Community work program, take position about pros and cons of this Essay

Community work program, take position about pros and cons of this alternate approach to criminal justice - Essay Example The rest of the essay will discuss the pros and cons of this alternative approach to criminal justice. As a result of community work programs, the participant individuals undergo a personal transformation in the way they relate to society. Moreover, the places and events where they serve require volunteers; and when there is a shortfall of volunteers, the criminal justice system can enroll some minor offenders into this program. In other words, the chief strength of community work programs lie in the fact that they are â€Å"essential services†, as opposed to work conjured up on an ad hoc basis in some of the prisons in the country (Zehr, 2002). The drawbacks of the prison system are all too well documented in social science scholarship. Now that crimes in the twenty first century have taken on more devastating proportions in the form of terrorism, etc., the retaliatory and revengeful measures against individuals and groups found guilty of these crimes will only help increase the likelihood of such attacks in the future. Also, unlawful detention and instances of torture are more likely in under such a legal framework. There are disagreements concerning the ends and means of a particular case. One might dispute that the means are more important than the ends they realize. The question of ethics also crops up while dealing with such topics. Human rights activists hold that an individual, however inhuman he/she may be, needs to be treated ethically maintaining human dignity. An additional barrier towards legalizing torture is that a lot of thought and effort needs to be pumped in to make torture acceptable to all sections of t he society. As long as these questions remain unanswered, more inclusive and compassionate approaches like community service would be ideal as the criminal justice system goes forward (Zehr, 2002). Although community work would be too mild

Critical Thinking Case Study Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking Case Study Essay Describe all assumptions you see in any documents. Kelly Thomas Senior Engineer, Product Development1. Assumed AcuScans customers would not be happy with just anything developed and launched. 2. Assumed Pat did not have any technology experience previous job in the cereal industry. 3. Assumed Pat was talking to the programmers without Kellys knowledge or consent. 4. Assumed Pat wanted to continue arguing on email. Pat Lambert Director of Marketing1. Assumed the customer would be happy with anything launched on the market from AcuScan2. Assumed programmers could work in the new launch. 3. Assumed a new product launch would be simple to achieve. 4. Assumed that Kelly Thomas would go along with her regarding the Operation Optimize5. Assumed that the Operation Optimize could be launched in 6-months6. Assumed that meeting with Kelly Thomas in person would rectify the situation. Cliff OConnor CEO1. Assumed Pats work ethic and experience in previous job will automatically benefit the firm and reach AcuScans target market. 2. Assumed the staff would not have any communication or personnel issues. 3. Assumed there would be a budget crisis. Chris Martinas VP, Product Development1. Assumed that it would not take much time to produce and launch a new product. 2. The potential return for first year would outlay with substantial ROI. THE CONFLICT2) Explain the arguments made by each of these people. Kelly Thomas argued that the new product features could not be developed just like that and was detailed with planning, testing and quality control and could long make the features completely work by August. Kelly also stated that since the layoff two years ago, and 25% fewer programmers, they do not have the time or manpower for the product successfully to launch in time. Pat Lambert argued that Retail is the answer instead of airports and store security for the new iScanner product to enable retailers to identify incoming customers, with several high-tech features can be developed as a prototype by August and at one point Kelly admitted to it not being a problem to make the iScanner market-ready in time. Chris Martinas argued that Secur-A was, AcuScans competition was working on a new product so AcuScan needs to expand into a different market and launch a new product by early 2004 or Secur-A would be on the top of the market. Cliff OConnor argued that even though AcuScan was facing budget dilemmas they can find a way to launch the new iScanner. 3) Evaluate each argument. a. Kelly Thomas Kellys argument was logical mostly due to the fact he used the numbers and man hours from the first iScanner launch and he did not want to jeporize his and AcuScans reputation by throwing together a flimsy product launch. b. Pat Lambert Pats idea on launching a new product in a new market was a positive one, in fact, a great marketing strategy to be the first company on the market with a new product to get ahead of competition. c. Chris Martinas Chris does realize that to gain and maintain their  targeted market, a budget deficit would need to be put in action because he believes it is important to have a product launch in a new market. d. Cliff OConnor Although Cliffs argument deems logical, it becomes unbeknownst there are major budgetary issues with AcuScan and to launch the iScanner correctly, there are many other decisions that need to be involved, this may include more lay-offs. Cliff is basing the fact that this new launch in a new market will take minimal cost in time and money because AcuScan has done it in the past. 4) Describe specific fallacious arguments, and identify the people who hold them. Pat had a fallacious argument by stating that since other staff members had been with the company longer than Pat, they had a great deal invested in the company and knew what they had to accomplish in order to get a new product off and running. Chris made a fallacious argument about the company being on top again if the company developed a new product. But the since it is unknown, there is no evidence or research at this point the company cannot be certain of this fact. II: CONCLUSIONS1. Describe all problems in this situation. 2. For each problem, describe the data, arguments, and reasoning that contribute to each problem. AcuScan was faced with many problems trying to produce and launch their new iScanner. One main issue was the fact of AcuScan was planning to develop a new product when the company was already facing budgeting issues. Another problem was the staff at AcuScan not meeting face-to-face; instead they relied mainly on email to correspond with one another. Brainstorming, marketing product launches, and budgeting meetings could have benefited the staff and issues could have been handled different and resolved. Cliff, the  CEO should have taken initiative and interjected about the major communication issue the staff was having with one another. Use your reasoning to complete the worksheet below. 3. What is the underlying problem that is the base cause of the conflict within the company?The underlying problem that caused the majority of the issues at AcuScan was the lack of communication between department staff members which resulted in fallacious emails, snide, unnecessary comments which led to lack of production. 4. Alternative solutions. Due to the budgetary issues that were upon AcuScan, instead of a complicated new product launch, expanding the iScanner into industries such as hospitals, colleges and even government offices instead of expanding the new iScanner into the retail environment where the complicated launch requires many additional features is a possible solution, while keeping the idea for the retail industry on the shelf for future product launches. 6. Which solution will you recommend to the CEO? Why? Since both solutions are important, I would mention both to the CEO. Since communication is the backbone of an organization, I would bring up that issue first. Part II: Executive Summary1. Purpose and ScopeThe purpose of this summary is to analyze the issues on launching the new iScanner from AcuScan and rectify any facts pertaining to the potential launch. The scope includes various communications between colleagues and issues that resulted from that dialog. In conclusion the problems will be stated, solutions formulated and recommended results to rectify these problems will be discussed. 2. Summary of the SituationThe conflict between several key persons at AcuScan is hindering the growth of the firm and is causing havoc in receiving positive results for this potential new product launch. Secur-A, AcuScans, main competitor is only 4 months from launching their new product so it is believed to be absolutely essential to the survival of AcuScan to  beat them to market with a successful product as well. 3. Key PointsPat Lambert the new director of Marketing, and Kelly Thomas chief of the software development team, cannot agree on the length of time and the number of programming hours it will take to bring the new product to market. Kelly states that even with current staffing levels, they do not have the time or manpower to launch a new product the correct way. Pats states that a prototype can be built within the timeframe and budget however, neither Pat nor Kelly can compromise. Chris Martinas VP of Product Development believes that Pat and Kelly can work out their differences together. Chris does not quite understand the magnitude of programming involved with this launch though. ConclusionsAs a result of fallacious emails to one another regarding the new product launch for Pat Lambert and Kelly Thomas both feel alienated and find it hard to compromise on the new iScanner Retail Project. The fallacious emails between Kelly and Pat are regarding their disagreement about the capabilities of the software design team and the man-power to create programming for all the features in the new iScanner. Pat is not quite experienced in dealing with software programmers, their processes and requirements. Pat and Kellys emails result in emotional and defensive and inability to listen to each other and cooperate on the new iScanner launch so it does not happen. Conclusion and RecommendationsIn many cases, conflict in the workplace just seems to be a fact of life. Many have seen situations where different people with different goals and needs have come into conflict. And we have all seen the often-intense personal animosity that can result. The fact that conflict exists, however, is not necessarily a bad thing: As long as it is resolved effectively, it can lead to personal and professional growth. In many cases, effective conflict resolution skills can make the difference between positive and negative outcomes. The good news is that by resolving conflict successfully, you can solve many of the problems that it has brought to the surface, in addition to getting benefits that you might not at first expect:My recommendation would be to get Pat, Kelly, Chris and Cliff into a room for a face-to-face meeting. The point of this is to increase the understanding which is needed to resolve conflict and it expands peoples awareness of the situation, giving them an insight into how they can achieve their own goals without undermining those of other people. Additionally, if is resolved effectively, team members can develop stronger mutual respect, and a renewed faith in their ability to work together; and after allowing a brief period of venting, the meeting can be called to order. At this point I would recommend that all emotion be excluded from the communication process, so that the first of many beneficial and productive brainstorming sessions can begin. Another thing I would recommend is to re-vamp the iScanner launch so the product launch is conducive to the budget and to better fit the companys abilities. For instance, instead of launching a complicated product, possibly expand the current iScanner into other industries such as hospitals, colleges and the government, while adding possibly one or two features. The iScanner retinal scanner will perform the same functions as its current version with possibly one or two new features to keep within the companys budget. Keeping the expansion of the Retail iScanner idea on the backburner to launch in a year or two but after Secur-A launches their product. Reference Apollo Group (2003). UOP Assessment. Retrieved 4/19/08, from https://mycampus.phoenix.edu

Shirley Temple: Origins of the Optimistic Image :: Shirley Temple Image Essays

Shirley Temple: Origins of the Optimistic Image Shirley Temple. When the name is uttered an image of the dimpled faced, curly haired, tap dancing four year old from the 1930s automatically appears in everyone's mind. She was the child actress of the depression era, winning over the hearts and pocket books of many. Films, dolls and even a drink named after her, her face and name were ones that couldn't be missed. She was Fox's gem and saviour. She was an escape from the hard life. She was a star. The image that she gave off, of love for the needy and pure optimism, must have had an origin. Did it rise from the social needs of the public to escape the depression or was it purely constructed by Twentieth Century-Fox? Her image clearly correlates with the mentality of the public at the time, but Fox must have had a hand. Undoubtedly her image was created through a mixture of both elements. To analyze the degree to which Shirley Temple's image was formed through the needs of the time or through manipulation by Fox, one must first look at stars' images in general and how they come into being. What do stars represent to the audience? What is the nature of their images? Many people might say that stars are merely a product of the Hollywood system needing to make a profit; Hollywood manufactures a product and creates the demand for it. A star's image is processed through advertisements and promotions and has little to do with what the audience wants and needs from entertainment. There is a widespread mentality that any Average Joe can become a star with enough resources backing him up. Richard Dyer points out, however, that even movies full of stars fail, and stars can and do fall out of fashion (12). A star's economic worth is not invulnerable to audiences' opinions. The audience isn't so easily controlled. As Dyer says, "Stars ... are the direct or indirect reflection of the needs, drives and dreams of American society." (6). The star's image is formed by what the audience chooses to see, and the audience will choose to see a movie that fills their societal needs, even if unconsciously. Once the audience has made its decision, it empowers that star to fulfill these needs. "Stars have a privileged position in the definition of social roles and types, and this must have real consequences in terms of how people believe they can and should behave" (Dyer 8).

Isaac Asimov: Envisioning the Future of Our Own Humanity

â€Å"If it brings me humanity, that will be worth it. If it doesn't, it will bring an end to striving and that will be worth it, too. † (The Bicentennial Man 22). Isaac Asimov, a dreamer who with humble beginnings pushed science fiction into the beginnings of reality. There is no one quite like Asimov. He has written more on more subjects, and better on more subjects, and more unexpectedly on most subjects, and in more ways on more subjects, than anyone else in the field. He writes poetry, limericks, short stories, novels, essays, articles, nonfiction books, trilogies, jokes and so on-more of them than anyone else could imagine (The Bicentennial Man 1). With all his intelligence, and all his heart, he fought for a world in which his ideas could become reality. His humanity was found in his struggle to educate us all, encouraging us to expand our horizons beyond our own lack of knowledge. This fact is alluded to in an article he wrote to Newsweek in the 1980s, â€Å"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge’† (â€Å"A Cult of Ignorance† 19). His view of the world included us understanding. His oppression was caused by our ignorance. Isaac Asimov was born sometime between October 4, 1919 and January 2, 1920 (In Memory Yet Green 1). His parents did not remember the exact date of his birth but claim it to be around that time. He himself celebrated it on January 2nd (In Memory Yet Green 1). He was born to Anna Rachel Berman Asimov and Judah Asimov, a Jewish Russian couple. At the age of three, his whole family immigrated to the United States to the city of Brooklyn, New York (Biblio). Asimov graduated high school early, starting college and writing his first published novel which he completed by the end of college (http://psu. edu). Asimov was a man who spent his entire life writing. His earliest writings were found in magazines. His friend and publisher John W. Campbell saw his early stories as rough but promising (http://psu. edu). The story that really launched his career was Nightfall. Nightfall was a simple story, written about how a society could potentially collapse if great change occurs even if that change is not inherently negative. In Nightfall and Other Stories, he writes, â€Å"The writing of ‘Nightfall' was a watershed in my professional career †¦ I was suddenly taken seriously and the world of science fiction became aware that I existed. As the years passed, in fact, it became evident that I had written a ‘classic'† (Nightfall and Other Stories). His career and fame continued to grow as the years passed. Beginning in 1942 and ending in 1945 he worked for the Philadelphia Naval Air Experimental Station (Biblio). During this time he started work on five novelettes and four novellas that are now known as the Foundation Trilogy. Of the trilogy, Charles Elkins of DePauw University wrote, â€Å"Among SF series, surely none has enjoyed such spectacular popularity as Isaac Asimov’s Foundation stories† (http://psu. edu). The Foundation series received numerous awards for its quality and content, eventually ending up in a Hugo award for Asimov (WorldsWithoutEnd). In the Foundation series, through the use of science fiction he tackled the issues he was passionate about. In his novel Pebble in the Sky he writes about racism. The story is written in the view of humans of other worlds holding a prejudice against Earth-dwellers because they â€Å"simply do not like the Earth† (http://psu. edu). He also tackled another issue that lays claim to how he lived his life. In book three of the foundation series, The Mayors, he begins to describe a religion that focuses on science (Foundation). As an atheistic humanist minority in a culture that was vastly overpoweringly theist, the best approach he took to tackling the issue of religion was through science fiction. As an educator at heart, he just wanted us to challenge the status quo with what we understand. In The Mayors, the religion of science worships a mythical galactic spirit. It is strikingly similar in some respects to modern religion, as this storybook religion had both a prophet, a story of how it all began, and a book of rules to live by (Foundation). His views on religion can be read inside the stories that he wrote. The life of Asimov cannot simply be summed up in a short phrase or story. He was an influential writer, attacking literature in many different writing formats. He fought for the rights of others, shaping our belief systems through the use of storytelling. He pushed for greater desire to learn in all of us, by writing of a robot that learned to become human (The Bicentennial Man 22). The call to be human and to remind us to be human was the goal of Asimov.

How Should Social Networks Be Utilized in the Workplace?

How could these social networking sites be a threat to a company’s security? In today’s world it seems the human race could not live without information technology in the workplace. More importantly, social networks like Facebook and Twitter are becoming very popular tools for business development in today’s world. There are dozens of social network sites and more popping up every day. It is astounding the number of hours that people waste on such sites.Updating, checking in and sending out bits and blurbs about every little aspect of one's life seems cheap. More astounding than individuals wasting time on these things is that businesses are also wasting time on them. Actual megabuck businesses are in on the whole social networking shtick. The challenge for the business world is how to utilize these social networks effectively and safely. The value of social networks and how they can benefit businesses has been in question recently.Also in question is do these so cial networks create a security risk with employees conveying possibly privileged information to a friend or relative through Facebook or Twitter. How does a company prevent potential security risks? They have to block social networking sites or grant limited access to specific departments. Metro Business College prevents students from accessing social networking sites on school computers but allows faculty and staff to access from their desk computers.Metro’s reasoning is students should be at school to learn, not stare at Facebook all class period. The question then is not are these sights a security risk but rather are these sites a huge time suck for employees which creates a reduction in productivity? The biggest risk a company a company faces is how employees that utilize these sights can make their company look and what effects it could possibly have on their reputation. How social networking can tarnish the reputation of a company or enhance it. Unfortunately, there i s a downside to social networking.It is essentially an open forum and anyone can say and post anything on a company’s page. For the most part, it is potentially dangerous to a company’s reputation. Due to this fact, a company’s networking site should have limited access when it pertains to posting information. Take, for instance, a recent report on The Springfield Brewery in Springfield, Missouri. The social media specialist posted a humorous joke to its Facebook page and unfortunately it was met with several disgruntled comments. Several customers stated they would never â€Å"step foot n the restaurant again†. [ (Pettit, 2013) ] It is bad press such as that over such a small comment that could potentially destroy a company. On the other hand there are companies like Tupperware that use social networking internally to boost the pride employees have for the company, the attachment an employee feels and fun an employee has while at work. [ (Huy, 2012) ] Af ter adopting these social media concepts the turnover rate fell by fifteen percent and a webcast created new sales of $700,000 in just three days. (Huy, 2012) ] Sometimes social media can create opportunities for companies that they normally would not have and it is the companies that are willing to evolve and understand the importance of social networking that will survive. Another company that utilizes social networking site is Metro Business College they found that websites such as Facebook and Twitter can be excellent recruiting tools and also they are useful to keep track of their student body and possibly help them if they have issues with homework or even personal problems.Social networking can be an invaluable tool to an organization if utilized properly and monitored by administrators to prevent potentially damaging posts or comments. How to make social networking work for the greater good of the company LinkedIn can be a valuable tool. Resumes can be posted there which can be utilized by human resources departments for recruiting purposes. Potential employees post their profiles there, which also can be utilized by the human resources department to check the character of a potential recruit. Slovensky, 2012) Some companies are requiring potential employees to provide human resources access to their Facebook pages so they can see the character of the candidate. Companies post jobs on networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook which can benefit other companies to view how their competition is doing, if they are posting new positions then that company is most likely in a state of growth. People looking for jobs are on these sights and they provide all the information a potential employer needs to make an informed hiring decision.When it comes to professional social networking, LinkedIn is the most successful site of its kind. It is better than Facebook or Twitter because it eliminates the everyday social aspect, including the posting of how one’ s morning breakfast made them feel and the LOLs. Another benefit of LinkedIn is that all discussions and groups are moderated. Nonsense is kept to a minimum. Rarely does one have to deal with spam or irritation there. It is a safe haven for serious social networking, for serious business connection building and for serious relationship building.However, there are benefits to using networking sites like Facebook as well. After all, Facebook does have 175 million members according to an article called Inside Facebook written in 2009. Maintaining the strategic advantage through e-business and social networking The questions a company must ask are:  To how many social networks do you belong? How valuable are they to you? If they went away tomorrow, would you feel any impact to your business? A simple answer is that individuals should choose one or two professional networks and farm those like any other social networking situation.Leave the shot gunning to the amateurs. Make connection s that count. 10,000 â€Å"Likes† do not mean anything if they are not buying, reading, recommending or influencing. Companies should not waste your time with such pursuits. The return on investment is not high enough. Mass mailings do not work. Certain types of advertising just do not work for some businesses. Building relationships with clients is the most important aspect of any business and that is best done through human contact not a mass email.Do not rely on flash-in-the-pan online social networks to build your business. Clients and potential clients like to know that there's a 98. 6 degree hand on the other end of those messages and not a piece of software. It might sound old-fashioned and outdated but there is nothing like true social networking to build a business. A company builds a business through building relationships. Studies have shown that relying on social networks to create strong ties actually has the opposite effect and instead weakens them.Facebook is a good example of a social networking site that creates weak ties (Jennifer, 2010). Instead of creating direct networks among its participants, the social networking site creates sub-networks. With no direct link to the company or the issue at hand it can create weaker ties and a customer that does not show as much company loyalty. (Slovensky, 2012) In the end it does not matter how the company views social networking but how the customer base views that company’s use of these social networking sites.If they are well monitored and provide password protected use for a limited amount of employees then it can be beneficial. However, the biggest issue most companies face is that one instance when something is posted that causes a security breach or something is posted that hurts the company’s reputation. They then have to answer the question, what do we do next? Social networking is not going anywhere in fact it is growing everyday with new sites popping up all of the time and companies that want to survive will need to get on board.References Huy, Q. &. (2012). The key to social media success within organizations. MIT SLoan Management Review , 54 (1), 73-81. Jennifer, S. (2010). Planning in the age of facebook: the role of social networking in planning processes. GeoJournal , 75 (5), 407-420. Slovensky, R. &. (2012). Should human resource managers use social media to screen job applicants? managerial and legal issues in the USA. Ifno: The Journal of Policy, Regulation and Strategy for Telecommunications, Information and Media , 14 (1), 55-69.

Theoretical Issues in the Horror Film Halloween essays

Theoretical Issues in the Horror Film Halloween essays In this essay, you are required to discuss any (one) of the topics covered in the module, and demonstrate how such a theoretical paradigm informs an understanding of a particular horror film of your choice, but not one already on the module or that you chose for your first essay. Obviously, this essay requires greater evidence of secondary reading, but it should not ignore some textual analysis in order to demonstrate the theoretical principles you are highlighting. There are many different issues and theories surrounding the study of the horror genre, and in order to gain a greater level of understanding of the genre one must analyse all of these different elements thoroughly. Such topics which warrant discussion are genre, and the sub-genres associated with it, its audience, issues of gender, sexuality and representation, structural and narrative approach, aesthetic values, etc. Obviously an essay discussing all of these elements in depth would be huge, so in the following essay I aim to look mainly at gender, sexuality and sexual representation in John Carpenters Halloween (1978). I will also outline briefly some of the other issues which warrant discussion, and relate them to my chosen film, looking in slightly more detail at the different sub-genres present in horror, with an aim to highlight their conventions and place 'Halloween' into one of those sub-genres. The reason that I chose 'Halloween' for analysis, quite apart from the fact that it is one of my favourite horror films, is that it is an effective choice as an example of how (especially 80's) horror films represent women. The film is also a favourite among theorists in both categorisation and conventions of the horror genre, and gender issues in film. So there is plenty of available reading and research available to me, making it an ideal choice for analysis. 'Halloween' was shot in 1978 by John Carpenter, on a relatively small budget of $130,000. It is seen by m...

Definition of Marketing

Definition of Marketing Free Online Research Papers The meaning of marketing has nearly an infinite number of possible definitions. It involves psychology, statistics, art, logical and creative thinking. The one common denominator within all definitions of marketing is that it leads to an exchange between vendor and consumer. Marketing is used to sell almost every product in our culture, for example, cars, movies, food, furniture, clothes, the list is endless. Specifically defining marketing involves identifying the meaning, the individual influence it makes on a personal and professional level in the microcosms of the population it effects. Marketing and its meaning clearly plays an extremely important role in our culture. On a personal level, I perceive marketing as an attempt to stimulate my own identification. The idea is that products I use define if I am a good quality person, wife, mother, and woman. In my opinion, many organizations attempt to persuade the consumer, through identifying those human desires that will compel the buyer to purchase their product. I personally feel the goal of organizations is to convince shoppers that a happier, healthier, safer and more satisfying life involves the choice of buying and using the product they are selling. The Greek word for market is agora, which means â€Å"gathering place†. In the Agora of ancient Greece, buyers and sellers bickered over the features, benefits and prices of the products being bought and sold there. â€Å"The first markets were places, not targets, demographics, seats, eyeballs or other abstractions. In the first markets, producers and consumers were a handshake apart- and so were all the other reciprocal market nouns: producer and consumer, vendor and customer, supply and demand. They were all embodied in seller and buyer.† (Searls, 2000). In business today, the term market also refers to personality, tastes, and the group of consumers that are interested in a material item or service known as the product. Industry terms that describe the level of narrowing of the market base include: Total Population Potential Market – total population who have interest in obtaining the product. Available Market – potential market who have a sufficient amount capital to buy the product. Qualified available market – available market who authorized to buy the product. Target market – qualified available market that the organization has chosen to serve. Penetrated market – target market who have bought the product. (NetMBA Business Knowledge Center, 2002-2007). We have recreated the agora through the internet, through mass media, through print and it has become global marketplace. The means in which products are sold at market may have evolved, diversified and become somewhat convoluted , and yet the core premise still exists. It is all embodied in seller versus buyer. Success of products sold through marketing becomes evident when the product becoming popular, and becomes thought of as needed by the consumer. In an article in which a gentleman by the name of Bob Maxwell defines the difference in products and brands, additionally he addresses the meaning of marketing. Maxwell states, â€Å"Consumers exist in personal and professional networks where cultural signals are used to communicate status, beliefs, attitudes and values. The clothes worn, TV shows viewed, music listened to, restaurants visited and media personalities favored are just a few of the signals people use to express who they are. Product brands are important symbols in this expression.† (Maxwell, 2007). He further explains that according to research that it is human nature for people to look for dominating media magnets in order to reinforce their concept of self. He theorizes that by identifying the worth the patron relates to in a product; connections, outlooks, attitud es and philosophies, marketers will be more capable of developing inspired and motivating testaments of their product. The results of such knowledge would assist them to link their merchandise with an appropriate consumer base, increasing the success of profitability by selling the product. My experience in the retail industry revealed valuable information in regards to marketing. We understood that part of the home improvement market was to show the consumer that they were not only able to not only afford the products, but that they were capable to do their own home improvements as well, but most importantly all the products to do whatever job could be purchased at the Home Depot. There are many people who would like to believe that they are talented enough to learn some skills to be able to repair and modify their home. This is one of the core strategies that Home Depot has based its whole marketing strategy behind. With that concept in mind, we designed and built a small display bathroom at the entrance of our store. The walls were included a window and were covered from top to bottom with crown molding, wallpaper, paint, chair rail and wainscot. We used a pedestal sink, and a spa tub. On the wall we hung a stylish in-stock mirror. The floor was tiled, and inc luded base boards. In the window we installed a blind, and decorated it with a coordinated bath style curtain. I then created a price menu, in which I based all the prices of the products used in the display on a 10’ x 8’ bathroom. As consumers walked in, they would stop and look over the bathroom, and began to imagine the possibilities. I was able to measure the success of marketing based on the increase in sales of those products used in the display. A report could be generated by requesting specific item numbers and dates of sales. Another key to marketing success is to show value. In another attempt to get the attention of consumers I designed a display that took a multi-item product and broke it down indicating the value and the difference in price if the items were sold separately. Once again I was able to measure the success of the marketing by monitoring a detailed report specifically in regards to the increased sales of this product. In retail, there is a saying, â€Å"Sales cures all.† Therefore anything that employees could do to increase sales would lend towards the profitability and success of the store. Home Depot, at one time, put a lot of capital into the marketing of their enterprise. The goal was to build the confidence and trust of the consumer. The success of Home Depot is well-known, and will almost certainly go down in history as iconic as Coca-Cola. Successful organizations know the importance of not only marketing, but also marketing to the right populations. A great deal of money is spent identifying the triggers in which compel the populations within these markets to identify with and purchase their products. They are acutely aware of the impact of marketing in all the diverse applications, and its financial return to their increased profitability and ultimately their long-term success. Reference: Chulick, Ben. (). Marketing. Marketing Plan, (), . Retrieved March 17, 2008, from msu.edu/course/prr/473/oldstuff/Marketing.htm#Marketing database. Maxwell Bob, (2007). iMedia Connection. How Your Product can Grow up to be a Brand. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from imediaconnection.com/content/16196.asp NetMBA Business Knowledge Center. (2002-2007). Marketing. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from netmba.com/marketing/market/definition/ Searls Doc, (2000). Linux Journal. The Real Meaning of Markets. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from linuxjournal.com/article/3793 Research Papers on Definition of MarketingAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductDefinition of Export QuotasBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfOpen Architechture a white paperHip-Hop is ArtIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Project Managment Office SystemTwilight of the UAW