumer-brand relationship. Brand resonance can only be healthy if the consumers feel that they are in synchronization with the brands identity and values. Because of its patriotic look the brand was able to delve into the Russian market well. It was in complete harmony with the traditions of the Russian people. Therefore, from the analysis above, it can be said that the rapid success of the Russian Standard brand was not only because of the strong product quality they offered but also due to its right choice of marketing mix and most importantly its uphold with the Russian Identity. As the Roust Organization has already developed strong merchandizing and communication skills and relationships with the both kind of trades that is on-trade and off-trade, it was easy for the Russian Standards to be introduced to the consumers, but it was the Russian Standards strong conviction towards the brand equity that they become increasingly popular with the people and establish a certain kind of bond with them. It can be rightfully said that the success story of Russian Brand vodka emphasizes on all the aspects of the brand equity i.e. to establish brand salience and keep themselves intact with brand meaning to strengthen the bond with the customers keep counter check on the brand response and improve i ncase of any negativity and maintain the high standards, and last but not the least to provide brand resonance to the customers so they can feel pride in using the Russian Brand vodka. Thus it enjoyed rapid success and managed to maintain its position at the top, with these brand equity concepts followed it is today thought as to be one of the traditional Russian Souvenirs. Diversification Horizontal brand extension is one of the diversification strategies for the businesses. As can be seen in the Ansoffs matrix in appendix 2, when a firm increases its business into new products and markets, it is said to be diversifying its business. The benefits from diversification include, profitability, growth, reaping economies of scale if the diversification is within the same product range, avoiding dependence on a single product etc. Capitalizing on the equity of existing brands can produce many benefits for the company (Strach and Everret, 2006) even enhance the perception for the core brand (Aaker, 1991). There are two types of diversification strategies; concentric diversification or conglomerate diversification. Concentric diversification is the one where the product class remains the same. This strategy is to add related products or markets from that of the current line of business. On the other hand, conglomerate diversification is where the firm diversifies into areas that are unrelated to the current product range. Synergy Synergy is the ability of two or more instruments to work together to create something more than what they would have created separately. In a firms case, a synergy would be the extra benefit acquired by two different organizations working together, as opposed to what they would have acquired if they worked separately (Ellwood, 2002). In the Russian Standard brands case, the banking industry and the vodka industry are two unrelated industries. However, the Russian Standard brands aim to establish both these businesses under a single brand name could have been to benefit from synergies. This is possible if the bank and the vodka business together can give a stronger brand equity or profitability as opposed to their working as separate businesses under two different brand names (Aaker, 1991). Conglomerate Diversification: Benefits and Problems The possible motivations for conglomerate diversification include profitability, reducing firm specific risk, and limited growth in the current business along with other benefits of diversification in general. As observed by Martin and Sayrak (2001), the diversified organization may benefit from a larger tax liability than the initial business. Moreover, there may be other benefits from diversification such as risk from suppliers can be reduced, overhead costs can be distributed amongst a larger business (economies of scales), and the debt capacity may increase as well (Lewellen, 1971 as cited in Martin and Sayrak, 2001). Furthermore, the additional business can become a source of internal financing for the combined brand, which can considerably reduce the firms financing costs. This can be done by the management of the combined organization, by redistributing resources within the organization, where a larger amount of funds can be placed in the areas where there is potential of a hi gher gain than some other department (Stein, 1997 as cited in Martin and Sayrak, 2001). On the other hand, conglomerate diversification may create a number of problems for the existing firm. There are chances of administrative problems arising with an increase in the scale of operations (VanAuken, 2011). There can be managerial issues, i.e. an intensification of the principle-agent problem in an organization. Along with this, there can be an inadequate level of experience for the existing firm in the new industry. There may be requirements of the new industry that the current management is completely unaware of. New marketing mix, technical equipment, personnel and a lot more will be required for the new business which the current management may not be able to obtain. Support for and against Conglomerate Diversification In conglomerate diversification there are cases where the diversification has been extremely successful as well as cases where diversification was a source of loss in shareholders value in the initial business (Martin and Sayrak, 2001). Maksimovic and Philips (2002) in their research found out that conglomerate diversification reduces shareholder value, whereas in Martin and Sayraks (2001) work they have given a wide range of supporting as well as opposing arguments, without a significant conclusion as to whether conglomerate diversification is beneficial for the initial firm or it actually dilutes its initial shareholder value. However, it has to be noted that most of this literature is on merging or acquiring conglomerate businesses and not establishing a new business like the Russian Standard brand did. In case of the Russian Standard brand, (Grigorian, 2000) the bank was met with immediate success. Therefore, the success of the bank could be attributed to the existing brand name of the Russian Standard Vodka, but even if it was not because of that then there was definitely no dilution of the brand because of the conglomerate diversification. However, it may be difficult to measure in the Russian Standard brands case whether the success of the bank was because of the credibility of the brand or the right marketing mix for the bank itself. It can be the case that the bank may still have had the same success without the Russian Standard brands name associated to it, because the strategies to establish the bank were appropriate and the marketing mix was correct for the respective environment. This may be very much possible considering the fact that most of the people did not associate the Vodka and the Bank even with the same brand name; few customers made a clear link between the two businesses (Grigorian, 2000). Another aspect in this situation could also be the fact that the owner of the company, Roustam Tariko, had established much credibility for himself as well by being successful very early. His sense of strategic business thinking made him successful in creating a brand image of Russian Standard. The aim to meet international quality standards and improve the image of his country reflected well in his branding strategies. The Russian standard vodka and bank, though both were quite different in terms of relativity but as both were being run by Roust their relativity was somehow subsided by the credibility of the parent company (Ellwood, 2002). Both the brands were leveraging on the Russian Standards image. So the brand could very well diversify instead of considering to be diluted. Therefore, it can be said that even when the banking and vodka businesses are not compatible and few modern businesses actually go for conglomerate diversification, the Russian Standard brand was able to handle the two businesses well. As reputation (Ali, 2008) is one of the main factors that can affect the results of brand extension, the Russian Standard brand had a strong brand equity because of its vodka business which could very well afford to withstand any brand extension. Market Extension Another diversification strategy is to extend ones existing business into new markets. As can be seen in the Ansoff matrix (appendix 2), the market extension (Jewell, 2000) is when the existing product is introduced in some new market. This is another extension strategy that the Russian Standard brand was taking into consideration, i.e. extending its vodka into the US market. The benefits of market extension include profitability, an opportunity to reap economies of scale as the basic product will remain the same and growth of business and operations (VanAuken, 2011). Whereas, the market extension process may cause difficulties for the existing firm, because the new market may be completely different from what the firm has been working in initially. An in depth analysis of the potential market, information of the competitors and consumers, legal regulations, economic and social environment, all are required before the extension may be made. An entirely new marketing mix is required f or the same product for it to be introduced in a new market. If the product is launched in the new market with the same marketing mix, then the probability of its success may be reduced considerably. This is because, consumers in each market have distinct requirements and the social, economic and legal situation is also different from the existing market. Moreover, the potential market may already be saturated with competition, as is the case with the US market for Vodka (Sahani, 2008). The US market already has a number of well positioned, distinct local and foreign brands. Each of the brands available in the market is distinct in its own way, i.e. each has a specific segment of the market that it is very well catering to. Therefore, it can be said that introducing the Russian Standard Vodka in the US market is a difficult task, however with the quality product that it has, it may as well be successful to grasp a section of the market. In order to do this, a new marketing mix will be required for the Russian Standard Vodka to be successful in the US. The Russian Standard Vodka in the US market The Russian Standard Vodka was hugely successful in Russia not just because of its quality, but also its appeal to the nationalist sense in Russia along with its privileged distributional channels. These are the attributes of the Russian Standard Vodka that may not be present when the vodka is introduced in the US market. The US market which is todays largest consumer of vodka, is already very saturated in terms of premium vodka brands. The consumers will not be attracted to the brand merely because of its Russian origin, nor will the brand be able to acquire advantaged distribution channels (Sahani, 2008). Also considering the fact that the relationship between the two countries have always been on a verge of disagreements (Graham, 2008), this can act as creating a certain biasness for the origin of the brand. Based on the market analysis the super premium to premium segment already includes a lot of imported brands. For Russian Standard to create its space the super premium segment will have a benefit in terms of no competition from local brands, since the super premium segment only includes the imported variety. So if Russian Standard vodka changes its market strategy they can be noticeable in the US market. Change in the strategy will have to be emphasized in new and creative ideas of marketing and advertising, for this purpose it is very essential for the Russian Standard management to carefully study the US market, understand what the customers need and want, and what does the other vodka brands offer them, whether is there any loopholes or any gap between the customer requirement and brands offers and if Russian Standard vodka can overcome that gap. The American market is completely different from the Russian market, therefore Russian standard faces a great challenge in first capturing the attention of the American and consumers and then providing them with a better vodka than its competitors. The Russian Standard vodka can be launched in US market, but for a successful launching a lot of literature review and planning is required. From the discussion above it can be said easily that the Russian Standard will have to adapt to the US market to make their space. Many aspects of the Russian Standard vodka advertising and management campaign will plays vital role, among which pricing is the most crucial of all. The price should be appropriate enough to capture the attention of the Americans and maintain class as well. The quality of the Russian Brand vodka will ensure brand loyalty from the customers, but the real challenge is faced in actually making space in already so brand crowded market of the vodka in the US. The Russian Standard Vodka marketing mix for the US market will have to have a significant media campaign as well. This is because, all other competing brands in US have noteworthy amounts of money spent on advertisement, and are using user profiling (associating celebrities to add value to the brand) to their advantage. This is one place, where the Russian Standard Vodka will have to focus to establish a brand image that will appeal to the respective consumers. With the current scenario going pretty well for Russian Standard at home a global impact will add to the equity of the brand. As far as the image and global inconsistency is concerned in order to venture into a foreign market the characteristics must be understood. Since the US is a big market and the people are very accustomed to freedom and rationality Russian Standard will have to adapt to the culture in order to create the brand image (Deresky, 2006). This might impact global consistency of the brand but in order for it t o be associated exclusively to Russia the Russian Standard brand has to be put up as a brand for the elite. One the brand recognition will be spontaneous and second it will enjoy cost effective global positioning (Sahani, 2008). As the current situation of the brand is leading in the Russian Market the intervention in the US market will not be a wrong decision. Another aspect in consideration with the adaptation to the US market involves the brand name Russian standard itself (Deresky, 2006). This can have a positive as well as a negative impact while branding in US. The word Russian associates the Russian traditions with the brand. This can impact in the unique positioning in imported vodkas market. The name will give the product a Russian trait and the market does consist of people inspired more by brands with foreign attribute associated to them. However, the market also consists of people who can be biased in terms of foreign associations. Since Russia has been on major disagreement terms with US in history, some sort of biasness or stereotyping might result in the undermining of the brand (Graham, 2008). Launching Russian Standard Brand vodka in the United State would be challenging but not entirely an impossible job. With change in strategies and with new concepts of brand equity that will be according to the US markets, the Russian Standard Brand may be able to make their space in the strong world of vodka in the United States. Conclusion Therefore keeping these aspects in mind the venture into the US market can be risky at some points since it is the largest vodka market in the world. On the other hand it can also provide Russian Standard the global position it is looking for. It will add to the equity at home and in other markets it plans to venture into. The loyalty will increase and so will the company reap economies of scale by pricing it in the super premium market. References Aaker, A., David 1991, Managing brand equity: capitalizing on the value of brand name, New York, Maxwell Macmillan International. 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