Face and Social Media Essay Example for Free

Face and Social Media Essay #1: Product – not just another knock-off Competing only on price was not what XiaoMi has chosen as their core strategy. Surely, their phones and tablets are cheaper than Apple’s and Samsung’s but, by far, not the cheapest ones in the market. There are cheaper smartphones that flood China, however all of them have a major flow – poor quality. Essentially, those devices are reverse-engineered versions of Samsung models built from cheaper materials. By coming up with a good quality phone at lower price range was the key strategic move that put XiaoMi firmly on the map. The phone has a robust case, high quality screen and a reasonable battery. It doesn’t break easily, unlike cheaper copycats that start having issues after just a few months of use. By building it’s own Android-based OS called MIUI, XiaoMi phones got new exciting features not found on standard Android devices as well as plenty of customization options. #2: Price – pay less now, pay more later XiaoMi has also realized that selling cheaper phones near their actual cost was not a sustainable long term strategy, so they decided to go with the Amazon’s model – just cover the cost of the devices and make money from selling content. Although, XiaoMi is often compared to Apple, especially considering the fact that their founder, Lei Jun, resembles Steve Jobs in his style and charisma, it is clear that XiaoMi’s true inspiration comes from Amazon. Also, XiaoMi mostly sells online which further reduces cost of sales and overheads related to brick and mortar stores or dealing with distributors and retailers. XiaoMi has also managed to harness the power of social media by not only broadcasting their messages and announcements but by actively engaging with their customers. Engineers are routinely encouraged to speak directly to consumers and use gathered feedback to refine software. #3: Place – gain strength at home first Although there are rumors of XiaoMi’s inevitable coming to North American and European markets, the company seems to stay focused on China with 97% of the shipments locally. It has been mentioned that their next target will be in South East Asia and, most likely, other BRIC countries. Recently, ex-Google executive, Hugo Barra, who himself hails from Brazil, has become new XiaoMi’s international face. It seems that the company is not in a rush to  go to more developed markets dominated by Apple and Samsung and prefers staying focused in its home base where the market is still booming. Perhaps, potential IP related troubles stemming from frequent accusations of possible infringements, also play role in choosing to stay away from US and EU for now. #4: Promotion – the power of word of mouth OK, this one got to be my favorite so I have to break it down. First of all, early on, they have pioneered flash style sales which were done with little or no advertising. Flash sales basically mean selling limited quantities during limited periods. They always create anticipation and urgency – great factors to win consumers’ minds and hearts. Needless to say, the units were sold quickly and talked over a lot all over China’s vibrant social media. Word of mouth marketing worked very well for XiaoMi and they continue to take full advantage of it. #5: Promotion – active use of social media XiaoMi has also managed to harness the power of social media by not only broadcasting their messages and announcements but by actively engaging with their customers. Engineers are routinely encouraged to speak directly to consumers and use gathered feedback to refine software. #6: Promotion – dedicated brand advocates Through its active role in social media, XiaoMi has also succeeded in building a dedicated fan base. Those Mi-fans are very active in social media and are, in some ways, similar to those hardcore Apple advocates that we are all familiar with. Mi-fans are always present at XiaoMi’s product launches where they are known for loud cheering and applauding. #7: Promotion – CEO as the face of the brand Last but not least, XiaoMi’s charismatic boss, Lei Jun, does a great job in making his brand look cool and current. He has put a face to a brand, something that traditional executives in China wouldn’t feel comfortable doing. Lei Jen’s similarity to Steve Jobs in the ways he talks about the brand is not a coincidence – the late Apple’s founder still holds an almost iconic image among Chinese.

A New Forest To Conquer :: essays research papers fc

The following is a story that I hope to someday tell my grandchildren. I want it to serve as a means of instilling in them the courage and dexterity that I have somehow found within myself to make it through this wonderful and sometimes very painful journey. Once upon a time, high, high up in a tree, there was a bird’s nest and in that nest there was a special, little egg . The mother bird worried and fussed and fussed and worried over her little egg, saying, â€Å"Oh my, this little egg cannot possibly be big enough for my baby bird.† Finally, the mother bird’s wait and worry over the little egg came to an end and her baby hatched. Unfortunately, the egg had indeed been far too small for her baby bird; the little bird was terribly sick from not having enough room to grow. Not sure how to care for the little one, which they named Polly, the mother bird and father bird took their new baby to the Great Owl . Thanks to the Great Owl’s wisdom and patience, th e little bird lived, but, despite his tender care, Polly’s wings would not grow. The mother bird refused to believe that her darling baby, that she had worried and waited for, for so long, would never fly. As Polly grew, her mother worked with her everyday, in hopes of teaching her daughter to fly. Eventually, their hard work paid off and, although she was a little slow and awkward, Polly finally learned to fly. As she grew bigger and surer of herself, Polly wished to play with the other birds her age. She tried to fly and play with them, but they did not want her in their games. They teased and mocked her and said she was too slow. Polly wished the other birds understood how hard she had had to work, just to be able to fly at all. But that did not matter to the other birds; they only wanted the strongest, fastest birds for their games . So, Polly went home, heartbroken, and made up her own games to play. When it came time for all the young birds to begin school, Polly had no choice but to join them. Afraid that her sensitive little daughter might be hurt by the other young birds, Polly’s mother offered to let her go to a special school, but Polly refused. A New Forest To Conquer :: essays research papers fc The following is a story that I hope to someday tell my grandchildren. I want it to serve as a means of instilling in them the courage and dexterity that I have somehow found within myself to make it through this wonderful and sometimes very painful journey. Once upon a time, high, high up in a tree, there was a bird’s nest and in that nest there was a special, little egg . The mother bird worried and fussed and fussed and worried over her little egg, saying, â€Å"Oh my, this little egg cannot possibly be big enough for my baby bird.† Finally, the mother bird’s wait and worry over the little egg came to an end and her baby hatched. Unfortunately, the egg had indeed been far too small for her baby bird; the little bird was terribly sick from not having enough room to grow. Not sure how to care for the little one, which they named Polly, the mother bird and father bird took their new baby to the Great Owl . Thanks to the Great Owl’s wisdom and patience, th e little bird lived, but, despite his tender care, Polly’s wings would not grow. The mother bird refused to believe that her darling baby, that she had worried and waited for, for so long, would never fly. As Polly grew, her mother worked with her everyday, in hopes of teaching her daughter to fly. Eventually, their hard work paid off and, although she was a little slow and awkward, Polly finally learned to fly. As she grew bigger and surer of herself, Polly wished to play with the other birds her age. She tried to fly and play with them, but they did not want her in their games. They teased and mocked her and said she was too slow. Polly wished the other birds understood how hard she had had to work, just to be able to fly at all. But that did not matter to the other birds; they only wanted the strongest, fastest birds for their games . So, Polly went home, heartbroken, and made up her own games to play. When it came time for all the young birds to begin school, Polly had no choice but to join them. Afraid that her sensitive little daughter might be hurt by the other young birds, Polly’s mother offered to let her go to a special school, but Polly refused.

Of Mice and Men: Explore Your Response to Curley’s Wife Essay

My initial response to the character of Curley’s wife was that of intense dislike- I found Steinbeck to subtly prejudice us, as readers, against her, before she even made a physical appearance in the text. Upon reflection, I perceive Curley’s wife in some ways to be the most important figure in the novel- she is a key symbol of temptation, and most of the story’s main underlying themes: dreams, isolation and loneliness, for example, can be related to her in some way. To an extent, she can be blamed for the terrible outcome of events, although technically, she is no more culpible than any of the other characters for what happens. The first thing that struck me about Curley’s wife was that we never find out her real name. Without exception, she is always referred to in direct relation to Curley. I find this to be very important for a number of reasons. Firstly, it suggests Curley’s possessive nature, and portrays his wife as a mere ‘belonging’ of his, rather than a partner or an equal. Secondly, and particularly more prominently, is the way in which her being nameless immediately establishes Curley’s wife as a symbol rather than a character. The other men markedly view her as a symbol of temptation- ‘Wait’ll you see Curley’s wife. ‘ She is very obviously different to all the other people in the story; Curley’s wife is the only female character in the novel, and is additionally a stereotype of women: a distraction and a provocation, described very early on as ‘having the eye’ for other men despite being married, and looked at as a ‘tart’ and a ‘looloo,’ in the crude words of the ranch workers. I feel, after reading the novel, that Steinbeck presents Curley’s wife in a mainly negative light, at least initially. Before she even appears in person, the men discuss her, and our opinion of her is already firmly influenced by what they say. She is referred to as ‘jail bait,’ and physically described as moving and behaving in a provocative, even promiscuous manner- having ‘full, rouged lips,’ ‘heavily made up. ‘ Certain elements of her appearance are described as red in colour, such as her painted fingernails and the feathers attached to her dress. This colour is classically a sign of danger or warning, and I believe that Steinbeck uses this minor detail to make us more aware of her nature, and to subtly foreshadow, the chain of events that are, in part, precipitated by her actions and behaviour. Despite his overall presentation of Curley’s wife as unpleasant, and ‘a bitch,’ as George warns Lennie, I also think that he shows her to be something of a victim- her manner the result of crushed dreams, an unhappy marriage, and isolation in a small world surrounded by men- also, on a physical level, the unlucky victim of Lennie’s strength. We are not aware of this other, more vulnerable, side to her, until the last pages leading up to her death, when we can see her desperation as she pours out her heart to as good as a complete stranger- ‘and then her words tumbled out in a passion of communication. ‘ She quickly admits here that her husband ‘ain’t a nice fella’ and that she married him after her dreams of movie stardom failed to come to anything. One particularly crucial quote, that shows us her isolation, is when she tells Lennie, ‘I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely. ‘ As a whole, the events that take place over the course of the novel can be looked at as the outcome of fate taking it’s course, with no one character carrying all the blame. Although Lennie’s mental impairment made a tragedy such as the death of Curley’s wife almost inevitable in the end, I perceive her to be at least partly culpible for the eventual path happenings took. Eager for male attention, she flaunts herself at every opportunity, and, discovering Lennie’s obsessive liking for soft things, she flirts with him, inviting him to stroke her hair- ‘feel right aroun’ there an’ see how soft it is. Lennie’s gross unawareness of his own strength, and the obtuse fear that the piercing screams of Curley’s wife instil in him of displeasing George, make him hold on to her hair, and lead to her sudden and violent death- ‘Please don’t do that! George’ll be mad†¦ ‘ This major event sets in motion the chain of occurrences that close the novel with Lennie’s death. At this point, Curley’s wife also becomes a symbol of the ‘death’ theme omnipresent during the book, and the impossibility of dreams. Her own hopes had been crushed by Lennie’s actions, and in turn, her death marked the most sudden demise of hope for George, Lennie, and even Candy, whose plan of a Dream Farm is cruelly jeopardised by the turn events take- ‘You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we George? ‘ This desperate interjection on Candy’s part at first meets with no reply from George, who realises how unattainable dreams really are, and admits to always being aware that the Dream Farm was nothing more than a fantasy- ‘I think I knowed we’d never do her†¦ The death of Curley’s wife ultimately brings George to the decision that the only way to save Lennie is to take his life. In this way, even after her death, I see Curley’s wife as a very prominent symbol in her own right. Overall, I dislike Curley’s wife as a character. Her personal insecurities lead her to exploit her position of power over the ranch workers, whom she often treats with contempt, looking upon them as inferior to her and speaking abusively towards some of them. The best example of this behaviour on her part is in section 3, when she enters the harness room, interrupting the conversation that some of the men are having. Her character is still maintained as being tempting, and extremely flirtatious, her stance described as being provocative, with ‘her hands on her hips’ and her ‘rubbing the nails of one hand with the thumb and forefinger of the other,’ but it is here that we see more of the aggressive, nasty side to her. She is very over-confident, even in a room full of adult men, boldly proclaiming that what they are telling her is ‘baloney. I think the way Curley’s wife spontaneously refers to the three men in the room as ‘a nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep,’ is very offensive and cruel of her, and typifies the bitter, hardened side of her personality, aside from the glossy exterior of beauty and glamour. One of the most revealing aspects of her behaviour in this scene is when she abuses her position as the boss’s daughter-in-law to threaten Crooks, implying that she would stoop to wrongly accusing him of rape or another form of assault, if he reports her behaviour- ‘You know what I can do to you if you open your trap? At this moment, Steinbeck’s portrayal of Curley’s wife leads me to despise her greatly. However, I do grow to feel some empathy for her by the time of her death, appreciating her as a victim- ‘poor bastard’ – and seeing the emotional struggles she has faced, in a loveless marriage to a man she often feels compelled to ‘bust up’: i. e. attack and injure, and the dreams of Hollywood stardom that have been denied her. In conclusion, my response to Curley’s wife at the end of the novel was mixed. Although I mainly found her to be an unpleasant character, more of an antagonistic role than anything, and even mildly vindictive at times in her manner towards some of the men, I understand how her temperament was fuelled by her past. By the time of her death, when a greater part of her personal backstory is revealed and explained, I feel more empathetic towards her. One of the most prominent and important things about Curley’s wife is that we never find out her name, marking her out clearly as a symbol rather than a solid individual- she symbolises temptation more than anything, and despite not being entirely to blame for Lennie’s death and the downfall of the Dream Farm plan, her flirtatious, provocative behaviour and actions- really, a desperate cry for attention- set all the terrible events at the end of Of Mice and Men in motion.

Joint Venture Investment Appraisal Report Free Essay Example, 2750 words

For high capital investments that require longer periods of time to generate higher cash flow may not favor this method of evaluation. This method suits short-term investments. This method compares the cost of an investment with the profit generated by the investment (Hansen Mowen, 2007). This method simply is a ratio of Annual return or profit to initial cost of investment. Its simplicity offers several limitations as it requires a benchmark rate for comparison. An investor needs to know what percentage return is worth investing in. There is no measure or initial method to determine what is the right investment return. It ignores the time value of money just like Payback method. These two methods are called discount methods. NPV calculates the net value of the investment while taking into consideration the changing value of cash. This method tries to calculate the amount need to be invested to attain certain annual revenue in a specified period of time. The value of money will be affected by interest rates payable on a certain investment. This method is good in comparing alternative investments. NPV assumes a constant capital gearing. We will write a custom essay sample on Joint Venture Investment Appraisal Report or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page