Boston Red Sox

Omar Perez BOSTON RED SOX INTRODUCTION Boston Red Sox is a professional baseball team of United States Major League based in Boston, Massachusets. It belongs to the East American Division League. The New York Yankees are their traditional rivals. 1. – TEAM HISTORY The Boston Red Sox were created in 1893 as a minor league franchise in the city of Toledo, Ohio in the Western League. Then moved to Boston when that league became the American League in 1900. The name of Red Sox was chosen by owner John I.Taylor after the 1907 season and is based on an obsolete form of socks. The former team of the Boston National League (Braves) had received as name, originally, because they used Red Stockings and Red Sox before leaving the practice temporarily in 1907, which inspired the owner of the American League team to use this nickname. Before 1908, the team used the American League average dark blue and had no official nickname. It was simply called the Boston or the Baseball Club of Boston . * The Curse of The BambinoThe Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 until 2004. While some fans took the curse seriously, most used the expression in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The curse was said to have begun after the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth, sometimes called The Bambino, to the New York Yankees in the off-season of 1919-1920. The Red Sox had been one of the most successful professional baseball franchises, winning the first World Series in 1903 and amassing five World Series titles prior to selling Ruth.After the sale, the once-lackluster Yankees became one of the most successful franchises in North American professional sports. Talk of the curse as an ongoing phenomenon ended in 2004, when the Red Sox came back from a 0-3 best-of-seven deficit to beat the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series and then went on to sweep the St. Louis Car dinals to win the 2004 World Series. The curse had been such a part of Boston culture that when a road sign on the city's much-used Storrow Drive was andalized from â€Å"Reverse Curve† to â€Å"Reverse The Curse†, officials left it in place until after the Red Sox won the Series in a 4-0 sweep. 2. -LEGENDS Denton True â€Å"Cy† Young. More commonly known as â€Å"Cy,† the big right hander spent nearly 20 years in the big leagues and set the pitching standard for all of baseball to follow. He was the only pitcher in baseball's first 100 years to win 500 games, including three no-hit shutouts and a perfect game on May 5, 1904. George Herman â€Å"Babe† Ruth. You'll rarely find a name in baseball recognized by so many people.From his portly physique to his legendary swing, to his affection for fans, George Herman â€Å"Babe† Ruth has often been called the best baseball player of all time. Ted Williams. Considered by many to be the greatest hit ter to ever play the game of baseball, Ted Williams is a true personification of the Red Sox mystique. He amassed 521 home runs, including a dramatic farewell homer on his last at bat in 1960. â€Å"Teddy Ballgame† Goes . 406. In just his third year, at only 23 years of age, Ted Williams went into the last day of the 1941 season hitting . 996, an average that officially rounds up to . 400. He is the only player in baseball history to hit . 400 in a season. * A â€Å"Parting Shot† — Never has an athlete finished in such style. In his last at bat of a Hall of Fame career, Ted Williams sent 10,454 fans into a frenzy when he launched a 1-1 pitch from Baltimore Orioles' pitcher Jack Fisher high into the damp gray sky and into the Red Sox bullpen for a home run. Roger Clemens. The Rocket mows down 20. Red Sox manager John McNamara said it was the most awesome display of pitching he had ever seen.On a Tuesday night in April of 1986, Red Sox right-hander Roger Clemens s hot down a record number of Seattle Mariners to break the Major League record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game. Roger Clemens won his third and final Cy Young in 1991 in a Red Sox uniform by going 18-10 with a 2. 62 ERA. He also registered 241 strikeouts that season. 3. – CHAMPIONSHIPS The Baseball Club has won 7 Worl Series Championships, some of them are: a) The 1915 World Series was marked by the strong hitting performances of the legendary Sox outfield of Duffy Lewis, Tris Speaker and Harry Hooper.After dropping Game 1, the Sox won the next four to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies for the championship. b) Babe Ruth was the season and World Series hero, with a 23-12 regular season record and a 1. 75 ERA. In Game 2 of the Series, Ruth pitched a 14-inning, complete game 2-1 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers, while the Sox went on to take the Series four games to one for the second straight year. The Sox played their World Series games in 1915 and 1916 in the new and large r capacity National League Braves Field on Commonwealth Avenue, which held 40,000 fans. ) In 2004, the Red Sox went into the postseason as the American League Wild Card entry. They swept the Angels in the Division Series. The Sox were nearly swept out of the American League Championship Series, trailing the Yankees, 3-0,   in the best-of-seven series. But that was when they officially became historymakers, becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to recover from a 3-0 deficit. After thumping the Yankees in seven games, the Sox swept the Cardinals for their first World Series championship in 86 years. Ramirez was named MVP of the Series. ) 2007, this year's wire-to-wire performance by the Red Sox was one of the most impressive in team history. Manager Terry Francona's team took over first place in the American League East on April 18 and never let it go. It was Boston's first division title since 1995. The fun did not stop after the 96-66 regular season. The Red Sox swept the Angels in the Division Series, came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Indians in a seven-game American League Championship Series and then broke out the brooms again in a World Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies.It was the second World Series championship for the Red Sox in four years, this after not winning one for 86 years. There were several individual standouts, from the Rookie of the Year performance of second baseman Dustin Pedroia to a 20-win season by Josh Beckett to more heroics from star run producer David Ortiz. Third baseman Mike Lowell, the MVP of the World Series, also had a big year, hitting . 324 with 21 homers and 120 RBIs. After much fanfare, Daisuke Matsuzaka came over

Newspaper Industry

Annals of the „Constantin Brancusi† University of Targu Jiu, Economy Series, Issue 3/2012 THE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK DEVELOPEMENT IN PRINT MEDIA Assoc. Lect. Loredana Iordache Ph. D University of Craiova [email  protected] fr Lect. Radu Criveanu Ph. D University of Craiova [email  protected] com Assoc. Prof. Cernaianu Nicolae Ph. D Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest [email  protected] com Abstract: In this article, we identify the characteristics of the distribution networks in print media and the features of marketing in mass media, emphasising the attempts initiated by the press in the context of the financial crisis.The research was conducted through a case study on regional newspaper,, Gazeta de Sud† The main problems analyzed were decreasing newspaper circulation and advertising. The research taken into account trends and developments worldwide print media as well as print media particularities of Romania, with a focus on identifying factors that contribu ted to the closure of a significant number of newspapers, or their transition from printed version online format.The paper is mainly focused on some practical issues related to the way of organizing the print media sales networks, the authors elaborating proposals for the implementation of certain measures to increase the circulation, on the one hand, and on the hand, to increase the sale of ad space in the newspaper. Compared with other products, the newspaper has unique characteristics caused by daily changing content, and therefore the product itself. Having a highly perishable, the content of media products should always seen in relation to time, which requires more rapid distribution and continuous production.Key words: distribution networks, advertising, marketing strategies, print media JEL Code: L11,L22,M37 Introduction: The way in which the economic crisis has influenced the distribution policies differs from one company to another and from one activity domain to another. I n order to understand the application procedure of the distribution policy at the level of the media institutions, it is necessary to clarify the content of the media products and of the specific elements that favors or limit the application of marketing concepts, methods and techniques. One of the main characteristics f the media selling network is the fact that it generates profit, not only by an increase in the number of sold newspapers, but also by an increase in the number of readers, which determines a growth in the newspaper space sold for advertising. Fixing the selling price of ad space depends on several criteria mainly related to audience size and its socio-economic profile. Advertising buyers invest in newspaper ad space in terms of achieving a certain number of users or buyers (Bertand, 2001). Type of distribution networks is different from one country to another depending on a number of features.Thus in France and Italy press is bought mainly from newsstands, in Sweden is generalized newspapers home delivery while in U. S. besides newspapers home delivery are mainly used newspapers vending machines. The study analyzes the current situation of media products market with special emphasis on the print media in Romania and proposes a series of measures for development and improvement of distribution networks. The importance given to this activity consists in the need for information on the paper available to the readers. 1.Current trends in print media The economic crisis caused a serious decline in the print media circulation, contributing to a great extent to the dissolution of many important papers, a part of which can only be found online. The print media industry finds itself in a critical moment. In the last few years, the media institutions have tried to develop online products and to find new income sources to provide for the transition from the printed paper to the digital one. Although the access to the Internet is continuously growing, the value of the revenues generated by the Internet newspapers is still very low.According to the data presented on different specialized websites [11] in 2011, in the USA the revenues from advertising in the print media format were still in decline for the sixth year in a row. Thus, according to the study by Amy Mitchell and Tom Rosentiel of The Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ) the losses generated in 2011 by „ACADEMICA BRANCUSI† PUBLISHER, ISSN 1844 – 7007 141 Annals of the „Constantin Brancusi† University of Targu Jiu, Economy Series, Issue 3/2012 the advertising decrease on the print paper were ten times higher than the revenues generated by the online advertising [12].The situation is as critical in Europe as it is in Romania where a number of papers closed or remained only with their the online version. An analysis of the Romanian press situation shows that the advertising revenues for the online newspapers are low, despite having register ed a sudden improvement lately [7]. Thus, the central papers register a higher income than the local papers, which have insignificant revenues that do not compensate for the revenues obtained from the print version of the newspaper, though more and more readers have access to the Internet [6].As far as the online market for the local publications is concerned, we consider that the strategy adopted should be differently approached, because the local companies, as faithful clients for advertising, have not been interested yet in online advertising. In addition to this, the integral online version of the paper has an increased number of readers, but reduces the number of print version buyers and therefore decreases the revenues. It is probable that the general tendency of the media is to be published online.But, we should not forget that the online version is not accessible to important categories of the population, at least not yet to the rural population. From our point of view, the main reasons why the sale of advertising spaces in the online version of the newspaper did not have the estimated results are the following: a) Firstly, the most important national papers, which impose the trend on the market, have a wrong marketing strategy, offering the online content of the paper to the readers free of charge.At the same time, there is no solution found to financially evaluate the new audience gained on the internet. In other words, by consciously moving the readers from the print version to the electronic/online version, the papers have lost important sums of money. b) Secondly, the financial crisis has determined a budget adjustment in advertising, which had subsequently an impact on the entire print media in Romania. The important advertising clients have focused only on TV lately, by allocating their budgets to the TV stations as a media vehicle and completely eliminating the newspapers from the marketing mix. ) Thirdly, another reason for this situation is t he fact that, once moved on the internet, the newspapers became direct competitors for the advertising budgets together will the other websites. Before the technological revolution brought about by the Internet, the papers were in competition with the other media (TV and radio stations etc. ) . Nowadays, the newspapers compete for the online budgets not only with the other media, but with the entire spectrum of websites, from Google to Facebook and Yahoo. ) Another reason, as mentioned above, is the distrust of the faithful clients of the local advertising in the impact of the digital version of the paper. In Romania, the number of publication have dramatically dropped, the audience rates have become half of the 2008 value and the editorial offices have to constantly take measures to reduce costs [5]. The number of employees is continually decreasing, leading to a reduction in the number of quality articles that may be produced.Moreover, the reporters are asked to produce more and t o increase the content for all the platforms: print, digital, mobile, but also to promote this content on the social networks. This fact led to a general dissatisfaction among the reporters. At the same time, the revenues from the paper selling and from the advertising spaces in the print version have decreased, and values from the online revenues could not compensate for the difference. A major part of the paper circulation is determined by the distribution costs.The circulation of a newspaper represents the number of copies distributed for a paper edition and it is formed of the papers sold by piece, with subscription, in promotions or for protocols etc. A new approach in the case of many regional newspapers is to concentrate on the most profitable zones, thus reducing the costs. The marketing strategy is based on the fidelity of the readers and not on approaching new markets. As opposed to other goods, the paper is a perishable product which is quickly replaced by another one.On account of this, the selling price is low in order to assure its accessibility, a quick selling and implicitly the market clearance for new products. However, the costs are high and the profit share is low under these circumstances. For the production of a newspaper, the producer needs a series of resources, such as: raw material and equipment, qualified workforce and something specialised for the mass media institutions, namely information and cultural creation.Economic crisis determined higher costs for the raw material (especially for paper) and for specialised and wellqualified workforce The selling price of the newspaper is set taking into consideration the following items: – the editing cost of the newspaper; – the printing cost of the newspaper; – the distribution cost of the newspaper; – the commissions paid to the media distribution companies, respectively the selling workforce; – the percentage of the assumed returned copies (the number o f printed but not sold copies).Starting from the data presented above and targeting a certain profit, the selling price is set per piece/copy (the cover price). Regarding the subscription price, alongside with the editing, printing and distribution prices of the newspaper, we have to take into account the commissions owed to the post office and to the agents and distributors. Some research studies about the Western European press market show that the investments necessary for launching a publication pay off in 3-4 years.In comparison with other activity domains that assure their profit from the direct sale of the product, the press institutions cannot survive based on the exclusive paper selling activity. „ACADEMICA BRANCUSI† PUBLISHER, ISSN 1844 – 7007 142 Annals of the „Constantin Brancusi† University of Targu Jiu, Economy Series, Issue 3/2012 The revenues of the print media institutions are varied and unequal, depending on the type of paper and its impact on the market. The mass media market is a dual market of the mass-media products as far as the revenues registered in massmedia are concerned.The revenues come from two categories of buyers: the media products buyers and the massmedia advertising buyers (Coman, 2007). The revenues of the press institutions are obtained from the following types of activities: a). the retail or subscription selling; b). the advertising space selling for the clients who want to publish their own messages on the support offered by the press institutions; c). the selling/renting of the access right on the newspapers websites (advertising on the online version of the newspaper); d). the amounts obtained from different sources as sponsorship.Each type of these revenues contribute more or less to the success of the company's activity and are tightly interconnected and reciprocally supporting. 2. Selling strategies in print press One source of revenue is provided by the newspaper selling, but the most important source, as we previously mentioned, is the advertising spaces sold. The advertising is divided in two categories: – the small ad, which included small sized announcements narrowly targeted to different categories (job offers and demands, selling and buying real states, vehicles or other products, service provisions, renting offers and demands, commemorations, deaths and condolences etc. ) whose price is set according to the number of words, the font and the number of daily publications requested. – the display ad (the larger ad), which includes those medium or large sized announcements, and can include even a whole newspaper page and whose price is determined by the page position, by the display size, the number of editions, the number of colours used (black or multicoloured).Many of the large ad announcements are commissioned and mediated by the advertising companies. The advertising advantages in the print media are determined by the fact that this type of media advertising is flexible both in dimension and in price, with opportunities for coloured advertising, smaller or bigger or with different inserts. So that the profits from advertising to be really relevant for the company owners, it is first necessary to understand that, by attracting a bigger volume of advertising, regardless of its type, is correlated with the paper circulation and audience.The individual persons, but especially the big economic agents and advertising agencies are well aware of the fact that the advertising impact in the newspaper is in direct ration with the number of that paper's readers and when they take the decision of publishing an ad, they analyse very carefully, by comparison, both the tariffs, and the circulation or the number of readers of the papers with the profile and the coverage area they need.BRAT (The Romanian Office of Circulation Audit) is the authority able to certify the circulation number for a newspaper or a publication for certain aud ited periods, and SNA (The National Audience Study) is the authority which, on the basis of surveys, measures the audience number of a publication, that is the average number of readers per edition of that publication (in general, a copy of a newspaper is read by 4-5 people) .Taking into consideration the facts mentioned above, it is obvious that a bigger selling volume, even when it does not directly generate profit, brings about higher revenues from advertising, which in their turn, bring considerable profit for the editor. Thus, the selling objectives of the company become extremely important. In this study we used a comprehensive approach to examine different aspects of distribution networks in press. In order to achieve the purpose we used as research method the case study of the biggest regional newspaper in the country. Data ollection was performed using as investigative tools interviews with distribution and advertising managers, direct observation and also analysis of archi val documents and data. The research findings have resulted in measures aimed at developing sales networks in print but also to redress those in free fall due to the economic crisis. According to BRAT studies newspaper Gazeta de Sud from Craiova is the most widely read regional newspaper in Romania, having over 100,000 readers / day and an an average circulation number of over 16. 000 copies [8]. Gazeta de Sud is distributed in Dolj, Olt, Gorj, Mehedinti and Valcea counties.The newspaper covers every possible editorial domains specific to a newspaper: local news, social problems, sport events, health issues, education, culinary recipes, TV programmes and recommendations, investigations, economy, culture, events and celebrities' life. Gazeta de Sud is a member of the Romanian Office of Circulation Audit. Gazeta de Sud consists of the editing board and the selling departments of the newspaper (the distribution department that deals with selling the newspaper by using newspaper sellers and the distribution news stands and the subscription selling department).The selling force of the company is supplemented by the advertising selling department which has the role to sell advertising space in the newspaper and in the online version of the paper. As market competitors for Gazeta de Sud in Oltenia we can mention other regional papers, such as Editie Speciala or Cuvantul Libertatii. The average daily circulation numbers of these newspapers, of 3. 000 – 4. 000 copies „ACADEMICA BRANCUSI† PUBLISHER, ISSN 1844 – 7007 143Annals of the „Constantin Brancusi† University of Targu Jiu, Economy Series, Issue 3/2012 (circulation numbers not audited by BRAT! ), are much inferior to the circulation numbers of Gazeta de Sud, despite having a selling price and a subscription price lower than the prices of Gazeta de Sud. Among its competitors, we should mention other regional weekly publications, such as Saptamana in Oltenia/The Week in Oltenia a nd Expresul de Sud/The Southern Express, but their circulation numbers do not exceed 2. 00 – 3. 000 copies. The content quality of Gazeta de Sud, the printing quality, the supplements offered and, last but not the least, the advantage of a very early distribution system and a very well organised complaints solving system greatly favour this newspaper in winning the competition with its local or regional, daily or weekly newspapers. As any other private company, this too aims at obtaining profit as a result of a superior value creation for consumers, satisfying better the consumers' needs.Based on analysis of data from several local newspapers, it was observed that during this difficult period the press efforts are centred on sales and special offers are created to attract more and more clients for advertising. The circulation of a publication represent the number of sold copies distributed for an edition and is formed of the copies sold as retail, by subscription, promotions and protocols etc. Part of these copies which are not sold return to the company and represent daily financial loss.The distribution system of the Gazeta de Sud newspaper is presented in the figure below( fig. no. 1): Fig. no1. The circulation components As observed in the figure above, the selling circuit of print media includes three main components, namely the retail selling and the subscription selling. a) The retail selling is divided in: – the retail selling by the press distribution companies; – the retail selling by the press distributors; The retail selling by the press distribution companies is done at the news stands.The disadvantages of retail selling by the press distribution companies are especially determined by: – the selling presentation mode of the newspaper – very often illustrating the exclusive preferences of the sellers from the news stand, only certain publications are exposed and made visible to the detriment of other rival publica tion. In order to avoid this situation, the appointed personnel of Gazeta de Sud monitors and permanently assures that the newspaper is exposed at sight, giving the possibility to the clients to easily read the headlines. the delayed cash collection from the press distribution companies for the sold newspapers (minus the commissioned charged by these companies) – the relatively hard collection of return papers (unsold newspapers), which requires material and time resources. As a main advantage of the retail selling by the press distribution companies we mention the fact that, in this way, the editor benefits from an efficient selling manner of its newspaper, due to qualified personnel and strategic locations placed in the area with intense traffic (the news stands).The retail selling by the newspaper sellers is an alternative to selling at the news stands, intended not to replace it, but to complete it. In general, the newspaper sellers are placed at: – traffic lights crossroads, a situation in which the clients are the car drivers that wait for the green light; – supermarkets, markets, train stations, bus stations, traffic ways with many shops and open-air coffee shops where there are many passers-by.The newspaper sellers try to adjust to their potential clients by attracting them into buying the product offered. If in the case of the news stands, the client is the one heading for the newspaper, in the case of the newspaper sellers, we can figuratively speak about the newspaper that come directly to the client, facilitating and providing a very comfortable sale.The advantages of selling the newspaper by the newspaper sellers are the following: – facilitating the newspaper selling process for the client, making it easy, comfortable and quick; – attracting undecided clients and transforming them, in many situations, in faithful clients of that newspaper seller; – covering areas where the press distribution companies do not own news stands, thus providing access to the newspaper for a larger number of potential clients; „ACADEMICA BRANCUSI† PUBLISHER, ISSN 1844 – 7007 44 Annals of the „Constantin Brancusi† University of Targu Jiu, Economy Series, Issue 3/2012 – prompt cash collection for the sold newspapers; – minimum returned newspapers, due to very meticulously and well organised daily orders and to the possibilities to supplement the order of a newspaper seller, that is giving to another seller the order left unsold in one area, according to the selling number of newspapers at a certain hour.As a drawback, we mention the often poor quality of the people willing to accept such jobs, there being situations when the clients were disturbed by the very insisting newspaper sellers (verbal aggression or not receiving the right change). Another form of retail selling, successfully practised in the United States of America and in many European Union countries is selling by newspaper vending machines. In Romania, there have been many attempts to implement such vending machines, especially in the supermarkets, given the advantage of eliminating the human intermediary from this distribution hain, whether it is the the news stand seller or the newspaper seller. However, by eliminating this intermediary and thus the disadvantages specific for these two types of retail selling, other disadvantages became obvious, such as: – the relatively higher price of the newspaper vending machines; – the building technique of these machines, which presupposes the opening of a door the moment one introduces the money, giving the possibility to take more than one paper.This does not represent a drawback for the civilised countries, but in Romania, for easily understood reasons, the editors prefer machines that give only one paper at a time. But, there are technical details to take into account here, such as the variable weight of a paper from o ne edition to the other and from one publication to the other. b) Selling by subscription Most of the editors prefer to offer the client this possibility too, that is to get the newspaper by subscribing to the system.The client's advantages are the following: – the client's safety that he'll get the right publication, avoiding the risk of not finding the newspaper at the news stands; – the subscription price is much smaller than the total price paid by the buyer for each item bought individually in a month; – the paper is received by the subscriber at the address mentioned, without being necessary to go and get it or to waste time doing it; – for the clients in the rural area, where the news stands are generally missing, it is practically impossible to get the wanted newspaper; Nonetheless, there are also disadvantages, such as: – the subscription has to be paid in full in advance, for the entire subscription period; – the paper is usually d elivered at late hours, when many people are already gone to work or to their daily activities, thus loosing one of the basic qualities (offering late, up-to-the-moment news and information); – the newspapers with weekend editions (on Saturday or Sunday) are distributed in the countryside on Monday; – the mail boxes, especially at the blocks of flats, are generally unsafe and easily allow for getting the newspaper by evil-minded people, which subsequently leads to a general discontent of the subscriber who thinks that probably the newsagent was not delivered.From the perspective of the press trust, the subscription price, in the case of Gazeta de Sud, does not always cover all these costs, but it is an accepted loss because the final profit is targeted and that is advertising (a profit which is direct relation to the circulation number of the newspaper and with the subscription number). However, the selling on subscriptions targets the fidelity of the clients, increasi ng the audience and implicitly the selling figures from advertising and much less the profit. Practically, the buyers by subscriptions are encouraged to buy a product at a much lower price per item than that bought daily from the news stands.Generally, the number of subscriptions represents a significant profit from the total circulation number of that publication. Moreover, the subscribers are usually those faithful clients that assure the safety for continuing to publish that publication and on which the editor bases the future planning. The anticipated payment of the subscription allows the editor to collect in advance considerable amounts of money, that would help organise the activities for the next period. The subscriptions do not usually generate significant profit for the editor. There are situations when the subscription price hardly covers the editing and printing costs form that publication.The starting idea is that a great number of subscriptions means a an increased cir culation number and thus a larger audience, this leading to obtaining more advertising clients from the specialised companies. The advertising companies carefully analyse the data given by the certified institutions, such as BRAT in the case of the circulation numbers, and SNA for audience, and their quantitative and value offer for large advertising is in accordance with the data. Given this fact, the editors do not necessarily target profit from subscriptions, but they calculate the indirect profit derived from advertising, due to the large audience of the newspaper. Subscribing at the post office is the most used form of subscribing to a publication. „ACADEMICA BRANCUSI† PUBLISHER, ISSN 1844 – 7007 145Annals of the „Constantin Brancusi† University of Targu Jiu, Economy Series, Issue 3/2012 The national company the Romanian Post covers the whole country and on an agreement basis, concludes contracts with the editors and distributes subscriptions to a series of publications. Another form of subscription, practised especially by several local and regional newspapers, is the subscription through their own subscribing network. Such subscribing networks have been created because the editors wanted to increase the number of subscribers, thus adding up to the subscriptions made through the post office. Taking into account the disadvantages of the post office subscription method, the newspapers subscription network aims at eliminating these disadvantages and thus earning more subscribers, even those who were initially unwilling to subscribe to these publications, given the drawbacks.Despite the higher price, the subscribers adhering to this network generally have the following advantages: – the newspaper is delivered early in the morning, offering the possibility to be read and get in touch with the latest information even before going to work or start the daily activities; – the paper is delivered even on Saturday, inclu ding in the rural areas where the network has collaborators and coverage; – there is also the possibility the payment throughout the first subscription days, especially for the new clients, to give them the possibility to appreciate the way in which the paper is delivered; – the claims and complaints are more promptly analysed and solved by the editor's personnel in charge of this aspect. Creating such subscription networks involves a considerable effort from the editor's side, being necessary to employ new people, both for the contracting part, and for the distribution of subscriptions part for the entire area to be covered. Alongside with these aspects, it is also necessary to have people that would coordinated this activity, that is to distribute newspaper packets in the locations where the subscription distributors come and pick them up and finally deliver them to the clients etc. c) Promotions and protocols A part of the total circulation number is represented by promotions and protocols.The newspaper Gazeta de Sud, but other newspapers, too, financially support this activity and have constantly resorted the so-called promotional subscriptions (subscriptions at reduced prices or even awarded free of charge), whose role is: – to achieve an intensive increase in the number of subscribers in the area where there is a deficit from this point of view; – to regain the lost subscribers; – to reward certain faithful readers; – to slightly raise the audience of the newspaper; There were many situations when a certain number of copies of a newspaper edition were given free of charge, with the purpose to promote the newspaper on the event of special occasions. In the case of protocols, these are represented by the newspapers regularly given, free of charge, to several public institutions or radio or television stations which broadcast shows about related to press reviews.Analysing the data at the end of 2011 the structure of the circulation number is the following: – 45% represent the subscriptions by the Romanian Post; – 25% subscriptions by their own distribution network; – 18% selling the newspaper at the news stands; – 8% selling the newspaper by the newspaper sellers; – 4% protocols and promotions; It can be concluded that 70% of the product buyers are faithful readers of the newspaper and that they regularly buy it by the subscription system, while the retail selling (at the news stands or by the newspaper sellers) provide only 26% of the total circulation number, additionally having the disadvantage to deal with the returned items (newspaper copies left unsold) which represent financial loss for the company. From the data analysed during 2008-2011 ( table no. 1), we note that there is a decrease in the newspaper selling figures with 43%, the most influenced being the subscription selling by its own network, which dropped with 76% and could not be compensated by the growth in the subscription rate by the Romanian post office of 36% as compared to 2008. Table no. 1. The sales evolution during 2008-2011 Year Subscription by Subscription by Retail selling at Retail selling by post network news stands newspaper sellers 2008 97. 436 118. 994 1. 704. 162 200. 000 100. 347 1. 396. 995 175. 800 72. 162 1. 088. 833 94. 681 29. 581 963. 756 83. 04 Source( Internal Report of Organization) Among the factors that contributed to this situation, we mention: – the rise of the subscription price as a consequence of rising the price of the raw material and utilities; „ACADEMICA BRANCUSI† PUBLISHER, ISSN 1844 – 7007 2009 2010 2011 79. 634 91. 429 132. 694 146 Annals of the „Constantin Brancusi† University of Targu Jiu, Economy Series, Issue 3/2012 – the renouncement to certain distribution routes because of their lack of profitability; – the decrease of the population income, which made them unsubscribe the newspaper system. As a result of the data analysis, the greatest part of the population that subscribe to the newspaper are old people (over 55% of the subscribers are retired people) followed by the population of the age group 45-55 years ( approx. 30%).With the purpose of increasing the sale figures and the market quota, the press features may be used accordingly, namely by adopting or allowing for: – measures to keep the current clients faithful to the newspaper, materialised in flawless distribution, attractive price, gifts, prompt complaints solving of clients unsatisfied with the paper distribution by its own distribution system. The company has to take measures to revise the whole distribution system of the subscribed newspaper so that to improve the acquisition efficiency and the number of subscribers, because the recruitment value and number of subscribers are extremely important factors for the survival and profit generation in a business with a subscription sellin g strategy component. The reasons for not subscribing, as mentioned above, may become mostly known by surveys. The activity of attracting new clients is much more costly and given this fact new programmes should be created to keep the current clients. measures to attract new subscribers by setting up a telemarketing service, through which potential clients are contacted by phone and asked if they are willing to subscribe to the newspaper network, offering, together with other companies, promotional materials for the clients who subscribe for a longer period of time; – contacting the lost subscribers in order to establish the causes of their refusal to continue the subscription and to try, where possible, to remedy the complaints; there is also the possibility to offer reduced price subscriptions or even free subscriptions for short time intervals to make the client aware that the complaints were solved; – creating a prize awarding, extremely motivating for the newspape rs sellers and the subscription agencies that obtain very good results in their activity; – giving clients the possibility to subscribe by sending an SMS (the cost for the SMS is the equivalent price for the monthly subscription, and the client is contacted after the SMS in order to obtain all the information necessary for the delivery); ? rganising a retribution system for the post workers with good results in their activity to conclude subscriptions; ? organising a system for the so-called promotional subscriptions destined to certain locations where the paper can be read (open air cafe bars, medical cabinets, notarial offices etc. ) a situation in which the client pays the full subscription price and gets other 2-3 free subscriptions. – entering on a bigger market by a more aggressive advertising campaign; – improving the quality of the newspaper articles and actively involving the readers in the community life, a strategy that would attract a greater number of readers motivated by their involvement in the daily problems of their community.The company position is, also, seriously affected by the presence of a very high number of information sources and news that contribute to the decrease in the content value, but also to the impossibility of protecting the content; – rethinking the offer system for the online readers by paying a monthly subscription in order to have access to the content of the newspaper. The new payment model must be reorganised so that the media companies may sell packages of products that include subscriptions to the print newspaper and to the online version. Thus, the subscribers to the print version may have access also to the online version and to the smart phone /tablet version.This payment structure encourages readers to subscribe to the print edition and subsequently to support the maintenance of the circulation number. Furthermore, the attention of the clients is drawn, from the idea of restriction, to the idea of full access to the information, by any means. The strategies adopted by the press trusts for overcoming the crisis must be correlated with the resource strategies, especially since the costs for the workforce in this activity domain represent an important part of the final product cost. Given this fact, we consider that the analysis of the company's activity has to be drawn up in direct correlation with the human resource strategy for the selling component.We claim that the personnel restructuring and the dissolution of the distribution networks are supposed to be the last resort strategy, used only after all the other strategies have been analysed and eliminated, because, once the distribution network is lost, it can hardly be re-established due to higher costs. Recruitment and selection of the selling workforce in the domain are characteristics determined by the specific activity. When analysing the activity, one have to take into account a series of aspects, namely: a). the number of the current publications in the region; b). the recruitment and selection of the selling workforce, which is difficult since the revenues obtained from selling the newspaper is low; c). the geographical area where the publication is.With the purpose of winning the market, a series of major investments must be applied and, as opposed to other activity domains, we claim that the most important investment must be made in the human resources. It should not be neglected that a newspaper sells information. Some of the arguments in favour of the opinion that the human resource is the most important component are related to the quality of the newspaper articles, to the research methods „ACADEMICA BRANCUSI† PUBLISHER, ISSN 1844 – 7007 147 Annals of the „Constantin Brancusi† University of Targu Jiu, Economy Series, Issue 3/2012 and subject approach and to the manner in which the readers are captivated by the headlines.Another challenge is adjus ting to the new needs and reading behaviour of diverse segments of readers, but many did not understand this aspect, despite the market data reports about the focus groups present in each trust. Overcoming the crisis does not presupposes only restricting the activity. On the contrary, as we mentioned before, it involves the quality improvement of the product. Another strategy that should be adopted by the local publications could be the identification of new distribution channels and the improvement of advertising offers to atract important clients in need of advertising. We should not forget that the important local advertising clients were the real estate investors, the banks and the auto dealers.Once the crisis was installed, most of the private and public companies have reduced their advertising budgets. Many of these companies limited their activity or even disappeared from the market, others oriented towards different mass media channels: television or radio. Another option to increase sales is to withdraw from the advertising companies in which many newspapers sell their available inventory. These companies get big commissions, and sometimes the publisher gets 5-10% of the advertising list price. The dependence to third parties for advertising selling visibly affects the newspapers performance. Those who already have their own selling teams debate on the opportunity to use the same people both for selling print and online.There are opinions supporting these convergent views, but there are also those who consider that a separate team for online selling would be more efficient. They claim that it is very hard for a sales manager to motivate and train a team that is supposed to have different selling techniques and completely different financial expectations. Likewise, in order to be complete and functional, the selling strategy presupposes the elaboration of an entire set of specific forms: the report forms, the market reports regarding the competing news papers, the press monitoring reports, the buffer stock, the monitoring report for the selling agents routes, reports regarding the number of new activity routes or new clients etc.The marketing and selling strategy of the organisation implies finding solutions to attract clients, not only by offering appealing discounts, but also by providing better articles with a more interesting content, or, in the case of the press trusts that have the opportunity of using several media channels, by offering common packages for clients. For example, those publications that do not abandon their online version of the newspaper have to find new ways to attract advertising clients for its both versions, the print and the online, eventually using these common packages. First of all, a coherent marketing approach should be based on a clear definition of the market and the audience.When all the departments of a company work together to meet the needs and the interests of the consumer, the result may be a successful one. It implies that the action should unfold on two levels: firstly, it refers to the functional components of the marketing system – the selling workforce, the advertising, the relationship with the clients, the product management, the marketing research that need to work together. Secondly, marketing should be supported, understood and accepted by all the other departments. To support the team work in a inter-department team, the organisation has to apply internal and external marketing. The external marketing is directed to the audience outside the organisation.The internal one, refers to employing, training and motivating certain capable and talented employees, which will serve the interests and the needs of the clients. The internal marketing precedes the external marketing. For an organisation, there is no point in promising excellent services before being capable to actually offer them. A selling team that is not supported by the strategic marketing cann ot successfully accomplish the selling objectives. It is very difficult to build a selling team in print media and it is more difficult to motivate it. The company existence is dependent on the way in which the selling team interacts with the clients. The strategies for keeping the products on the market should be tailored to meet the new, continuously changing expectations of the consumers.The content quality and the reputation of the publication based on the professionalism of the journalists will be the basis for the future strategies in the media businesses. 3. Conclusions Should the press trusts want to develop future strategies, they have to to be aware of the globalisation effect, of the economic changes and the new technologies and their impact on the entire media industry. It is unnatural to offer common solutions for all consumers, especially under the circumstances brought by the explosion of the Internet. There is the need for separate offers, in accordance with the publ ic segments: traditionalist users, new media users etc.This segmentation is not easy to realise and all the needs that the publication has to meet should be clearly, honestly and precisely defined. Defining and targeting a clear value for the readers and the advertising clients will help the publication have better chances to resist on the market. At the moment, thousands of papers throughout the world are caught in a fight with the Internet. Nobody knows what will happen, which of them will win the fight, or how the survivors will look like after the final round. On one hand, the new technology has led to an audience increase, and on the other hand the selling figures of the print newspapers have significantly dropped.Thus, the most aggressive competitor of the traditional selling networks in the print press is the Internet. Despite the fact that the costs for the online version of the newspaper are lower compared to the print version, the editors still don't know or don't understa nd the online phenomenon and for this new competitor they have to find solutions to reinvent themselves. „ACADEMICA BRANCUSI† PUBLISHER, ISSN 1844 – 7007 148 Annals of the „Constantin Brancusi† University of Targu Jiu, Economy Series, Issue 3/2012 In print press, the business model was almost identical regardless of the advertising type: creating and distributing informational content and attaching advertising to that content.The expenses generated by the printing, distribution and salaries were covered from the newspaper selling (30%) and advertising (70%) [13]. There has never been a profound relationship between the advertising and the articles. The advertising clients had no choice in the matter, lacking alternatives for the promotion of their products or services. Their only requirement regarded the number of sold newspapers and the targeted audience. Under the current circumstances, the Internet development furthers more and more the content of t he information and advertising. Practically speaking, we ask ourselves: Which are the reasons for selling a newspaper, given that all the information may be found on the Internet? and What determines the clients to allocate budgets for the print press?As long as there are readers who want to read the newspaper in its print form, no matter what the fluctuations are, there will a market for this product and therefore the press trusts will have to find the best methods to survive. The greater the challenges for the companies management, the more difficult it is to anticipate the future of the press, no matter how many surveys will be carried out. Nowadays, under the given circumstances, the selling teams have the task to find the best solutions to attract advertising clients on one hand, and to find solutions for keeping the distribution channels for the newspaper, on the other hand. 4. Bibliography [1] Bertrand, C,J- O introducere in presa scrisa si vorbita, Ed. Polirom, Iasi, 2001 [2 ] Coman, M, Introducere in sistemul mass media , Ed.Polirom, Iasi 2007 [3] Kotler, Philip, Managementul marketingului (traducere), Editura Teora, Bucuresti, 2000. [4] Stefanescu, Paul, Bazele marketingului, Editura Didactica si Pedagogica, Bucuresti, 1994. [5] *** www. activewatch. ro -Raport Free Ex 2011 pg. 7 [6] *** www. ancom. org. ro [7] *** www. business24. ro-Piata media iese din criza. In 2012 va inregistra primele cresteri dupa 3 ani de foc [8] *** www. brat. ro [9] *** www. hotnews. ro-media publicitate [10] *** www. journalism. org [11] *** www. mediaddict. ro [12] *** http//stateofthemedia. org – The state of the new Media 2012 [13] *** www. studiu-deloitte. ro-tendintele-media-2010 „ACADEMICA BRANCUSI† PUBLISHER, ISSN 1844 – 7007 149

Tourism Destination Development: Homecoming Scotland

Executive summary The subject of this report is the application of Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle for Scotland and also a critique of VisitScotland’s tourism destination development. The first section of the report presents the aim and objectives and the utilised methods of research. In the second chapter called â€Å"Tourism destination or destination tourism† are presented some preliminary theories regarding tourism destination as a market place. The third section presents the evolution of travel and tourism, international tourism, and also tourism destinations.The fourth chapter consists of three subsections. The first one presents the theoretical background behind the main destination development models and their partial applications to Scotland. The second subsection presents the unique early stages of the Scottish tourism through Butler’s TALC model. The last subsection of the chapter objectively illustrates Scotland’s present and recent pas t development through the cycle and its potential entries to the new and final stage. The fifth and final chapter is focused on Scotland’s international market.The first subchapter demonstrates the rich Scottish heritage in North America. In the second subsection the US society and its generations are analysed to select the best US market for Scotland. The third subsection presents VisitScotland’s campaign for the American visitors called Homecoming Scotland, the results of the 2009 campaign and expectations from the 2014 one. Table of contents Executive summary 1 Table of contents 2 List of figures 4 1. 0Introduction 5 1. 1Background 5 1. 2Aims and objectives 5 1. 3Methods 5 2. 0Tourism destination or destination tourism? 3. 0History of International travel and tourism: From ancient festivals to outer space 6 4. 0The Tourism area life cycle (TALC): Theory and application for Scotland 9 4. 1TALC models and the concept of Tourist Area Cycle Evolution: Their application to Scotland 9 4. 2Scotland’s unique early cycle stages 11 4. 3Scotland’s tourism development and consolidation 14 5. 0Homecoming Scotland: Attracting the American market 16 5. 1Scottish Ancestry in North America 16 5. 2Scotland’s markets in the changing US society 17 5. Homecoming Scotland 2009 and 2014: Stagnating nationally, developing internationally 18 Conclusion 20 References 21 Bibliography 23 List of figures *Figure 1 copied from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/File:Culloden_Viaduct01_2007-08-22. jpg Representing a panoramic view of Cullodin Viaduct 10 *Fig. 2: Adapted from Butler's â€Å"The Tourism Area Life Cycle Vol. 1: Applications and modifications†, about Tourism Area Life Cycle 14 *Fig. 3 International visitors in Scotland from International Caption Survey 17 Fig. 4: Adapted from clanstirling. org website about American Scottish 18 1. 0 Introduction 1. 1Background Each tourism destination area travels a life cycle. These cycles are adapted a ccording to the destination type, but they are still subject to interpretation. Scotland has proved to be an important competitor in the tourism industry nationally and even internationally. The uniqueness in which Scotland travelled the first stages of the cycle and the numerous differences of cycle phase between regions and also markets makes it the one of the world’s most challenging destination area to develop. . 2Aims and objectives The aim of this report is to demonstrate using strong and logical arguments Scotland’s current place in the TALC cycle and also to analyse VisitScotland’s newest international and national market campaigns called ‘Homecoming Scotland’ and respectively ‘Surprise Yourself’. 1. 3Methods In the attempt of writing this report various sources have been used such as books and journals which focused on tourism destination development and also Scottish tourism. Moreover, electronic sources such as VisitScotland. com or HomecomingScotland2009. om were used for guidance along with accomplished knowledge accumulated throughout the Tourism Destination Development module. 2. 0Tourism destination or destination tourism? Tourists and tourism experience had both grown in the last 100 years. Tourists nowadays are increasingly discerning in their choice of holidays, in terms of both activities and destinations. These high expectations have been heightened by the tourism industry itself mainly due its outside competitiveness with other sectors and inside one between destinations to attract the potential tourists.The ‘age’ when destinations could simply make known their attractions by sitting back and await the arrival of visitors is far behind. Tourism plays an essential role for many people’s high-quality lifestyle. Today’s tourists have to be enticed by marketing destination’s place products effectively. â€Å"Communities are the recipient of tourists† (Heat h and Wall 1992, p. 6), which is why most of the impacts of tourism occur on the community level. Yet, many communities, especially those whose economies are dominated by tourism, don’t have reliable tourism and marketing plans, or even any of these two components in their general plan.Places are ‘sold’ in a wide variety of consumer markets by private and public sector organisations which is why tourism destinations can be treated as products. There are, however, some differences between a place as a tourism destination and a marketable good or service purchased directly by customers of the tourism industry, such as the hire of hotel space or purchase of souvenirs. 3. 0History of International travel and tourism: From ancient festivals to outer space Many people wonder how travel and tourism has evolved so rapidly only in the last 50 years.There are many archaeological sites that reveal tourism destinations even from the 6th century A. D. in Babylon in what appea red to be the oldest history museum ever built which attracted people from all around the kingdom. Ancient Egypt also prided itself with its two majestic wonders: The Pyramids of Giza and The Lighthouse of Alexandria. The Nile River also represented an endless source of agricultural prosperity and boat festivals were organized as a sign of worship and gratitude for their wellbeing. A similar example was Ancient Greece with their many temple sites, venerating various gods.With the rise of the Roman Empire, tourism started to segment in different categories. Vacation tourism was practiced by the wealthier Romans who built residences outside the cities for seasonal use. Study tourism also became popular in the Upper Roman Class for children, but also parents who travelled to regions like Greece or Egypt to learn the local language and culture. It represents the beginning of what it is known today as â€Å"International tourism†. Romans also invented the first form of leisure tou rism (balearic tourism) at different water spring sites all over the Empire.The travel phenomenon however was mostly related to expeditions, commerce, migration or military expeditions and it remained this way until the beginning of the 21st century. As technology grew and faster ways of transport became available, travel and tourism finally got closely connected. In England, Queen Elisabeth The 1st had promoted study tourism through which English diplomats were educated in Universities such as Cambridge and Oxford. At the time the idea of travelling for the sake of curiosity was very popular among the upper-class, thus the introduction of passports to keep evidence and secure the multinational travelling.The term Grand Tour was introduced by Richard Lassels in his 1670 book â€Å"Voyage to Italy†. Additional guidebooks, tour guides, and the tourist industry were developed and grew to meet the needs of the 20-something male and female travellers and their tutors across the Eu ropean continent. The young tourists were wealthy and could afford the multiple years abroad. They carried letters of reference and introduction with them as they departed from southern England. The Grand Tourists were primarily interested in visiting those cities that were considered the major centres of culture at the time – Paris, Rome, and Venice were not to be missed.Florence and Naples were also popular destinations. The Grand Tourist would travel from city to city and usually spend weeks in smaller cities and up to several months in the three key cities. After the industrial revolution that brought important economic and social changes, the middle class population had significantly increased. At the end of the 19th century, middle class workers started to benefit of annual paid holidays. As the ways of transport became faster, reliable and also accessible, the demand for tourism resorts has exploded.As a result of the mass tourism phenomenon of the 1960s and post-World War flight technology and pilots, chartered seats on commercial airlines were introduced followed by long-haul packages that were very popular a decade later and encouraged international tourism also for the middle class. Today’s tourism is dominated by niches. The most popular segments are: religious tourism, photographic tourism, cultural and heritage tourism, tradition and culture-based tourism, adventure tourism, wildlife and special interest tourism.Space tourism represents the most recent niche and a number of companies have sprung up in recent years hoping to create a space tourism industry in near future. As an alternative to â€Å"tourism† some organisations use the term â€Å"personal spaceflight†. It has been practiced only by 7 people so far due to the high cost of such a trip (minimum 20 million dollars), but with today’s acceleration in technology growth, no one can predict what and to whom this niche has to offer in the future. 4. 0The Tou rism area life cycle (TALC): Theory and application for Scotland . 1TALC models and the concept of Tourist Area Cycle Evolution: Their application to Scotland Tourist areas are dynamic; they evolve and change over time. The idea of a consistent process through which tourist areas evolve has been described by authors such as Christaller, Stansfield, Noronha and Cohen. Noronha suggests that tourism develops in three stages: discovery, local response and initiative, and institutionalised institutionalisation. Christaller also makes clear the fact that types of tourists change with the tourist areas.There is a lot of literature about characteristics of visitors, but the tourist’s motivations and desires have been ignored. Cohen, for example, characterises tourists as ‘institutionalised’ or ‘non-institutionalised or even ‘drifters, ‘explorers’, ‘individual mass tourists’ and ‘organised mass tourists’. Plog also said t hat â€Å"Destination areas carry with them the potential seeds of their own destruction, as they allow themselves to become more commercialised and lose their qualities which originally attracted tourists† (Cited in Butler 2006, p. ). But while writers such as Cohen have warned against the problems of unilinear models of social change, there is a lot of evidence that the general pattern of tourist area evolution is consistent. Butler’s Hypothetical Tourism Area Life Cycle Model is illustrated through a process of five stages: exploration, involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation, and rejuvenation or decline. Because most studies in which the model has been applied for can be characterised as mature destinations, Butler’s model has attracted some criticism.In 2000 Butler revisited his model and highlighted aspects about it that could explain its continued relevance since 1980. He argued that because of a focus on detail in many studies some key aspect s and the overall validity of the model had sometimes been overlooked. In order to explain the growth, change, limits and intervention in a tourism area, the model is based in eight elements: dynamism, process, capacity or limits to growth, triggers, management, long term view point, spatial components, and universal applicability. Prideaux however, notices that the life-cycle may be at ifferent stages for different markets, which is why he comes forward with a market perspective analysis. His model applies best for those destinations that have gradually developed from local to international markets, mainly applied for resorts. Scotland’s early stages however don’t seem to apply with the first two of Prideaux’s model (from local to regional tourism). As for Miossec’s evolutionary cycle of destination development model, success from development starts even from stage one and at the latest stage he emphasises on the social-cultural impact for the region.The second stage represents a promotion through word-of-mouth which again didn’t apply to the first ‘courageous’ who visited Scotland and especially the Highlands and described it with horror. Weaver proposed a different but complementary model to the life cycle paradigm. It captures the need to regulate the use of tourism resources, especially the environment in order to adjust the flow of tourists. In situations where a high degree of regulation occurs, Weaver proposed that a destination could adopt ‘‘deliberate alternative tourism (DAT)’’, related to two forms of mass tourism, and to the sustainability of the destination.The first form he calls: unsustainable mass tourism (UMT) is the result of the continued development of the tourism that, in absence of restrictive regulation, exceeds the carrying capacity and the environmental and sociocultural limits of acceptable change in a destination; not Scotland’s case as here mass touris m is rare due to lack of land access to Europe and other continents and the mass tourism ‘trend’ is far behind.Traditionally, tourism sustainability is seen as a set of principles, political prescriptions and management methods that establish a path to develop tourism in conjunction with the protection of environmental, cultural and infrastructure resources of tourist destinations for the future (Lane, 1994). From this position, Hunter (1997) sees sustainable tourism as an adaptive paradigm depending on the circumstances of the environment in which it develops.He proposes four alternatives of sustainable development through: â€Å"tourism imperative†, â€Å"Product-Led tourism†, â€Å"Environment-Led tourism†, and â€Å"Neotenous tourism†. Of these four alternatives, ‘‘Sustainable development through Product-Led Tourism’’ is the focus here. In order to surmount the prescriptive limitations of the life cycle model whe n establishing the objective of sustainable development in island destinations, the teleological model proposed here can be used in a complementary manner. . 2Scotland’s unique early cycle stages *Fig. 1: Panoramic view of Culloden Viaduct *Fig. 1: Panoramic view of Culloden Viaduct The exploration stage represents the beginning of the cycle and it is assumed that there would be no specific facilities provided for visitors. Contacts between visitors and local residents is very often, which of course it might be beneficial if the locals are welcoming with strangers and also the visitors are keen to experience the local culture and traditions.Because this stage is mostly present nowadays in those unexplored or feared corners of the Earth, roughly called by many â€Å"Third World† countries, tourists take high risks when getting in contact with the residents as can never really anticipate the local’s behaviour and openness to tourists. Not all Scotland has lived th is stage in the same time. The tourist industry of the north and west of Scotland, which is today a major economic and social force in the area, can be traced back more than 2 centuries to the intrepid travellers such as Penant (1772) and Johnson (1876).The economic base and infrastructure did not become established until approximately a century later. Youngson (cited in Butler 1973, p. 373) notes that â€Å"In the first half of the century [eighteenth] nobody visited the Highlands for pleasure or out of a sense of scientific curiosity† and visitors â€Å"tended to speak of the country almost with horror, as a black howling wilderness, full of bogs and boulders, mostly treeless, and nearly unfit for human habitation†. Unlike Southern or Eastern Scotland, wheeled vehicles were uncommon in the Highlands around 1750 due to poor, almost inexistent transport infrastructure.Another impediment to travellers at the time was the linguistic ‘stubbornness’ of Scottis h people at the time to communicate in Gaelic, English still being considered only appropriate for the upper class. In 1812 the Duke of Gordon advertised shooting in â€Å"The Times† and rented Glenfeshie next to what it is known today as Glenmore Forest Park for ? 70. The popularity of the activity continued unabated and received powerful stimulation for various reasons. One was the great popularity of the artist Edwin Landseer, whose paintings of deer stalking were widely regarded, ncluding his best known work, â€Å"Monarch of the Glen,† originally commissioned for the Houses of Parliament. After Thomas Cook’s promotion of Southern Scotland in 1846 and construction of the Highland Main Line Railway in 1856, all Scottish regions were accessible by ground and the first tourist waves started to emerge. Another major influence was the enthusiastic support and participation by the Royal Family. Victoria and Albert first visited Scotland in 1842, and Albert partici pated in stalking at Drummond and in Glen Tilt.In 1848, they took a lease on Balmoral Castle, eventually purchasing it in 1852, and built a new residence which was completed in 1855. Their annual visits were a highlight of Victoria’s life. They cherished Scottish uniqueness. Butler states that If the first contact with visitors is peaceful and the local attractions present high potential interest for future tourists, the local residents can enter the involvement stage and begin to provide facilities primarily or even exclusively for visitors.The very purpose of a journey to Scotland was to find foreignness; it was the fact of Scottish distinctiveness which allowed the country to play its role as a counter to the modern world. The gesture gave social approval to the idea of a summer estate in the Highlands of Scotland, and the numbers of visitors increased steadily from that date, thus at the end of the nineteenth century there were approximately 170 inns and hotels in the are a.In all, Scotland held out three categories of attractions to tourists: natural ones, such as an outdoor environment which enabled visitors to envision a world untouched by industrialisation; historic ones, which suggested that the past was uniquely accessible in Scotland; and human ones, particularly the men and women of the Highlands and Western Isles, who sightseers believed preserved an ancient way of life in a changing world.While the Highlands and Isles of Scotland were building land transit infrastructure connections to the Britannic Island, the population of Southern Scotland exploded, especially in the two major cities of Edinburgh (from 103,143 in 1811 to 269,407 in 1891) and Glasgow (from 202,426 in 1831 to 658,073 in 1891). After the appearance of automobiles, the famous A9 road was constructed, connecting Southern Scotland to Inverness and Wick using approximately the same route as the Highland Railway.It is still the longest road in Scotland (273) miles. Unfortunately , an equally gradual spread of visitors to all part of Scotland was delayed by restrictions imposed during the Second World War. While the Highlands and Isles of Scotland were building land transit infrastructure connections to the Britannic Island, the population of Southern Scotland exploded, especially in the two major cities of Edinburgh (from 103,143 in 1811 to 269,407 in 1891) and Glasgow (from 202,426 in 1831 to 658,073 in 1891).This demographic growth played a vital role in the following years in the increasing demand of labour for the service sectors after the war. 4. 3Scotland’s tourism development and consolidation â€Å"As the consolidation stage is entered the rate of increase in number of visitors will decline, although total number will still increase, and total visitor numbers exceed the number of permanent residents† (Butler 2006, p. 7). Scotland is not a low cost, rapidly growing emerging mass tourism destination.Exponential increase in visitor number s and value has come to an end. Scotland is an attractive and popular destination which nevertheless is in the stagnation phase of the destination life cycle where tourism is a cash generator for the economy but growth is low and variable from year to year. It might even be on the cusp between stagnation and decline. â€Å"Surprise yourself† is the latest VisitScotland promotional campaign launched in March 2011 targeting the UK and Ireland market.With this campaign, VisitScotland tries to re-enforce its existing icons and people of Scotland. In fact, the main goal of â€Å"Surprise yourself† is to exit the post-stagnation stage in which it is as a domestic destination through the rejuvenating alternative illustrated in the following illustration model. *Fig. 2: Adapted from Butler's TALC Vol. 1 *Fig. 2: Adapted from Butler's TALC Vol. 1 There are a number of factors which are specific to the UK which are likely to impact negatively on visitor trends in Scotland over t he next few years.These include: threat of a â€Å"double dip† recession, Government Spending Review in the UK and Scotland, proposed introduction of increased air passenger duty, VAT increase, increasing fuel prices, threat of terrorism perceived or real and currency fluctuation. Possible impacts of such changes might lead to: reduction in overseas visitor numbers; conversely, reduction in the propensity for UK residents to take holidays as costs increase and levels of disposable income reduce; a net overall reduction in visitor spend ;and negative impact on levels of investment in tourism in Scotland, as well as reducing VisitScotland and VisitBritain budgets.The industry in Scotland also recognises the following as threats: Global recession Cost increases Increased competition from UK and overseas; England is in a position of competitive strength for overseas markets given the overwhelming global profile of London and the reality that the major international gateways are l ocated in south east England; decline in air and sea transport links to Scotland Increasing bureaucracy; public sector weaknesses – infrastructure, support and regulation; attitudes – people service, complacency, apathy.International events e. g. conflict or health scares could also reduce overseas visitor numbers. Scotland has a number of major opportunities to increase the value of tourism over the next few years.These include: A number of major international events including: Tall Ships Race 2011 (Greenock and Lerwick), The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Game, Spin offs from the 2012 London Olympic Games, The Ryder Cup in 2014, Homecoming 2014, Rugby World Cup in 2015 (England and Wales); potential for growth in key sectors of the economy in which Scotland has â€Å"centre of excellence† credentials, such as renewable energy and biotechnology with consequent increases in business and conference tourism; potential for improved access to Scotland ; and development o f major new infrastructure projects such as the national indoor arena, EICC extension, Trump development and the proposed V;A in Dundee. Scotland remains an attractive international destination within a number of well-developed and mature overseas markets. Mature markets probably offer limited scope for future growth in visitor numbers but they may be lucrative in value terms, especially based on areas such as golf, culture, and heritage and business tourism.There is some growth potential in international markets: Following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Eastern Europeans and Russians now travel regularly and many are high spending visitors with expectations of the highest standards and quality; emerging destinations are leading global growth resurgence (Brazil, Russia, China); Chinese citizens are increasingly wealthy and represent the world’s biggest future tourism market; and most importantly the number of US citizens with passports has doubled since 2003. 5. 0Ho mecoming Scotland: Attracting the American market 5. 1Scottish Ancestry in North America Scottish Americans (Ameireaganaich Albannach) or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States and Canada whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. They are closely related to Scotch-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate their common heritage. North America offered Scots the opportunity of farming their own land as well as employment possibilities in the cities.Some of the jobs on offer were those for which Scots already had experience, such as stonemasons and weavers. Once Scots from a particular area had made the move, their letters to back home encouraged others to join them. In recent studies, it is stated that there are about 30-40 million Americans who claim Scottish or Scotch-Irish heritage in the United States. But the region with most Scottish ancestry and also very much Scottish ancestry pride is Nova Scotia (New Scotlan d). New Scotland was founded by Sir William Alexander and King James of Scotland in the early 1600s. At that time, New Scotland consisted approximately of the Atlantic Provinces as they are known today, and the Gaspe Peninsula.Sir William Alexander with King James devised a settlement scheme of granting the title â€Å"Baronet of Nova Scotia† to any who would purchase large grants of land in New Scotland (Nova Scotia), secure and settle those lands. Following defeat at the Battle of Culloden, life and times became very difficult in the Highlands. The people were forbidden to speak their language (Gaelic), play the Bagpipes (considered instruments of war) or to wear their Highland dress. After the economy went from bad to worse, and the atrocities committed on the Highlanders by Butcher Cumberland and his followers the Highlanders, if they could, left. The first Highlanders to migrate to Nova Scotia arrived on the Ship Hector at Pictou in 1773.Through the years, up to and espe cially during the Highland Clearances, shipload after shipload of Highland emigrants crossed the difficult seas to Nova Scotia. The main ports of entry were Pictou, followed by Sydney, Halifax and others. Pictou became rightly known as the Birthplace of New Scotland. 5. 2Scotland’s markets in the changing US society *Fig. 3 International visitors in Scotland *Fig. 3 International visitors in Scotland Scottish Americans are, of course the target US market, but focusing only on this particular market would lead Homecoming Scotland to extinct. Even if they would have Scottish ancestry, they might not have any interest at all in Scotland. The stratification of the US market has to be demographic and social.The population of USA is approximately 298 million people, of which approximately 12 has Scottish Ancestry. They are widespread around the states, but unequally. Fortunately, for an expensive experience such as visiting Scotland from the US, high Scottish ancestry concentration s are in the wealthier corners of the United States like North-West, Central-North-West, North-East and Central-South-East. One of America’s weaknesses, it citizens average education is still to be desired and higher education is increasingly expensive. In order to have an awareness and interest in your possible Scottish ancestry, you need to have quite a decent education.So therefore, education directly influences American’s level of interest in places like Scotland. *Fig. 4 Adapted from clanstirling. org *Fig. 4 Adapted from clanstirling. org As of the American generations, Scottish tourism is open to almost all of them expect for the pre-depression generation who are predisposed to physical accidents, thus travelling over such long distances would be an impediment for them (not for their UK homologues though). The depression generation is known as very keen to activity and adventure tourism. Scotland’s advanced adventure and activity tourism developed in West ern Scotland, such as Forth William and plentiful of sport events might be an important advantage.But the most suitable American generation to visit Scotland are the â€Å"Baby Boomers†. Boomers are higher income, higher education and are a strong market for anti-aging products, travel and financial services. They are desperate to evade from routine and relax in a wonder untouched corner of the Earth, but also are aware of their ancestry, thus open to visit their homeland. Reaching the Xers however, is a tougher challenge because they have matured in a busy, overcrowded learning and working environment, so reaching them requires special attention to the media. This is in fact where VisitScotland comes at hand the most. 5. 3Homecoming Scotland 2009 and 2014: Stagnating nationally, developing internationallyThe campaign represents a stubbornness to return to the Butler’s development phase of the cycle: a reflection of a well-defined tourist market area, shaped by heavy a dvertising in tourist-generating areas. One of the most likely tourist-generating areas for Scotland is without any doubt, North America, due to its powerful Scottish ancestry. 2009 was the first year of the campaign and it is seen as an economic success for Scotland. Homecoming Scotland 2009 was a Scottish Government initiative, delivered in partnership between EventScotland, the national events agency, and VisitScotland, the national tourism organisation. Homecoming was allocated a core budget of ? 5. 5 million from the Scottish Government.Research by EKOS, an economic and social development consultancy reveals some very impressive achievements of Homecoming Scotland 2009: generated ? 53. 7 million in additional tourism revenue for Scotland, exceeding the ? 44 million target by 22 percent; attracted 95,000 additional visitors to Scotland; and generated ? 154 million of positive global media coverage. Homecoming has established an important database of Scots interest groups around the world. Only VisitScotland. com has received 344,207 additional newsletter subscribers. The year launched over the Robert Burns’ 250th anniversary, Scotland’s national bard and cultural icon. Also in 2009, because of Homecoming’s heritage promotion, the country’s biggest ever co-ordinated St Andrew’s Day was held.In order to have at least a similar success, Homecoming Scotland 2014 has to be predeceased by 3 ‘preliminary years’, each focused on a particular theme: 2010 for Food and Drink, 2011 for an Active Scotland, 2012 for a Creative Scotland, and finally 2013 Natural Scotland. Homecoming 2014 will take place in the year that Scotland hosts the Commonwealth Games, the 2014 Ryder Cup and marks the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn. Conclusion Scotland, like any other destination is travelling its destination life cycle. This post-stagnation phase however, represents the most vital one, and it is here where tourism des tination development is mostly put into practice.The uniqueness in which it travels makes Scotland one of the most challenging, yet exciting destinations to promote nationally, and especially internationally. References Ashworth G. and Goodall B. , 1990. Marketing Tourist Places. New York: Routledge; Brewer, T. , 1994. The Marketing of Tradition: Perspectives on Folklore, Tourism and the Heritage Industry. Enfield Lock : Hisarlik; Butler, R. W. , 2006. The Tourism Area Life Cycle, Vol. 1: Applications and Modifications. Clevedon: Channel View Publications; Butler, R. W. , 2006. The Tourism Area Life Cycle, Vol. 1: Conceptual and Theoretical Issues. Clevedon: Channel View Publications; Butler, R. W. , Hall, C. M. , Jenkins J. , 1998. Tourism and Recreation in Rural Areas.Chichester: John Wiley ; Sons Ltd. ; Cooper, C. et al. , 1993. Tourism Principles and Practice, 3rd Ed.. Essex: Pearson; Crouch D. , Jackson R. , and Felix T. , 2005. The Media ; The Tourist Imagination. New York: Ro utledge; Durie, A. J. , 2003. Scotland For The Holidays: Tourism in Scotland c1780-1939. East Linton: Tuckwell Press Ltd. ; Grenier, K. H. , 2005. Tourism and Identity in Scotland, 1770-1914: Creating Caledonia. Burlington: Ashgate; Heath, E. and Wall, G. , 1992. Marketing Tourism Destinations: A Strategic Planning Approach; Kolb, B. M. , 2006. Tourism marketing for cities and towns. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann; Swarbrooke, J. , 1995.The Development ; Management of Visitor Attractions. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann; BBC NEWS, 2010. Travel industry faces difficult voyage. [online]. London: BBC News. Available from: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-11362694. Accessed 13 December 2011; BUTLER, R. W. , 1973. The Tourist Industry in the Highlands and Islands: Unpublished Ph. D. Thesis. Annals of Tourism Research. Vol. 12, pp. 371-391. HOMECOMING SCOTLAND 2009, 2010. Report for Homecoming Scotland. [online]. Available from http://www. homecomingscotland2009. com/what-was-homecoming -scotland/ancestry/default. html. Accessed 13 December 2011; RODRIGUEZ, J. R. O, PARRA-LOPEZ, E. nd YANES-ESTEVES, V. , 2008. The sustainability of island destinations: Tourism area life cycle and teleological perspectives. Tourism Management. Vol. 29, pp. 53-65. THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2010. Second Homecoming in 2014. [online]. Available from http://www. scotland. gov. uk/News/Releases/2010/05/25113855. Accessed 13 December 2011; TOURISM MATTERS, 2011. Maximise VisitScotland’s â€Å"Surprise Yourself† Campaign. [online]. Available from: http://www. tourismmatters. co. uk/2011/03/maximise-visitscotlands-surprise. html. Accessed 12 December 2011; VISITSCOTLAND, 2011. Visit Scotland: Surprise Yourself. [online]. Available from http://surprise. isitscotland. com/? gclid=CLKB_6C-5aoCFQEf4Qod3Ckq6g. Accessed 11 December 2011; Bibliography Ashworth G. and Goodall B. , 1990. Marketing Tourist Places. New York: Routledge; Brewer, T. , 1994. The Marketing of Tradition: Perspec tives on Folklore, Tourism and the Heritage Industry. Enfield Lock : Hisarlik; Butler, R. W. , 2006. The Tourism Area Life Cycle, Vol. 1: Applications and Modifications. Clevedon: Channel View Publications; Butler, R. W. , 2006. The Tourism Area Life Cycle, Vol. 1: Conceptual and Theoretical Issues. Clevedon: Channel View Publications; Butler, R. W. , Hall, C. M. , Jenkins J. , 1998. Tourism and Recreation in Rural Areas.Chichester: John Wiley ; Sons Ltd. ; Cooper, C. et al. , 1993. Tourism Principles and Practice, 3rd Ed.. Essex: Pearson; Crouch D. , Jackson R. , and Felix T. , 2005. The Media ; The Tourist Imagination. New York: Routledge; Durie, A. J. , 2003. Scotland For The Holidays: Tourism in Scotland c1780-1939. East Linton: Tuckwell Press Ltd. ; Grenier, K. H. , 2005. Tourism and Identity in Scotland, 1770-1914: Creating Caledonia. Burlington: Ashgate; Heath, E. and Wall, G. , 1992. Marketing Tourism Destinations: A Strategic Planning Approach; Kolb, B. M. , 2006. Tourism m arketing for cities and towns. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann; Swarbrooke, J. , 1995.The Development ; Management of Visitor Attractions. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann; BBC NEWS, 2010. Travel industry faces difficult voyage. [online]. London: BBC News. Available from: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-11362694. Accessed 13 December 2011; BUTLER, R. W. , 1973. The Tourist Industry in the Highlands and Islands: Unpublished Ph. D. Thesis. Annals of Tourism Research. Vol. 12, pp. 371-391. HOMECOMING SCOTLAND 2009, 2010. Report for Homecoming Scotland. [online]. Available from http://www. homecomingscotland2009. com/what-was-homecoming-scotland/ancestry/default. html. Accessed 13 December 2011; RODRIGUEZ, J. R. O, PARRA-LOPEZ, E. and YANES-ESTEVES, V. , 2008.The sustainability of island destinations: Tourism area life cycle and teleological perspectives. Tourism Management. Vol. 29, pp. 53-65. THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2010. Second Homecoming in 2014. [online]. Available from http://ww w. scotland. gov. uk/News/Releases/2010/05/25113855. Accessed 13 December 2011; TOURISM MATTERS, 2011. Maximise VisitScotland’s â€Å"Surprise Yourself† Campaign. [online]. Available from: http://www. tourismmatters. co. uk/2011/03/maximise-visitscotlands-surprise. html. Accessed 12 December 2011; VISITSCOTLAND, 2011. Visit Scotland: Surprise Yourself. [online]. Available from http://surprise. visitscotland. com/? gclid=CLKB_6C-5aoCFQEf4Qod3Ckq6g. Accessed 11 December 2011;

Strategic analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic analysis - Essay Example Sony has used the following 5 successful methods in managing its strategies. 1. Customer satisfaction Planning also entails knowledge of customer’s lifestyle. Lifestyle is important when designing the type of products to sell to consumers in different regions. Sony uses different measures in ensuring all customers receive quality products and services through Voice of Customer (VOC), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), and Net Promoter Score (NPS) methods. The processes range from communicating to the prospective markets about the services offered and getting the target customer interested, approaching them and presenting on what the business offers, answering questions and handling customer objections, making sales and providing after sale service. Organizations need to understand the importance of measuring customer satisfaction for ever activity in by considering both the internal and external customers. The customer satisfaction strategy has enabled Sony become one of the most e lectronic competitive company globally by winning a lot of consumers. 2. Analyzing the competitors Sony Corporation faces stiff competition from other major companies in the same industry. The company management has introduced new approaches of analyzing their competitors through implementing various strategies like competitive strategy, and innovation strategy. By learning from their competitors, Sony Corporation has introduced new ideas that aid in market entry and more customer attraction. 3. Creativity The marketing design is highly essential in an organization since it is the fundamental to successful implementation of strategies and achievement of objectives. Multinational business analysis, on the other hand, outlines the potentiality of the business to gain from the market participation. The analysis incorporates strategic levers such as marketing, location and product, and organization analysis such as culture, people, management and structure. Sony becomes creativity by in troducing new products in the market that competitors have never thought of introducing. For instance, Sony Corporation introduced the first plasma TV into the market, Bravia that attracted the attention of many customers (Shin, 2003). 4. Keeping detailed records Sony finance and accounting departments ensure that the company maintains all the crucial information regarding every transaction taking place. A successful business must keep all its records in a secure place for future references. Maintenance of company records gives an organization time to create business strategies that assist in overcoming obstacles that hinder the success of an organization (Constanzo & MacKay, 2008). Record keeping occurs through updated financial statements and accounting details. 5. Consistency Sony Corporation ensures consistence in all its operations. All businesses need to know their target targets behavior and buying attitudes and needs while formulating their analysis strategies. Organizationa l strategy analysis assists in determining what exactly the customers expect to get when they purchase goods or services. It is easier to satisfy and delight customers when their true and perceived needs are known than when they are unknown. In achieving the above, good, competitive, innovation and value chain strategies developed aim at achieving the set goals and missions. A big organization like Sony should implement

Responding to the letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Responding to the letter - Assignment Example Along with my background in health promotion, I have carried out extensive research into the matter, which I believe will aid you greatly. The recommendations that I have come up with are not merely based on superfluous assumptions; rather I have assimilated information regarding the various obstacles that are faced in health promotion and have argued the recommendations I proposed with reasons. This letter will cover the various aspects of empowering families living in Boston, USA, with little or no health awareness and equipping them with information regarding the health of their children. This letter will prove to be an instrumental tool in promoting the health of previously hospitalized diabetic children. The content of the letter has been organized such as to facilitate the achievement of your goals. To reiterate, your goals primarily focus on: 1. Provision of health information to families regarding diabetes as a constituent of their social education problem. 2. Involvement of groups and cooking clubs for encouraging families to make healthier meals for the children. Taking these objectives into account, the letter: Highlights the importance of social education and health awareness of families. Provides a comprehensive action plan for educating families living in Riyadh. Recommends the most appropriate location for the delivery of the plan. Explores ways that can be used for the involvement of cooking clubs and related groups. Looks into appropriate and effective marketing tools for promulgating the service. Sheds light into the costs associated with the project. Analyses the possible impediments that can be faced. Reviews the need to evaluate the project in terms of short and long term effects. The first section of the paper briefly considers the directives that have been adopted by the government for health promotion in the general public. Incidence of Diabetes in children and Government directives: In the USA, extensive research into diabetes is being carried out and the disease is not treated lightly. The incidence of diabetes is growing in the country, particularly among the younger population. It has become one of the most common chronic illnesses in children and teenagers in USA. Statistics report that more than 151,000 children and youth aged less than 20 years have been diagnosed with the condition. In 2007, 186,300 under the age of 20 were reported to have diabetes, representing about 0.2% of the youth in this age group (NDEP 2008). Usually children are diagnosed with the type of diabetes that is referred to as diabetes type I or juvenile diabetes. However over the recent years, it has been seen that some children are even developing diabetes type II, which was predominantly considered adult diabetes. In a study carried out between 2002 and 2003, the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth, it was found out that every year in US, an alarming 15,000 children and teenagers are diagnosed with juvenile-onset diabetes. Moreover, the study showed that 3700 youth are diagnosed with adult diabetes each year. Although the occurrence of the disease in children aged less than 10 was low, it was seen that adult type II diabetes becomes increasingly common in children aged 10 years or more, especially in minority populations such as non-Hispanic whites and African Americans (NEDP 2008). Due to the rising incidence of the condition in the country, there are a number of directives that h

Teaching Turkish through Turkish novels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teaching Turkish through Turkish novels - Essay Example This essay discusses that the Turkish language is blessed with significant writers who took pains to write exquisite books portraying life around a plethora of backgrounds and events that had readers glued to the books they wrote. They are interesting and make the business of language learning so much simpler and easier (Dino, Guzine; 1986).Teaching Turkish through Turkish novels is a wonderful challenge. The teacher has only to encourage the hesitant student to take the plunge. The process may be slow initially because the student has to stop time and again to check grammar and vocabulary. But soon, armed with improving language, the student will gain confidence and discard the use of grammar text books and the dictionary. Today, learning the Turkish language using novels makes learning a quicker and simpler proposition. It works well when these novels are translated into English or the learner’s mother tongue. The student can then read the novel in his own language and then continue with the novel in the Turkish language.This depends on the capacity of the student to learn, and a written test at the end of the course. Some basic expressions can be learnt fairly quickly. Simple expressions such as: Ne yapÄ ±yorsun? (What are you doing?), Evli misiniz? (Are you married?), or Selam Ãâ€"zge, nereden geliyorsun? (Hi Ozge, where are you from?) are capable of being learnt fast. However, grammar and vocabulary takes time. But novel reading helps in learning grammar and vocabulary faster (Ãâ€"ztopà §u, Dr. KurtuluÅŸ; 2006).

Witchcraft Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Witchcraft - Research Paper Example People also get reminded of old hags when witches are being talked about. The image that people have of witchcraft has changes significantly in the recent past, this drastic change has occurred because of numerous movies made on this subject, several books have also been published on witchcraft which has again helped in changing the perception of the people about witchcraft. This paper will shed light upon witchcraft and paganism since 1815; modern day witchcraft will be discussed extensively in the following parts of this paper. â€Å"Before really getting into what Witchcraft is, perhaps we should take a look back at what it was—the history of it. Witches should be aware of their roots; aware of how and why the persecutions came about, for instance, and where and when the re-emergence took place. There is a great deal to be learned from the past. It's true that much of history can seem dry and boring to many of us, but that is far from so with the history of Witchcraft. It is very much alive and filled with excitement.† (Buckland, Raymond. P.1) Witches have often been banished from our society, they have been tortured beyond imagination and this image has to be changed.