Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Boston Beer Company Case Essay Example for Free

Boston Beer Company Case Essay Background Information_: The Boston Beer Company, which was founded in 1984, had a very diversified thriving product line which entailed about twenty different kinds of beers. Their product was available in over nineteen various countries and used a network of around four hundred distributors. Revenues grew from 21 million dollars to 210 million dollars from inception to 1997. _Problem and Opportunity Identification_: As a result of the companys product line and its variety, the company encountered issues sustaining and upholding of their products such as Lightship which has been withering in recent years and which doesnt have the volume like other products to sustain distribution. Since the light beer business that Lightship belonged to was one that was rapidly growing, the Boston Beer Company felt the need to investigate its products disappointment. The research to do so took place in different forms such as competition, market, and financial analyses, customer surveys, and finally deep emotional analysis using the ZMET technique. _Alternatives_: One option the research team is considering is introducing a new light beer into their product line. It is understandable that since the high-priced light beer industry is one of the biggest and rapidly growing field in the beer industry, the Boston Beer Company wants to occupy and take advantage of this field to further enhance its name and maintain its market share and its standing. However, there are issues in terms of positioning and marketing of this product. The product needs to be communicated as a light, rich, fun beer and targeted at a different audience that entails women. In addition to the fact that this option might cause conflict in terms of the brand image being a macho rough beer brewer, using it doesnt solve the problem for Lightship if Lightship is going to be kept in the market offerings. Another option the research team considered was repositioning Lightship and throwing in more effort and investment into the marketing of the product. It was obvious that, compared to one of their biggest competitors Heineken, the Boston Beer Company has had trouble and sort-of failed to build a unique brand identity for this product. The product was not successfully differentiated and positioned in the market in order for it to build market share and improve standings. This failure could make it difficult for the company to reposition itself and change consumer perceptions to gain their interests and so it might be a waste of time and efforts. Finally, the last option is the dreaded one of not competing in this realm of the industry. This is a very extreme option since this realm is a huge and growing segment of the market and they would be missing out on a lot if they decide to pull out it. The failure to fit into this field, however, might have proved that the Boston Beer Company is not competent enough and ready to compete in this segment. _Critical Issues_: There are two main critical issues that the company should consider when making the decision about their situation in the light beer industry. One critical issue concerns the brand image the company has an umbrella brand image of being a premium masculine macho craft beer brewer and shaking that could be seen to influence consumer perceptions. The second critical issue relates to the field study and the results it yielded do they answer our questions about how to position the light beer product or on whether we should even introduce/keep products in this segment of the market. _Conclusion and Recommendation_: After reviewing the results of the various research techniques, the recommended option would be to introduce a new high-end light beer into the market (while probably retiring Lightship). Making use of the ZMET research results, this new product should be positioned in a manner that represents an active, refreshing, and healthy lifestyle. Having a new product instead of improving Lightship is best in order to avoid the difficult efforts of having to change stubborn consumer perceptions. Also, in terms of the umbrella brand image of BBC being a macho tough image, having a separate offering targeted at other audiences will probably add to the image of having two instead of eroding the existing image.

Monday, January 20, 2020

What is Bruce saying? :: essays research papers

What is Bruce trying to say? At the beginning of the film we are introduced to Bruce Nolan, a television news reporter who is looking for greater success with his career. The next thing to his job is his relationship with his girlfriend Grace which lives with Bruce. As we get to know Bruce, we see that he is frequently in charge but seldom in control. His need to succeed in life is acompanyed with his desire to be well liked are a hindrance to his ability to see what is really important in life and to him. As the film progresses, things do not go the his way for Bruce and he begins to question the justness of his god. When Bruce reaches his lowest point he virtually curses his god and says that he could do better at the duties of being god. Then God sends him a page and waits for the return call. As Bruce makes his way for the appointment with God, we begin to see increasingly more overt symbols of Christianity. I detected religious ideas in some situations that were presented in the film. For example, Bruce’s growing awareness of the suffering of others and the empathy he feels, despite his previous and somewhat charmed life. One thing I think that took this movie out on a limb was it was the frist movie to show a black man playing the role of God. In earlier films the role of god was always played by a white male. What is more compelling about this film is the overtly religious symbolism with the miracles that Bruce makes happen. What appears on the face as secular, under a more careful analysis, is unquestionably religious symbolism. For example, Bruce is a icon in a local television program. Television has been likened to the altar as a focal point of worship in the society we live in today. Now adays a person can watch a religious mass on television. The intent that Bruce demonstrates to put himself into a higher position in that altar is indicative of a reach for greater holiness(a better job). Bruce wants to be a God early on in this film and long before he curses his god and demands his job. Another obvious symbol of religion in this film is Bruce’s reverence to his job. In much of society and especially in American society, we can draw strong ties between organized religion and a corporate place of employment.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Race in Shakespeare

Since the Middle Ages, the issues of race have long been discussed. In nearly every culture, race has been a topic of complex discussion that has brought social discomfort and in most instances racial prejudice – Elizabethan England being no exception. William Shakespeare applies the issue of race in many of his plays; such in the tragedy of Othello that captures the reality of society in Elizabethan England, showing common racial bias of that era. Through his characters in the play, Shakespeare illustrates Elizabethan social ideology towards race, in which foreigners have adapted to a lifestyle of racial prejudice.In order to better understand the racial context behind the tragedy of Othello it is important to keep in mind the historical complexities that existed in Elizabethan England. Elizabethan vision of foreigners was complex and evolving from the Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages, engaging with foreigners involved the spiritual and material aspect of life. Margo Hendricks , author of Shakespeare and Race, explains within Elizabethan culture and literature that foreigners were viewed as those implementing a â€Å"process of vulgarization. Elizabethan awareness of foreigners was closely tied to the religious outlook of the world, in which followers of Judaism and Islam were the antithesis of Christians. The difference in religions prompted the same outlook on difference in race. In the beginning, foreigners mostly blacks, were forcefully brought over to Elizabethan England as â€Å"creatures† that possessed little to no rights. However, as time went on they became members of Elizabethan society known as moors. Although they were now members of society, racial integration with whites often clashed, resulting in complex tensions amongst the different races.Many foreigners in Elizabethan England were blacks, according to Diane Abbott, a current British Member of Parliament, in which the sudden rise in number caused Queen Elizabeth I to issue a pro clamation complaining about this rise in numbers of blacks in England. For blacks, the aspect of color brought so many negative connotations in the eyes of white Elizabethan Christians that degraded them in Elizabethan society. In this regard, Shakespeare uses the issue of race in Othello, written during Elizabethan times, as one of the main themes in the story represented through characters such as Iago, Brabantio, and others.In the beginning of the play, Iago shares with Roderigo and the audience his intentions of manipulating Othello for his personal gain because Othello passed on Iago as his lieutenant, thus allowing Iago to act a need for revenge based on personal hatred. Before diving into examples illustrating racism in the play it is important to also understand Othello’s background in regards to being a black foreigner in Elizabethan society. Othello, who is the play’s protagonist, is a highly respected general of the Venetian armed forces, although being a â €Å"Moor†, a man of North African descent.Ironically in the play, Othello is therefore presented in some ways opposite to the norms of Elizabethan society. While being a powerful figure and having the respect of his followers, Othello is still subject to racial backlash due to his societal role as a cultural outsider for being a foreigner. Moors, or those of African decent, were seen as second class citizens of Elizabethan society, treated with little respect, and making very little income to help support their families.Othello has to secretly marry Desdemona, a Venetian woman, because he knows not only would Desdemona’s father be opposed to such a marriage between a foreigner and a Venetian, but also society wouldn’t be in favor of it either. This as we see in the play provokes more racial slurs towards Othello, although the love that Desdemona and Othello share for each other is too strong for race to become an issue between them. In the opening act of the pla y we see Iago, a veteran military man of Venice and the harshest critic of Othello throughout the play, share with Roderigo and the audience his intentions of revenge against Othello.Here not only do we unravel Iago’s personal hatred for Othello, but Roderigo’s racial views as well. â€Å"What a full fortune does the thick lips owe if he can carry’t thus! † (I, i ,65) Roderigo, who wants to win Desdemona’s love away from Othello at any cost, calls Othello as â€Å"thick-lips†, a racial stereotype of blacks, when responding to Iago about their plans to turn Venetians such as Desdemona’s father Brabantio, against Othello. As Roderigo and Iago go to awake Brabantio in the middle of the night to tell him of the news that Desdemona ran off with Othello to get married, multiple stereotypes and slurs are used in this exchange.Iago tells Brabantio that he’s been â€Å"robbed† of his soul, for Othello has taken Desdemona by some sort of curse, being that there’s no way a prominent Venetian woman would go off to marry a â€Å"barbarian† instead of a Venetian man. â€Å"Because we come to do you service and you think we are ruffians, you'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse, you'll have your nephews neigh to you, you'll have coursers for cousins and jennets for germans. † ( I, i, 108) Iago, in his conversation with Brabantio, compares Othello to a Barbary horse in Africa.In a most obscene manner, Iago is informing Brabantio of the repercussions in their society if he doesn’t take action against Othello for his daughter is now within â€Å"the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor† (act 1 sc. 1 line 141). The negative connotation of the color black isn’t only viewed in the eyes only Venetians in the tragedy of Othello. In fact, Othello uses the color black as a negative implication as well when he hears from Iago that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him. â⠂¬Å" arise, black vengeance, from the hollow hell!†¦ thy crown and hearted throne to tyrannous hate! III, iii, 447) It could be possible that perhaps those in Elizabethan England simply used black and white to mirror bad versus good, dark versus light, and through this view brought the same view of foreigners because of skin color. Brabantio accuses Othello of â€Å"dark magic† as his way of wooing Desdemona, claiming his impurity in forcing his daughter’s willingness in marriage. Whereas many of such derogatory comments about Othello have much irony considering his status as a leader of the Venetian army, at the same time it clearly illustrates the social gap between citizens and foreigners.Regardless of the fact that Othello is a man of power – as is Brabantio being a senator – the view of foreigners is rather a big issue, in this case Brabantio despises Othello for his actions because his view just like many Venetians is that a foreigner with a Ve netian brings impurity and disgrace to society. Othello being the black Moor of Venice shows an opposite pattern to the norm of Elizabethan society. While racism can be quite obvious through the language of some characters, it can be interpreted through minor characters as well.In the final act after Emilia sees that Othello has killed an innocent Desdemona, she yells â€Å" O the more angel she, and you the blacker devil! † (V, ii, 132) for believing Iago who was manipulating him the entire time, resulting in killing his innocent wife he much adored. Emilia uses the color as shades of evil, saying that Othello has done something terribly wrong that connects him to the devil. In my opinion, the murder of Desdemona restores order of Elizabethan society, where as Othello having power would disrupt the order of the social hierarchy, bringing chaos and social problems for others.While some determine Othello as the hero of the play, it is important to understand the historical pre judice of blacks from whites in Elizabethan England. My interpretation of the play in regards to the historical background of Elizabethan society leads me to believe Othello was by no means a hero in the play because he was made out to be very gullible in believing Iago’s perceived truth of his wife, causing him to become jealous, heartbroken, and then proceeding by killing his wife with very little evidence that she was actually unfaithful to him.This could bring up questions about whether Shakespeare was in favor of society’s racial prejudice towards blacks, against it, or just simply used it in his work as one of his appeals, although Othello is portrayed sympathetically as an articulate and intelligent man. In my opinion, had Shakespeare been against racism, he would have made the characters in the play that are racist such as Iago seem weak and have him fail his intentions of revenge on the Moor for choosing Cassio over Iago as lieutenant. In this play however, Ia go is killed in such a way that makes him look like a martyr, and the real â€Å"hero† of the play.Otherwise, I believe Shakespeare would have made much more emphasis on racism being so derogatory that Othello’s actions would bring positive attitudes from the audience as well as sympathy, while making those that are racist hold major character flaws.Citations in MLA format – Shakespeare, William. Othello. Russ McDonald, 05/01/2001. Hendricks, Margo. Shakespeare and Race. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 2000. Abbott, Diane. â€Å"British History In Depth†. BBC. 2009-11-05 . â€Å"On Race and Religion†. PBS. .

Saturday, January 4, 2020

How to Write a Resume or CV in English

Writing a resume in English can be very different than in your own language. The first and most important step is to take the time to prepare your materials thoroughly. Taking notes on your career, education, and other accomplishments and skills will ensure that you can shape your resume to a wide variety of professional opportunities. This is a moderately difficult task that may take around two hours. What You Need PaperTypewriter or computerDictionaryThesaurusPast employer addresses Steps to Writing Your Resume First, take notes on your work experience — both paid and unpaid, full time and part-time. Write down your responsibilities, job title, and company information. Include everything!Take notes on your education. Include degree or certificates, major or course emphasis, school names, and courses relevant to career objectives.Take notes on other accomplishments. Include membership in organizations, military service, and any other special accomplishments.From the notes, choose which skills are transferable (skills that are similar) to the job you are applying for — these are the most important points for your resume.Begin resume by writing your full name, address, telephone number, fax, and email at the top of the resume.Write an objective. The objective is a short sentence describing what type of work you hope to obtain.Begin work experience with your most recent job. Include the company specifics and your responsibilities — focus on the skills you have identified as transferable.Continue to list all of your work experience job by job progressing backward in time. Remember to focus on skills that are transferable.Summarize your education, including important facts (degree type, specific courses studied) that are applicable to the job you are applying for.Include other relevant information such as languages spoken, computer programming knowledge, etc. under the heading Additional Skills. Be ready to speak about your skills in the interview.Finish with the phrase: References: Available upon request.Your entire resume should ideally not be any longer than one page. If you have had a number of years of experience specific to the job you are applying for, two pages are also acceptable.Spacing: Separate each category (i.e.  Work Experience, Objective, Education, etc.)  with an empty line to improve readability.  Make sure to read your resume carefully to check grammar, spelling, etc.  Prepare thoroughly with your resume for the job interview. Its best to get as much job interviewing practice as possible. More Tips for Writing a Solid Resume Use dynamic action verbs such as accomplished, collaborated, encouraged, established, facilitated, founded, managed, etc.Do not use the subject I, use tenses in the past, except for your present job. Example: Conducted routine inspections of on-site equipment.Place your work experience  before  your education. In English speaking countries, especially in the United States, work experience is the most important factor in hiring.Ask for permission to use someone as a reference  before  you interview for a position. Its also a good idea to let your references know that you will be interviewing if you havent interviewed for a while. In this way, references will be in the loop if a potential employer calls or sends an email for further information.  Dont include the contact information of your references on your resume. The phrase  available upon request  will suffice.  Use a thesaurus to help you improve work-related vocabulary and eliminate unnecessary repetition. Example Resume Heres an example resume following the simple outline above. Notice how work experience uses shortened sentences in the past without a subject. This style is more common than repeating I.   Sample Resume Peter Jenkins25456 NW 72nd AvenuePortland, Oregon 97026503-687-9812pjenkinshappymail.comObjectiveBecome an Executive Producer in an established recording studio.Work Experience2004 - 2008  Lead singer in a band which toured North America.Responsibilities included arranging music and recording live performances.After two years, managed entire group and bookings.2008 - 2010  Producer at Sound Mixers Aligned studios in San Diego, California.Collaborated with a wide range of musicians to help produce demo recordings for major recording labels.Developed sound profiles recording setups for small to large ensembles.Became accomplished on a wide range of audio software packages.2010 - PresentDirector of artist relations at Spooky People Studios.Responsible for establishing a solid working relationship with our artists while meeting the needs of Spooky People Studios.  Education2000 - 2004  Bachelor of Science University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee  Additional SkillsFluent in Spa nish and FrenchExpert in Office Suite and Google DocumentsReferencesAvailable upon request Final Tip Make sure to always include a cover letter when applying for a job. These days, a cover letter is usually an email to which you attach your resume. Check Your Understanding Answer  true  or  false  for the following questions regarding the preparation of your resume in English.   Provide the references contact information on your resume.Place your education before your work experience.  List your work experience in reverse chronological order (i.e. begin with your current job and go backward in time).Focus on transferable skills to improve your chances of getting an interview.Longer resumes make better impressions. Answers False -  Only include the phrase References available upon request.False -  In English speaking countries, especially the USA, its more important to place your work experience first.True -  Start with your current job and list in backward order.True -  Transferable skills focus on skills that will apply directly to the position for which you are applying.False -  Try to keep your resume to just one page if possible.