Ethical issues in advertising

Ethical issues in advertising ETHICAL ISSUES IN ADVERTISING INTRODUCTION Human beings create a number of different worlds. One of the worlds that human beings have created is the world of money, trade, commodities and exchange. To an outsider, this often feels like a world full of beauty and ugliness in equal proportions messy, flashy, exotic and sometimes even scary. Advertisers are often so engrossed with the nitty-gritty of the profession and dealing with as well as outsmarting competition, that they are unable to observe and comprehend this phenomenon. The business arena can be viewed as the world of buyers and sellers, producers and consumers, bosses and workers, a world of money. It is in effect nothing less than an ontological category – A Way of Being. It is not accidental to who we are, but rather, it defines the way we relate to each other as well as to the world around us. However, we must realise that it is not the be-all and end-all, and that there are other ways of Being; the most fundamental of these being Ethics. As per Geoffrey Klempner, Ethics is defined by an â€Å"I-thou† relationship as follows: â€Å"When I engage another person in moral dialogue, there are not two parallel processes of practical deliberation going on, his and mine, but only one. â€Å" This is in clear contrast with the case of a dialogue between traders or politicians, where each is privately deliberating as to how to gain the upper hand. In the former case, one is already committed to the practical consequences of agreement, and of doing the action which by the combined light of both the parties valuational perspective, is seen as the thing to be done. Human beings can belong to more than one world, or even move between worlds. We live in the marketplace and also outside of it. We can either play the various roles assigned to us in the game, or we can step outside of our economic personae and observe ourselves from an ethical point of view. Geoffrey Klempner has put forward three propositions as a prolegomenon to a philosophy for business: Business and commerce take place in a frame, in an arena defined by unwritten rules Normalethics is suspended within the business arena The aim of a philosophy for a business is to understand the rules that define the business arena, i.e. to grasp from an ethical perspective, as tohow business is possible When we claim that in the business world normal ethics is suspended, we do not deny the validity of rules of conduct, such as honesty and fairness. Without these universal rules and these values, the game could not be played. However, these obligations do fall far short of the demands of ethics. Advertising plays a major role in consumer marketing. It enables companies to meet their communication as well as other marketing objectives. Advertising is typically used to inform, persuade, and remind consumers. More importantly, it reinforces their attitudes and perceptions. For decades, advertising has been a target of criticism. It has been hailed as an engine of free market economy, a capitalistic virtue, as, and as a promoter of consumer welfare. On the other hand, its detractors accuse it of an array of sins ranging from sexism to deceit and manipulation, as an economic waste to purveying of harmful products, from triviality to moral and intellectual pollution (Mittal, 1994). Many see advertising as a threat to the self realization and to the cultural identity of the developing countries, since: It brings to many people alien ethical values It may deviate consumer demands in the developing countries to areas which might inhibit development priorities It affects and can also often deform ways of life and lifestyles(Mac Bride, 1980) Advertising is considered unethical in the following scenarios: It degrades the rivals product or a substitute product It gives misguiding information/false information It conceals information that vitally affects human life (e.g. Side effects of drugs) It makes exaggerated claims It is obscene or immoral or is against the broad national interest Even though comparative advertising may be considered legal and given the fact that its widespread use may have granted it acceptance, the debate on whether it is ethical or not, still continues to rage. There is however no unanimity or common ground among advertising professionals and marketing clients with regards to such questionable practices. However, all of them agree to this one aspect, that while considering the question of unethical practices, the focus needs to be to safeguard the interest of buyers at the micro level and of the society at the macro level, since their satisfaction remains the key to marketing success. The criticism has not been limited only to its intended effects on society, but also extends to its unintended effects. Most of the criticism has come from the elite observers of society. In contrast to this however, the general public has historically viewed advertising in a much more positive way. Criticisms of advertising have generally originated from the highest socio-economic classes. Since the earliest days of what now entails the modern marketing era and before, lower and middle class people have historically been more positive towards advertising. (Bauer Greyser, 1968; Fullerton Nevett, 1986; Steiner, 1976; Zanot, 1984). In India, we are still unaware of the extent to which these intellectual criticisms reflect the more widely held consumer beliefs and attitudes. To understand the viewpoints and opinions of the Indian public, we must examine as to how advertising is perceived in terms of its economic, social and ethical impacts. BENEFITS OF ADVERTISING Advertising is omnipresent in todays world, with a large proportion of human and also material resources are devoted to the field of advertising. Advertising has a number of benefits, which we can classify under the following heads: Economic Benefits of Advertising Advertising plays a very important role in the process by which an economic system is guided by moral norms and is responsive to the common good that contributes to human development. It is an essential part of the functioning of the modern market economies, which exist, or are emerging in many different parts of the world as well as those which seem to be the most efficient instrument for effective utilization of resources and also for effectively responding to the needs of different socio-economic kinds. Benefits of Political Advertising As a free and a responsible media, in a democratic system, it helps to counteract the tendencies towards monopolization of power on the part of oligarchies and also the special interests. Thus, political advertising can make a significant contribution by informing people about the policy proposals and the ideas of parties and their candidates, also including new candidates who were hitherto unknown to the public. Cultural Benefits of Advertising Advertisers have the opportunity to exert a strong influence on decisions pertaining to media content. They do so by supporting the material of excellent aesthetic, intellectual as well as moral quality that is presented with the greater interest of the public, and is particularly done by encouraging and making it possible for media presentations to be oriented towards those minorities whose needs go unnoticed and thus un-served. Moral and Religious Benefits of Advertising It has often been seen, that benevolent social institutions, including institutions of a religious nature, make in-depth use of advertising in order to communicate their messages. These may be messages of faith, messages of patriotism, messages of tolerance, or even messages of compassion and neighbourly service. The advertised messages may be those of charity towards the needy, messages concerning health and education, as well as constructive and helpful messages that not only educate, but also motivate people in a variety of ways. High involvement in all aspects of media-related activities, including advertising, has today become an essential part of a highly comprehensive pastoral strategy. ETHICS IN ADVERTISING Advertisings visible social role makes it a target for criticism. Some of todays customers believe that a great deal of advertising is unethical because: It adds to the price of the products It is untruthful It tricks people It targets vulnerable people Numerous advertising-related issues are often left to the discretion of the advertisers and are based on ethical concerns: Advocacy à   Advertising tries to persuade the audience to do something that is not correct. It is not objective or neutral. Accuracy à   Subtle messages trouble critics, especially when aimed at groups such as children, the elderly or the disabled. Acquisitiveness à   Consumers are continually persuaded that they continually need more and more new products. However, consumers make the final decision. ETHICAL ISSUES PREVELANT IN ADVERTISING Even though a section of the media and the public lambasted the advertisers and the advertising agencies for the falling scores of decency and taste in advertising, such advertisements raged on and they have now become the order of the day. Brands that were far-fetched from carnality have started showing all-consuming lust in their advertisements. This trend is prevalent in India as well. It began when on 23rd July 1995, a Mumbai tabloid published a photograph of an advertisement for Tuff shoes that showed models Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre, posing in the nude with a python wrapped around them, just about covering the vitals. The protests and controversy dragged on for a long time. The nation pooh-poohed the audacity of the couple, while the advertisement agencies defended their creative rights. The slogan of advertisers now-a-days is â€Å"Love it. Or Hate it. Or think it is offensive. But you have to notice it.† Advertising is largely criticized since selling carries a stigma. Centuries ago, Anacharis had said, the market is a place set aside where men may deceive each other†. Even to this date despite the significant rise in consumerism and despite the efforts to counter market deception, buyers are still gullible and are not particularly on the guard against deception. Under intense competition and declining profits, the perspective of organizations shifts from what is best for the society in the long run, to what is best for the company in the short-run. The advertisers claim that ethics are fine for the secure however all the slipping that a company needs is the desire for a greater market share. Since advertising pertains to a large audience, it belongs refers to the 4th quadrant of the grid shown below. Thus, the question to be asked by advertisers is, â€Å"What makes a good society?† Advertising thus must address the most controversial, collective level welfare issues. ADVERTISING AREAS THAT COME UNDER THE SCRUTINY OF ETHICS Advertising ethics affects both the practice of our lives and of business, in subtle as well as prominent ways. Ethics in advertisements concern us all in one way or the other. The areas under the scrutiny of the critics are: TYPES OF ADVERTISEMENTS For sex related products Instead of generating awareness among people about the necessity of safe sex and the benefits of birth control, condom advertisements continue to intrigue the audience and especially the youth with the unique feel that it has to offer. E.g. Moods Condoms For health care and professional services The slimming centres which promise miraculous weight reduction and the cosmetic surgery clinics which assure a permanent solution to all beauty problems. E.g. VLCC Slimming Centre For vices with fatal effects Tobacco chewing ads Commercials of alcoholic beverages that tempt the non-alcoholics to have a sip Gambling In early 2001, the Government of India announced that it would table a bill banning the tobacco companies from advertising their products and from sponsoring sports and cultural events. This example brings to the fore both the commercial and ethical dimensions of such a ban. It helps us to understand the role of ethics in a business decision and to understand where to draw the line in making decisions, which involve both ethical and commercial considerations. The element of social responsiveness as well as social responsibility attached to a business ethics dimension results in corporate strategy or even in formulating a business policy. Thus, we see that the connotation of ethics goes beyond the illegal acts of professional managers or even entrepreneurs. It covers the entire gamut of business operation, including ethics in advertising. PUFFERY Puffery refers to the exaggerated claim of a products superiority or it could also be the use of subjective/vague statements that may not be true in the literary sense. The Uniform Commercial Code is responsible for standardizing sales and business practices throughout the U.S. It makes a distinction between puffery as well as any specific or quantifiable statement about the product quality or the performance that constitutes an â€Å"express warranty.† For example, a diner advertisement promoting what it claims to be the worlds best cup of coffee would classify as puffery. Such a claim would be almost impossible to substantiate, and no reasonable consumer would fall for it and take such an exaggeration at its face value. Puffery often makes use of the superlative form of a word, like best or greatest. Puffery might also at times exaggerate the advertised effects of a particular product. SUBLIMINAL ADVERTISING One that is transferred in such a way that the receiver is not consciously aware of receiving it. Subliminal means something that registers below the level of the conscious human mind. The brain perceives all the information in theory however the mind does not interpret the information for a meaning. Numerous studies indicate that quite often, we actually do perceive information at the subliminal level. A good example would be as to how often one would notice when the speedometer in the car is about to roll over to a bunch of zeroes. One doesnt consciously notice the mileage on the car ever so often, but the zeroing does make us pay attention. While driving to work, how many cars do we pass? What makes and models were they a part of? The only ones that we paid particular attention to were most probably the really neat cars or those cars which were driven by the people we recognize. If we notice something consciously, then it ceases to be subliminal anymore. Inserting subliminal messages in advertisements is an inherently misleading action. It involves an attempt to manipulate the thinking of a person, without the person even realizing it. The West has seen a considerable number of subliminal advertisements and related hullabaloos. This is primarily because the advertisement, marketing and the regulating media themselves have been quite active while raising such issues. During the US Presidential elections of the year 2000, it was found that a political advertisement for the candidature of George W. Bush subliminally flashed the word RATS while criticizing candidate Al Gores plan for prescription medicine. While the ad maker was prompt in denying that the quickly flashed word was in fact a subliminal message designed to sling mud at Gore, a large number of people, however, had concluded that RATS was indeed inserted with the surreptitious intention of subliminally causing the viewers to associate Al Gore with vermin. The questionable wo rd appeared on the screen only for a microsecond, thus passing by so fast that it was almost not recognizable to the conscious mind, especially when the mind was already passively lulled by television. As per the theory of subliminal advertising, the image would, actually register in the viewers subconscious mind, thus causing the viewer to negatively associate candidate Al Gore with a rat/rodent. TYPES OF APPEALS IN ADVERTISEMENTS Use of questionable appeals The advertisements that bank on negative appeal and fear like neighbours envy, feud, jealousy etc. are part of this category. Nimbus Neo Sports (Neo) had bagged the telecast rights for the India-West Indies and also the India-Sri Lanka series to be held in India. In January 2007, an ad campaign was launched by Nimbus with the pay-off line being Its tough being a West Indian in India. One of the advertisements in this series showed a West Indian desperately searching for some water to quench his thirst, as his palette is unable to handle the spicy Indian food. However, the Indians put their dirty fingers and their dentures into the water in order to deny him from having a drink. Another advertisement showed a West Indian couple along with an Indian boatman, on a boat-ride. On reaching the centre of the deep lake, the boatman throws the oars into the lake and then disrobes; giving the impression that he would assault the girl. Then, he jumps into the lake leaving the distraught couple stuck in the middle of the lake. Media experts have opined that what according to Nimbus was a creative way of showcasing the competitive spirit in India, as well as creating hype around its new sports channel, had actually trod the fine line between creative and unconventional advertising and respecting the ethical sensibilities of the people. It was felt by some critics that the two advertisements that were shown in the campaign, were in bad taste and also was offensive, since it showed people being mistreated, on the basis of colour/nationality. The advertisements were also criticized for showing Indians in bad light as India has always been known for its hospitality. Stereotypical appeals This includes sexual or racial stereotyping. Advertisements that imply that a woman, whether in the kitchen or in the boardroom, must look sensuous and inviting under any given circumstances, is an apt example of advertisements creating stereotypes. The fairness creams are also responsible for stereotyping the dusky women as being socially less desired for marriage. Other stereotypes that are often portrayed and concretized through advertisements are: Racial Ethnic Stereotypes Senior Citizens Gay Lesbian Consumers LARGER EFFECTS ON THE SOCIETY Given their wide reach and influence on the audience, we must realise that advertisements have significant impact on society in the long run: Value formation Advertisements are responsible for moulding society and the material wants of the people. The advertisements which display scantily clad female models in effect commoditize women. Moreover, the deluge of advertisements that increase ones propensity of consumption makes one feel that it is essential to possess a certain commodity in order to show that one belongs to a particular section (generally, higher echelon) of the society. Media content This refers to the information content of advertisements. Those advertisements which suggest the usage of preserved food items without even the slightest mention of the fact that many of the preservatives used have been proved to have carcinogenic effects are part of this category. Use of deception The advertisements of brands which conceal their negative aspects are included in this category. An example of this is the advertisements of cosmetics which say nothing at all about the long-term effects of using their products on a regular basis. Also, the advertisements of various educational institutes that wrongly claim to provide 100 percent placement to their students fall into this category. Advertisements targeting children and adolescents The advertisements that target the vulnerability of the adolescents and the children result in the creation of role models whom these kids are expected to emulate. This in turn shapes their dreams and aspirations in a truly unbecoming way. ADVERTISERS CONCERN Voice/Tone of the advertisement Comparative advertisements that thrive on inflicting vitriolic attacks on rivals are an example of this category. Copying of ideas and plagiarising of advertisements in the ad world is another such menace. Impediments to research on Ethics in Advertising There exist certain impediments to research on advertising ethics: Lack of practitioner interest Research is often impeded by the inapplicability of published findings to the business operations. Another reason for the same might be the disinterest of corporations in sponsoring research on advertising ethics as also is the funding constraint that cause researchers to rely only on a convenience sample. Lack of sound measures and framework Research is also impeded by a lack of psychometrically sound measurement scales and also a lack of theoretical frameworks in the field of advertising/marketing. Lack of relevant theories in related disciplines Research is also sometimes hampered by theoretical shortcomings in the fields of psychology, sociology, anthropology, management, philosophy and advertising/ marketing. Lack of academic interest Research is often impeded by the lack of a journal editor and the difficulty that researchers face when trying to relate ethical issues to the traditional advertising issues. Why be ethical? During the 83rd Annual Management Conference of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Keith Reinhardt, the Chairman and the Chief Executive of the US $15-billion company DDB Worldwide Communications Group, quoted the legendary co-founder of DDB, Bill Bernbach: All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of the society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level. It might be misconstrued that Reinhad is against the edgy and the unconventional advertising means, however, that is not the case. He is against prurient sex, filthy humour and violence in advertisements. By making a success story out of the advertisements that are offensive to public decency, the message being put forth is disturbingly clear: the more rude and shocking you can be, the more successful you will be in advertising your product. Moreover, such advertisements send out faulty signals to the youngsters who represent and shape the future of our society. The people to blame for this are young creative directors who take pride in their eccentric thought process. Not only this, but the advertising industry also encourages this through machineries from Cannes to Clios that help place such creations on the pedestal. Passion is, without doubt, the most important ingredient in creative achievement. However, its flame need not necessarily leap for bullets, obscenity and falsehoods alone. It is essential to reinforce the virtue of positive passion in todays advertising world. It is imperative that ethics is a part of advertising, since we have a duty to live a good and fulfilling moral life. This duty is equally applicable to our business lives as well as our private lives. Marketing professionals also know that strong ethics do bring in good business. REGULATORY FACTORS AFFECTING ADVERTISING LEGISLATION The Federal Trade Commissions main focus regarding advertising is to identify and eliminate advertisements that are deceptive or those that mislead the consumer. The key areas of concern in this regard are: Deception The current policy on deception contains three basic elements: Where there is omission, practice or representation, there must be a high probability that it will mislead the consumer A â€Å"reasonable customers† perspective is used to judge deception The deception must lead to material injury As is evident from these basic elements, deception, in most cases becomes difficult to prove. Thus, even though an advertisement might be indulging in deceptive practices that do not strictly fall under the purview of the above mentioned elements, it cannot be prohibited. Reasonable basis for making a claim The reasonability of a claim is decided on a case-by-case basis. The following factors are taken into consideration in this regard: Type specificity of the claim made Type of product Possible consequence of the false claim The degree of reliance by consumers on the claim made The type and accessibility of the evidence available for making the claim Comparative Advertising Comparative advertising refers to an advertisement in which a particular product/service mentions the name of the competitor for the purpose of showing why the competitor is inferior to the product which is naming it. Comparative advertising by companies are on some occasions used to put down products of rival firms, without any basis or facts. This leads to unhealthy competition in the marketplace. Comparative advertising is considered deceptive unless: Comparisons made are based on facts The differences that are being advertised are statistically significant The comparisons made involve meaningful issues The comparisons are made to meaningful competitors In the 1980s during the period that has been now referred to as thecola wars,the soft drinkmanufacturerPepsiran a series of advertisements in which t showed people caught on hidden camera, and administered a blind taste test, chose Pepsi over arch rivalCoca-Cola. Endorsements An endorser or a testimonial refers to any advertising message that consumers believe reflects the opinions, beliefs or experiences of an individual, a group, or an institution. Endorsers must: Be qualified by experience or training to make judgements They must actually use the product SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY As per Phillip Kotler, â€Å"An organizations Task is to determine the needs, wants and interests of the target markets and to deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than its competitors in a way that preserves or enhances the consumers and the societys Well-Being.† Thus we see that organizations do have a responsibility towards society, apart from achieving their individual profit targets. An organization can exhibit two levels of social responsibility: Level One à   Being socially responsible is a business philosophy Level Two à   The advertiser is engaged in Pro-social Messaging An organization also exhibits different approaches to social responsibility: Obstructionist Stance à   Organization does as little as possible i.e. exhibits a low degree of social responsibility Defensive Stance à   Organization does only what is legally required Accommodative Stance à   Organization meets legal ethical requirements and sometimes also goes beyond what is required Proactive Stance à   Organization seeks opportunities to be socially responsible i.e. exhibits a high degree of social responsibility There are also different levels of Self Regulation that are often seen in organizations: Self-Discipline à   An organization develops, uses and enforces the norms by itself Pure Self Regulation à   The industry is the one which develops, uses and enforces norms Co-Opted Self Regulation à   Industry voluntarily involves non-industry people in the development, application and enforcement of norms UNETHICAL ADVERTISING ON THE INTERNET http://www.rubak.com/article.cfm?ID=13 CONCLUSION Thus, we have seen the various types of advertisements that fall under the purview of unethical advertising, and have also seen the far reaching effects of the circumvention of ethics and morals on the society at large. Wherever freedom of speech and communication exists, it is then largely up to the advertisers themselves in order to ensure that ethically responsible practices are being conducted in their profession. Besides avoiding abuses and falling out of line with the ethical dimension of advertising, the responsible advertiser should also make it a point to undertake the repair and the harm sometimes caused by advertising. Since unethical practices have become commonplace, conscientious advertisers must take it upon themselves to make significant personal sacrifices in order to correct them. However, people who want to do things that are morally right must be prepared to suffer loss and also at times personal injury, rather than doing what is wrong. This does not mean that adv ertising, as we know of it today, be eliminated from the contemporary world. Advertising is an integral element in modern day society, especially with regards to the functioning of a market economy, which is becoming more and more widespread. Moreover, as described in the report earlier, advertising can, and often does play a fairly constructive role in the exchange of information, economic growth, and the ideas, and also in the fostering of solidarity among groups as well as individuals. Despite this, we must keep in mind, that it can als

Postmodernism and Multimedia Essay

The premises of postmodernism include the spread of globalization, deviation from the â€Å"universal truth†, non-linearity and flexibility and that it can be closely associated with computer technology. These premises can be found and embodied in today’s multimedia. Multimedia itself can be considered a postmodern creation because of the nonlinearity in its creation, storage and distribution especially with the advent of the World Wide Web and other technological advances (Phillips c. 2003). Multimedia is also an entertainment form that branches in different directions, deconstructing and reconstructing the experiences to suit different individual tastes. It links different sections and components, making the media more interactive and more convenient for the audience as they go through the sections of their choosing. This proves its nature true as an integration of multiple media that can multiply the impact of the message/s the multimedia would want to impart to its audiences (Pant 1999). Multimedia methodology and production itself can be said to be generally postmodern because of the technologies and the demands they need to adapt to in order to satisfy the demands of the today’s market. Postmodernism, is, thus the heart of this era’s multimedia methodology and production. The methodology and production of multimedia is a process that involves multiple steps that include conceptualization, development, preproduction, production, postproduction, and documentation with each phase being further subdivided into different activities (Pant 1999). Conceptualization and development, mostly take a linear approach (though these may become non-linear depending on the medium of technology it should be adapted to), but the preproduction, production, postproduction and documentation stages get more complicated as the multimedia reaches more audiences. This is where postmodern methods, like non-linearity, enters in. This is a case in point in movies, wherein, after the theaters, they go to the DVD. In the DVD, they get reproduced by adding commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes documentaries, deleted scenes and outtakes which involve the stages from production to documentation (Owczarski 2007). Because of the new edits to DVDs and other media such as downloadable videos, the media has been made to be more interactive with a click of a button and lends to its non-linear quality. Tied into its production and methodology, the different sections that are being inputted into the multimedia are not created linearly and are edited into the work piecemeal depending on the market’s demands and the playfulness of the media produced. The multimedia are not only transmitted through the Internet and DVD but are also being distributed non-linearly to other mediums such as the mobile phones and other devices that makes creators go back and forth in the production process making it spiral rather than linear in order to accommodate the demands of technology and the public and still having almost the same experience in the end. Flexibility is also very evident in today’s multimedia as evidenced by different mediums where they are presented in. Some of the most popular mediums are online streaming sites such as YouTube. While traditional media uses video cameras to create videos, postmodern methods use different technologies to create videos devoid of the professional touch. As stated by Ann Hornday in her study of the phenomenon of the public’s production of their own media contributions, â€Å"The mobile phone camera has introduced a whole new version of variety, delivering spontaneous, intimate, unedited footage. At their best, these slices of life – devoid of structural conceits and often of narration – transport viewers to places and situations they would never otherwise be privy to. And they can land unexpected emotional punches. No CNN report and few feature-length documentaries could capture the stark terror of a two-minute video recently uploaded to Metacafe. com, in which a U. S. Army convoy on a routine run dodges a bomb on an Iraq street† (2007). Such is the nature of today’s multimedia. Postmodernism in multimedia has expanded the experiences of audiences around the globe because of its introduction of the idea of versatility; being able to explore different environments that would otherwise be closed off to traditional media. As today’s technologies demand more portability and accessibility, multimedia has adapted to become more flexible to the growing requirements of its consumers. Some of these technologies come in the form of handheld technologies such as PDAs and mobile phones which have varying and more compact requirements. Since the requirements of these small and less complicated devices are different from those stated above, the creation of multimedia is increasingly becoming more flexibly created and recreated. With the addition of textual design in different forms of multimedia, the current technology has enabled the audience to interact with and participate in the media-making experience itself. The different technologies that have emerged has made it possible for various ways to present multimedia, regardless of proper lighting, sound and focus, and is still able make an appealing video to the audiences (Hornday 2007). This disregard for traditional means for professional multimedia creations and the non-professionalism of the publicly-made multimedia has made the postmodern movement of media an exciting experience that has made it possible for multimedia to flourish unlike other media forms. These, and other postmodern influences, has made it the most successful form of media that makes it the heart of multimedia.

Belle Femme vs. Naturalix

CENTRUM Catolica Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru Caso Belle Femme vs. Naturalix 1 Ver. CO Sin duda, la belleza tiene un sitio de enorme importancia en la vida de la mujer. Ello hace que este mundo resulte mas simpatico para todos. Pero esta condicion ha sido muy bien detectada y medida por la esfera de los negocios, los cuales han sabido convertirla en una serie amplia de distintas gamas de productos relacionados con la belleza y el â€Å"glamour†: perfumeria, cremas, jabones y similares. Los Competidores †¢ Belle Femme es una corporacion nacional que viene trabajando el mercado interno desde hace 30 anos, habiendo expandido sus operaciones de mercadeo y produccion hacia algunos paises vecinos y Estados Unidos de N. A. Naturalix, es una firma venezolana fundada en 1994. Se propuso ingresar a los mercados de Florida, el Caribe y la Comunidad Andina de Naciones –CAN, a partir del ano 1998. Establecio su oficina comercial en el Peru en mayo de 1998. Este ano se ha dado pasos firmes y acertados en tal sentido. Naturalix forma parte de una corporacion venezolana que conjunta diversos negocios, algunos de los cuales tienen activas operaciones de mercado internacional. No obstante, esta lejos de lograr el sofisticado manejo de los costos que los procesos del â€Å"supply chain† le permiten a su competidor en el Peru, Belle Femme. La direccion de Naturalix se ha concentrado en la innovacion continua de sus productos, para lo cual celebro una alianza estrategica con una empresa alemana de insumos para la industria de la belleza. Conservando una marca de crema de tratamiento facial, por ejemplo, introduce una formula completamente nueva que partiendo de materias primas naturales, produce efectos embellecedores permanentes muy apreciados. Emplea esta misma politica en toda la gama posible de productos. Esta asignacion de recursos por la cual se favorece ampliamente la innovacion, por encima del control de los costos del comercio internacional y, en general, de los costos de produccion y distribucion, tiene preocupado al Gerente Central de Finanzas. Este, parado junto al gran ventanal de su oficina en Caracas, miraba y remiraba ansiosamente los estados financieros de cada sucursal (incluyendo la del Peru) y el consolidado corporativo. Este incluia los costos de la alianza alemana sobre la cual reposa el avance innovador de los productos. ?Si me hicieran caso con esto de los altos costos de tanta innecesaria innovacion! En el piso de abajo, el Gerente General tecleaba en su PC el informe trimestral al Directorio. Las ultimas lineas que llevaba escritas decian: â€Å"†¦de manera que la expansion de nuestro mercado hacia el exterior, en particular el CAN y Brasil, nos permitiran diluir costos gracias al incremento constante y sustancial de la produccion y de las ventas†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Competencia en el CAN El Directorio de Belle Femme, acaba de terminar una reunion candente celebrada en el hotel Inter Continental de Quito. Las ventas de cremas faciales y de los tratamientos para la piel, estan viniendose abajo rapidamente, al igual que la linea cara de lapiz de labios. Y esto sucede en Colombia, Ecuador y Peru, en donde se observa la presencia de una pequena empresa, nueva por completo y de la cual no habian oido hablar. En el Directorio se escucho, por ejemplo: †¢ El Sistema de Venta Ambas firmas practican el sistema de ventas denominado â€Å"venta directa† (direct marketing), por el cual un Gerente de Mercadeo entrena a un grupo amplio de supervisoras y estas a representantes o promotoras, siendo estas ultimas las encargadas de vender mediante visitas a los hogares u organizando reuniones. Tanto las supervisoras como las promotoras no estan incluidas en las planillas de remuneraciones. La venta consiste en tomar los pedidos de la clientela e informar a la empresa para que esta proceda a la distribucion, realizada la cual, las promotoras hacen la cobranza, descuentan su comision y pagan a la empresa. Este sistema fue establecido por Avon Products Inc. , en los EE. UU. de A. , a inicios del siglo XX, y sigue operando. Estrategias Diferentes Belle Femme tiene ganada una experiencia internacional de primer orden. Una vez consolidadas sus operaciones internacionales, la direccion de la empresa se ha concentrado en lograr la maxima eficiencia operativa, lo cual incluye venir desarrollando las bases del sistema denominado â€Å"supply chain†, por el cual se programa y controla el abastecimiento de los distintos mercados desde las plantas de produccion mas convenientes, cuidandose la minimizacion del costo junto con el abastecimiento a tiempo de los pedidos. 1 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ No es un problema de precio; se han atrevido a igualar el nuestro. Sospechamos que nuestras promotoras estan vendiendo tambien productos similares de Natura †¦? ue?. Ah! , si, Naturalix. Estoy seguro de que nuestros costos son sustancialmente mas bajos que los de ellos; eso me deja tranquilo. †¦ 1) ? Que competencias directrices â€Å"core† han estado debiles y cuales fuertes, en el Presidente de Belle Femme y en el Gerente General de Naturalix, de acuerdo con lo que nos permite inferi r la informacion del caso? 2) ? Que decisiones adoptar para, de cara al corto y mediano plazos, fortalecer las competencias directrices â€Å"core† de los directivos de Belle Femme, de manera que se reduzca el riesgo de nuevos ataques de la competencia faltos de respuesta oportuna? Propuestas concretas y definidamente exitosas). El Presidente habia cerrado la sesion de Directorio dictaminando: â€Å"Los Gerentes Generales y Comerciales de los paises del CAN tendran una reunion conmigo de aqui a un mes. Nuestras utilidades se comienzan a derrumbar ante un competidor pequeno, al cual conocemos muy poco y al cual hay que enfrentar con soluciones eficaces, para revertir la perdida de mercados a la mayor brevedad. Mi promesa a los accionistas de Belle Femme†¦Ã¢â‚¬  INTERROGANTES DEL CASO 2

What Is Federalism - 1066 Words

Assignment 1: What is Federalism? Student: Danny Franco Professor: Tracy Herman POL 110 August 8, 2014 Bose, Dilulio, and Wilson (2013), state that in America, political authority falls under both national and state governments. This division of political authority between the two entities is called federalism. The delegates at the Constitutional Convention were in agreement that some degree of federalism was necessary; however, the amount of federalism that was to be written into the Constitution was rather controversial. After the constitutional Convention, two views of federalism arose. One view of a strong federal government was advocated for by Alexander Hamilton. He believed the national government powers should be largely†¦show more content†¦Bose, Dilulio, and Wilson (2013), assert that two things keep police, schools, and land use controls in the hands of state and local governments. These two things are popular beliefs and a Congress geared to local interests and concerns. Congress, by acting in accordance with these popular beliefs, have empowered local and state g overnments to legislate over matters of police and schools. Although popular belief is that schools should be controlled by local and state governments, the federal government has molded schools by their interpretation of the Constitution. The courts ordered school desegregation. In certain instances, federal judges oversaw the implementation of desegregation down to the level of directing school policies, locations of where schools were to be built, what supplies schools would purchase, and who would be hired by the schools (Bose, Dilulio, and Wilson, 2013). Mandates is another factor illustrating how the relationship between the states and the federal government influence the creation of policies. Mandates are defined by Bose, Dilulio, and Wilson (2013), as federal laws or court rulings requiring states and cities to take certain actions whether or not they receive federal aid. Conditions of aid are defined by Bose, Dilulio, and Wilson (2013), as federal rules that are attached to grants that states receive. The states must agree to follow these rules in order to receive the grants. AccordingShow MoreRelatedwhat is federalism1004 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ What is Federalism? Carmen Torres Prof. Tracy Herman POL 110: US Government May 18, 2014 Abstract This paper will illustrate what is the meaning of federalism and what it does for us. I will talk about how it helps our political system and if it does us any good. How has federalism changed the behavior to our American society? Does federalism affect us or does it help us see a better political view? Things like this is something I would be covering in my paper. EverythingRead MoreWhat Is Federalism1012 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is Federalism? Diana Reed POL110103 Professor Julie Waldon May 17, 2015 There are several systems of governments in the world today. Examples include Federalism, Monarchy and Democratic. Federalism is a form of command where two or more governments share authority over the same territory. In this system, the autonomy to carry out any state directive is given to State governments. In addition, there are other functions, which have to be made inRead MoreWhat is Federalism and How Does It Relate to State Governments and Other Forms of Governance?851 Words   |  4 PagesFederalism could be portrayed in three general ways, unitary, con-elected, or a hybrid of the two (Bardes, Shelley II, Schmidt, 2011). In the United States, we like a cream between unitary and con-chose schemas, which we insinuate as a chose skeleton. To better like our system we ought to first assess interchange sorts. An unitary skeleton is described as a system in which general force is controlled by a robust central government (Bardes, Shelley II, Schmidt, 2011). The con-chose m odel embodiesRead MoreFederalism Vs. 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Federalism is a concept that refers to a system of government in which power is shared between the national and non-national governments. Cooperative FederalismRead MoreFederalism Vs. Cooperative Federalism1469 Words   |  6 PagesRight now the current form of Federalism that the United States uses today is called New Federalism, or Cooperative Federalism. Cooperative Federalism was created as a political model around 1937 that emphasized â€Å"teamwork† between the National and State governments. This was created to ensure that both governments would work together in order to provide services more efficiently in the Nation. This is why Cooperative Federalism is appealing to this day and still exercised, because the U.S. has stillRead MoreDual Federalism Vs Dual Federalism732 Words   |  3 PagesC.J. Diehl Ms. Crouse U.S Government 10/23/17 How come we can go from Pennsylvania to New Jersey without paperwork but pay a different amount of state tax for purchases made in the different state? The answer is federalism, federalism is having or relating to a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs. These discissions were made in the Federalist Papers written by the Founders. The federalist papers were a collectionRead MoreThe Federal Vs. State1058 Words   |  5 PagesFederal v. State There has always been a huge political debate on what powers the federal government and what powers the state government should hold. Do you feel like dual federalism gives the states too much power? Do you feel like cooperative federalism was bad because there was no distinction between the federal government and the state government? Do you think that categorical grants are better than block grants because the money has a more specific purpose? From 1789 to 1937, most fundamentalRead MoreAssess The Significance Of Federalism In The USA Essay1450 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Assess the significance of federalism in the USA Federalism involves the sharing of powers between different levels of government. In the United States this relates to the government at national level (the federal government) and those at the level of the state. The United Kingdom is not a federal state instead it is a unitary state where power is held in one place (parliament). Federalism is the process of sharing power between a central government, in America’s case Washington, and the StatesRead MoreThe Evolution of Federalism990 Words   |  4 PagesThe Evolution of the Constitution American federalism has changed drastically since its genesis. In 1776 the thirteen colonies adopted the Articles of Confederation in order to coordinate their efforts in the war for independence. The Articles of Confederation bound the states together in two main aspects; foreign and military affairs. The Articles of Confederation worked well while all the states had a common cause. However, as soon as the war ended and interests began to change, it became obvious