Critical analysis of a rhetorical message, which is, A Raisen Bran Essay

Critical analysis of a rhetorical message, which is, A Raisen Bran cereal box - Essay Example Raisin Bran Cereal is a popular cereal mostly for middle class and upper class households in the United States. This article analyzes the relationship between the features of the box and the popularity of the cereal in middle class and upper class households, in the United States. The sun-like graphic on the box imply that the Raisin bran cereal is a morning cereal that gives a person energy to start a bright new day. The purple color dominant on the box associates the serial with royalty. In that, one feels royal and wears confidence throughout the day after having Raisin Bran Cereals for breakfast. A Raisin Bran Cereal box has a sun like graphic, which signifies that when one takes the cereal as a morning meal, it gives one the energy to start a new day. The purple color, which is so dominant the box, brings out royalty. Hence, it shows that one will wear the feeling of loyalty after taking the cereal hence giving one confidence to face a new day. The Raisin Bran Cereal boxes, according to my visits to different stores, are attractively displayed on the shelves. The stickers on the shelves are put in a manner that one cannot pass without noticing the cereals. The cereals also have different offers and gifts attached on them hence making it have a considerable sale. The Kellogg’s company is well known for its nutritious products, which are juice, the cereals, toaster pastries etc. Apart from that, the company has contradicted itself by diverting from its nutritious popularity, by also producing non-healthy fruit flavored snacks, which have chemicals in the name of fruit flavors. This has made the company has a tainted image. The colorful Raisin Bran has been strategically made to catch the eye of the customer. It has an image of a happy face (a happy sun) to brighten it up more. It also shows how the cereals in the box look like (Biddle 59). The sides of the box also instruct one on how to mix the cereal, what to mix it with and make it

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Indecency Policies

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Indecency Policies The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the agency in the United States tasked with the regulation of interstate and international communications carried out via radio, satellite, television, wire and cable. The agency was commissioned by the Communications Act of 1934, and its scope of authority extends throughout the 50 US states, the District of Colombia and all the US territories (Commission). The FCC has the responsibility of prohibiting the display of obscene programming at any time between 6 am and 10pm. In the event of a breach of this rule, the FCC policy requires that the license granted to the station breaking this rule be revoked, or a monetary fine be imposed. Also, it can give the station a warning with regard to its breach of rule (Commission). Ever since its institution, the FCC has sanctioned companies for brief curse words aired, or accidental nudity on live award shows. A particular case in point is the 2004 Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction saga, which cost CBS a whopping $550,000 in fines though it was appealed to an appellate court (Calver, p. 1-29). The FCC policy requires it to take appropriate punitive action, in respect of any media outlet, following documented complaints received from the public about any obscene, profane, or indecent material aired to viewers. Following such complaints, the FCC conducts a review to determine whether there has been a breach of the profanity, indecency, or obscenity laws. In cases where it is found that a broadcast station has violated the law, investigations into the claims are carried out. In this regard, the FCC policy requires complainants to follow a three-step process, before the act being complained about can be labeled as obscene, profane, or indecent. First, the average person must find that the content is appealing to the prurient interest, or an excessive interest in sexual matters. Following this stage, the material must be found to be depicted in a manner that is patently offensive and sexually explicit, and falls within the confines of the applicable law, in the particular case. In the third and last step, the content of the material must be determined to lack, in one way, or another, educational, artistic, scientific, or political value. In other words, it adds no value to the viewer. However, one crucial aspect of the entire process is putting the content of the material in context to determine its obscenity, indecency, or profanity (Commission). My opinion, in regard to the FCC policy, is that it is not doing much when it comes to censoring inappropriate content. One major reason is that the policy requires claims of obscenity, profanity or indecency, to pass the three steps before they can be so labeled. This process makes it extremely difficult to successfully censor, or prosecute, media outlets for airing inappropriate content. Therefore, the FCC should make the process less restrictive, to be able to accommodate more punishable cases of indecency. Indecency is defined by the FCC as, â€Å"Language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms of patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities† (Commission). Putting this statement in context, indecent programming basically comprises sexual or excretory references that are patently offensive in nature; however, they do not reach the obscenity level. Hence, courts hol d on to these indecent materials, as protected by the first amendment to the constitution, and do not ban them completely. Hence, viewers are left with the same initial problem of indecent material being aired. However, this indecent material can be restricted to avoid times when children are the primary audience. The FCC should make a policy that stipulates zero tolerance for any form of indecency, instead of having courts back them up with loopholes, such as by arguing that they are protected by the first amendment which upholds the right of free speech (Courts). An example is Nicole Richie’s 2003 speech at the Billboard Awards, where she categorically stated, â€Å"Have you ever tried to get cow st out of a Prada purse? Its not so fing simple† (CNN). The statement is a clear example of an indecent speech. The case brought up issues to do with the constitution and administration. The courts argued that FCC’s policy on the case violated the first amendment and, therefore, it was unconstitutional. The courts argued that the policy restricted free speech. Another major issue that the FCC should look into is amending its policy to include monitoring broadcasts for violation of its laws. This will make it more restrictive by broadening the scope of its mandate. . Currently, the FCC only responds to claims from the general public. Though this is a safe move to prevent pressuring a media outlet the FCC might be at loggerheads with, it is also a disadvantage. The FCC only investigates cases brought in by the viewers, and at times, not all the issues are given attention, although a significant number is analyzed. The major problem arises when specific viewers bear a grudge with a particular station, or individual, which is broadcasted. Such a scenario defeats the reason for the establishment of the FCC and makes it look like a platform, where personal grudges people hold can be settled. By being able to monitor broadcasts on their own, they can identify reasonable claims of a violation, instead of allowing individuals to act as if they own the FCC. A good example is Al Wescot, who is well known as a self-made watchdog. His grudge with Howard Stern is well recorded. He has on several occasions made it his job to file complaints with the FCC, with regard to Howard Sterns conduct (Mintzer, p25). In conclusion, the FCC should maintain its broadcast indecency policies. However, they should be made more stringent. Isolated expletives, or non-sexual nudity, should be treated the same; they are indecent. Furthermore, it should consider having a policy to be able to scrutinize broadcasts, instead of waiting for the viewers to file complaints. In this manner, broadcasters will be more aware of a watchdog that is the overriding authority. This will minimize cases of indecency in broadcasting. Works Cited Calver, C. Imus, Indecency, Violence (and) Vulgarity: Why the FCC Must Not Expand Its Authority Over Content. 30 Hastings Comm. Ent. Law Journal (2007): 1-29. CNN. Justices tackle free speech dispute over broadcast TV indecency. 6 January 2012. 24 February 2015 http://edition.cnn.com>. Commission, Federal Communications. Federal Communications Commission. 14 August 2014. 24 February 2015 http://www.fcc.gov>. Courts, United States. United States Courts. 24 February 2015. 24 February 2015 http://www.uscourts.gov>. Mintzer, Rich. Howard Stern: A Biography. United Kingdom: Simon Schuster Publishing, 2010.

Sports Narrative - Track State Champion :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Track State Champion With shaky knees, I hesitantly made my way up the large white steps. With the back of my hand, I brushed away a few salty tears of relief. As I stood at the top of the podium and looked up into the packed stadium, my mind drifted back to everything I had gone through to achieve this moment, the day I became a state champion. The start of the 2002 track season found me concerned with how I would perform. After a disastrous bout with mononucleosis ended my freshmen track season, the fear of failure weighed heavily on my mind. I set a goal for myself in order to maintain focus and to push myself like nothing else would. My goal for my sophomore track season was to become a state champion in the 100 meter hurdles. I worked hard everyday at practice and went the extra mile, like running every Sunday, to be just that much closer to reaching my goal. The thought of standing highest on the podium in the center of the field, surrounded by hundreds of spectators, overcame my thoughts of complaining every time we had a hard workout. When I closed my eyes, I pictured myself waiting in anticipation as other competitors names were called out, one by one, until finally, the booming voice announced over the loudspeaker, "...and in first place, your 2002 100 meter hurdle champion, from Hotchkiss, Connie Dawson." It wa s visions like these that drove me to work harder everyday. As the season progressed, competition started getting fiercer. I was up against girls running at a 5A level, yet, I was able to hold my own. Finally there came a tiny light at the end of the tunnel; it seemed as though I was getting closer and closer to accomplishing my goal. Along with my undefeated title came a huge target painted on my back. I religiously checked "Rocky Preps" every day to see if the competition was gaining on me. It seemed that every time I had improved, there was someone right behind me, running their personal best too. I trained during the weeks before regionals like I had never trained before. Each day my stomach became more twisted with knots that looped around every part of my stomach. I don't think I had ever been that nervous in my whole life.

The Case of the Omniscient Organization

Case Analysis: The Case of the Omniscient Organization Introduction In this case study, Dominion-Swann (DS) has implemented a â€Å"radical restructuring of the work environment† in order to regain control of its employees. By 1990, DS had been suffering from a number of business woes. It was not keeping pace with its competition, employee turnover had increased substantially, health costs and work-related accidents were rising, and employee theft was at an all-time high. Instead of identifying and addressing the underlying business and management problems, DS decided to treat the symptoms by turning to SciexPlan Inc. o help radically restructure the work environment through the use of employee monitoring technology. Background DS has justified its work environment restructuring based on past failures rather than future goals for success. The company has created a system to compile a comprehensive database of information on every employee. DS also monitors its employees in all aspects of their job, subjecting them to constant evaluation and productivity tests. The massive amount of information collected on each employee is supposed to allow DS to objectively manage personnel and make job assignments that provide the greatest efficiency. Instead, DS has created an impersonal monitoring, surveillance, and detection system designed to lay traps for employees and shape their behavior without any managerial effort. Problem Statement Has DS become so consumed with its â€Å"radical restructuring of the work environment† that it has prioritized technology and control over the welfare, creativity, and productivity of its people? Analysis and Issues Digital technology has made an undeniably profound impact, both positive and negative, on the workplace. When implemented properly, the benefits of this impact can include increased productivity, improved safety, better working onditions, and enhanced communications between employees, management, and customers. However, an exceedingly obsessive employee monitoring system will create tedious and stressful working conditions, loss of employee privacy, and fear which will result in reduced levels of creativity and productivity. By implementing an overly zealous system for emp loyee monitoring, DS is significantly aggravating the tension that exists between surveillance technology and employee privacy concerns. DS wants to monitor employees in order to reward effort, knowledge, productivity, and success while eliminating idleness, ignorance, theft, and failure. Instead, it is treating its workers like pieces of equipment rather than unique and valuable individuals. DS has basically transformed the workplace into an all-encompassing electronic prison where nearly every aspect of an employee's behavior is monitored. The DS managers who monitor every move that employees make are accomplishing efficiency objectives at a sizeable cost. Monitoring and surveillance can create a high stress environment for employees that can lead to physiological and psychological stress-related illnesses. Covert surveillance at DS will do nothing but increase fears, anxieties, and distrust among employees. The impersonal aspect of technological surveillance diminishes employees’ concepts of their value, contribution, and self-worth. The all-encompassing surveillance implemented by DS will destroy any hope for employees to make decisions and act autonomously. Autonomy is a critical component to on-the-job independence that maximizes worker morale. Although DS has justification for some amount of employee monitoring in order to successfully evaluate employee performance, it has taken employee surveillance to the point where it will adversely affect productivity. When employees do not feel that they are trusted, their desire to perform well is lessened. The employee screening process DS has implemented brings up additional privacy concerns. Any investigation of employee activities and history outside of the workplace is an extremely sensitive and potentially litigious issue. DS is only justified in intruding into its employees’ personal lives when it involves misconduct or illegal activity. Off-duty conduct may be relevant to employment if the misconduct negatively impacts the employee's work performance or the company's mission. However, the systematic monitoring employed by DS raises serious privacy concerns. Monitoring all employees’ activities, rather than just the activities of employees under suspicion of specific misconduct, constitutes a blanket search that brings enormous privacy concerns. Recommendations DS would be better off with no employee monitoring rather than scrutinizing its employees' every move. Once the employee monitoring creates a morale problem, all of the value it has created will be diminished. If DS is to continue with employee monitoring systems, it must create and clearly communicate a monitoring policy for employees. DS needs to start with human-oriented policies, then use technology to enforce them. As it stands right now, DS is exerting too much power in its invasion of employee privacy in the workplace. DS is exploiting the lack of regulation in this area in order to implement extremely invasive methods of employee surveillance. Until employees are protected by regulation to protect their rights to privacy in the workplace, DS should assume responsibility to self regulate by limiting the amount of surveillance, implementing it only when it achieves specific goals for success. Monitoring should be conducted only for business purposes, and this must be communicated to the employees. In order to throttle back its employee monitoring system to a reasonable level, DS should review and apply the suggested rights given by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). To establish a reasonable approach and prevent abuses, DS should adopt a human-oriented policy that includes the following features:   * notice to employees of the company's electronic monitoring practices;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * use of a signal to let an employee know when he or she is being monitored;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * employee access to all personal electronic data collected through monitoring;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * no monitoring of areas designed for the health or comfort of employees;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * the right to dispute and delete inaccurate data; a ban on the collection of data unrelated to work performance; * restrictions on the disclosure of personal data to others without the employee's consent (American Civil Liberties Union, 1997). DS should also consider whether or not monitoring is truly necessary for performance evaluations. DS does not need to watch an employee’s every move to be able to judge the quality of his or her work. Performance monitoring should be far less of a concern than an employee’s ability to complete tasks and consistently meet deadlines. DS should involve its employees on the decisions regarding when, how and why electronic monitoring needs to takes place. Most importantly of all, DS must allow employees to inspect, challenge, and, when necessary, correct the data gathered about them or their performance. Conclusion/Summary DS must strike a balance between its business interests and its employees’ privacy interests. This balance should allow for surveillance under certain limited conditions, and utilize less intrusive approaches. Although it is unlikely that DS would completely discontinue its monitoring practice, at a minimum DS should continue to fully inform its employees about all surveillance tools being used in their workplace and provided them with clear information as to what management does with the data. References Pedeliski, Theodore B. (1997). Privacy and the workplace: Technology and public employment. Public Personnel Management. December 22, 1997. Shoppes, Mia. (2003). Employee monitoring: Is big brother a bad idea. Information Security Magazine. Dec. 9, 2003. American Civil Liberties Union. (1997). Privacy in America: Electronic monitoring. Retrieved from http://www. aclu. org/technology-and-liberty/privacy-america-electronic-monitoring

Bright Light Innovations SWOT Analysis Essay

A group of professional members of Colorado State University excited about developing and marketing the product The Starlight Stove consumes 50 to 70 percent less fuel than regular stoves The stove generates electricity from a thermoelectric generator. Competitors do not offer the same features as the Starlight Stove. Increase household income because Starlight Stoves allows families to focus more on earning more money rather than collecting fuel or wood to generate electricity The Starlight Stove costs less than the competition Weaknesses The university is a non-profit organization, making it harder to find funding Working adults in Nepal make between $1 and $3 per day Less than half of the Nepalese population can read Marketing campaign needs to be adjusted based on technology limitations Management is launching its product in a very unique culture with economic uncertainty that can bring many challenges to the team Opportunities Offer an innovative product, Starlight Stove, where consumers can safely cook Expand to the Nepal market as the climate is accessible to promote the new product There is a target market of 89 percent of households that need electricity in Nepal The Starlight Stove will directly contribute to the reduction of erosion and flooding in Nepal Starlight Stove technologies can increase household efficiency by more than 20 percent per day Children can focus more on education because Starlight generates more hours of light Threats Streams and rivers can create micro-hydropower, allowing households to generate electricity at no additional cost Solar panels can offer electricity to many households Nepal’s division into 75 districts creates a market segmentation that become a true challenge when introducing the new product The management team not  being able to find a funding institution that can provide loans to the Nepalese people Evaluation of Alternatives Bright Light Innovations has a series of considerations that need to be reviewed before making final decisions. Introducing a new product on such a unique market can represent a lot of challenges for management (Mckeever, 2005). Culture and population are important factors for management to evaluate before reaching onto this market (refer to Appendix A). There are good factors such as climate and social needs that make Nepal a strong market to introduce the stove business. However, funding and household income are big concerns for management because even though there are a lot of strengths and opportunities for Bright Light Innovations in Nepal, treats and weaknesses can negatively impact the launching of the Starlight Stove in the Nepalese market. Management wants to be a for-profit business and in order to make a profit they would have to sell the Starlight Stove for $80 per unit. As described in the case, there are about 9.2 million households in Nepal, but the GNI per capital is approximately $400. Nepalese people do not make more than $3 per week, which limits management when making pricing decisions. Micro-financing might be a possibility but they have to consider that not all households have a fixed income. Consequently, finance institutions might be hesitant to provide loans to some of the families. Since management does not want to look to donations, grants, or government relief, they will have to reach onto business leaders, government members of Nepal, and other institutions to expose the product and all the benefits it can bring to the country. As described above, some of the benefits of the Starlight Stove are: offers an innovative technology where consumers can safely cook, contributes to reduce erosion and flooding in the area, increases household efficiency by more than 20 percent per day, and generates more hours of light which can help children focus more on education. If Bright Light Innovations decides to manufacture the Starlight Stove locally, it can represent an increase in local jobs, income per capital, and children’s education. In addition, it can drastically decrease deforestation and indoor air pollution (top ten causes of mortality). Therefore, strong marketing strategies and decisions have to be introduced to effectively promote the Starlight Stove throughout the 75 districts (60  villages consisting of 450 villages). Management needs to carefully consider the marketing plan for this product since there are technology limitations and only half of the adults can read in Nepal. Support of Recommendations Market segmentation allows marketers to understand customers’ needs and identify target markets (Peter & Donnelly, 2011). Bright Light Innovations will be able to evaluate different segments to determine differential advantages in each of those segments. Furthermore, management will be able to determine any of the particular marketing mix for a more successful strategic plan. Market segmentation can be obtained by researching geographic data (zip code, region, etc), demographic data (age, occupation, nationality, etc), psychographic data (social status, personal type, etc), behavioral data (customer behavior), or any other data that can be beneficial to the research (Kawasaki, 2004). According to Hyman and Sierra (2010), before a service or product is introduced into the market, the marketer needs to have a good understanding of the consumer’s needs and preferences. For that reason, it is recommended that management considers all of the limitations and challenges that t he Nepalese market has for the Starlight Stove. Major decisions need to be made by management to effectively make profit on this product. Therefore, since there are similar characteristics in northern India, management should consider this other market as another possible option (see Appendix B). India is a far more developed country than Nepal. India is ranked in the lower-middle-income group with a GNI per capital of approximately $1500 (The World Bank, 2014). On the other hand, Nepal is ranked in the low-income group. There are other possible markets in South Asia that can be consider and might represent a less challenge, especially since management is looking to make profit. Bright Light Innovations needs to consider GNI numbers before deciding where this product will be launched. Because there are technology limitations in Nepal, management will need to create a marketing campaign that can be clear and easy to understand by the Nepalese citizens. Magazines are always a great source of marketing, but these can represent a chal lenge in Nepal since only half of the adults can read and 11% of the households have electricity. Therefore, visuals and signs can be strategically placed among the different villages to target the corresponding districts. Bright Light  Innovations can go to the schools and educate the children about how the Starlight Stove can benefit their families and their lives as they represent the future generations in Nepal. In this way, children can speak to their parents about everything they have learned about this new innovative and affordable new product. Management can also arrange meetings with each of the local governments to introduce the product and explain all the benefits that can bring to the local communities. In this way, local government officials can help Bright Light Innovations hold local gatherings with audio-visual systems that can attract as many villagers as possible. Management can speak to the crowd about the benefits of the Starlight Stove and demonstrate its features through a live demo or lively entertaining video. The audience will get to know the product and understand the positive impact that can have for their families and environment. A market segmentation process has to be created to determine the households who have electricity and target the appropriate market to obtain an analysis of consumer’s needs and preferences (Fiore, 2005). Management will have to create a strategic marketing plan to reach those customers who already have electricity (e.g. solar panels) and might be interested in saving money. According to Perreault, Cannon, and McCarthy (2013), marketers need to do a competitor analysis to â€Å"compare the strengths and weaknesses of your current (or planned) target market and marketing mix with what competitors are currently doing or are likely to do in response of your strategy† (p. 63). For example, promotional materials are important factors in the success of a marketing plan (Horvà ¡th, Mitev, & Bauer, 2014). Management need to create advertisement with lots of visuals that provide information about the Starlight Stove to attract villagers from different areas. Bright Light Innovations needs to find a financial institution that can offer flexible loans to the Nepalese villagers as household incomes vary from district to district. If the product is manufactured locally, which can save a lot of import taxes, management might consider establishing a discount program for the employees. As a result, more locals will be able to afford buying the Starlight Stove, increasing brand name and brand loyalty throughout the villages. In today’s economy, marketing strategies have to be flexible enough to accommodate market needs and preferences. The long-term success of a product comes from strategic marketing plan ideas and â€Å"long-term marketing  and brand building that can directly impact the competitiveness of a company, especially by differentiating it from competitors, and product placements part of long-term marketing and brand building† (KramoliÃ… ¡ & KopeÄ kovà ¡, 2013, p. 98). References Fiore, F. F. (2005). Write a business plan in no time. Que Publishing. Hayrynen, K. L. (2014). It’s all about marketing. International Journal Of Metalcasting, 8(3), 7-12. Horvà ¡th, D., Mitev, A., & Bauer, A. (2014). Winning media strategies in the time of the economic crisis. Vezetà ©studomà ¡ny / Budapest Management Review, 45(2), 46-52. Hyman, M. R., & Sierra, J.J. (2010). Marketing research kit for dummies. Wiley Publishing, Inc. Kawasaki, G. (2004). The art of the start. Palo Alto, CA: Portfolio. KramoliÃ… ¡, J., & KopeÄ kovà ¡, M. (2013). Product Placement: A Smart Marketing Tool Shifting a Company to the Next Competitive Level. Journal Of Competitiveness, 5(4), 98-114. Perreault, W. D., Cannon, J. P., & McCarthy, E. J. (2013). Basic Marketing: A Marketing Strategy Planning Approach. (19th ed). McGraw-Hill Irwin, Chicago, IL Peter, J. P., & Donnelly, J. H., Jr. (2011). Marketing management: Knowledge and skills (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Sapkotas, C. (2013). Economic growth, trade & development policy. Retrieved from: http://sapkotac.blogspot.com/2013/09/will-nepal-graduate-from-ldc-category.html The World Bank. (2013). Retrieved from: http://data.worldbank.org/country/india Mckeever, M. P. (2005). How to write a business plan. (7th ed). Berkeley, CA: Delta Printing Solutions, Inc.