Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt in World War II

Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt in World War II Gerd von Rundstedt - Early Career: Born December 12, 1875 at Aschersleben, Germany, Gerd von Rundstedt was a member of an aristocratic Prussian family. Entering the German Army at age sixteen, he began learning his trade before being accepted into the German Armys officer training school in 1902. Graduating, von Rundstedt was promoted to captain in 1909. A skilled staff officer, he served in this capacity at the beginning of World War I in August 1914. Elevated to major that November, von Rundstedt continued to serve as a staff officer and by the end of the war in 1918 was chief of staff for his division. With the conclusion of the war, he elected to remain in the postwar Reichswehr. Gerd von Rundstedt - Interwar Years: In the 1920s, von Rundstedt rapidly advanced through the ranks of the Reichswehr and received promotions to lieutenant colonel (1920), colonel (1923), major general (1927), and lieutenant general (1929). Given command of the 3rd Infantry Division in February 1932, he supported Reich Chancellor Franz von Papens Prussian coup that July. Promoted to general of the infantry that October, he remained in that rank until being made a colonel general in March 1938. In the wake of the Munich Agreement, von Rundstedt led the 2nd Army which occupied the Sudetenland in October 1938. Despite this success, he promptly retired later in the month in protest of the Gestapos framing of Colonel General Werner von Fritsch during the Blomberg–Fritsch Affair. Leaving the army, he was given the honorary post of colonel of the 18th Infantry Regiment. Gerd von Rundstedt - World War II Begins: His retirement proved brief as he was recalled by Adolf Hitler the following year to lead Army Group South during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Opening World War II, the campaign saw von Rundstedts troops mount the main attack of the invasion as they struck east from Silesia and Moravia. Winning the Battle of Bzura, his troops steadily drove back the Poles. With the successful completion of the conquest of Poland, von Rundstedt was given command of Army Group A in preparation for operations in the West. As planning moved forward, he supported his chief of staffs, Lieutenant General Erich von Mansteins, call for a swift armored strike toward the English Channel which he believed could lead to the strategic collapse of the enemy. Attacking on May 10, von Rundstedts forces made swift gains and opened a large gap in the Allied front. Led by General of Cavalry Heinz Guderians XIX Corps, German troops reached the English Channel on May 20. Having cut off the British Expeditionary Force from France, von Rundstedts troops turned north to capture the Channel ports and prevent its escape to Britain. Traveling to Army Group As headquarters at Charleville on May 24, Hitler urged its von Rundstedt, to press the attack. Assessing the situation, he advocated holding his armor west and south of Dunkirk, while utilizing the infantry of Army Group B to finish off the BEF. Though this allowed von Rundstedt to preserve his armor for the final campaign in France, it allowed the British to successfully conduct the Dunkirk Evacuation. Gerd von Rundstedt - On the Eastern Front: With the end of fighting in France, von Rundstedt received a promotion to field marshal on July 19. As the Battle of Britain began, he assisted in the development of Operation Sea Lion which called for the invasion of southern Britain. With the Luftwaffes failure to defeat the Royal Air Force, the invasion was called off and von Rundstedt was instructed to oversee the occupation forces in Western Europe. As Hitler began planning Operation Barbarossa, von Rundstedt was ordered east to assume command of Army Group South. On June 22, 1941, his command took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union. Driving through Ukraine, von Rundstedts forces played a key role in the encirclement of Kiev and capture of over 452,000 Soviet troops in late September. Pushing on, von Rundstedts forces succeeded in capturing Kharkov in late October and Rostov in late November. Suffering a heart attack during the advance on Rostov, he refused to leave the front and continued to direct operations. With the Russian winter setting in, von Rundstedt advocating halting the advance as his forces were becoming overextended and hampered by the severe weather. This request was vetoed by Hitler. On November 27, Soviet forces counterattacked and forced the Germans to abandon Rostov. Unwilling to surrender ground, Hitler countermanded von Rundstedts orders to fall back. Refusing to obey, von Rundstedt was sacked in favor of Field Marshal Walther von Reichenau. Gerd von Rundstedt - Return to the West: Briefly out of favor, von Rundstedt was recalled in March 1942 and given command of Oberbefehlshaber West (German Army Command in the West - OB West). Charged with defending Western Europe from the Allies, he was tasked with erecting fortifications along the coast. Largely inactive in this new role, little work occurred in 1942 or 1943. In November 1943, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was assigned to OB West as commander of Army Group B. Under his direction, work finally began on fortifying the coastline. Over the coming months, von Rundstedt and Rommel clashed over the disposition of OB Wests reserve panzer divisions with the former believing they should located in the rear and the latter wanting them near the coast. Following the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, von Rundstedt and Rommel worked to contain the enemy beachhead. When it became obvious to von Rundstedt that the Allies could not be pushed back into the sea, he began advocating for peace. With the failure of a counterattack near Caen on July 1, he was asked by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, head of the German armed forces, what should be done. To this he brusquely replied, Make peace you fools! What else can you do? For this, he was removed from command the next dayand replaced with Field Marshal Gunther von Kluge. Gerd von Rundstedt - Final Campaigns: In the wake of the July 20 Plot against Hitler, von Rundstedt agreed to serve on a Court of Honor to assess officers suspected of being opposed to the fà ¼hrer. Removing several hundred officers from the Wehrmacht, the court turned them over to Roland Freislers Volksgerichtshof (Peoples Court) for trial. Implicated in the July 20 Plot, von Kluge committed suicide on August 17 and was briefly replaced by Field Marshal Walter Model. Eighteen days later, on September 3, von Rundstedt returned to lead OB West. Later in the month, he was able to contain Allied gains made during Operation Market-Garden. Forced to give ground through the fall, von Rundstedt opposed the Ardennes offensive which was launched in December believing that insufficient troops were available for it to succeed. The campaign, which resulted in the Battle of the Bulge, represented the last major German offensive in the West. Continuing to fight a defensive campaign in early 1945, von Rundstedt was removed from command on March 11 after again arguing that Germany should make peace rather than fight a war it could not win. On May 1, von Rundstedt was captured by troops from the US 36th Infantry Division. During the course of his interrogation, he suffered another heart attack. Taken to Britain, von Rundstedt moved between camps in southern Wales and Suffolk. After the war, he was charged by the British for war crimes during the invasion of the Soviet Union. These charges were largely based on his support of von Reichenaus Severity Order which led to mass murders in occupied Soviet territory. Due to his age and failing health, von Rundstedt was never tried and he was released in July 1948. Retiring to Schloss Oppershausen, near Celle in Lower Saxony, he continued to be plagued by heart problems until his death on February 24, 1953. Selected Sources JVL: Gerd von RundstedtGeneralfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt Lone Sentry: von Rundstedt Explains

Learn About Using Constants in Java

Learn About Using Constants in Java There are many values in the real world which will never change. A square will always have four sides, PI to three decimal places will always be 3.142, and a day will always have 24 hours. These values remain constant. When writing a program it makes sense to represent them in the same way - as values that will not be modified once they have been assigned to a variable. These variables are known as constants. Declaring a Variable As a Constant In declaring variables we showed that it’s easy to assign a value to an  int variable: int numberOfHoursInADay 24; We know this value is never going to change in the real world so we make sure it doesn’t in the program. This is done by adding the keyword modifierfinal: final int NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY 24; In addition to thefinal keyword you should have noticed that the case of the variable name has changed to be uppercase as per the standard Java naming convention. This makes it far easier to spot which variables are constants in your code. If we now try and change the value ofNUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY: final int NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY 24;NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY 36; we will get the following error from the compiler: cannot assign a value to final variable NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY The same goes for any of the other primitive data type variables. To make them into constants just add thefinal keyword to their declaration. Where to Declare Constants As with normal variables you want to limit the scope of constants to where they are used. If the value of the constant is only needed in a method then declare it there: public static int calculateHoursInDays(int days) { final int NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY 24; return days * NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY; } If it’s used by more than one method then declare it at the top of the class definition: public class AllAboutHours{ private static final int NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY 24; public int calculateHoursInDays(int days) { return days * NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY; } public int calculateHoursInWeeks(int weeks) { final int NUMBER_OF_DAYS_IN_A_WEEK 7; return weeks * NUMBER_OF_DAYS_IN_A_WEEK * NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY; }} Notice how I’ve also added the keyword modifiersprivate and static to the variable declaration of NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY. This means that the constant can only be used by its class (hence the private scope) but you could just as easily make it a public constant if you want other classes to have access to it. The static keyword is to allow the value of the constant to be shared amongst all instances of an object. As its the same value for every object created, it only needs to have one instance. Using the Final Keyword with Objects It’s very important to realize that when it comes to objects, Java does not support constants as you might expect. If you assign a variable to an object using thefinal keyword it means the variable will only ever hold the reference to that object. It cannot be changed to reference another object. However, it does not mean that the contents of the object cannot change. A Brief Note on the Const Keyword You may have noticed in the reserved words list that there is a keyword calledconst. This is not used with constants, in fact, it’s not used at all in the Java language.

Compare the great depression and to the great recession Essay

Compare the great depression and to the great recession - Essay Example After the speculative boom of the 1920’s, Americans invested great amounts in the stock market. However, these were primarily financed through loans and almost two-third of the nominal value of stocks was represented by loans in 1929. Accelerated share prices motivated greater investment as people speculated that share prices would continue to escalate. Consequently, an economic bubble developed and the margin buying meant that investors would incur great losses if the market took a downturn. Similarly, the Great Recession resulted from speculation about mortgages and securities. It was a consequence of providing loans for homeownership to uncredit-worthy people. Mortgage loans were secured with mortgaged securities; so because of margin buying, banks were on the verge of bankruptcy when the market went into recession. Milton Friedman in his book, A Monetary History of the United States advocates that the Great depression was not a consequence of the economic cycles, tariffs o r the Wall Street Crash (Friedman and Schwartz). In fact, what thrust the country into depression was the collapse of banks and financial institutes. Apparently, the same can be said for the Great Recession. More than the actual effects of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the psychological effects deterred investment in the capital markets. In turn, business security affects job certainty so that is why a decrease in capital investment led to a decrease in consumption. However, the Wall Street Crashes did cause bankruptcies, restriction on credit, failing businesses, rising unemployment, decreased money supply and the like. Likewise, the Great Recession led to a decline in international trade, increased unemployment, and dropping commodity prices. The chain of events from significant federal spending to tax increases only aggravated both the crises. Thus, the leaders targeted the scapegoats such as the Wall Street Bankers for the crises.

Company Profile- Ted Baker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Company Profile- Ted Baker - Essay Example But through them it has continued the journey of its prosperity and advancement. The company has opened many outlets worldwide; also it has jumped into the online shopping market. The Ted Baker Company used high quality materials and techniques in their production. It is one of the chief reasons of its prosperity (Ellen, 2007, p. 281). In this study we will discuss deeply the company profile of the Ted Baker Company. The history of the company, its products details, marketing and advertisement strategies, recent development, competitors and customers will be the main topics of discussion. In this way we will be able to understand the growth and the impact of the market values on the development of the company. It is important to note that the Ted Baker Company has only completed two decades since its appearance in the market. The founder of the Ted Baker Company is the passionate and the capable business man Ray Kelvin. Kelvin belonged to the long line of fashion retailers. In his childhood he worked in the garment shop of his uncle and after that he developed the idea of a long chain fashion store in his peak years. The aspect which greatly contributed towards the success of his idea and the acceptance of the company among the customers is the fine taste of Ray Kelvin. He had the ability to capture the needs and tastes of the buyers. He was also awarded a CBE for his extraordinary services to the industry of fashion and clothing. He used his greater sense of marketing techniques to capture the attention of the customers. The journey of the Ted Baker Company started in the year 1988 when the company opened its first store at the Glasgow. The progress was then followed by the opening of three more stores. The places were Nottingham Exchange Arcade, Manchester and King Street. The promotional strategy was that they offered dry cleaning services with every shirt they sold. At that time the chief product was men’s dress shirt (Ellen, 2007,

Conflict between Science and Religion Essay Example for Free

Conflict between Science and Religion Essay There have been numerous dissensions between science and religion. The central belief that the earth was the center of the universe prior to the presentation of the Copernican system was held in the primacy of man in the scheme of things, as designed by the will of God. The presentation that the earth was not the center of the universe was met with criticisms. The objections were not helped when it was found that our solar system is not even at the center of the universe but rather located in a spiral arm of the Milky Way Galaxy—one in a cluster of some two dozen galaxies, an infinitesimal part of a universe composed of millions of galaxies. One can only imagine how the religious sector reacted on the principle that our own Milky Way Galaxy is not even close to the center of the vast space of the universe. Conflict between science and religion climaxed when in 1859, Charles Darwin advanced his theory of evolution from natural selection in his work â€Å"On the Origin of Species† which was met with criticisms. The idea that God has not created man and placed him in the Garden of Eden was seen as an insult to Biblical teachings. Even today, evolution is a subject vigorously debated by those who support the theory and antievolutionists, especially those who call themselves creationists. Evidences show, however, that evolution indeed exists and continue to exist. The long evolutionary journey of species has even left its imprints upon the embryo of the individual organism. Despite conflicts between science and religion and an apparent steady movement away from religion, Arnold Toynbee held that man will turn from materialism to technology back to religion and spiritual values. For some time each religion will maintain its identity and minister to its own adherents, but as they are faced with a â€Å"shrinking† world, a positive tolerance will replace their traditional fanaticism.

Evolution and Christianity Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The riddle of the origin of man has been subject to many ponderings and theories for thousands of years. In America, two theories concerning this timeless question have driven a spike through the general populace. These two beliefs, Evolution and Christianity, have driven a riff through the American populace and fueled several debates and conflicts over which is the truer theory. Incidents such as the decision of the Kansas school board to ban schools from including the Evolution Theory from their curriculum are becoming a tragically frequent and threaten to escalate if not checked soon. However, there is a growing belief in America today in the possibility of believing that evolution is an inescapable fact while still prescribing to Christian faith as well. This radical theology, which seems to meld, distort and expand the theory of Evolution and traditional Christian beliefs, has been termed "Theistic Evolution" by its followers and has emerged as a very respec table alternative to choosing between Evolution and Christianity.    Much of the conflict between Traditional Christian and Evolutionary thought stems from the strict, literal interpretation of the Bible used by many individuals and Church groups. One of the fundamental beliefs that most branches of Christianity share is that God created the world and life as we know it in six days. "And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done (Genesis 2:2)." Following this chain of thought, many devout Christians go on to further speculate that according to the Bible, Earth and animal life have only existed for a few thousand years. Evolutionists have attacked this speculation relentless... .... It is for this reason that alternatives such as Theistic Evolution are becoming more and more available. As Howard Van Till put it, "Christianity and Evolution are not contradictory. They provide different answers to a different set of questions" (Sheler).       Bibliography Darwin, Charles. The Origin of Species. New York: Avenel Books, 1979. pp. 435-460.    Dorfman, Andrea and Michael D. Lemonick. "Up From the Apes." Time. August 23, 1999. pp. 50-60.    Genesis. Holy Bible: New King James Version. Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982. Chapter 2, Verse 2.    Sheler, Jeffrey L. (1999). "Is the Bible True?" (Online). USNews Online. November 19, 1999. Available: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/991025/bible.htm    Sunderland, Luther D. Darwin's Enigma. California: Master Book Publishers, 1984. pp. 22-24.

High School Expectations Essay

Middle School isn’t over; the end is here at last. The parts of my life that seemed never ending are gone for good. I thought I could not wait until high school, but now I wish that it wasn’t here so soon, ending my year as an eight grader. I feel lost as my eight grade year comes to a close. The anticipation I once felt about high school has been replaced with not only fear but also the never ending question of what to expect when I get there. High school will definitely be different. I find myself often wondering what it will be like. Not knowing what to expect is what scares me the most. I have gone through school always being the little kid. Finally for one year I get to be the big kid and then after all of the wonderful things that have happened this year it is all taken away. Starting high school I will once again be the little kid; the one who doesn’t know how things work. I do not look forward to another three years like that. Read more: Example of persuasive speech about life essay What I look forward to is a new challenge. High school is a new challenge waiting for me. There will be so many new and exiting things to try once I get there. I also look forward to reunite with all of my old friends and to be able to drive soon!! I’m also looking forward to only have four classes a day too!! Though there are things I look forward to, I am afraid of some things too. I really worry that my friends will change and become completely different people than who they are today. I don’t want us to drift apart because I don’t know what I would do without them. Fortunately, I’m confident that all of them will stay true to whom they are and that I will as well. Aside from all of my doubts and fears I think high school will be a good thing. It will open my eyes to new experiences and provide me with new knowledge. I hope high school will take me places. I never knew I would make it this far in life. Ten years from now, with the help of a good high school education, I see myself as a successful 23 year old. I think high school will prepare me for my future and whatever it may bring. No matter where I go after high school I hope I am happy and doing something I love.

Marketing Plan for Sony Xpreia Essay

The following report is a marketing plan for Sony Ericson Mobile in Australia for the 2012-2013 financial year. The Sony Ericson brand continues to grow in unpopularity after several years of underperformance. This has occurred due to Sony Ericson trying desperately to hold onto its premium brand image that comes with a high cost and not focusing its resources on finding the right target market that suites its technology and innovation. The marketing plan will focus on the mobile market and critically analyse this market in Australia. Also analysing Sony Ericson as a company, as well as its competitors, customers and SWOT analysis. Sony Ericson has missed a critical market that its innovative technology would fit perfectly with. This report will argue that by incorporating the tween market through this marketing plan Sony Ericson will be able to stop the growth in unpopularity that it has created over the last few years. Introduction In this report the Sony xperaplay smart phone will be critically analysed in terms of its market segmentation, current objectives, the market it targets, Sony occupies an irreplaceable position in the gaming world, and its subsidiary, Sony Ericsson, also has strong competitiveness in the mobile phone industry. Sony combined mobile techniques with their own gaming technology, which created the Sony Ericson Xperia Play. Xperia Play is a mobile phone with incredible game function which is targeted at young adults and gamers, and has a good reputation within the customers. The marketing strategy that was implemented has directly targeted a specific market, young adults. As a result of this it has made the product have a fairly subjective target market which Sony can seek to increase potential target market by repositioning the Xpera Play phone towards a younger audience. This campaign will reposition it to focus on tweens. Situational Analysis Sony Ericson currently targets older teenagers through to young adults for its mobile phone. But it seems that the mobile phone is lost within this market as the market share the xperiaplay holds compared to many other smart phones in this market is very small, Even thou Sony Ericson is a well known and well respected brand. The drop is caused due to the fact that Sony have been targeting the wrong market. Company Analysis The marketing decision makers for Sony Ericson are the Senior Brand Marketing Manager. Sony Ericson has not been consistent in promotional activities for its mobile phones. Mostly the brand focuses on trying to hold its premium image with marketing mostly focusing on its premium range of smart phones. This has reflected in its sales, it has made consecutive losses since 2010. The most likely reason for its lack of successful campaigns is the lack of resources dedicated to designing and implementing campaigns to attract the right target audience, which is why the company continues to make losses and lose market share. PESTL Analysis Political Proposed legislation such as the carbon tax which will raise prices of shipping. Many businesses have had to raise the cost of their products to make a profit. Also this tax affects outlet stores in terms of electricity charges, which will again raise the prices of mobile phones as business tend to pass on the cost to consumers rather than bearing it themselves. Economic While the global financial crisis has affected a plethora of industries, The Australian economy has remained relatively strong with per capita households spending an average of $40000 (CIA 2010). Despite this consumers have cut back on spending, specifically on items such as food, entertainment, clothing, cars and mobile phones. Ergo the economy is slowing down because consumers are not spending enough money; This affects the sales of mobile phones majority because consumers are not spending enough money on replacing or updating their mobile phones or on entertainment. Also another economic factor is the high Aussie dollar causes imports to be cheaper because countries such as china which manufacture the product have a low rate currency. This means that the companies are able to import more products for a lower price. Socio-cultural Recent consumer trends within the gaming product market are driving a new theme of product innovation. Today’s society tends to be busy and on-the-move and want to increase their leisure time at their own discretion. To meet the needs of consumers, companies are innovating gaming products making it more mobile. In addition the functionality of the multiplayer platform has created a whole new range of social aspects where consumers are able to interact with each other. Technology Technology can be utilized as an advantage within the industry as it provides the ability to design and create new products and expand or promote to specific target markets via interacting with consumers on an online basis. Technology has allowed the ability of online shopping as consumers are leaning towards this option as the most popular option of shopping. The internet has opened up a whole new market with the use of social media networks and websites companies can easily target a global target market. As the rate of technology is increasing consumers are able to communicate with each other on a social multiplayer platform where content may be purchased online and downloaded straight to their device. Legal Sony company has always been one of the main victims of the piracy in game industry. The characteristics of this phone are powerful game function, but it also made it easy to create pirating games. Compared with Sony’s genuine products, pirated products have a huge price advantage, the fact that they are mostly free, and this does attract a lot of people try to obtain these game products illegally, and that is the reason Sony has to use the Copyright law to protect their game products, so their game products can make a maximum profit Rating System for games is required, Users are able to download a lot of games to this phone through the network, according to the Rating System, which these games have to limit the players from downloading content not suited to their age. This is needed to protect kids from Violence and pornography. SWOT Analysis Strengths Remains as a one of the kind device that could become a big hit Not many phones competing in the same category Tactile buttons provide more immersive gaming experience Delivering console quality games Designed portable gaming in mind Include a game pad with input controls and interface recognizable to hardcore gamers. Multi touch gadget powered by Android Gingerbread is one of best versions of Android OS†¦ Weakness’s Release of two more phones from the Xperia line during the same time Not many people buy just for gaming purposes Touch screen gaming controls are not as responsive and precise Suffer key hardware limitations Lacks 4G LTE, HDMI port Touch sensitive circle are not as responsive and don’t replace the precision of actual joysticks Touch sensitive circles are just not as responsive as we would like, and do not replace actual joysticks. Android games don’t support the controller buttons No backups for downloaded games/ purchased games CPU AND GUP not the best Display has poor viewing angles No smart dialing and shutter key†¦ Opportunities A new open market Parent company Sony owns EA and many other gaming companies games can be adapted to be able to be played on the xperia Can earn a lot of revenue from game purchases and applications Better quality Games compared to other phones Exceptional online experience to grow a customer base Strong customer demand High percentage of young adult market High disposable income in rising market Threats Chain stores not wanting to stock a new niche mobile phone independent stores not wanting to store Sony Ericsson phones Retail stores wanting bigger discounts to sell phone because of popularity of competitors models Competitor products such as iphone, htc, Motorola Aussie dollar going back down Retail stores having preferred suppliers or contracted with particular suppliers and having a non compete Competitors copying the innovation of PSP phone and supplying at a cheaper price Fully fledged gaming devices such as DS Objectives Mission Statement Sony Ericson mission statement: â€Å"To provide quality end to end communications services to both retail and small to medium corporate customers† and â€Å"To give them the most help we ever can in the most professional way†. Market Objectives Maintain and increase sales in specific target market. Advance and open up new market for kids and teenagers. Increase the brand awareness among the target market; to measure this objective, the organization will conduct interviewer-led surveys in shopping centers or on the street every three months. Increase the brand share by 1% within two years, which will be confirmed by periodically checking the brand share chart for growth indication. Establish multi-channel retail practice, especially focusing on internet retail, to expand sales. Adapt and respond to the wide consumer needs of products. Sales objectives Increase sales by 15% in first year. Increase sales by 30% over three years. Increase market share to 20% of the total target market segment within three years. Communication objectives Set up feedback section for Xplay on website Increasing Feedback questionnaire response rates Competition There are 100’s of companies which make thousands of mobiles phones. Which break down further into smart phones and non smart phones. This makes the mobile phone market very competitive. The average price of mobile phones in Australia range between $300 and $800. Sony Ericson phones tend to price in the premium range with their mobile phones ranging from 700 – 900 AUD, Which limits the retail segment for Sony Ericson even further. The main competitor for Sony Ericson is the Iphone, as it has the largest share market of any phone. A selection of the primary target market competitors is found in table 1. A secondary group of target can be found in figure 1.They are secondary only because of they are not as used as the primary competitors and others do not compete in the mobile phone market but in the game market. These are still considered competitors due to the type of phones Sony Ericson make which has a heavy focus on gaming. Primary Secondary Iphone Alcatel Samsung Blackberry Nokia Amoi HTC Sonim LG Playstation Portable Motorola Nintendo DS Competitive Advantage Sony Ericson currently is the only brand that is making a mobile phone combined with a portable gaming device. Sony Ericson mobile phones are made by Sony which is a multinational company owning many companies in many areas. Including gaming, Sony owns EA, one of the leading gaming brands in the world. Sony Ericson is one of the most well known mobile phone brands in the world. Sony Ericson has innovative designs and materials, which is appealing to the target market. Customer Analysis Even though the product is a smart phone, price is a major factor for the Australian consumer. The primary consumer is primarily young in age, and they demand value for money at a competitive price. The product must also fulfil their everyday needs. The other factors that are important to the consumer are quality, comfort, function, style, design, speed, image, status, power, and functionality, variety of apps and games and durability. Target market Segmentation and Positioning Profile market segments Geographic segmentation People can purchase the Xperia play anywhere in the world. Entire Australia will be the target market for this product, but mainly focuses on the three biggest cities, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Demographic segmentation Xperica Play targets this product for Tweens age between 12 to 15. Generally young people do not have a high income they may have to persuade parents to purchase this product. Psychographic segmentation These days’ young people are experiencing a rapid lifestyle which leads them to save time including spending time to play games. The sales potential for this specific product is high as little kids enjoy playing video games and interact with their school friends. Targeting Tweens (12 – 15) The sales potential for this specific market is high as little kids enjoy playing video games and with this product they are able to interact with their school friends. Tweens will be able use the ability of pester power to allow their parents to purchase the Xperia Play for them. There for the price of the product may be moderate as they consumers parents have the income to pay for the expenses. There is also a large market share as tweens receive their first phone and they will be influenced by the video game functions. Young Adults (16 – 25) The sales potential is for this specific market is high as the age group has a moderate income and will be likely paying for their own expenses therefore they will be able to make their own decisions on what product to purchase. The cost structure can be moderate as they will have sufficient funds to pay for the Xperia Play. The Market share for this market is high as the consumers are able to purchase their own applications at their discretion. Other 26+ The sales potential for this specific market is fairly low as the age group has inadequate time to pursue the leisure activity of gaming. Although this market may have greater income the phone may not have the functionality that this market is looking for. The competitive situation is not that good as this market may be looking for a product that provides better communication functions opposed to video game functions. Select Target Segments Tweens of the ages of 12 – 15 tend to have a large amount of leisure time; the large majority enjoys new technology. The specific Target market locations will be in Australian located in the major cities. The use of Pester Power amongst tweens may persuade parents to purchase this product increasing total sales. Tweens tend to be more social, opposed to older generations because they have more free time available, Tweens have the opportunity to react with each other, and this can be an opportunity to allow the consumers to utilize the multiplayer functions leading to multiple purchases by peers increasing the total revenue. Xperia play will attract the target market with the phones functionalities, lower price range as the target may have lower income, social benefits and essentially the video games. After careful analysis and evaluation, the target market segment chosen will offer the greatest potential for the product and consumers. It provides maximum sales potential increasing the sales revenue and total market share, and will have a competitive advantage within the young audience. Positioning The Sony Xperia play will undertake a market positioning strategy where the target market will perceive a valuable offering in relation to competitors. The experience that the Xperia can provide is of a fun nature opposed to a professional business nature as a fundamental aspect is the slide out gaming functionality. The phone has a very innovative design and functions; the price of the phone will be of a moderate price as the target market chosen tend to go for the cheaper options. Although the price of the mobile phone may not be expensive, a high quality must be met as customer generated media can play a vital role in the decision making process of consumers. The service that will be provided is comprehensive; it has a specific market where owners of an Xperia Play are able to purchase and download various games and applications which will be of high convenience in regards to the user’s discretion. Following these set of attributes will help position the Xperia play to the assigned target market and provide a competitive advantage in relation to other products. The target market segments will perceive this product as the dominant offering. Product Xperia Play is a gaming mobile phone with incredible function which is targeted at young adults (age 12 to 15) and gamers. The phone has a very innovative design and functions; the price of the phone will be of a moderate price as the target market chosen tend to go for the cheaper options. Brand name highly impact on the target market due to the variety of good quality related with technology. Sony’s slogan is meant to make people smile, so it tried to design mobiles like Xperia Play to deliver the Sony’s purpose. Sony encourages their customers to buy this mobile phone by giving guarantee for their high quality products. Place Mobile phones will be sold through online retail stores, big Australian retail stores such as JB HIFI, etc, as well as smaller retail stores, Telco’s such as Telstra, Optus etc online store as well as retail stores, Stores specializing in mobile phones such as crazy johns, all phones etc, Sony Ericson’s own retail stores and its online website, department stores and Technology stores. The opportunity exists to expand the distribution network in all areas listed. However the main outlets to target are Telco’s as this is the first stop where consumers go to buy mobile phones, the second would be bigger retail stores such as JB HIFI as they have a larger customer base and the ability to attract more customers, the third main outlet to target would be specialized mobile phone stores such as crazy johns and all phones as they constantly are advertising and attracting new customers as their main focus is mobile devices, these outlets must be targeted throughout Australia. A selection distribution policy will be undertaken for the Sony Ericson mobile phone range, the main focus will be on customers mainly tweens who have not owned a smart phone before and are upgrading to one, but the priority will remain with tweens who enjoy gaming. Price The Sony Xperia play phone ensures that a high standard of quality is present whilst having an appropriate selling price that is both beneficial for the company and contains a positive perceived value towards the customers. The mobile phone will be introduced through mobile phone service companies and their plans with additional costs, such as Telstra, Vodafone, Optus etc, and will provide a range of packages and discounts to create a satisfying option for the consumers. As consumers are aware of various other phones and deals that are arising within the market a mid-to-low price range that is competitive in relation to other phones will be evident, as it also relates to the target market of tweens. In addition various pricing policies will be needed according to different functionality of the device such as memory which can relate to a variety of customer’s needs. The price that is chosen will allow the company to maximize their benefits as well as customer satisfaction, the price may be reduced to allow for a competitive advantage and the revenue will be received through the use of the phones applications and video games designed specifically for the phone that may be purchased on the online market. Promotion The phone appears on Sony Ericsson’s official website as well as some mobile phone retailers’ Web sites, so re-set up a special introduction is necessary, set up some special entertainment features on the official website of the Xperia play, such as virtual phone system experience, the online game demos, in order to improve user interaction. Television Xperia play will spend $100,000 on television advertisements during peak times where tweens would be watching TV, this is justified as tweens spend on average about 35% of their time watching television, The time that is most suitable is before and after school, on such television channels featuring cartoons and such television shows such as The Shak, Total Girl, Toasted TV etc. The advertisement will be relative to the target market as they are presented during the specific time. Printed Media Xperia play will be promoted through magazines considering that tweens are the second largest market for magazines having a market share of 50%. Magazines such as K-zone, total girl, KIDS, M.A.D. will be sold with vouchers for the Play station network. When purchasing these particular style of magazines usually they customer will receive promotional items, therefore there will be available game demos within the magazine. Public Transport Various imagery of posters will be placed on public transport on specific bus routes located around the streets of primary schools. This will allow maximum awareness throughout the target market of tweens as they will be exposed to the media on buses trains and bus stops. Official website and Forums Gaming forums are popular amongst tweens due to the fact that they can provide information regarding the video games such as hints, cheats and walkthrough guides. The Xperia Play will be implemented throughout these particular websites containing imagery and videos related to the xperia play and contain various reviews. Consumers will be able to gain information about the xperia play and its applications, registered accounts will also receive weekly emails offering a range of discounts and download vouchers Evaluation and Control – Campaign evaluation is a critical component of the plan as is the justification for the overall effectiveness of the campaign in the core areas. There are a range of factors that can determine the effectiveness of a marketing plan as shown in figure 3, such as: ï‚ · Brand awareness – this will be achieved through surveys of the awareness of mobile phone brands on consumers ï‚ · Consumer attitudes – this can be achieved through surveys done on the general public in regards to Sony Ericson and if they’re brand is a good or bad brand. ï‚ · Test promotion activities – this can be achieved through evaluating if sales are on an upward trend as well as brand awareness since the launch of the plan ï‚ · Review marketing mix – this can be achieved through evaluating sales and profit to see if they have gone up, it means the marketing mix is effective ï‚ · Sales review – this can be achieved through evaluating sales to see if they have gone up, it means the marketing mix is effective ï‚ · Profit review – this can be achieved through evaluating profit to see if they have gone up, it means the marketing mix is effective ï‚ · Review company objectives reviews – this can be achieved through evaluating the entire marketing plan to see if it has been effective in achieving the original objective if not it has to be altered. ï‚ · Market share – this will be achieved through surveys on websites such as Facebook etc. of what brand of mobile phone individuals own. Figure 3 The marketing team will approach various kids’ magazines and the Sunday mail. Websites The Management team will contact various gaming websites in order to promote the product throughout their sites The website development team will edit the website to allow consumers to gain relative information. Public Transport The Marketing team will contact Translink in order to allow the approval of promotional items suitable posters will be placed at public transport areas Television advertisement The Marketing team will gather various information on the most appropriate times to view advertisements for the specific product, it will allow maximum brand awareness to the target market Bundle Pack The Management team will contact various mobile phone service companies and give acknowledgement of specific offers In store Testing The Management team will ship out testing devices to mobile phone service companies so that consumers are able to experience the device Evaluate campaign The main managers and CEO will go through intense analysis of the situation to evaluation every aspect of the marketing plan in order to provide additional help where needed to ensure that the objectives are met by the deadline. Conclusion/ Recommendation This report set outs the marketing plan for the Sony Xperia play mobile phone in Australia. As outlined in the report, the target market consists of the target market of tweens that are aged from 12 to 15. The sales objective was to increase sales by 15% within the first year and 30% within three years and increases the market share by 20% over three years. The main marketing objectives are to main and increase sales within the specific target market of tweens and increase the total brand awareness. Essentially the Xperia play will be reposition to adapt and respond to a wide consumer need of products. Promotion activities will include magazine, newspaper, websites, Public Transport areas, Television advertisements and mobile phone bundle packs References ^ The Definition of Marketing. American Marketing Association.http://www.marketingpower.com/AboutAMA/Pages/DefinitionofMarketing.aspx. Retrieved 2011-04-04. Approved by the AMA Board of Directors in October 2007, the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) endorses this definition as part of its ongoing Common Language: Marketing Activities and Metrics Project. Principles of marketing (5th ed.). Kotler, Philip; Gary Armstrong, Veronica Wong, John Saunders (2010). â€Å"Marketing defined†. .). p. 7. Retrieved 2009-10-23. â€Å"Definition of marketing†. Chartered Institute of Marketing. Retrieved 2009-10-30. International Marketing: Modern and Classic Papers (1st ed.). Paliwoda, Stanley J.; John K. Ryans. â€Å"Back to first principles†. p. 25. Retrieved 2009-10-15. A Framework for Marketing Management (4th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall. 2009.ISBN 0-13-602660-5. View as multi-pages

Dwight D. Eisenhower essays

Dwight D. Eisenhower essays Dwight D. Eisenhower, a small town boy who grew up to the be the five-star general of the United States military force and the 34th president was an accomplished man. He was born on October 14, 1890 in Denison, Texas. He died in Walter Reed Army Hospital on March 28, 1969 from a heart attack. Eisenhower was one of 7 kids in his family. He was an average student in school. After he graduated from high school, he received an invitation to attend West Point, a military school. When he was finished with his military education, he received a military post in the Philippines where he met Mamie Geneva Doud. He married her in 1916. They had a son once Eisenhower was in office. In 1918, he served in the army during ww1. He was called to war again in 1944 to direct British and American forces in Africa. Then he directed D-day the invasion of Normandy. In 1953, he ran for president on the Republicans side against adlai Stevenson. He won with more than 3 times the votes. During his first term, Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway Act. The program provided a 41,000 mile interstate highway system that helped Americas economy. He is more known for his roles in foreign affairs though. Eisenhower went to Korea to find an end to the war. He wasnt entirely successful but he managed to get a cease-fire that divided Korea basically back to where things were in 1950. Eisenhower attended talks with the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to stop all nuclear testing. The talks failed though when the Soviets shot down a American spy plane and Eisenhower refused to apologize. Eisenhower used the CIA to create revolutions in countries such as Guatemala, Iran, and Cuba to help stop communism from spreading. The operation in Cuba failed to remove Fidel Castro from power but was successful in Guatemala and Iran. What impressed me about Eisenhower was his ability to manage crises which could have lead to nuclear war with the Soviets. "We are going to ...

Definition and Examples of Group Genitives in English

Definition and Examples of Group Genitives in English Definition In English grammar, the group genitive is a  possessive construction (such as the man next doors cat) in which the clitic  appears at the end of a noun phrase whose final word is not its head or not its only head. Also called a  group possessive or phrasal possessive. Group genitive constructions are more common in everyday speech than in formal writing. Examples and Observations I am sitting here in my apartment, recording the guy next doors activities for my best friend, who is engaged.(Meg Cabot, Boy Next Door. Avon Books, 2002)Joona takes out his mobile and calls Ronny again. Sweet Home Alabama begins to play in the man with the boyish hairs pocket . . .(Lars Kepler, The Hypnotist. Trans. by Ann Long. Picador, 2011)Liza Minnellis . . . powerhouse, saucer-eyed renditions of Money, Money and Maybe This Time are the best evidence there is of the future drag-queen patron saints phenomenal talent.(Chris Nashawaty, review of Cabaret on Blu-Ray. Entertainment Weekly, February 8, 2013)A shoeshine boy came in with the news that a porter in the building had broken his leg. The fellow that washes the windows? somebody asked. No, sir, said the lad, the fellow that washes the windows brother.(E.B. White. The New Yorker, January 21, 1939)I was the kid next doors imaginary friend.(American comedian Emo Philips) Origin of the Group Genitive The group-genitive construction, as in King Priam of Troys son and The Wife of Baths Tale, is a development of the early Modern English period. Group in the term for this construction refers to the fact that the genitive -s is added, not to the noun to which it relates most closely, but rather to whatever word ends a phrase including such a noun. . . . He is the woman who is the best friend this club has ever hads husband is an extreme example from Gracie Allen, an early radio and television comedian noted for her confusing speech.(John Algeo and Thomas Pyles, The Origins and Development of the English Language, 6th ed. Wadsworth, 2010) Guidelines for Using the Group Genitive To a mind trained exclusively in Latin (or German) grammar such English constructions as the Queen of Englands power, or he took somebody elses hat, must seem very preposterous; the word that ought to be in the genitive case (Queen, somebody) is put in the nominative or accusative, while in the one instance England, whose power is not meant, and in the other even an adverb, is put in the genitive case. . . .It will not be easy to lay down fully definite and comprehensive rules for determining in which cases the group genitive is allowable and in which the s has to be affixed to each member; the group construction is, of course, easiest when one and the same name is common to two persons mentioned (Mr. and Mrs. Browns compliments), or when the names form an inseparable group (Beaumont and Fletchers plays; Macmillan Co.s publications). On the whole, the tendency is toward using the group genitive, whenever no ambiguity is caused by it.(Otto Jespersen, Progress in Language, 1909) Guidelines for Using Joint Possessives Where two or more distinct persons, animals, etc., are in the genitive, the group genitive applies only when there is joint possession, responsibility, relationship, as in William and Marys reign and Jack, Tom, and Marys uncle. If two separate possessions or other relationships are concerned, each noun must clearly be shown in the genitive.(Eric Partridge, You Have a Point There, Routledge, 1978) For joint possession, an apostrophe goes with the last element in a series of names. If you put an apostrophe with each element in the series, you signal individual possession. E.g.:John and Marys house. (Joint)Johns and Marys houses. (Individual)America and Englands interests. (Joint)Americas and Englands interests. (Individual) In the last two examples, interests is plural (regardless of the possessives)) merely as a matter of idiom: we typically refer to Americas interests, not Americas interest. With pronouns, each element is always possessive (your and his time share).(Bryan A. Garner, Garners Modern American Usage. Oxford University Press, 2009) Also See Compound NounsGenitiveGrammatical Oddities That You Probably Never Heard About in SchoolStructure-Dependency

Health law assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health law assignment - Essay Example nd Affordable Care Act (PPACA)2 by the congress was not to be perceived as an act of the government requiring that all citizens should purchase a health insurance for its own sake, but rather should be perceived from the point of view that it is a law seeking to cover universal risks (). In this respect, any legislation that seeks to cover universals risks of the citizens falls under the powers of the federal government to regulate activities that â€Å"substantially affect† interstate commerce. Thus, the introduction of the collision insurance, under the â€Å"Collision Insurance Requirement and Traffic Safety Act (CIRTSA)†, is a measure that falls under the same category of protecting universal risks. This is because, the introduction of collision insurance is targeted at ensuring that all citizens have their cars covered on the event of an accident, not for the sake of their own cars, but to protect the universal risks that are exposed to citizens when their cars cla sh. This is because; the loss of individuals’ cars during a car clash has the negative effect of causing such individuals to undergo high financial blows, while also affecting the livelihoods of the individuals, through negative consequences such as losing jobs. Therefore, through the introduction of the collision insurance, the universal livelihoods and interests of the people will be protected, since they will be compensated for their losses when their cars clash, thus helping them avoiding the financial blows, as well as avoid losing their jobs. In this respect therefore, the introduction of the â€Å"Collision Insurance Requirement and Traffic Safety Act (CIRTSA)† falls under the mandate of the federal power to regulate activities that â€Å"substantially affect† interstate commerce, because it is meant to protect the universal risks to all citizens, which is within the federal mandate under this clause. Secondly, under the ruling in the case Gonzales v. Raich [2005] 545 U.S. 1, it was provided