Billy Budd Essay -- essays research papers

To frame essentially one supposition or show only one part of this story is credulous, discourteous, and shut disapproved. How may one stick to one shop mea, moral addressing, or out-look on a book that bounces from such cases like frogs on lily cushions? Similarly as Melville has done, I will endeavor to mastermind my view of Billy Budd, likewise. That is, through an irregular practice (that is; hopping from pt. to point), of composing an article I will continually change and headings and objectives of what it is I wish to state.      One may see the book’s structure to be free and very adaptable; one finds that the fits and begins, and the moving of lengths between parts are the most ideal approach to pass on the sentiments/implications of Billy’s story. Perhaps the storyteller accepts that Billy is valid on a more profound sense; as such, it compares to genuine experience. Don’t you, yourself find that when you are attempting to settle on a significant choice, or living through some critical occasion your brain continues moving starting with one thing then onto the next, now and then rapidly and drastically, here and there creating speculative circumstances to use as correlations or contrasts? This is like the case as found in Billy Budd. The Book doesn’t work in an exacting and organized manner yet heads out to depict finally various characters, at that point moves to quick activities, eases back down again to a very contended trail, at that point attracts quickly to a nearby with Billy’s hanging. Much after that occasion, (the hanging), the book waits on with a remark of it and takes care of every potential issue (Captain Vere dieing etc†¦). Despite the fact that this story needs conventional configuration, it clings in a significant and moving way.      The style and perspective of Billy Budd can be managed together b/c of the solid account voice decides both. The storyteller of the story is unmistakably an exceptionally taught individual with an extraordinary information on folklore. In spite of the fact that the voice of the story is reliable in this novel, the perspective is continually evolving. At times we are put inside the leaders of the characters (he educates us Claggart’s mystery considerations regarding Billy, and causes us to feel the anguish Captain Vere is encountering in settling on his hard choice. Of course there are different occasions were he evacuates the two of us (storyteller, and peruser), from a scene, (Best model being, when Vere goes to reveal to Billy that he should hang-and maintains a strategic distance from mak... ...was drafted straightforwardly from jail. However, nobody knows without a doubt. About his insight, much the same as the snake utilized his knowledge to deceive Mankind, Claggart too utilizes his insight to deceive Billy. Accordingly the fall of either’s â€Å"Garden.†      Upon this audit, one can pose such an inquiry of, does each Eden must have its snake? The nearness of John Claggart in Billy Budd propose that abhorrent is a piece of our reality, and it will consistently join itself to honesty and attempt to degenerate it.  â â â â Billy Budd centers around the internal existence of a solitary boat. Life on board the Indomitable is a downsized model of life itself, yet it is evident of the force and nearly claustrophic this setting can be as the story continues and everything is increased. Thought the all the way vast ocean is surrounding, it just detaches the men from the remainder of the world. On the off chance that you’ve ever been immediately isolated on an outdoors trip, per-state, at that point you realize how rapidly one can jump on another’s’ nerves. This story catches that power. One should likewise recall that Billy is set in a period of war and revolt, and theories factors majorly affect the story and everyone’s choices.

Free Essays on George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson

George, Johnny, and T.J. At the point when somebody makes reference to the â€Å"Founding Fathers† of the United States, one effectively recollects George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Their achievements are notable by many. In any case, do they know the men behind the accomplishments. John Ferling encourages us better comprehend the lives that these men drove when they weren’t battling for freedom or endeavoring to build up an enduring government. He likewise causes us become increasingly mindful of the issues, similar to the comrades of their time, confronted and needed to survive. George Washington as General Henry Lee expressed seemed to be, â€Å"first in war, first in harmony, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.† Later ages have delegated him with the basic title â€Å"Father of His Country.† George Washington was conceived in 1732 in the unassuming community of Pope’s Creek, Virginia. In contrast to Adams and Jefferson, Washington came up short on conventional instruction, for he got the greater part of his tutoring from his dad and, after his father’s passing in 1743, from his senior stepbrother Lawrence. Washington’s political and military profession started as ahead of schedule as 1754 when he took an interest in the French and Indian War as a pioneer of a Virginia regiment. During his administration under the British armed force, Washington began creating progressive ideas. It was during this time, â€Å"Washington comprehended that pioneers were peons inside the British Empire.† (p. 65) To add to his indignation of Britain, the motherland started to burden her over the sea residents by the death of such charges as the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and the Townshend Duties. This caused agitation for Washington, yet for all homesteaders, who were currently considering splitting ceaselessly from King George III and England. Washington was named leader of the Continental Army for he â€Å"†¦was well off, moderately youthful he was forty-three of every 1775-and healthy. Here was a man acclimated with driving others, a man who could make life-and-d... Free Essays on George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson Free Essays on George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson George, Johnny, and T.J. At the point when somebody makes reference to the â€Å"Founding Fathers† of the United States, one effectively recollects George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Their achievements are notable by many. Be that as it may, do they know the men behind the accomplishments. John Ferling causes us better comprehend the lives that these men drove when they weren’t battling for autonomy or endeavoring to build up an enduring government. He additionally encourages us become progressively mindful of the issues, similar to the comrades of their time, confronted and needed to survive. George Washington as General Henry Lee expressed seemed to be, â€Å"first in war, first in harmony, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.† Later ages have delegated him with the basic title â€Å"Father of His Country.† George Washington was conceived in 1732 in the unassuming community of Pope’s Creek, Virginia. In contrast to Adams and Jefferson, Washington did not have conventional instruction, for he got the greater part of his tutoring from his dad and, after his father’s passing in 1743, from his senior relative Lawrence. Washington’s political and military profession started as right on time as 1754 when he took an interest in the French and Indian War as a pioneer of a Virginia regiment. During his administration under the British armed force, Washington began creating progressive ideas. It was during this time, â€Å"Washington comprehended that homesteaders were peasants inside the British Empire.† (p. 65) To add to his resentment of Britain, the homeland started to burden her over the sea residents by the death of such expenses as the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and the Townshend Duties. This caused turmoil for Washington, yet for all pioneers, who were presently considering splitting ceaselessly from King George III and England. Washington was named leader of the Continental Army for he â€Å"†¦was well off, moderately youthful he was forty-three out of 1775-and healthy. Here was a man acquainted with driving others, a man who could make life-and-d...

As we hurtle towards Pi Day

As we hurtle towards Pi Day… Things are getting fast and furious as we head towards Thursday, but I thought Id take a tiny break to post a little something. Ive already had a lot of bleary eyed moments in the last few weeks (my eyes are actually pretty sore as I type this), which reminded me of the post I wrote a couple years ago (see below). As someone commented on Lydias recent post, around this time of year there are usually a bunch of pre-pi-day posts with various thoughts, comments, and advice before the decisions go out. Lydias is one such post that is worth a read. Ive collected a few others from over the years that I think are worth perusing, too (though it is by no means an exhaustive list): Me, March 16, 2011: Bleary-eyed David duKor-Jackson, March 13, 2012: To whom much is given Lydia K. 14, March 8, 2012: As We Approach Decision Day Anna H. 14, March 10, 2011: I Challenge You Chris M. 12, March 13, 2010: Decisions, Decisions I will admit this may not qualify as a real post as it is essentially a post of other posts, but I hope it provides some good perspective and interesting reading for those of you waiting for Pi Day. As mentioned in the posts above: dont panic, dream big, explore the internet, dont obsess, solve some puzzles, look at cute cats, thank people, and go relax and have some fun while you wait! Feel free to comment and share your favorite blog posts below too. [Disclaimer: if you have questions, probably best not to ask them here, as I probably wont be able to respond to much of anything in the next 42 hours or so as we wrap everything up with decisions; apologies in advance!] Okay, its 11pm and I havent eaten dinner yet. Time to go get some food

Controversial Book Review of Harari’s Sapiens

5 Errors in Sapiens (a Brief History of Humankind) Book Review Sapiens A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari is an ambitious attempt to explain in under 500 pages the manifold forces that transformed the unassuming genus Homo into the bodacious Homo sapiens. In the pursuit of this noble goal, the author presents his readers the smorgasbord of counterfactual conditionals – what could have and might have been. Although the speculative reconstruction of human history makes for an interesting read, it is anything but new. There are scores of books like Sapiens; however, unlike dull treatises written by Christian or crudely materialistic authors, Harari’s work has become an overnight success. Despite countless negative scholarly reviews of Sapiens, the book occupies millions of coffee tables around the world. Its popularity can be attributed to a simple reason, and that is simplicity. People love it. The author moves the plot of his swashbuckling story along using far-fetched and reductionists claims about the earliest human s and their surroundings. For example, in a manner similar to that employed by sensationalistic online publications, the author proffers that wheat domesticated ancient agrarians â€Å"rather than vice versa† (Harari, 2014, p. 79). There is little surprise, then, that the book has garnered a fair share of carping and harsh academic criticism. The aim of this paper is to review Sapiens and discuss its most egregious drawbacks and problems with Harari’s reasoning. The review will also address two questions: â€Å"What is the book Sapiens about?† and â€Å"What lessons does the book Sapiens give?† It will be argued that the history of sapiens eloquently recounted by Harari should be recognized for what it is: science-fiction rather than a serious scholarly work. Discussion for the Book Sapiens Raises Stinging Questions In the book, which is often found among college reading materials and lesson plans high school, the historian broaches the themes of geography, sociology, Christianity, in particular, and religion, in general. Naturally, Harari’s work is a welter of book club questions. To the author’s credit, it should be mentioned that research behind Sapiens book is immense; this fact notwithstanding, there are many issues with its application. Is Sapiens an authentic book on evolution? Hardly. Although many propositions put forward by the author are based in scientific evidences, the drawn conclusions are of dubious validity. For example, when trying to answer the question of â€Å"How did homo sapiens develop?†, Harari resorts to religion. No, he does not use religious teaching as a basis for his arguments. Instead, he echoes Genesis stories to illustrate relationships between evolution, humans and morality, as well as, pass judgment on the human race. Specifically, agricult ural revolution from Sapiens book reverberates with the story of Cain and Abel. The historian posits that the first agrarian who tilled the soil committed a crime the results of which are only overshadowed by that of animal husbandry. In an excerpt animal farming Harari asserts that the practice â€Å"might well be the greatest crime in history† (Harari, 2014, p. 112). He makes similarly sweeping moral judgments by comparing cognitive revolution to the original sin and the scientific revolution to the Tower of Babel. The writer bemoans certain aspects of the technological progress and their wider social implications. Specifically, he points to the blurred boundaries between therapeutic and enhancement applications of pharmaceutical drugs arguing against the latter. At the same time, Harari claims that ethical and moral frameworks are fundamentally fictional and should be regarded as such. If at this point, it is not abundantly clear why the book is not a convincing academic a nalysis, consider the author’s opinion on the information society: â€Å"irresponsible† and â€Å"discontented† â€Å"self-made gods† (Harari, 2014, p. 314). Such comments account for unfavorable reception by anthropology and downgrade the book to the science-fiction category. WRITE MY BOOK REPORT Is Wrong to Heed Sapiens Criticism? Is Sapiens accurate? No. The book’s flawed claims have been debunked numerous times. The large number of errors has been surpassed by the even larger number of negative responses to the book Sapiens. Academic critiques and controversy notwithstanding, it is wrong to call the Harari’s work bad. It seems that cynical readers leaving depressing reviews on Goodreads have been sidetracked by sensationalism and exaggeration and missed the author’s main point: the evolutionary arc is long, but it bends toward progress. And in his treatise, Harari makes strained efforts to point the yesterday’s nomadic tribes toward it. Even though a Brief History of Humankind critical book analysis exposes severe inconsistencies in the author’s reasoning, one should not be dissuaded by it. The book is overhyped, but it is extremely illuminating and mordantly funny, which is why it is still worthy of one’s time. Wondering â€Å"who can write me Sapiens book review criticism?† How about the author of this article? They will write you a powerful review in only several hours! GET BOOK REVIEW Sapiens Book Best Quotes Sapiens is awash with brainy quotes one could use to open a speech or cite in an essay. In one of many quotes on capitalism, Harari notes that the system is a social construct: â€Å"How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order is imagined† (2014, p. 179). Another memorable Sapiens book quote on the matter is â€Å"money, social status, plastic surgery, beautiful houses, powerful positions – none of these will bring you happiness† (Harari, 2014, p. 184). BUY BOOK REVIEW PAPER

Locutionary Act Definition in Speech-Act Theory

In speech-act theory, a locutionary act is the act of making a meaningful utterance, a stretch of spoken  language  that is preceded by silence and followed by silence or a change of  speaker—also known as a  locution or an  utterance act. The term locutionary act was introduced by British philosopher J. L. Austin in his 1962 book, How to Do Things With Words. American philosopher John Searle later replaced Austins concept of a  locutionary act with what Searle called the propositional act—the act of expressing a proposition. Searle outlined his ideas in a 1969 article titled Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Types of Locutionary  Acts Locutionary acts can be broken into two basic types: utterance acts and propositional acts.  An utterance act is a speech act that consists of the verbal employment of units of expression such as words and sentences, notes the  Glossary of Linguistic Terms. Put another way,  utterance acts are acts in which something is said (or a sound is made) that may not have any meaning, according to Speech Act Theory, a PDF published by Changing Minds.org. By contrast, propositional acts are those, as Searle noted, where a particular reference is made. Propositional acts are clear and express a specific definable point, as opposed to mere utterance acts, which may be unintelligible sounds. Illocutionary vs.  Perlocutionary Acts An illocutionary act refers to the performance of an act in saying something specific (as opposed to the general act of just saying something), notes Changing Minds, adding: The illocutionary force is the speakers intent. [It is] a true speech act such as informing, ordering, warning, undertaking. An example of an illocutionary act would be: The black cat is stupid. This statement is assertive; it is an illocutionary act in that it intends to communicate. By contrast, Changing Minds notes that perlocutionary acts are speech acts that have an effect on the feelings, thoughts, or actions of either the speaker or the listener. They seek to change minds. Unlike locutionary acts, perlocutionary acts are external to the performance; they are inspiring, persuading, or deterring. Changing Minds gives this example of a perlocutionary act: Please find the black cat. This statement is a perlocutionary act because it seeks to change behavior. (The speaker wants you to drop whatever you are doing and go find her cat.) Speech Acts With Purpose Locutionary acts may be simple utterances devoid of meaning. Searle refined the definition of locutionary acts by explaining they should be utterances that propose something, have meaning, and/or seek to persuade. Searle identified five illocutionary/perlocutionary points: Assertives: Statements that may be judged true or false because they aim to describe a state of affairs in the worldDirectives: Statements that attempt to make the other persons actions fit the propositional contentCommissives: Statements that commit the speaker to a course of action as described by the propositional contentExpressives: Statements that express the sincerity condition of the speech actDeclaratives: Statements that attempt to change the world by representing it as having been changed Locutionary acts, therefore, should not simply be  meaningless bits of speech. Instead, they should have purpose, either seeking to bolster an argument, express an opinion, or cause someone to take action. Locutionary Acts Do Have Meaning Austin, in a 1975 update of his book How to Do Things With Words, further refined the notion of locutionary acts. Explaining his theory, Austin said that locutionary acts, in and of themselves, did indeed have meaning, stating: In performing a locutionary act, we shall also be performing such an act as: Asking or answering a question; Giving some information or an assurance or a warning; Announcing a verdict or an intention; Pronouncing a sentence; Making an appointment, an appeal, or a criticism; Making an identification or giving a description. Austin argued that locutionary acts did not need further refinement into illocutionary and perlocutionary acts. Locutionary acts by definition have meaning, such as providing information, asking questions, describing something, or even announcing a verdict. Locutioinary acts are the meaningful utterances humans make to communicate their needs and wants and to persuade others to their viewpoint.

Sexuality of Men and Women A Comparison Free Essays

The perceived views of men s and women s sexuality have been the subject of great speculation and conflict. Although great strides have been made over the years in the sexual â€Å"revolution†, the basic views of male and female sexuality have remained the same. Throughout history the ideas of proper sexuality for men and women have changed little. We will write a custom essay sample on Sexuality of Men and Women: A Comparison or any similar topic only for you Order Now Men have always been portrayed as the aggressive pursuer of a woman’s sexual favors. Women, in turn, have been required by society to diligently preserve their honor outside of the marital bed. Andrew Marvell’s â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† offers a good example of the game-like behavior that has become almost expected of a man and woman in society. The narrator beseeches his Lady to â€Å"sport us while we may like amorous birds of prey†. The Lady on the other hand, flirts casually and spurns the narrator’s advances. Women are praised highly for their virtue and honor in keeping their virginity for the institution of marriage. Even though it is perfectly acceptable for a man to attempt for and even acquire the sexual favors of a woman it is a social sin and in some areas a crime for a woman to succumb to her sexual desires outside of marriage. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†, Hester Prynne is ostracized by her community for having an extra-marital affair. Her punishment condemns her for her adultery and assures her a lifetime of humiliation. Many societies have gone through great lengths over the centuries to ensure fidelity or virginity in women. In the Middle Ages, women were often forced to wear chastity belts to ensure their virtue was kept intact while men were away at war or some other manly undertaking. In some countries, women are forced to cover every inch of their bodies in an effort to avoid the advances of other men. The narrator in Amy Lowells Patterns speaks of her passion that wars against the stiff brocade of her dress, the very heavy and unrevealing style of the era in which the poem is set. She laments the death of her betrothed as they were to be wed in a month and, as she felt bound by the dress, he was to have freed her from it. This poem also illustrates how the narrator, as many women in the past, did not consider it proper to succumb to her passions before marriage. Men on the other hand have often been revered for their sexual prowess. Kings often kept concubines, or mistresses. In some countries, it is acceptable for a man to have many wives. Sexual conquest has become almost a gauge by which manhood is tested. Men are often bombarded by peer pressure to become sexually active at an early age. Seen as a rite of passage by many men, they begin their pursuit of women before they are even capable of reproduction. In Stevie Smith s The Frog Prince, the narrator speaks of his being happy the way he is but he feels that it is required of him to have a girl. Changing times have allowed people to become a little more open in expressing their sexuality. However, more often than not, most men and women tend to conform themselves to expectations that remain the same even in today s society. How to cite Sexuality of Men and Women: A Comparison, Essay examples

Striking the Right Tone with Your Clients

STRIKING THE RIGHT TONE WITH YOUR CLIENTS When it comes to advertising copy, few things are as important – and as hard to pin down – as tone. Any client can tell you what kind of widget they sell and why their widget is better than their competitors’ widgets – but not all clients have a clear idea of what tone they’re looking for. And, as a copywriter, it’s your job to help them find out. Unless, of course, you really want to write five zillion drafts of that web page until you get the tone just right. Deciding on tone isn’t as black-and-white as, say, figuring out whether your client prefers bullet points or paragraphs. And, tone is extremely subjective: Something that sounds fun and innovative to one client may seem dry and technical to another. So, how do you know exactly what your client means when he says that he wants something â€Å"energetic, yet fiscally responsible† or â€Å"high-energy and professional†? Read on for a few tips for pitch-perfect tone: 1. Make a list of adjectives. Ask your client for five adjectives that describe her business. For example, does she see her company as hip and cutting-edge? Or would she prefer a straightforward and businesslike approach? Getting a few good descriptive words down is always a good starting point. 2. Ask about your client’s favorite websites (or print ads or blogs). Ask your client for a list of websites he likes, and then go visit them. You should get a pretty clear idea of the tone he has in mind. If all of the websites are serious and technical, it’s probably a good indicator of the tone that will work for him. 3. Provide tone samples. Sometimes, showing is way more effective than telling, and tone samples are a quick and effective way to provide your client with options. Take one page of copy (something pretty basic – I usually like to start with the home page), and rewrite it two or three different ways. Comparing tones side-by-side makes it much easier for you (and your client) to decide which one works. Keep in mind that, when writing tone samples, it’s absolutely critical that you keep the same information in each sample. If one tone sample includes, say, a list of products and the other sample has a Q A section, your client may get distracted by the differences in information and pay less attention to tone. 4. Identify your client’s target audience. Tone is going to vary by audience, so make sure you understand exactly who your client is trying to reach. A website geared toward teenage skateboard enthusiasts will be completely different in tone than a website aimed at nuclear physicists, or retirees, or stay-at-home-moms, etc.

Abuse in Nursing Homes Essays

Abuse in Nursing Homes Essays Abuse in Nursing Homes Essay Abuse in Nursing Homes Essay Imagine being told every day when or when you can’t eat, there’s a set time for bed and you’re not allowed to leave your home without a family member. What if you were confined to 4 walls and a set of windows and when you needed something you had to wait and ask someone to get or do it for you? What if you were forced to do things you didn’t want to do? What if you were beaten, sexually, and verbally abused for simply saying no or not doing what someone says? How would you feel? What would you do? For thousands of Elderly people in nursing homes, this is their daily routine. Today I will be talking about the 3 most common types of abuse in nursing homes; abuse, mistreatment and neglect. I will show examples of these types of abuse and also ways to prevent and how to report it. The dictionary defines abuse as to treat in a harmful, injurious, or offensive way. There are also 2 different types of abuse; mental and physical abuse. Abuse includes, but it not limited to striking, hitting, kicking, punching, throwing an object, spitting, burning, pulling on a part of a resident’s body, or any form of retaliation for a resident’s behavior. Here are some examples: The next type of abuse is mistreatment. Mistreatment is more appointed towards the nurses in the elderly care facilities. The types of mistreatment elders in nursing homes would come into contact with would be exceeding a resident’s prescribed dosage of medication, using restraints as a form of retaliation rather than being put into place for a safety device, or keeping a resident confined to a closet, locked room or other enclosed area against their will. Although these are looked down upon and are illegal there are some ways that these can be used without being illegal such as; a court authorizes the medication, isolation techniques or restraints must be used or when the treatment is necessary to prevent the resident from engaging in behaviors that may be harmful to them or others. The last and final type of abuse is neglect. Neglect is the failure to provide treatment or services necessary to maintain the health or safety of a resident. Types of neglect are; failure to provide medical, dental, nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, psychological, speech or other treatments or services, failing to carry out care plans or specific treatments or failing to provide safety measures. One of the most common types of neglect is not answering call bells or bathroom lights, an example of this is; A nursing assistant assists a female resident to a bathroom and tells her to call when she is ready to return to her room. The resident rings the call bell for five minutes and no one comes to answer it. Frustrated, the resident tries to get into her wheelchair by herself, and falls and fractures her hip. Here are some pictures of neglect. Although there are a lot of ways elders can be harmed it is preventable. Reporting abuse, mistreatment, and neglect is one of the easiest things you can do to stop abuse. Everyone can report abuse even your co-workers if you work in a facility. If you report any type of abuse it is anonymous you will not be in any sort of trouble for reporting abuse and you probably will save lives. If you find yourself in a situation where you may harm a resident, walk away. You can also call for help, get some fresh air or organize support groups. you are not alone. In conclusion elderly abuse in nursing homes is a big problem in elder services. I have shown you the 3 most common types of abuse and examples of them. Also I have shown you ways of reporting and dealing with a situation if you think you may harm anyone. Just think, would you want any of your family members looking like this? (Show picture) Then help educate, prevent and report abuse, mistreatment and neglect before this (show picture) happens.

Free sample - Blue Sky Software Consulting firm. translation missing

Blue Sky Software Consulting firm. Blue Sky Software Consulting firmBlue Sky being a software firm need constant change of leadership role since the technology is moving very fast and require regular up grades on the existing systems to compete effectively in the market. When Blue was the CEO he control this firm autonomously with little support from the technical staff, this was not a bad idea since he was the initiator but after being in the field for some time change was inevitable so as to get new managerial skills to spear head the operations of the firm. Blue used to consult nobody in managing the firm not even the other executives in the various divisions. He had no strategic plan for the firm stating that that was his firm and knows how to manage it. This was a bogus belief in the ever-changing business world. There had to be no long-term plans like those that the one Susan Hubres is pushing for. Susan being the planning and marking director had to put in place measure that could see the firm through its’ past hardships. We have learnt that in the past there were no executive meetings to discuss on the way forward and make suggestions. For any company to succeed in this era there has to be proper planning and the planning cannot be bestowed on one individual. Every department has its own problems, which need to be solved differently through discussions to get a wide field of ideas rather than relying on one person who can make mistakes. In addition, the other problem that faced Blue sky is the unbalanced distribution of works. The regional directors are young and new in the technical filed while the other side has those who have overstayed in the firm with many experiences in handling technical problems. This major problem needs to be solved by reshuffling them so that you get a balanced work force. Also the fact that older employees are almost retiring, they are less reluctant to expand the firm, if the problem is not solved now so that the younger directors get experience in future the firm might lack coordination due to lack of technical knowledge. Looking at various divisions of the firm they are managed differ ently, since this is a single business the structure of leadership should be centralized so that everything is coordinated from a central point and the new personnel should be motivated to be aggressive and expand the company. To achieve maximum potential of a worker little incentives can do the trick. Appreciating their contribution to the organization makes them loyal and team up together towards achieving their goals. In the past Blue Sky have not been doing much on this line though there was promotions based on individuals skills. This was good but to attain uniform development all the employees need to be motivated regardless of their positions in the company. Those who are doing manual work have a role of ensuring the firm’s image is maintained just like the CEO and directors. Taking them for retreats just as Susan suggested is a way of motivating them and they will interact amicable outside work places and build strong understanding of each other hence uplifting the company’s goals to greater extent. In addition, motivation can be done by setting targets and whoever achieves that he/she is given something on top of basic salary. In the past Blue sky give its’ employees retirement benefits as motivation and this actually maintained and make the teamwork extra hard to meet targets of the firm. Apart from that medical and insurance cover should also be introduce to motivate them even further. The strategic plan is in the process of changing and decision-making is now done by all the CEO and directors in board meetings. This is a positive change because everyone is looking forward to achieving the company’s objectives, which will in the end benefit them financially. In fact, they are overseeing ways of reducing costs and increasing profits. Employees have been encouraged to be aggressive and venture into new markets to serve more clients. Also due to competition from the Indian’s firms they have put in place mechanisms of approaching that and even plan to hire a specialist to look for more ventures that can promote the industry.   Blue Sky Company had the problems of poor coordination of its divisions and prior knowledge of ever changing market demands. For this to be solved there, should be a clear structure of managerial duties stating well the roles of each individual and put an outline on the flow of information. This can be done well if the firm set up policies and strategies on how to implement them. All policies and strategies should be tabled before a technical panel to discuss on them and make amendments before implementation. Following the theory of contingency there must be well coordination of all activities so that targets are achieved and the progress of each division must be assessed regularly to determine their position and potentials. The SWOT analysis should also be carried out to establish a good working environment and set up the team spirit necessary for the business growth.

Commitment to Diversity in the American Cancer Society, A Non Profit Assignment

Commitment to Diversity in the American Cancer Society, A Non Profit Organization - Assignment Example There is a separate section on the webpage in which complete details about how the organization is managing diversity is properly explained. The study of Third Sector New England (2010) has provided detailed information about organizational commitment to managing diversity and it is appropriately applied in ACS. Some issues related to gender, race and religion are found in many organizations as they have some difficulty in fulfilling their commitment to managing diversity among their workforce (Krietz, 2007). According to ACS (2012) and CancerNYNJ News (2011), there have been no severe diversity issues faced by the organization as it has addressed all the potential problems carefully so that it doesn’t encounter any problems in the long-run. All the content provided on organization’s website is related to diversity and all latest articles, guidelines and happenings of the organization are posted on its site. All the information provided on the site is updated till year 2007, code of conduct is updated as of 2000 (no updating is done afterwards) and everything is well-integrated on the website. Images and pictures uploaded on the website are limited; although it is showing how it is managing diversity among its patients but there are few selected pictures related to staff and volunteers that how is it ensuring that diversity is properly managed. ACS website can be enhanced by learning few points from the websites of Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Chicago (YNPN Chicago) and Girl Scouts of the U.S.A (GSUSA). Since websites are the main source of communication between the Non-profit organizations and its stakeholders, it is crucial that all the information about how it is managing diversity issues in organizations and fulfilling its commitment to managing it within the organization so that organizations can perform at their best. Third Sector New England (2010).

Nonprofit Governance WA 3 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nonprofit Governance WA 3 - Coursework Example Carver forces not to use 360 degree evaluation of a CEO because it violates the good governance when it is applied to a CEO. The CEO must be evaluated with unknown criteria. The board should not confront a CEO in front of all the board members which most often does not work. Each individual board member should separately evaluate the CEO with full authority (Carver & Carver, 2009). The ad hoc members should not observe or experience the evaluation of a CEO because these are the special groups which are outsourced and are not part of an organization. In that case the assessment would not be accurate and there are chances that the assessment process would not according to company’s criteria. Lastly, the Board should not assign the task to the ‘special committee’ or the Chairman for the assessment of the CEO because unconsciously, the CEO would then work for whoever appointed him to handle the company’s matters. The board itself would be responsible for the evaluation of CEO (Carver & Carver, 2009). The points listed by Carver for the CEO evaluation has to be agreed because these points can either help a company in the appointment of a good CEO or it can make it worse for the company. The board should be able to adopt the concept of self inspection monitoring in which the company relates its own standards for evaluating the CEO with the general standard in other firms. This helps the company in mitigating the risks involved with their own CEO evaluation and in the end it can propose points related to the company’s own process related to the CEO evaluation. There is an agreement how Carver proposed those points which should be avoided in the case of a CEO in forming the special committee or hiring the outside professionals to deal with the case. There is a possibility that the CEO might perform the work that pleases the committee who

Constructing Luxury for Consumers

Constructing Luxury for Consumers WHAT IS LUXURY? The word ‘luxury derives from the Latin word ‘luxus , which according to the Latin Oxford dictionary signifies ‘soft or extravagant living, indulgence and ‘sumptuousness, luxuriousness, opulence (Christodoulides, Michaelidou, Li, 2008). THE TRADITIONAL, ECONOMIC VIEW There are two aspects to consider when defining luxury, the psychological value and the value of the product/service itself. The psychological value of luxury comes from its function as a status symbol and from a highly involved consumption experience that is strongly congruent to a persons self-concept. From a product perspective, luxury brands are frequently defined in terms of their excellent quality, high transaction value, distinctiveness, exclusivity and craftsmanship (Fionda Moore, 2008). In his paper on International Retail Marketing, T.B. Jackson proposes the following as the core characteristics of a luxury product: ‘†¦ exclusivity, premium prices, image and status which combine to make them more desirable for reasons other than function (Jackson, 2004). Dimitri Mortelmans, in his paper ‘The concept of luxury, says there are three main characteristics in [a narrow] definition of luxury: extra value, high quality and exclusivity. The fourth, derived, characteristic is high price. * Extra value Extra value here is loosely defined to include design, aesthetic value any innovation or attribute that makes the product unique. * High quality Superior quality is an essential component of luxury products. Luxury products have been typically been associated with fine craftsmanship, precision and skill. * Exclusivity Exclusivity in luxury products comes from two factors: (a) the goods are made in limited quantity and distribution is strictly controlled. Haute couture began when royal tailors custom made garments that were made only for one user. Till date, products belonging to the highest category of luxury are made in scant quantities. It is also crucial to decide where all these products will be available in order to make them rare. (b) Luxury goods are typically priced so high that they automatically exclude a majority of the population from their target group. In the world of luxury, rarity value sells, because it is the rarity that the customer wants to own. Owning such a product makes the consumer feel privileged to be part of a select group of people. High price When a product or service is superior in quality has extra value and also has to be exclusive, then the price automatically becomes high. (Mortelmans, 2005) Traditionally, there were four principal categories of luxury goods: fashion (couture, ready-to-wear, and accessories), perfumes and cosmetics, wines and spirits and watches and jewellery. Today, luxury has expanded to include many more categories such as luxury automobiles, hospitality (hotels, tourism, airlines) private banking and home furnishings among others. Among these, the luxury fashion goods category accounts for the largest proportion of luxury goods sales (with a 42 per cent share in 2003) and also showed the strongest product category growth in 2007 (Fionda Moore, 2008). NEED FOR LUXURY MOTIVES FOR CONSUMPTION In their paper ‘The specificity of luxury management: Turning marketing upside down Kapferer and Bastien express that for the outward oriented motivations, â€Å"Luxury converts the raw material that is money into a culturally sophisticated product that is social stratification†. Where the inward directed motivations are concerned, â€Å"luxury should have a very strong personal and hedonistic component; otherwise it is no longer luxury but simple snobbery†. (Kapferer Bastien, 2008) According to Wiedmann, Hennigs and Siebels, â€Å"luxury is a subjective and multidimensional construct†. When studying consumer motivations for consumption of luxury, both outward (conspicuousness, snobbery, status) and inward (hedonism, perfectionist) directed motivations need to be taken into account. Additionally, these must be placed the situational and cultural context of consumption. (Wiedmann, Hennigs, Siebels, 2007) Wiedmann, Hennigs and Siebels have proposed four dimensions that add value to luxury purchases in the consumers mind: Financial Dimension of Luxury Value Perception The financial dimension captures the monetary value that consumers are willing to put on the purchase. This will take into account aspects like price, return on investment, resale value and discount. Functional Dimension of Luxury Value Perception This is the core benefit or utility derived from the luxury product or service purchased. This will take into account the attributes of the product such as its quality, durability, reliability, usability etc. Individual Dimension of Luxury Value Perception The individual dimension addresses the inward oriented motivations or the personal value derived from luxury. This includes benefits like self identity, materialism and hedonism. Social Dimension of Luxury Value Perception This dimension has been the most researched and appears to be the largest contributor to the value derived from luxury. The social dimensions of luxury value include recognition or being identified as a part of a particular social group, conspicuousness and prestige value within a social group and a sense of power in a social context. (Wiedmann, Hennigs, Siebels, 2007) In â€Å"A Review and a Conceptual Framework of Prestige-Seeking Consumer Behavior†, Vigneron and Johnson have suggested that the primary driver for the purchase of luxury is prestige-seeking behaviour. The prestige benefits derived out of luxury purchases are of two types: inter-personal (outward oriented) and personal (inward oriented). (Vigneron Johnson, 1999) Interpersonal effects:  · The Veblen effect perceived conscious value Veblenian consumers attach greater importance to price as an indicator of prestige. This comes from the fact that these consumers often use price as evidence to judge quality. They also tend to perceive higher quality products as granting higher prestige.  · The Snob effect perceived unique value ‘Snobs have a need to be unique and seek prestige through differentiation. The snob effect manifests itself in two forms: (a) when a new product/collection is launched, these consumers will want to be the first to buy (innovators) (b) they will choose not to use a product once the general masses have adopted it. Snobs see higher price as an indicator of uniqueness and exclusivity.  · The Bandwagon effect perceived social value This is the reverse of the snob effect. These consumers, the followers, seek prestige through group affiliation. In the words of Vigneron and Johnson, â€Å"bandwagon consumers attach less importance to price as an indicator of prestige, but will put a greater emphasis on the effect they make on others while consuming prestige brands† Personal effects:  · The hedonic effect perceived emotional value Luxury purchases have emotional value attached to them beyond their functional utility. These emotions could be aesthetic appeal, sensory pleasure, excitement etc. The consumer here is more concerned about her own feelings than those of others around her. The luxury product could be fantasy or self rewarding behaviour.  · The perfectionist effect perceived quality value These consumers seek superior quality as an indicator of prestige. They rely on their own judgements about the quality of products and services. They may see higher price as an evidence of better quality. (Vigneron Johnson, 1999) (Husic Cicic, 2009) THE ESSENCE OF LUXURY In her book ‘Let them eat Cake: Marketing to the masses as well as the classes, Pamela N. Danzinger (Danziger, 2005) explains that consumers link luxury to fantasy fulfilment. They fantasize about how their life will change once they own a luxury product; â€Å"Luxury takes on a transcendent quality linked to the persons hopes, wishes and dreams†, she says. Once we have achieved this fantasy, bought that luxury product, after some time it becomes ordinary and then we wish for something else, something even more luxurious and unattainable which then becomes the new object of fantasy. As Danzinger puts it, â€Å"that which is unattainable is overwhelmingly attractive and desirable†; once we have attained something, it loses its mystique and charm and becomes ordinary. Thus, to consumers, luxury is ultimately the unattainable. OLD vs. NEW LUXURY (MASSTIGE) There was a time when â€Å"luxury† as a category was restricted in the hands of the affluent and was meant only for the crà ¨me de la crà ¨me of society. Today, however, the scenario has changed more and more people can now afford a small piece of the pie with the democratisation of luxury. According to a study done by IBM Business Consulting Services (2004), todays consumers are demanding lower prices on basic goods but at the same time, they are willing to pay premiums for products that matter more to them. (Florin, Callen, Mullen, Kropp, 2007) Traditional luxury, now commonly known as ‘old luxury, was all about conspicuous consumption and its appeal was derived from the status and prestige that came with the ownership of these products. The attributes and quality of the offering itself were of supreme importance as it was a cultural symbol of high taste. In the years after the Second World War, material wealth was highly sought after. The generation that witnessed World War II and subsequently the great depression had seen immense scarcity; this generation basked in the joy of material things and sought luxury as a symbol of wealth. (Danziger, 2005) While old luxury was about the thing itself, new luxury is about the experience. The economy, worldwide, improved continuously in the 80s and 90s leading to increasing disposable incomes, lower unemployment rates and a growing wealthy class in emerging countries. Simultaneously, the democratisation of luxury meant that luxury has now become more accessible to a larger population. Goods that fall under the ‘new luxury category are less expensive than traditional luxury goods yet, they have some confines in terms of their price as exclusivity. They are affordable, yet they enjoy a reasonable level of perceived prestige as compared to middle-range products. The prices of ‘new luxury items are kept only slightly above those of middle ranges. This helps in targeting a much larger segment than the traditional luxury niches. The consumers for this new luxury come from middle and upper middle classes for whom luxury purchase is a form of self reward and indulgence. Their focus is a desire for living the good life and private pleasure. As Twitchell says in his book ‘Living It Up: Our Love Affair With Luxury â€Å"These new customers for luxury are younger than clients of the old luxe used to be, they are far more numerous, they make their money far sooner, and they are far more flexible in financing and fickle in choice. They do not stay put. They now have money to burn. The competition for their attention is intense, and their consumption patterns if you havent noticed are changing life for the rest of us.† (Truong, McColl, Kitchen, 2009) The term masstige was introduced by Michael Silverstein and Neil Fiske to refer to a new category which aims at providing luxury to the masses. The term is derived from the words mass + prestige goods and services that occupy the space between mass and class (Silverstein Fiske, 2003). These products are priced at a premium over the convention but are not always positioned at the top of their category in price. A recent survey by the Boston Consulting Group (2004) said that the top four categories for ‘trading up are homes, cars, appliances and dining out (Florin, Callen, Mullen, Kropp, 2007). Examples of new luxury goods are the urban BMW 1-series starting at $ 19 000, Ralph Lauren Polo shirts sold in outlets for $ 9 and Swarovski crystals with prices as low as $ 20. (Truong, McColl, Kitchen, 2009) MASSTIGE TO MASS? Critics argue that brands which enjoy the tag of ‘masstige today, could become the ‘mass brand tomorrow. By definition, it is contradictory to sell prestige and exclusivity in mass (because when something is owned in mass, it would no longer be prestigious). These products may be successful at first, but their enchantment for the consumer would be inversely proportional to their success. The critical success factor, then, for masstige brands would lie in maintaining the equilibrium between prestige differentiation and a reasonable price premium. â€Å"In order for a masstige product to be successful in the long term, it must have a noticeable differentiation in design and/or technology compared to the regular products in the category. This differentiation must be real and marked. Promises of â€Å"improvements† are not enough if they dont really exist or are imperceptible to the consumer† (Smith, 2007). LONG LIVE LUXURY! With the advent of masstige, top end luxury houses like Armani and LVMH are entering into the affordable luxury arena. Critics argue that as luxury becomes more and more affordable, the concept itself will die out. Here is where understanding the sign-value of luxury is important the concept is not absolute but relative. Over the centuries, what constitutes luxury has changed, but the concept has endured. Brands that are at the top may not remain there, even objects that are considered to be part of luxury may change, but because of human social needs, the concept of luxury will persist. (Mortelmans, 2005) LUXURY vs. MASSTIGE Motivations for consumption When defining masstige, price is not the only criteria to differentiate between the realm of luxury and that of accessible luxury. An extremely important difference lies in the motivations for consumption. While the reasons for consumption of luxury can be both internally as well as externally driven, consumption of masstige is in most cases externally driven. Conspicuous consumption, which formed the basis of luxury when the concept originated, now forms the basis for the masstige category. Hence, a Valentino gown does not have a logo printed on it but a Tommy Hilfiger product will always have a label, logo and some visible identification mark on it so that others can see it. Global versus local Luxury is global, it remains the same across the world luxury brands target the elite who expect the same experience from their brands whether they are in the United States, Europe or in Asia. Although various brands have specific associations with the heritage of their countries of origin, a luxury brand is not modified to suit a particular geography. It is meant for people who are global, and hence the brand perception and delivery has to be ‘global in approach and consistent in delivery everywhere. Masstige on the other hand needs to be localised to an extent because the consumption of masstige is directed outwards. It has to adapt to the cultural ethos of the geography in order to remain relevant and in the process also gets absorbed into the culture of any society. LUXURY IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT TRACING THE ROOTS Luxury in India has its roots going back to the era of the Maharajas who, for centuries, splashed their enormous wealth and lived opulently. The Mughal dynastys wealth and power was a legend but as it waned, the old Indian maharajas began to re-emerge, and new ones began to rise. With the arrival of the British Raj, western influences began to show in the collections at the royal courts. Then began the romance with brands like LVMH, Cartier, Gerrard and Asprey. â€Å"Indian courts commissioned all sorts of fine art like jewellery, woodwork, painting, enamelling, inlaid weaponry and intricate floor coverings† (Gopinath, 2009). Jewellers like Cartier and Van Cleef Arpels, Louis Vuittons bags and luggage and watches by Jaeger-Le Coultre, which were the icons of luxury in Europe, were frequently commissioned by kings. At the same time, western styles of dressing were being adopted. (Forster) The Maharajas, who were patrons of music, arts, poetry and craftsmen, began to patronise European and Indian artists and designers as well. The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, has opened an exhibition ‘Maharaja: The Splendour of Indias Royal Courts in November, which will be on display till January 2010. The exhibition explores the lives of the Indian royals beginning from the 18th century till the end of the British rule. The exhibition showcases 250 items a number of which have been loaned from the private collections of the erstwhile royal families of India. Some of the objects on display are the Maharaja of Indores Modernist furniture, a Louis Vuitton travelling case, French designed sarees, a Rolls Royce Phantom and the studding diamond necklace of Maharaja Yadarendra Singh of Patiala. The necklace which was completed in 1928, originally contained 2930 diamonds, weighed almost 1000 carats and was part of the largest single commission that Paris jeweller Cartier has ever executed. Though Western brands are now flocking to India after its new found affluents, India has clearly been consuming western luxury since way before. LUXURIFICATION OF THE INDIAN SOCIETY The Indian luxury landscape is rapidly transforming owing to a combination of economic and social factors: Rising Affluence Merrill Lynch and Capgemini report that the number of high-net-worth individuals in India (at least US$1 million in financial assets) increased by 20.5% in 2006. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, consumers earning more than 1,000,000 rupees a year will total 24 million by 2025 larger than Chinas comparable segment. Their share of private consumption is projected to increase from 7% to 20% in 2025. However, it is the emergence and steady rise of ‘mass affluence of the Indian middle class coupled with aspirational mindsets and lifestyles that is driving consumer demand. The scope for luxury today is larger than it has ever been in India before owing to the strength of the population that can now afford luxury goods. According to sereval reports by McKinsey Global Institue, the Indian middle class (household disposable incomes from Rs. 200,000 to 1 million a year) will increase from approximately 5% to 41% of the population and will become the worlds fifth largest consumer market by 2025. (Foreign Policy) Exposure to Media Media explosion in the form of television, radio, internet and print has led to increased product knowledge and awareness of brands. Fashion and lifestyle media have established a strong following as mainstream media are taking greater interest in consumer lifestyles, fashion trends and luxury brands. A milestone here was the launch of the Indian edition of Vogue magazine in 2007. Along with the platforms available for advertising, the spending on advertising is also rising. According to ZenithOptimedia, advertising expenditures in India increased from US$1.1 billion in 1996 to US$4.7 billion in 2006 and forecasts suggest that this number will exceed $7 billion in 2009. Accessibility of luxury brands A couple of decades ago, in order to purchase luxury brands such as Gucci, Cartier and Chanel, Indian consumers had to travel to Europe or the U.S. Today, the biggest names of the world like LVMH, Armani and Tommy Hilfiger are present in not only Delhi and Mumbai, but are also setting shop in the upcoming metros like Pune and Hyderabad. Inadequate retail space has also been a challenge to luxury brands operating in India which have been, until recently, hidden in lobbies of five star hotels. The retail boom is changing this scenario. Organised retailing, which currently comprises 6% of the market, is expected to rise to 15% in the next two years. Retail space has increased from 22 mn sq ft in 2002 to 101 mn sq ft (almost 5 times) in 2007 and is predicted to increase by a further 200% to 300 mn sq ft by 2012. (Jindal, 2008) With the retail revolution, newer formats like luxury shopping malls are evolving. An example of these new avenues for luxury brands is the Delhi luxury-goods mall, Emporio which opened in March 2008 which houses over 70 international high-end brands. In 2006, again, AT Kearney has ranked India at the top of its Retail Development Index as the worlds most attractive market for mass international retail expansion. Brands like Marks Spencer, McDonalds and Tommy Hilfiger have entered the market with franchisees due to market regulations which are in the process of loosening up further. (Euromonitor International, 2007) Market Regulation The further liberalisation of the Indian economy has made the market attractive to international players despite heavy import duties on luxury goods and foreign investors are looking to make long-term investments in the country. (Atwal Khan, 2008) THE CHANGING FACE OF THE INDIAN LUXURY CONSUMER In an interview the Pitch magazine, Radha Chadha, author of the book ‘The Cult of the Luxury Brand said that India currently is at an early stage of the luxury brand culture. â€Å"Typically, it starts when a country goes through a rapid economic growth and that has been happening in our country for the past few years. It puts money into peoples hands, at some point they want to demonstrate that. The third stage is what I call the show-off stage, where China is today and some of India is moving towards. Then comes the fit-in stage where we see a large scale adoption of luxe fuelled by the need to conform. The last stage is way of life where people are habituated to luxe products; they become confident and discerning buyers, like in emerged markets†. (Chadha, 2008) The luxury market in India has traditionally been segmented according to two distinct customer groups the affluents and the non-affluents. With the pace of economic development, rise of the middle class and the transition towards a consumer society, the profile of the luxury consumer has also evolved. Clustering luxury consumers into segments based simply on socio-economic classifications is erroneous. Todays luxury consumer is much more diverse and hence the old segmentation and classifications need to be reassessed. The regular classifications of customers based on income or SEC are not sufficient today to gauge clearly who are the consumers who are actually consuming luxury (Pant, 2009). India has always had a small elite segment that has been shopping abroad and buying western brands for ages. This elite class consists of the descendants of the royal families, nawabs and small rulers and long standing industrial families like the Birlas, Tatas, Godrej, Bajaj, Mahindras, some tracing their roots back to pre independence days. (Chadha Husband, 2007). This was the select, privileged segment that was exposed to and could consume luxury. In todays scenario, a typical BPO operator in Mumbai or Delhi is spending a substantial proportion of their monthly salary on international brands of clothes, accessories and cosmetics. â€Å"These are consumers are not affluent in the traditional sense of originating from wealthy family backgrounds, but are ambitious and successful in their chosen professions. Personal performance based on merit has got them to where they are today. Todays luxury shopper could be a broker, an entrepreneur, IT specialist or a student† (Atwal Khan, 2008). They purchase luxury not simply to show off, but as a self-reward. As Atwal and Khan say in their paper ‘Luxury marketing in India: because Im worth it, this generation consumes brands, goes shopping and purchases luxury as they firmly believe in the sentiment â€Å"because Im worth it†. The Indian Affluents In her article in the Brand Reporters special issue on luxury marketing, Vatsala Pant says that it is to try and understand these diverse consumers that one such measure, the Nielsen UMAR (Upper and Middle Rich) survey has redefined affluence using lifestyle and ownership of consumer durables factors (Pant, 2009). On the basis of these factors, Nielsen has estimated that there are 2.6 million affluent households across 35 cities (metros and upcoming metros) of India. Affluent Households in India (Source: Nielsen UMAR survey) — LANGUAGE Luxury is no longer reserved for the English-speaking elite. The survey reveals that 51% of these affluents have been educated in languages other than English and dont speak English as a primary language at home. The primary language spoken, then, becomes the preferred language for media consumption. — FAMILY STRUCTURE Ninety percent of these households live in nuclear families or nuclear families with elders living with them. The average size of the family is 4 members with the chief wage earner typically over 35 years of age. — DURABLES While all the households have the basic durables like TV, refrigerator, washing machines and mobile phones, the Rich segment is seen to have more expensive double-door refrigerators, front loading washing machines and microwaves as well. 20% of the affluent households have two or more TV sets. — MEDIA CONSUMPTION While the most popular medium is TV (watched in 98% of the HH), the next most popular is print where 70% HH read English dailies. However, only 10% read English business dailies. Popularity of watching cinema outside the home is more (67%) than radio listenership (54% of HH). 55% of the HH browse the internet while only 38% read magazines. (Pant, 2009) Changing Trends of the Affluent Indian Consumer Indian consumers are value conscious and highly value driven. Not just products, but the delivery and experience are becoming increasingly important. With the advent of international luxury brands with a bang into the country, consumers want world-class brands, and expect world-class quality, service and experience. They expect the latest designs and most modern technologies available. As the purchasing power has gone up, so have aspirations. The concept of wealth to be enjoyed rather than just display and badge value has emerged. Indulgence and self-rewarding behaviour are on the rise rather than simply the need to show-off. (Raman, 2007) NEW LUXURY FOR INDIA In their paper ‘Luxury marketing in India: because Im worth it Glyn Atwal and Shaziya Khan say that â€Å"the establishment of different levels of luxury ranging from ultra luxury to affordable luxury is a reflection of luxurys increasing mass appeal in India†. The concept of masstige or new luxury is extremely relevant in the Indian context for two reasons firstly, the market for masstige is huge is India owing to rising disposable incomes and a burgeoning middle class. Secondly, Indians are extremely value conscious and new luxury would, for many, be the first opportunity to experience luxury. This, then, could be the first step for a large population to move on to luxury. Rising incomes and the recent retail boom in the country coupled with increasing awareness has sparked off consumption of new luxury brands in India. At the same time, the arrival of international brands and players on the scene has provided accessibility to global resources and efficient supply chains. â€Å"The Indian society is moving towards NUF (Nuclear Urban Family) where each individual has their own tastes and preferences† (Marketing Funda: Masstige, 2007). The consumer is becoming more demanding in terms of value, quality and service. A Euromonitor report on India states that for the burgeoning middle class, the spending area is shopping for brand names. Consumerism is a significant aspect of the new, younger middle class which gives a lot of importance to lifestyle and branded goods. (Euromonitor International, 2007) A look into the Indian consumers luxury needs In their qualitative research of the Indian consumers, Glyn Atwal and Shaziya Khan discovered that the Indian consumer associates luxury with perceptions of not just quality and performance but with comfort, beauty, pleasure and style. The product is no longer the sole criteria for choice, the service and experience of shopping are crucial to the decision making process. When societies experience fast economic growth, the phenomenon of luxury usually gains popularity because the acquisition of luxury is a symbol of prestige and signifies how fast you have climbed up the ladder of social mobility. A similar phenomenon is being seen in India but the motivations to acquire luxury brands go beyond displaying social status. Consumers are moving on from an outward expression of luxury to an inward directed emotional experience. Luxury brands are helping people â€Å"define identities and express values†. (Atwal Khan, 2008) CHAPTER 2: INDIAN ADVERTISING- AESTHETICS CONTENT ADVERTISING INDIAN CULTURE William Mazzarellas ethnographic study of ‘globalizing consumerism in the context of Indian advertising talks about how advertising is produced in metropolitan India and transformations in the Indian public culture along with the rise of mass consumerism. As Mazzarella puts it: â€Å"As an aesthetic interface of post colonial capitalism, the everyday practice of advertising constantly calls into question the conceptual alignments that ground business discourse: local and global, culture and capital, particular and universal, content and form† (Mazzarella, 2003) Goods possess meaning of two kinds: 1. given and propagated by manufacturers and 2.that have been created by the users themselves because of the way they use them, symbolic meaning etc. Material culture is not simply about objects but about the â€Å"intimate connection between the object and its users†. The value of any material is co-constructed by the manufacturer/seller, the user and the society/social norms/perceptions/evaluations. While necessity is culturally associated with lower incomes and to an extent poverty, luxury stands at the other extreme being associated with wealth as well as taste. Comfort comes somewhere in between. Again, what we define as necessities or luxury comes from our cultural framework. In India, the cultural framework is defined largely by the middle class for whom, say, not just food, shelter and clothing but hygiene too may be necessity. (Nayar, 2009) The Indian culture has deeply embedded in it values of saving and economic prudence. This is why trade promotion deals like 25% extra on packs, free gifts etc. work so well in the market. This economic prudence is not just monetary, it also has a strong influence of moral economy i.e. economy that is good for the family as a whole. A married woman feels she has been a good mother and wife if she has saved money on her daily grocery shopping. The other fundamental values are those of safety and privacy of the family and to be aesthically and culturally presentable. (Nayar, 2009) With the rise of globalization and proliferation of MNCs into the country post 1991, ironically, a new movement began that of the New Swadeshi. In the increasingly ‘global scenario, Indians were searching for what is their own. The term swadeshi re-entered the vocabulary of India during 1996-97. Over the last decade, the swadeshi and the global have merged, adapted and evolved from the transnational media of the 1990s which were supposed to have an â€Å"Indian soul and international feel†. The formula here was to show stereotypical exotic imagery of the Indian â€Å"tradition† and place it in an international context. < Constructing Luxury for Consumers Constructing Luxury for Consumers WHAT IS LUXURY? The word ‘luxury derives from the Latin word ‘luxus , which according to the Latin Oxford dictionary signifies ‘soft or extravagant living, indulgence and ‘sumptuousness, luxuriousness, opulence (Christodoulides, Michaelidou, Li, 2008). THE TRADITIONAL, ECONOMIC VIEW There are two aspects to consider when defining luxury, the psychological value and the value of the product/service itself. The psychological value of luxury comes from its function as a status symbol and from a highly involved consumption experience that is strongly congruent to a persons self-concept. From a product perspective, luxury brands are frequently defined in terms of their excellent quality, high transaction value, distinctiveness, exclusivity and craftsmanship (Fionda Moore, 2008). In his paper on International Retail Marketing, T.B. Jackson proposes the following as the core characteristics of a luxury product: ‘†¦ exclusivity, premium prices, image and status which combine to make them more desirable for reasons other than function (Jackson, 2004). Dimitri Mortelmans, in his paper ‘The concept of luxury, says there are three main characteristics in [a narrow] definition of luxury: extra value, high quality and exclusivity. The fourth, derived, characteristic is high price. * Extra value Extra value here is loosely defined to include design, aesthetic value any innovation or attribute that makes the product unique. * High quality Superior quality is an essential component of luxury products. Luxury products have been typically been associated with fine craftsmanship, precision and skill. * Exclusivity Exclusivity in luxury products comes from two factors: (a) the goods are made in limited quantity and distribution is strictly controlled. Haute couture began when royal tailors custom made garments that were made only for one user. Till date, products belonging to the highest category of luxury are made in scant quantities. It is also crucial to decide where all these products will be available in order to make them rare. (b) Luxury goods are typically priced so high that they automatically exclude a majority of the population from their target group. In the world of luxury, rarity value sells, because it is the rarity that the customer wants to own. Owning such a product makes the consumer feel privileged to be part of a select group of people. High price When a product or service is superior in quality has extra value and also has to be exclusive, then the price automatically becomes high. (Mortelmans, 2005) Traditionally, there were four principal categories of luxury goods: fashion (couture, ready-to-wear, and accessories), perfumes and cosmetics, wines and spirits and watches and jewellery. Today, luxury has expanded to include many more categories such as luxury automobiles, hospitality (hotels, tourism, airlines) private banking and home furnishings among others. Among these, the luxury fashion goods category accounts for the largest proportion of luxury goods sales (with a 42 per cent share in 2003) and also showed the strongest product category growth in 2007 (Fionda Moore, 2008). NEED FOR LUXURY MOTIVES FOR CONSUMPTION In their paper ‘The specificity of luxury management: Turning marketing upside down Kapferer and Bastien express that for the outward oriented motivations, â€Å"Luxury converts the raw material that is money into a culturally sophisticated product that is social stratification†. Where the inward directed motivations are concerned, â€Å"luxury should have a very strong personal and hedonistic component; otherwise it is no longer luxury but simple snobbery†. (Kapferer Bastien, 2008) According to Wiedmann, Hennigs and Siebels, â€Å"luxury is a subjective and multidimensional construct†. When studying consumer motivations for consumption of luxury, both outward (conspicuousness, snobbery, status) and inward (hedonism, perfectionist) directed motivations need to be taken into account. Additionally, these must be placed the situational and cultural context of consumption. (Wiedmann, Hennigs, Siebels, 2007) Wiedmann, Hennigs and Siebels have proposed four dimensions that add value to luxury purchases in the consumers mind: Financial Dimension of Luxury Value Perception The financial dimension captures the monetary value that consumers are willing to put on the purchase. This will take into account aspects like price, return on investment, resale value and discount. Functional Dimension of Luxury Value Perception This is the core benefit or utility derived from the luxury product or service purchased. This will take into account the attributes of the product such as its quality, durability, reliability, usability etc. Individual Dimension of Luxury Value Perception The individual dimension addresses the inward oriented motivations or the personal value derived from luxury. This includes benefits like self identity, materialism and hedonism. Social Dimension of Luxury Value Perception This dimension has been the most researched and appears to be the largest contributor to the value derived from luxury. The social dimensions of luxury value include recognition or being identified as a part of a particular social group, conspicuousness and prestige value within a social group and a sense of power in a social context. (Wiedmann, Hennigs, Siebels, 2007) In â€Å"A Review and a Conceptual Framework of Prestige-Seeking Consumer Behavior†, Vigneron and Johnson have suggested that the primary driver for the purchase of luxury is prestige-seeking behaviour. The prestige benefits derived out of luxury purchases are of two types: inter-personal (outward oriented) and personal (inward oriented). (Vigneron Johnson, 1999) Interpersonal effects:  · The Veblen effect perceived conscious value Veblenian consumers attach greater importance to price as an indicator of prestige. This comes from the fact that these consumers often use price as evidence to judge quality. They also tend to perceive higher quality products as granting higher prestige.  · The Snob effect perceived unique value ‘Snobs have a need to be unique and seek prestige through differentiation. The snob effect manifests itself in two forms: (a) when a new product/collection is launched, these consumers will want to be the first to buy (innovators) (b) they will choose not to use a product once the general masses have adopted it. Snobs see higher price as an indicator of uniqueness and exclusivity.  · The Bandwagon effect perceived social value This is the reverse of the snob effect. These consumers, the followers, seek prestige through group affiliation. In the words of Vigneron and Johnson, â€Å"bandwagon consumers attach less importance to price as an indicator of prestige, but will put a greater emphasis on the effect they make on others while consuming prestige brands† Personal effects:  · The hedonic effect perceived emotional value Luxury purchases have emotional value attached to them beyond their functional utility. These emotions could be aesthetic appeal, sensory pleasure, excitement etc. The consumer here is more concerned about her own feelings than those of others around her. The luxury product could be fantasy or self rewarding behaviour.  · The perfectionist effect perceived quality value These consumers seek superior quality as an indicator of prestige. They rely on their own judgements about the quality of products and services. They may see higher price as an evidence of better quality. (Vigneron Johnson, 1999) (Husic Cicic, 2009) THE ESSENCE OF LUXURY In her book ‘Let them eat Cake: Marketing to the masses as well as the classes, Pamela N. Danzinger (Danziger, 2005) explains that consumers link luxury to fantasy fulfilment. They fantasize about how their life will change once they own a luxury product; â€Å"Luxury takes on a transcendent quality linked to the persons hopes, wishes and dreams†, she says. Once we have achieved this fantasy, bought that luxury product, after some time it becomes ordinary and then we wish for something else, something even more luxurious and unattainable which then becomes the new object of fantasy. As Danzinger puts it, â€Å"that which is unattainable is overwhelmingly attractive and desirable†; once we have attained something, it loses its mystique and charm and becomes ordinary. Thus, to consumers, luxury is ultimately the unattainable. OLD vs. NEW LUXURY (MASSTIGE) There was a time when â€Å"luxury† as a category was restricted in the hands of the affluent and was meant only for the crà ¨me de la crà ¨me of society. Today, however, the scenario has changed more and more people can now afford a small piece of the pie with the democratisation of luxury. According to a study done by IBM Business Consulting Services (2004), todays consumers are demanding lower prices on basic goods but at the same time, they are willing to pay premiums for products that matter more to them. (Florin, Callen, Mullen, Kropp, 2007) Traditional luxury, now commonly known as ‘old luxury, was all about conspicuous consumption and its appeal was derived from the status and prestige that came with the ownership of these products. The attributes and quality of the offering itself were of supreme importance as it was a cultural symbol of high taste. In the years after the Second World War, material wealth was highly sought after. The generation that witnessed World War II and subsequently the great depression had seen immense scarcity; this generation basked in the joy of material things and sought luxury as a symbol of wealth. (Danziger, 2005) While old luxury was about the thing itself, new luxury is about the experience. The economy, worldwide, improved continuously in the 80s and 90s leading to increasing disposable incomes, lower unemployment rates and a growing wealthy class in emerging countries. Simultaneously, the democratisation of luxury meant that luxury has now become more accessible to a larger population. Goods that fall under the ‘new luxury category are less expensive than traditional luxury goods yet, they have some confines in terms of their price as exclusivity. They are affordable, yet they enjoy a reasonable level of perceived prestige as compared to middle-range products. The prices of ‘new luxury items are kept only slightly above those of middle ranges. This helps in targeting a much larger segment than the traditional luxury niches. The consumers for this new luxury come from middle and upper middle classes for whom luxury purchase is a form of self reward and indulgence. Their focus is a desire for living the good life and private pleasure. As Twitchell says in his book ‘Living It Up: Our Love Affair With Luxury â€Å"These new customers for luxury are younger than clients of the old luxe used to be, they are far more numerous, they make their money far sooner, and they are far more flexible in financing and fickle in choice. They do not stay put. They now have money to burn. The competition for their attention is intense, and their consumption patterns if you havent noticed are changing life for the rest of us.† (Truong, McColl, Kitchen, 2009) The term masstige was introduced by Michael Silverstein and Neil Fiske to refer to a new category which aims at providing luxury to the masses. The term is derived from the words mass + prestige goods and services that occupy the space between mass and class (Silverstein Fiske, 2003). These products are priced at a premium over the convention but are not always positioned at the top of their category in price. A recent survey by the Boston Consulting Group (2004) said that the top four categories for ‘trading up are homes, cars, appliances and dining out (Florin, Callen, Mullen, Kropp, 2007). Examples of new luxury goods are the urban BMW 1-series starting at $ 19 000, Ralph Lauren Polo shirts sold in outlets for $ 9 and Swarovski crystals with prices as low as $ 20. (Truong, McColl, Kitchen, 2009) MASSTIGE TO MASS? Critics argue that brands which enjoy the tag of ‘masstige today, could become the ‘mass brand tomorrow. By definition, it is contradictory to sell prestige and exclusivity in mass (because when something is owned in mass, it would no longer be prestigious). These products may be successful at first, but their enchantment for the consumer would be inversely proportional to their success. The critical success factor, then, for masstige brands would lie in maintaining the equilibrium between prestige differentiation and a reasonable price premium. â€Å"In order for a masstige product to be successful in the long term, it must have a noticeable differentiation in design and/or technology compared to the regular products in the category. This differentiation must be real and marked. Promises of â€Å"improvements† are not enough if they dont really exist or are imperceptible to the consumer† (Smith, 2007). LONG LIVE LUXURY! With the advent of masstige, top end luxury houses like Armani and LVMH are entering into the affordable luxury arena. Critics argue that as luxury becomes more and more affordable, the concept itself will die out. Here is where understanding the sign-value of luxury is important the concept is not absolute but relative. Over the centuries, what constitutes luxury has changed, but the concept has endured. Brands that are at the top may not remain there, even objects that are considered to be part of luxury may change, but because of human social needs, the concept of luxury will persist. (Mortelmans, 2005) LUXURY vs. MASSTIGE Motivations for consumption When defining masstige, price is not the only criteria to differentiate between the realm of luxury and that of accessible luxury. An extremely important difference lies in the motivations for consumption. While the reasons for consumption of luxury can be both internally as well as externally driven, consumption of masstige is in most cases externally driven. Conspicuous consumption, which formed the basis of luxury when the concept originated, now forms the basis for the masstige category. Hence, a Valentino gown does not have a logo printed on it but a Tommy Hilfiger product will always have a label, logo and some visible identification mark on it so that others can see it. Global versus local Luxury is global, it remains the same across the world luxury brands target the elite who expect the same experience from their brands whether they are in the United States, Europe or in Asia. Although various brands have specific associations with the heritage of their countries of origin, a luxury brand is not modified to suit a particular geography. It is meant for people who are global, and hence the brand perception and delivery has to be ‘global in approach and consistent in delivery everywhere. Masstige on the other hand needs to be localised to an extent because the consumption of masstige is directed outwards. It has to adapt to the cultural ethos of the geography in order to remain relevant and in the process also gets absorbed into the culture of any society. LUXURY IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT TRACING THE ROOTS Luxury in India has its roots going back to the era of the Maharajas who, for centuries, splashed their enormous wealth and lived opulently. The Mughal dynastys wealth and power was a legend but as it waned, the old Indian maharajas began to re-emerge, and new ones began to rise. With the arrival of the British Raj, western influences began to show in the collections at the royal courts. Then began the romance with brands like LVMH, Cartier, Gerrard and Asprey. â€Å"Indian courts commissioned all sorts of fine art like jewellery, woodwork, painting, enamelling, inlaid weaponry and intricate floor coverings† (Gopinath, 2009). Jewellers like Cartier and Van Cleef Arpels, Louis Vuittons bags and luggage and watches by Jaeger-Le Coultre, which were the icons of luxury in Europe, were frequently commissioned by kings. At the same time, western styles of dressing were being adopted. (Forster) The Maharajas, who were patrons of music, arts, poetry and craftsmen, began to patronise European and Indian artists and designers as well. The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, has opened an exhibition ‘Maharaja: The Splendour of Indias Royal Courts in November, which will be on display till January 2010. The exhibition explores the lives of the Indian royals beginning from the 18th century till the end of the British rule. The exhibition showcases 250 items a number of which have been loaned from the private collections of the erstwhile royal families of India. Some of the objects on display are the Maharaja of Indores Modernist furniture, a Louis Vuitton travelling case, French designed sarees, a Rolls Royce Phantom and the studding diamond necklace of Maharaja Yadarendra Singh of Patiala. The necklace which was completed in 1928, originally contained 2930 diamonds, weighed almost 1000 carats and was part of the largest single commission that Paris jeweller Cartier has ever executed. Though Western brands are now flocking to India after its new found affluents, India has clearly been consuming western luxury since way before. LUXURIFICATION OF THE INDIAN SOCIETY The Indian luxury landscape is rapidly transforming owing to a combination of economic and social factors: Rising Affluence Merrill Lynch and Capgemini report that the number of high-net-worth individuals in India (at least US$1 million in financial assets) increased by 20.5% in 2006. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, consumers earning more than 1,000,000 rupees a year will total 24 million by 2025 larger than Chinas comparable segment. Their share of private consumption is projected to increase from 7% to 20% in 2025. However, it is the emergence and steady rise of ‘mass affluence of the Indian middle class coupled with aspirational mindsets and lifestyles that is driving consumer demand. The scope for luxury today is larger than it has ever been in India before owing to the strength of the population that can now afford luxury goods. According to sereval reports by McKinsey Global Institue, the Indian middle class (household disposable incomes from Rs. 200,000 to 1 million a year) will increase from approximately 5% to 41% of the population and will become the worlds fifth largest consumer market by 2025. (Foreign Policy) Exposure to Media Media explosion in the form of television, radio, internet and print has led to increased product knowledge and awareness of brands. Fashion and lifestyle media have established a strong following as mainstream media are taking greater interest in consumer lifestyles, fashion trends and luxury brands. A milestone here was the launch of the Indian edition of Vogue magazine in 2007. Along with the platforms available for advertising, the spending on advertising is also rising. According to ZenithOptimedia, advertising expenditures in India increased from US$1.1 billion in 1996 to US$4.7 billion in 2006 and forecasts suggest that this number will exceed $7 billion in 2009. Accessibility of luxury brands A couple of decades ago, in order to purchase luxury brands such as Gucci, Cartier and Chanel, Indian consumers had to travel to Europe or the U.S. Today, the biggest names of the world like LVMH, Armani and Tommy Hilfiger are present in not only Delhi and Mumbai, but are also setting shop in the upcoming metros like Pune and Hyderabad. Inadequate retail space has also been a challenge to luxury brands operating in India which have been, until recently, hidden in lobbies of five star hotels. The retail boom is changing this scenario. Organised retailing, which currently comprises 6% of the market, is expected to rise to 15% in the next two years. Retail space has increased from 22 mn sq ft in 2002 to 101 mn sq ft (almost 5 times) in 2007 and is predicted to increase by a further 200% to 300 mn sq ft by 2012. (Jindal, 2008) With the retail revolution, newer formats like luxury shopping malls are evolving. An example of these new avenues for luxury brands is the Delhi luxury-goods mall, Emporio which opened in March 2008 which houses over 70 international high-end brands. In 2006, again, AT Kearney has ranked India at the top of its Retail Development Index as the worlds most attractive market for mass international retail expansion. Brands like Marks Spencer, McDonalds and Tommy Hilfiger have entered the market with franchisees due to market regulations which are in the process of loosening up further. (Euromonitor International, 2007) Market Regulation The further liberalisation of the Indian economy has made the market attractive to international players despite heavy import duties on luxury goods and foreign investors are looking to make long-term investments in the country. (Atwal Khan, 2008) THE CHANGING FACE OF THE INDIAN LUXURY CONSUMER In an interview the Pitch magazine, Radha Chadha, author of the book ‘The Cult of the Luxury Brand said that India currently is at an early stage of the luxury brand culture. â€Å"Typically, it starts when a country goes through a rapid economic growth and that has been happening in our country for the past few years. It puts money into peoples hands, at some point they want to demonstrate that. The third stage is what I call the show-off stage, where China is today and some of India is moving towards. Then comes the fit-in stage where we see a large scale adoption of luxe fuelled by the need to conform. The last stage is way of life where people are habituated to luxe products; they become confident and discerning buyers, like in emerged markets†. (Chadha, 2008) The luxury market in India has traditionally been segmented according to two distinct customer groups the affluents and the non-affluents. With the pace of economic development, rise of the middle class and the transition towards a consumer society, the profile of the luxury consumer has also evolved. Clustering luxury consumers into segments based simply on socio-economic classifications is erroneous. Todays luxury consumer is much more diverse and hence the old segmentation and classifications need to be reassessed. The regular classifications of customers based on income or SEC are not sufficient today to gauge clearly who are the consumers who are actually consuming luxury (Pant, 2009). India has always had a small elite segment that has been shopping abroad and buying western brands for ages. This elite class consists of the descendants of the royal families, nawabs and small rulers and long standing industrial families like the Birlas, Tatas, Godrej, Bajaj, Mahindras, some tracing their roots back to pre independence days. (Chadha Husband, 2007). This was the select, privileged segment that was exposed to and could consume luxury. In todays scenario, a typical BPO operator in Mumbai or Delhi is spending a substantial proportion of their monthly salary on international brands of clothes, accessories and cosmetics. â€Å"These are consumers are not affluent in the traditional sense of originating from wealthy family backgrounds, but are ambitious and successful in their chosen professions. Personal performance based on merit has got them to where they are today. Todays luxury shopper could be a broker, an entrepreneur, IT specialist or a student† (Atwal Khan, 2008). They purchase luxury not simply to show off, but as a self-reward. As Atwal and Khan say in their paper ‘Luxury marketing in India: because Im worth it, this generation consumes brands, goes shopping and purchases luxury as they firmly believe in the sentiment â€Å"because Im worth it†. The Indian Affluents In her article in the Brand Reporters special issue on luxury marketing, Vatsala Pant says that it is to try and understand these diverse consumers that one such measure, the Nielsen UMAR (Upper and Middle Rich) survey has redefined affluence using lifestyle and ownership of consumer durables factors (Pant, 2009). On the basis of these factors, Nielsen has estimated that there are 2.6 million affluent households across 35 cities (metros and upcoming metros) of India. Affluent Households in India (Source: Nielsen UMAR survey) — LANGUAGE Luxury is no longer reserved for the English-speaking elite. The survey reveals that 51% of these affluents have been educated in languages other than English and dont speak English as a primary language at home. The primary language spoken, then, becomes the preferred language for media consumption. — FAMILY STRUCTURE Ninety percent of these households live in nuclear families or nuclear families with elders living with them. The average size of the family is 4 members with the chief wage earner typically over 35 years of age. — DURABLES While all the households have the basic durables like TV, refrigerator, washing machines and mobile phones, the Rich segment is seen to have more expensive double-door refrigerators, front loading washing machines and microwaves as well. 20% of the affluent households have two or more TV sets. — MEDIA CONSUMPTION While the most popular medium is TV (watched in 98% of the HH), the next most popular is print where 70% HH read English dailies. However, only 10% read English business dailies. Popularity of watching cinema outside the home is more (67%) than radio listenership (54% of HH). 55% of the HH browse the internet while only 38% read magazines. (Pant, 2009) Changing Trends of the Affluent Indian Consumer Indian consumers are value conscious and highly value driven. Not just products, but the delivery and experience are becoming increasingly important. With the advent of international luxury brands with a bang into the country, consumers want world-class brands, and expect world-class quality, service and experience. They expect the latest designs and most modern technologies available. As the purchasing power has gone up, so have aspirations. The concept of wealth to be enjoyed rather than just display and badge value has emerged. Indulgence and self-rewarding behaviour are on the rise rather than simply the need to show-off. (Raman, 2007) NEW LUXURY FOR INDIA In their paper ‘Luxury marketing in India: because Im worth it Glyn Atwal and Shaziya Khan say that â€Å"the establishment of different levels of luxury ranging from ultra luxury to affordable luxury is a reflection of luxurys increasing mass appeal in India†. The concept of masstige or new luxury is extremely relevant in the Indian context for two reasons firstly, the market for masstige is huge is India owing to rising disposable incomes and a burgeoning middle class. Secondly, Indians are extremely value conscious and new luxury would, for many, be the first opportunity to experience luxury. This, then, could be the first step for a large population to move on to luxury. Rising incomes and the recent retail boom in the country coupled with increasing awareness has sparked off consumption of new luxury brands in India. At the same time, the arrival of international brands and players on the scene has provided accessibility to global resources and efficient supply chains. â€Å"The Indian society is moving towards NUF (Nuclear Urban Family) where each individual has their own tastes and preferences† (Marketing Funda: Masstige, 2007). The consumer is becoming more demanding in terms of value, quality and service. A Euromonitor report on India states that for the burgeoning middle class, the spending area is shopping for brand names. Consumerism is a significant aspect of the new, younger middle class which gives a lot of importance to lifestyle and branded goods. (Euromonitor International, 2007) A look into the Indian consumers luxury needs In their qualitative research of the Indian consumers, Glyn Atwal and Shaziya Khan discovered that the Indian consumer associates luxury with perceptions of not just quality and performance but with comfort, beauty, pleasure and style. The product is no longer the sole criteria for choice, the service and experience of shopping are crucial to the decision making process. When societies experience fast economic growth, the phenomenon of luxury usually gains popularity because the acquisition of luxury is a symbol of prestige and signifies how fast you have climbed up the ladder of social mobility. A similar phenomenon is being seen in India but the motivations to acquire luxury brands go beyond displaying social status. Consumers are moving on from an outward expression of luxury to an inward directed emotional experience. Luxury brands are helping people â€Å"define identities and express values†. (Atwal Khan, 2008) CHAPTER 2: INDIAN ADVERTISING- AESTHETICS CONTENT ADVERTISING INDIAN CULTURE William Mazzarellas ethnographic study of ‘globalizing consumerism in the context of Indian advertising talks about how advertising is produced in metropolitan India and transformations in the Indian public culture along with the rise of mass consumerism. As Mazzarella puts it: â€Å"As an aesthetic interface of post colonial capitalism, the everyday practice of advertising constantly calls into question the conceptual alignments that ground business discourse: local and global, culture and capital, particular and universal, content and form† (Mazzarella, 2003) Goods possess meaning of two kinds: 1. given and propagated by manufacturers and 2.that have been created by the users themselves because of the way they use them, symbolic meaning etc. Material culture is not simply about objects but about the â€Å"intimate connection between the object and its users†. The value of any material is co-constructed by the manufacturer/seller, the user and the society/social norms/perceptions/evaluations. While necessity is culturally associated with lower incomes and to an extent poverty, luxury stands at the other extreme being associated with wealth as well as taste. Comfort comes somewhere in between. Again, what we define as necessities or luxury comes from our cultural framework. In India, the cultural framework is defined largely by the middle class for whom, say, not just food, shelter and clothing but hygiene too may be necessity. (Nayar, 2009) The Indian culture has deeply embedded in it values of saving and economic prudence. This is why trade promotion deals like 25% extra on packs, free gifts etc. work so well in the market. This economic prudence is not just monetary, it also has a strong influence of moral economy i.e. economy that is good for the family as a whole. A married woman feels she has been a good mother and wife if she has saved money on her daily grocery shopping. The other fundamental values are those of safety and privacy of the family and to be aesthically and culturally presentable. (Nayar, 2009) With the rise of globalization and proliferation of MNCs into the country post 1991, ironically, a new movement began that of the New Swadeshi. In the increasingly ‘global scenario, Indians were searching for what is their own. The term swadeshi re-entered the vocabulary of India during 1996-97. Over the last decade, the swadeshi and the global have merged, adapted and evolved from the transnational media of the 1990s which were supposed to have an â€Å"Indian soul and international feel†. The formula here was to show stereotypical exotic imagery of the Indian â€Å"tradition† and place it in an international context. <