Cultural Criticism in Mark Twain s Life on the Mississippi Essay Example

Cultural Criticism in Mark Twain s Life on the Mississippi Essay Throughout life on the Mississippi, Twain seeks to delay time, to make it pause long enough to make some sense of it, even as he realizes that death will end all speculation. -He writes of his day as a pilot that time drifted smoothly and prosperously on, and I supposed and hoped that I was going to follow the river the rest of my days, and die at the wheel when my mission was ended. But by and by the war came, commerce was suspended, my occupation was gone -Historical time interrupts the expectation that time will cease, that he ill always be a pilot, until the end of his time. And the river will always be there -This stable moment in time, an eternal River, is lonesome, alienating and disinterested in the affair Of mankind -Throughout Life on the Mississippi the evident nostalgia for the river long gone pervades Twains discussion of it. In particular, the monopoly enjoyed by the Pilots Benevolent Association for a few short years before the Civil War occupies Chi. 5 RL Twains lifetime fascination with American capitalism also becomes apparent here. (Remarks: This union of pilots was perhaps the compacters, the employees, and the strongest commercial organization ever formed among men) -In the end, however, the association collapses -Twain sketches out, how the railroad and the Civil War decrease trade on the river, until behold, in the twinkling of an eye, as i t were, the association and the noble science of piloting were things of the death an pathetic past When Twain visits his boyhood home and village, all seems changed. We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Criticism in Mark Twain s Life on the Mississippi specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Criticism in Mark Twain s Life on the Mississippi specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Criticism in Mark Twain s Life on the Mississippi specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The town has grown, it is no longer a village; it is a city -first he ignores the new houses and sees the vanished houses which had formerly stood there and topographically shakes hands with former people = timeless dream -Twain needs to resort to his memory and his reconstruction of it in order to accept these changes to his town and to his past: l woke up every morning with the impression that was a boy in my dreams the faces where young again; but I went to bed a 100 years old, every night for meantime I had been seeing the faces as they are now D represents a timeless moment, each morning a nostalgic recovery of the past, one that retreats into an aged and weary vision of the present -Twains trip to the past, to see how the Great River has hanged over the years, has become a burden of identity, for clearly he would likely sympathize, more so the Southern reader who would be remembering what it was like; through the perspectives o idyllic distortion, before the Civil War -The ea rly chapters of Life on the Mississippi demonstrate the book learning and book knowledge of the historian, a kind of traditional travel material suitable for the reader who wants dry facts about the history of the great river, particularly its early explorers. Throughout the text: facts about cities and towns along the river, numbers of people , amounts of goods hipped, but these facts, though they demonstrate useful information about the river, do not show how knowledge ought to be used. The way knowledge ought to be used is part of the cub pilots training, a knowledge that becomes intuitive, almost instinctual and unconscious. -The new river that Twain explores has changed so much so that modern technology has knocked the romance out of piloting. Lamps have been installed along the river; snag boats clear the river from hazard. -The knowledge required in 1882 to be a riverboat pilot now lies in charts devised by Horace Boxy and George Ritchie, ND not in the memory banks of the pil ot. Uncle uniforms monologue: They wanted the water to go one way, the water wanted to go another -fear of disappearance of the noble landmarks -Knowledge that ass been stored has become useless -Changes that have occurred along the river since the Civil War: Twain intents to explain the corruption of the South before the Civil War and the decay of the Southern culture, still dependent on that form of knowledge, after the great War between the States C] Most of these changes have been economic -Clearly, L Mississippi is a record of the destruction of the South, even if it remises to be a remembrance of the life that Twain Once had on the banks of the river -Since the moment Hernandez De Sotto and his party of conquistadores first arrived at the banks of the Mississippi in 1 541 m travelers of every variety have flocked to and along this representative river to better comprehend the country thorough which it flows. Both as a conduit for trade and travel, and a destination in its own righ t, the rivers role in national life has changed dramatically over the centuries. It no longer commands the social and economic powers of its antebellum zenith. Nevertheless, it mutinous to occupy a unique place in American travel writing and the American consciousness. -T. S. Eliot appreciated the rivers powers even William Least Heat-Moon, a child of the Missouri who has attempted in his own eatable to testify to the capital allure Of rivers other than the Mississippi, has conceded its encompassing mystique that still hold us in a grand cultural thrall. The Mississippi remains a vital location in the symbolic geography of America. -Mark Twain understood the rivers symbolic nature. He was taught the lesson while learning to pilot a steamboat on the Mississippi; what he learned remains fundamental for successfully piloting a course through the rivers manifold representations. He came to understand that there were to rivers: The physical Mississippi of the imagination, meandering through the mind. For a steamboat pilot, the imagined Mississippi rook precedence. Horace Boxy Twains piloting mentor, instructed him: you can always steer by the shape thats in your head, and never mind the one thats before your eyes The story of Mississippi travel writing can, in one sense , quickly be told in an apparently circular list of its hanging modes Of transport. The canoes Of those attempting to navigate the rivers course today. If each eras travel writing had been defined by a mode of transport, its concomitant relationship with the river has been profoundly different. The river has also been an enigma and an emblem of imperialism. The essential highway of a young nation moving west; the real of profit, increasing arbitration, slavery, and war; a limbo of lost splendor and increasing dismissal; the scene of imaginative resurrection; an escape route to a forgotten America; and, today, an arena in which to test personal limits. The most significant accounts of the Mississippi have been able to assess the river with a profound awareness of its history, and yet still see it with acute, contemporary eyes -The early travel accounts that resulted severe a double role: they fueled imperial desire, and the established certain paradigmatic relationships between the travelers and the river. Broken dreams and ruined fortunes soon littered its banks -Charles Dickens was disappointed expected more -The river, already under serve pressure from the railroads in the sass, was arced to close its waters at the advent of the Civil War. Travel writing was displaced by military dispatch -When the river was again opened for freight a nd passenger traffic, it flowed through a very different landscape. Slavery was gone, the railroads Were dominant, and the steamboat trade was suffering from mortal wounds -The rivers cultural life was about to begin anew: all because the Civil War forced a young steamboat pilot in the trades last flush years. Then he headed West and became Mark Twain -He was the only one back then who wrote about the Mississippi -first 3 chapters deal with geography and the rivers history; after those follow the chapters of the pilot- memories.

tounge speech Essay

tounge speech Essay tounge speech Essay Finally, let’s examine how taste influences the foods we like to eat. According to the article The Genetics of Taste written by Lisa Bramen we are first introduced to flavors when we are in the womb, but it isn’t just your Mom who has a role in determining what you like to eat. The way we perceive some flavors is coded in our DNA. In 1931, chemist Arthur Fox and other geneticists discovered a single gene that codes for a taste receptor on the tongue. There are multiple versions of this gene, accounting for the variation in how strongly bitter flavors are detected. In a 2005 study, researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania found that the version of this gene also predicted a child’s preference for sweet foods. Those with one or two copies of the bitter-perceiving gene were more likely to favor foods and beverages with a high sugar content, and less likely to name milk or water as their favorite beverage. Some of us may know a person who does not care much for sweers. It’s possible they are a supertaster; the name scientists give people who have inherited more taste buds than the average person and therefore taste flavors more intensely. These people tend to shun strong-flavored foods, including rich desserts. This may explain why the supertaster is more likely to be slim. Though our food preferences have a lot to do with genetics, nurture is just as important. Over our lifetimes we build many complex associations with flavors and scents that can override our DNA. Not only does genetics have an influence on our taste, so does culture plus nurture. From the article Taste This! it is also abundantly clear that our individual cultures have a major influence on the flavors we seek out and those we pass over on the buffet table. An example of how culture influences our

The Use of Conflict Management Styles Across Different Cultures Term Paper

The Use of Conflict Management Styles Across Different Cultures - Term Paper Example The paper has highlighted that individualistic cultures that have low power distance, high sense of individualism and achievement will encourage competing while collectivism cultures prefer to avoid conflicts in order to maintain relationships. Korea and Malaysian cultures will accommodate conflicts while Brazilian and Argentine cultures will compromise conflicts due to equal power distance. Multicultural societies like Britain can consider different views and collaborate in order to manage the conflict. Conflict is a contest or struggle between people with opposing views, ideas, values and goals and usually leads to adverse outcomes (Ting-Toomey, 2012). Conflict management refers to the process of limiting the negative aspects of conflicts through enhancing the positive aspects of conflict. Conflict management recognizes that conflicts are inevitable and cannot be resolved and thus should be managed to minimize the adverse effects of conflict escalation. The conflict management styles differ across cultures since the norms, belief systems and values influence the appropriateness of the style in conflict management. Avuruch (1998) outlines the five major conflict management styles that include competing, compromising, accommodating, avoiding and collaborating. Various research studies have identified cultural differences in conflict management styles since high context cultures are less assertive and confrontational while Western cultures that are low context are mainly confrontatio nal (Yu & Chen, 2008, p 153). Some studies concluded that Chinese executives display avoiding and compromising behaviors while dealing with conflicts unlike British executives who prefer competing and collaborating styles in managing conflicts in their organizations. Asian cultures such as Japan, India and China prefer non-confrontational strategies in dealing with conflicts due to the collectivism, close

Entrepreneurship and innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Entrepreneurship and innovation - Essay Example Initially, innovation was a preserve of large organisations, which invested in improving their R&D capabilities. However, in the modern business environment, individuals are leaving the corporate world to start their own businesses. As a result, venturing into business as an individual requires an emphasis on innovation to gain advantage in a competitive business environment. On the same note, innovation for an entrepreneur requires the ability to generate new ideas that are unique in the marketplace (Crumpton, 2012). In addition, innovation requires entrepreneurs to prepare adequately for the unexpected changes in the business environment. Conversely, entrepreneurship has challenges and requires a well-thought plan by prospective entrepreneurs prior to venturing into a particular business (Crumpton, 2012). This paper examines the key elements of contemporary entrepreneurship and innovation as they apply to the development of individual characteristics associated with effective entre preneurs. In the modern business environment, entrepreneurship is a challenging venture for individuals who want to start a business with the aim of making profits. The business environment is competitive and entrepreneurs compete for the same market with large organisations that capitalise on economies of scales. In this regard, the individual characteristics of an entrepreneur are critical for survival in a competitive business environment. The modern business environment is dynamic because of technological advancement. In this sense, the development of effective entrepreneurs requires adaptation to such changes in order to remain competitive in the marketplace. Entrepreneurs often start small and as such, venturing into business has many risks compared to large organisations with sufficient start up capital (Johnson, 2001). Further, entrepreneur’s main challenge in setting up a business is the start-up capital and most entrepreneurs experience failures with their

Plato and More Definitive Understanding of Art and Philosophy Essay

Plato and More Definitive Understanding of Art and Philosophy - Essay Example Plato and More Definitive Understanding of Art and Philosophy Naturally, the first level of argument which can be discussed with regards to how Plato defines virtue. As one might expect, many pages are indeed entire pages of Plato’s work have been concentric on defining virtue in the means through which it can be maximized within our world. However, with that being said, it must be understood that virtue within the specific delineation of what defines art and how it should be represented to the populace is ultimately a subjective understanding. In such a way, by promoting the belief that art should be exhibited if it entails possibilities of fostering virtue and promoting the goodness of the person in something that cannot be defined by a single understanding and should not be presented as the benchmark by which art should be manifested. By providing something of a tangential analysis, the author can point to the fact that Nazi German fostered what they understood to be a virtuous society that fosters the goodness of the stakeholder that they deemed fit to be included within such a definition. Moreover, the totalitarianism of the third Reich was not only visited upon the way in which political ideology, philosophy, and indeed art itself was presented. It does not take a great deal of historical analysis to point to the fact that the third right was heavily involved in the promoting its own version of what art and artistry should entail.

Effect of Brexit on the UK Economy

Effect of Brexit on the UK Economy Many academic and non-academic writings tackled the issue of Brexit from different angles. The focus will be one important aspect of Brexit; that is the economic part; i.e. the effect of Brexit on the economy of UK after being outside the EU. The UK, government’s White Paper (Department for Exiting the European Union) suggests headlines of taking the UK out of the EU. In this White Paper, the aspect of the economy is covered on different headings such as protecting the rights of the worker and securing free trade with European markets (The White Paper, Policy paper The United Kingdom’s exit from, and new partnership with, the European Union, 2017). It reflects how important this issue is for the UK government, as well as for all UK people. What is clear that there will be many positive and negative economic implications for both parties EU and UK after Brexit! This essay sheds light on two main issues related to the UK economy after Brexit. First, the signal market, the definition, the status of UK in the signal market after leaving EU, the expected scenarios. Second, the economic relationships between the UK and other countries of EU. The expected options mentioned here are based on the current relationships between the EU and some countries that are not full members of the EU. To start with, what is the meaning of the Single Market? According to European Commission website, Single Market indicates the EU as one territory that has no internal borders or any other controlling complications that lead to the free movement of booth services and goods (The European Single Market European Commission, 2017). According to the same source, single market has great benefits. It encourages competition and trade, increases efficiency, promotes quality, as well as helps in cutting the prices. In addition, the same source considers the European Single Market as one of the EU’s ultimate accomplishments that powered the economic growth and made the everyday life of European businesses and consumers easier (The European Single Market European Commission, 2017). On the other hand, UK is playing a major role in the single market. Thus, by leaving this market, UK can direct this budget to a new direction that suits its economy better. The UK is ranked in the top five economies in the world, after United States, China, Japan and Germany (Bajpai, 2017). After Brexit, Bajpai expects the raking of the UK to decline and that UK will be ranked the 7th, taking the place of France (Bajpai, 2017). Dhingra and Sampson in their article Brexit and the UK Economy, claim that after leaving the EU, the UK will no longer be constrained by the EU’s external tariff. On the other hand, the UK can set its own MFN[1] tariffs on imports. The UK could adopt to reduce its import tariffs below the levels of EU in order to lower import costs for UK consumers and companies. This will result on increasing the competition played by businesses run in the UK (Sampson, Dhingra and Sampson, 2017). In addition, the same article, states that there is a limited scope for further tariff decreases. According to the World Bank, the tariff rate of the EU (applied and weighted mean for all products) is 1.5% (Word Bank, 2017). Also, if UK goes for this it will require more harmonising polices, regulations or product standards across countries. Achieving this level of business requires international agreements with different countries. The overall effect of Brexit is still estimated to be negative (Dhingra and Sampson, 2017 4-5). These circumstances make it very difficult for the UK to reduce tariff rates, yet possible.    The second essential issue in the UK economy after Brexit is the economic relationships between the UK and other EU countries. Clarke, Goodwin and Whiteley in their book Brexit Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union, suggested three scenarios regarding the relationship between the UK and other EU countries. They based their expected scenarios on existing relationships between the EU and non- member states. First scenario, ‘Norwegian’ option, where Norway is not an EU member state but has full access to the single market, which is called European Economic Area (EEA), where Norway has to pay for this privilege by contributing to the EU budget as well as accepting free movement of labour. In other words, UK can leave EU and pay to access EEA. The second option is based on a mutual agreement with EU, like Switzerland and Canada. A Comprehensive Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada made it possible to lowers tariff barriers, coordinates trade arrangements and encourages cooperation, yet does not include free movement of labour. The third and last option is, World Trade Organization (WTO) that is arising from trade agreements negotiated by the World Trade Organization over many years between a massive number of countries that are aiming to shrink tariffs and other obstacles to trade (Clarke, Matthew and Paul, 2017: 176). The report UK trade options beyond 2019, published by House of Commons, International Trade Committee suggests some of the above-mentioned scenarios. The report mentioned some options that the UK might have after Brexit. First, â€Å"No deal†-trading under WTO rules alone. Second, â€Å"No deal†-Trading under WTO rules alone. Third, UK Free Trade Agreements with non-EU countries. For each option, there are details about the expected sequences (Committee, 2017). The international ranking of UK economy might go backward at the first couples of years after Brexit until the government makes new trade agreements with different counties and organisations around the world. Afterwards, the UK economy might go better or worse than before. All the above-mentioned ideas are uncertain. It is very clear that the government is working hard to leave the EU will minimum loss possible. No one can tell the exact actions taken by both EU and UK until the negotiation is over and both the UK and the EU sign the final leaving agreement. Bibliography: Bajpai, P. (2017) The World’s Top 10 Economies | Investopedia, 07-07-2017. Available at: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/022415/worlds-top-10-economies.asp (Accessed: 15 October 2017). Clarke, H., Matthew, D. and Paul, C. (2017) Brexit Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union. Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781316584408.009. Committee, I. T. (2017) UK trade options beyond 2019. Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmintrade/817/817.pdf (Accessed: 15 October 2017). Dhingra, S. and Sampson, T. (2017) ‘Brexit and the UK Economy’, A series of background briefings on the policy   issues in the June 2017 UK General Election, p. 13. Available at: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/ea040.pdf (Accessed: 9 October 2017). Sampson, T., Dhingra, S. and Sampson, T. (2017) ‘Brexit and the UK Economy Swati Dhingra and Brexit and the UK Economy’, (June), p. 14. The European Single Market European Commission (2017). Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market_en (Accessed: 10 October 2017). The White Paper, Policy paper The United Kingdom’s exit from, and new partnership with, the European Union (2017). Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-united-kingdoms-exit-from-and-new-partnership-with-the-european-union-white-paper/the-united-kingdoms-exit-from-and-new-partnership-with-the-european-union2#strengthening-the-union (Accessed: 11 October 2017). Word Bank, T. (2017) EU Tariff rate, applied, weighted mean, all products (%). Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/TM.TAX.MRCH.WM.AR.ZS?end=2015locations=EUname_desc=truestart=2010 (Accessed: 13 October 2017). [1] MFN: most favoured nation

The Selfish Linda Loman in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay

The Selfish Linda Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman      Ã‚  Ã‚   Linda, a character from Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" is a selfish housewife. She pretends to care about her husband, but in reality, prefers that he kill himself so that she can live an easier life. Linda is given nothing but motive for wanting her husband, Willy, to die because of the ways he mistreats her. For example, during a family conversation in Act I, Linda, trying to put in a few words, says, "Maybe things are beginning to change-," with Willy coming in right after her, "(wildly enthused, to Linda)Stop interrupting!..."(1187) Linda, trying desperately to be a part of the conversation, is constantly denied her voice. Always under Willy's control, Linda is treated as if she is allowed to speak when he gives her permission. In another conversation in Act I between Biff, Happy, and Linda, more evidence of Willy mistreating Linda is provided: "Linda: It seems there's a woman...(She takes a breath as-) Biff: (sharply but contained) What woman? Linda: (simultaneously) ...and this woman... Linda: What? Biff: Nothing. I just said what woman."(1184) During this conversation, Linda is introducing the idea to Biff and Happy that Willy's car accidents might not have been accidents. She is telling of a woman that was a witness to the wreck, but a twist comes into the conversation. It seems that Biff is quick on making an assumption about who the woman is, and Linda shows a suspicious tone to Biff's reply. This time implies that Linda is aware that Willy is unfaithful to her, providing another way he mistreats her. In Guerin Bliquez's essay over "Death of a Salesman", she states, "But betrayal exposes the basic dishonesty of th... ...was helpful. She had a job of destruction and definitely helped Willy with his troubles. Helped him so much that eventually he committed suicide. Now she has the ability to say she married a successful man, maybe dead, but successful. Works Cited: Bliquez, Guerin. "Linda's Role in 'Death of a Salesman'," in Modern Drama, Vol. 10, No. 4, February, 1968, pp. 383-86. RPTD in Drama Criticism, Vol. 1. Gale Research Inc.. 1991. 322. Dillingham, Wiliam B.. "Arthur Miller and the Loss of Conscience" in Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman. Penguin Group. 1967. 344. Miller, Arthur. "Death of a Salesman" in Literature, Reading, Reacting, Writing, Compact Fourth Edition. Harcourt, Inc.. 2000. 1187, 1184, 1221, 1229, & 1230. Schlueter, June. Essay over "Death of a Salesman" in Arthur Miller-Criticism and Interpretation. The Ungar Publishing Company. 1987. 65.

Energy drink Essay

Introduction The marketing mix (tool largely used by marketers) is composed of the tactics being developed by a company in the 4 P’s areas: product, price, place and promotion, to assist them in pursuing their objectives. These variables have to be carefully managed by the organisation to meet the need of the defined target group. In this essay, we are going to focus on the â€Å"product† variable of the marketing mix. Phillip Kotler has defined the product as: â€Å"anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy a want or need† (Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000). The product, but also its name and packaging, have a major impact on the brand positioning. They are fundamental tools in helping the company to induce trial and repeat purchase; they are also invaluable to achieve the desired awareness levels and to form positive attitudes among both customers and perspective customers. Highly profitable and attractive (giving the trend that consumers are increasingly looking for convenient drinks that boost their energy levels), the energy drinks market is highly competitive. A Mintel’s research (Market Trends category analysis, June 2004, www.PreparedFoods. com), found little brand loyalty among consumers of energy drinks, and a willingness to try a new product if the brand of choice is not available. This suggest the possibility that consumer could be swayed by the appeal of an intriguing package for instance. In this context, we will try to analyse, with the help of the example of the energy drinks, the importance of the naming and packaging tactics employed by the brands to differentiate their offer from the competition (given that the generic attributes of the energy drinks, in terms of composition, are quite similar). 1 Naming and Packaging: marketing mix tools of the product 1. 1 The products levels Philip Kotler, in â€Å"Principles of Marketing†, suggested that a product should be viewed in three levels (a division between five products levels has also been identified by the author but in our case, we are going to keep the simpler scheme of three levels). (source : www. learnmarketing. net/product. htm, 14/09/2004) The core product (level one) represents the core function of the product, a generic attribute that will be identical to all products on a specific market. For example, the main attribute a customer is willing to find when buying an energy drink is a liquid which composition will comprise ingredients that boost his or her energy levels (caffeine, guarana, taurine†¦ ) The actual product (level two) involves the brand, the packaging and the possible added features (benefits) that are provided to differentiate the company’s product from its competitors’. In the case of the energy drinks, if all of them actually provide a liquid that increase energy levels, some of them are sold in cans, other in plastic bottles or in aluminium bottles, using different designs and volumes. The augmented product (level three) is composed of the different additional non-tangible benefits that the company is offering to the customer. This comprises normally added services such as after-sales service, warranties, delivery†¦ It is difficult for a company providing energy drinks to differentiate itself from the competition through this kind of attributes. This is why we decided to focus on the second level of the energy beverages, their name and package. (www. learnmarketing.net/product. htm, 14/09/2004) First, what lies behind the concepts of naming and packaging? 1. 2 Naming â€Å"The naming of the product, service or company is called branding. A brand or name is the label that consumers associate with your product. For this reason, a brand or name should help communicate the product’s positioning and its inherent drama for the consumer† (Roman G. Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003). McCarthy, Perreault and Quester define branding as â€Å"the use of a name, symbol, design or combination of the three to identify a product† and more particularly a brand name as â€Å"a word, letter, or group of words or letters used to identify a product† (Basic Marketing, a managerial approach; 1997). 1. 2. 1 The visual distinctiveness of a brand â€Å"The name is composed of the title by which the company, product, or service is commonly known and the graphic forms of identification, including symbols, logotypes or signatures, tag lines, and representative characters† (Roman G.Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003). Some products, as paper clips, or energy drinks, are poorly differentiated by their â€Å"physical† attributes. One of the marketer’s tasks will be then to develop the brand in terms of its name and its graphic identity (logo), to communicate its differences. Nowadays, the consumers have an astonishing and increasing array of choice. In parallel, their available time to research products and make purchase decisions is decreasing. The importance of having a distinctive name is critical to securing competitive advantage, even more for the products such as the energy drinks, which core specificities have become insufficient to make a real difference. Consumers must be able to recognize the company in its name, logo, graphics and brand’s slogan; these must provide means of identifying the product as different from that of the competitors’, create a visual and verbal distinctiveness. For example, the name and logo of Ralph Lauren (a polo player) have become high means of recognition for the brand. Coca-cola is one of the best-known names in the world (even the characters’ type can be identified and recognized by the customer nowadays). Some companies, which offer different product lines, can use manufacturer brands, a name provided specifically for a product or collection of products that is different from the manufacturer’s one. For example, Powerade is the sport beverage supplied by Coca-Cola. Pepsi-Co sells a sport drink line under the name Gatorade. If the name is the more important element of the brand, one mustn’t forget that a brand can’t be simply reduced to its name. What is important are the positive associations that are going to be related to the brand in the customer’s mind (Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000). 1. 2. 2 Selecting the right name A good brand name can help create brand familiarity (really important in the case of energy drinks). In general, good brand names are:  · short and simple (easy to recognize and remember)  · easy to pronounce  · should be able to be pronounced in all languages  · suggestive of product benefits (but not too generic)  · avoid any potentially undesirable connotation or image. (Roman G. Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003). 1. 3 Packaging 1. 3. 1 Definition â€Å"For manufacturers, packaging holds and protects the product and assists in communicating the products attributes and image. For retailers and service firms, packaging is the inside and outside environment that houses and dispenses the product/services (stores, offices, etc†¦ ), and it helps communicate the company’s attributes and image† (Roman G. Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003). Kotler has defined the packaging as â€Å"the activities of designing and producing the container for a product† (Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000). 1. 3. 2 The functions of packaging Three functions lay behind the concept of packaging: protection, facilitating the product usage and communication. At its basic level, the package serves to protect the product (prevent breakage, exposure to light, exposure to air, spoilage†¦ ) and, in some cases, to hold or to contain it. Packaging also plays a role in protecting the consumer as well. Then, the package has a facilitative role in the use of the product (shape, size, fact that it can be resealed†¦ ). Finally, the product’s package represents a strong communication tool, at two levels. First, the package will comprise indications on the brand name, the product category definition, the composition, the flavour, warnings, directions†¦ Second, packaging also serves an important role in promotion. Its design, size, shape, materials, colour, text and brand mark†¦ should appeal to the target market. For example, yoghurt designated to the women on diet will not have the same package than yoghurt targeting the children. Besides, in today’s cluttered environment, where tens of thousands of brands are fighting for the shopper’s attention, consumers are making more and more purchase decisions at the point of sale. This is why the package, through graphics and colours that are attractive, plays an important role in getting the product noticed in the selves (to encourage impulse purchase for instance). (Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000; Roman G. Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003). 1. 3. 3 The importance of packaging Packaging is a critical marketing tool. It can make an important difference from the competition by meeting customers’ needs more effectively. A better box, wrapper, bottle or can may help to emphasize the distinctiveness or novelty of a product or even result in the opening of a new market. It can even improve the product by making it easier or safer to use and then increase its value in the customer’s mind. Used correctly, the package can then underline the brand image, convey qualities such as freshness, fashion and quality (McCarthy, Perreault & Quester; Basic Marketing, a managerial approach; 1997). It is important that the packaging elements align with the rest of the marketing strategy to support it (pricing, advertising and other marketing tools). For example, an expensive perfume would rather be sold in a crystal bottle than in a plastic one, to underline and support the prestigious image (Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000). 2 Packaging and Naming for the energy drink industry 2. 1 Industry overview. As a relatively new style of beverage in Australia (appearing in the mid 90’s), energy drinks, sometimes known as â€Å"smart drinks†, were originally designed to give people a boost. Other benefits advertised by these products are improved concentration, endurance, stamina and the ability to help combat fatigue (www. education. theage. com. au/pagedetail. asp? intpageid=69&strsection=students&intsectionid=0, 29/09/2004). â€Å"Lifestyles are moving faster. People seem to have become time poor and tend to work harder and play harder. These drinks are for those who need to pack more hours into their day. † (Glenn Martin, general manager, Frucor Beverages, The Age, May 2, 2001). Typically including a high caffeine level as well as vitamins, amino acids and herbal extracts, they usually sell for about $2 – $3. 5 for 250 ml, making them a relatively expensive soft-drink alternative. (www. education. theage. com. au/pagedetail. asp? intpageid=69&strsection=students&intsectionid=0, 27/09/2004). Initially popular in nightclubs and hotels, the energy drink market has been booming during the past few years in Australia, and these beverages are now widely available in supermarkets and convenience stores. Although this market is somewhat new in Australia, it is the fastest growing area of the soft-drink market. (www. education. theage. com. au/pagedetail. asp? intpageid=69&strsection=students&intsectionid=0, 27/09/2004). 2. 1. 1 Leading brands on the Australian market In 2002, the energy drink sales were dominated by four brands in Australia: Frucor Beverages Limited’s V (remaining by far the most significant player with 35% volume share), Red Bull Australia’s Red Bull, Coca-Cola Amatil’s Lift Plus and the Red Eye Company’s Red Eye. With a clever marketing and promotional tactics, V managed to cope with the growing competition and to increase its market share between 2000 and 2002, targeting at teenagers and young adults through the sponsoring of youth oriented events and advertising during youth programming (Euromonitor International, Soft Drinks in Australia, August 2004). However, in the latter part of this same period, the best growth was performed by Coca-Cola Amatil’s Lift Plus, which volume share increased from 5% in 2000 to 14% in 2002, to the detriment of the Red Eye brand which lost market share by the same amount. Red Bull signed, in 2003, a distribution deal with Cadbury Schweppes to solve its volume share decline over the recent years by accessing the group’s strong sale network. (Euromonitor International, Soft Drinks in Australia, August 2004). Considering the huge number of small brands existing today on the energy drink market, we decided to illustrate our study using exclusively the example of these 4 leaders. 2. 1. 2 Target market of the energy drinks The potential customers initially consisted in 90% of young and trendy people (club scene, extreme sports), nocturnal revellers, trendsetters and clubbers. Nowadays, the group of customers has evolved and includes:  · long distance drivers, especially people who work during the night or even employees working out of the office and rushing from appointment to appointment who have come to appreciate Energy Drinks as a good way to wake them up,  · top-level as well as free time sportsmen like snowboarders, mountain bikers, free climbers and downhill racers but also people going to the gym or participating in a triathlon, · pupils or students under stress who use the energy drinks as a new substitute of coffee. Users of Energy Drinks buy/drink them to be mentally and physically top fit and wide awake. They are dynamic, health conscious, achievement-orientated and active, in their jobs as well as in their spare time. Most of them are young but there is an increased interest in these products coming from an older age group of the population. (www. fortunecity. com/tinpan/clapton/843/energydrinks. html#eda, 29/09/2004). 2. 2 Packaging issues and trends on the energy beverage market Due to its growing competitive context, the energy drinks sector saw packaging used as an essential element in establishing brand identity. Consequently, the emergence of plastic bottles was far less pronounced in this sector than in any other soft-drinks sector. 2. 2. 1 Capacity and materials When Red Bull entered the Australian market in 1999, the company employed its trademark slim can and made it an immediate sign of recognition for the energy drink product. The brand wanted to use this as a point of differentiation to help consumers distinguish these highly caffeinated drinks from their carbonate counterparts, and competitors such as Lift Plus, V and Black Stallion followed this example to benefit from the association consumer would make between 250ml can and the type of product (Spark Gale, â€Å"Sports and energy drink market expanding faster than other soft drinks†, Food & Drink Weekly, February 23, 2004). This can size not only differentiate the product from the usual soft drink but also, according to the manufacturers, encourages only moderate consumption at any one time, because of the high caffeine content. Indeed, the energy drinks market has suffered from claims that excessive consumption of caffeine can cause a rise in blood pressure and can trigger events such as heart problems and strokes in some people (Euromonitor International, Global Packaging: Key Trends, www. euromonitor. com. library. vu. edu. au/gmid/default.asp, 20/09/2004) The initial choice of many energy drinks producers for the can packaging has also been determined according to the purpose of the beverage and the needs of its target market. Indeed, the design of the package and its material had to answer the requirements of people responding to the growing trend for eating and drinking â€Å"on-the-move†, had to offer at the same time convenience, solidity, to be light-weighted, easy to handle (the 250 mL format appears more convenient than the usual 330 mL size). Single-serve products also allow busy consumers, to drink in the car, office and in school, which happened to be essential to appeal to a broaden target market as it is now (Marsha Barancik, â€Å"Bottle cans’ have magnetic attraction†, Beverage Industry, March 2003). In fact, when the product entered the market, it was sold in major part in bars, pubs and nightclubs and convenience stores, but as brand like V and Red Bull started to gain distinctive brand identities the started to sell through supermarkets. In this context the 250mL aluminium can presented another advantage since it was an easy shape to offer in multipack that could fit in shelves optimally, and appealed to consumers because of the lower unit prices offered and the ease of transport to their homes (Euromonitor International, Soft Drinks in Australia, August 2004). However, the need for differentiating from competitors and for acquiring a strong brand equity, related to number entry the industry saw these last year, pushed the company to innovate, creating packagings that would differ from the overused 250 mL aluminium can. This need happened to strengthen with the addition of supermarket as a channel of distribution: the number of product and beverages that competed with the brand on the purchase decisional process was suddenly more diverse. To that extent, Red Eye used glass packaging as a strategy (that happened to be successful), to build brand loyalty among its consumers and to break with the expected can packaging offered by competitors. Since then, Lift Plus and V also offered a glass format to differentiate themselves from other canned energy drink brands (Global Packaging: Key Trends, www. euromonitor. com. library. vu. edu. au/gmid/default. asp, 20/09/2004). 2. 2. 2 Graphics and scripts Packaging in the energy drinks also feature distinctive graphics and script. Each brand will attend to convey a differentiated image using specific colours and visual affect known for being associated by the consumer to positive attributes. In 1988, McGraw Hill studied the feelings and the images conveyed by colour in order to show the importance of the packaging in the purchase decision process. As a result, he found out that consumer unconsciously were making the following association:  · Black: formality and elegance.  · White: Crispness  · Violet: tenderness  · Red: revolution, excitement, fire, energy, stanfurd.  · Blue: night, sadness, coolness, tranquillity  · Yellow: happy, warm, optimism  · Aluminium: high-energy voltage (http://www. alumni. berkeley. edu/Students/Group_Resource_Guide/Marketing_Tips_for_CAA_Student_Leaders. asp, 7/10/2004). Looking at each brands packaging, we can see that, according to this theory, different feelings are meant to be evocated by each brand. Except for Lift Plus, that is more oriented towards young people and students/children market, the aluminium colour is present on each packaging. The blue of the Red Bull can immediately reminds the customer with the clubbing and the nightlife while the red letter stands for energy and excitement. The yellow can of Lift Plus gives a joyful and playful image to the beverage and makes it a drink to be consumed during the day rather than in nightclub as a mixed drink (like its competitor Red Eye, Red Bull, or V). We can notice also the use of black in the two other packages, that gives a classy and distinctive image to the beverage, allowing them to stand in bar and club’s shelves. 2. 3 Naming issues on the energy drinks market In general, even if branding is one of the most important steps in the marketing plan of a product (a good name provides a strong mean of distinctiveness for the brand), there is not much secondary information available on the naming strategy adopted by the companies. Concerning the energy drinks industry, we are going to focus on the major brands present on the Australian market: V, Lift Plus, Red Eye and Red Bull. V is a typical example of a simple and memorable brand name that quickly identifies the product with an idea of vibrant, velocity, vitality, vigour†¦ Above all, V is the widely known abbreviation for volt, positioning the product as a high energy provider (www. frucor. com/brands/aus/new_age. html, 03/10/2004). The name Lift Plus explicitly suggests the benefits of the drink that, according to its producer Coca-Cola Amantil, as been designed â€Å"for people who work and play hard and need a boost to help them make the most of their waking hours†. It is also named after the well-known beverage â€Å"Lift†, to inform the consumer on the common point between the two beverages: both have citrus-based flavour (http://www. cokebuddy. com.au/about_brands. asp, 03/10/2004). Red Bull has been the first energy drink to enter the global market, the name of the product reflects well its attributes and benefits (the bull is a powerful animal, it represents the high level of energy the consumer is going to get by drinking this product). But this brand name has also been subject to a lot of controversy (that has finally benefited the brand by creating some promotion around it) related to the fact that the word â€Å"Bull† created a direct association in the public mind with one of the ingredient included in the formula: the Taurine. However, despite whatever conclusions one might draw from the name, Red Bull contains no substances of animal origin; even the taurine used in the formulation is synthetically produced (www. snopes. com/toxins/redbull. htm, 03/10/2004). Again, as for its competitor Red Eye, the code of colour (â€Å"Red†) is used as a way to suggest the energy and improvement of physical performance provided by the consumption of the beverage. Red Eye, as a following entrant in the energy drink market (after Red Bull), has used the notoriety of the Red Bull name as part of its naming strategy (the two brand names are quite similar). The term â€Å"eye† reflects the personality of the product, putting the stress on the ability of the product to provide its consumer with an improved ability to concentrate, an increased alertness and an enhanced reaction time (www. red-eye. com. au/classic. html, 03/10/2004). (Roman G. Hiebing Jr. and Scott W. Cooper, The successful marketing plan, McGraw-Hill, 2003). Conclusion Naming and packaging are critical marketing tools for the company; they assist its brand differentiation in the customer’s mind and product identification in the shelves of the store. Even if these two elements are even more important for products as energy drinks, that have quite generic core attributes (their composition is almost similar) and that cannot differentiate their offer using the augmented level of the product, we discovered through our research that a brand mustn’t limit its marketing mix tactic to its product features (naming and packaging). The three other P’s areas (Price, Place, and Promotion) are critical tools to strengthen the differentiation of its offer. The leading brands demonstrate it by supporting their product with heavy advertising campaigns and diverse promotional actions, as they proved to be essential to ensure their brand equity (sponsoring, sample distribution, co-branding, commercials, ads in various medias†¦ ). The study of the energy drinks market also showed us how the strategies linked to the issues of naming and packaging can evolve as the industry changes. Indeed, we discovered how these two aspects of the â€Å"actual product† could be used as way to assimilate the brand to a particular type of product, as well as a differentiation feature. In fact, the energy drinks market demonstrated us that the maturity of the industry influences greatly the challenges implied by the choice of a name or a package. Indeed, all the companies which launched their energy drink at the introduction of the product in the soft drink industry, chose to follow the first entrant (Red Bull) on its package choice, in order to clearly indicate to the customer the kind of product provided. As the industry matured, and the competition increased, offering a packaging that actually differentiated the brand seemed to be the only way to gain customer loyalty and to survive in this mature market. Sources : Literature:  · Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000  · Roman G. Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003  · McCarthy, Perreault & Quester; Basic Marketing, a managerial approach; 1997 Websites:  · Market Trends category analysis, June 2004, www.PreparedFoods. com  · www. learnmarketing. net/product. htm  · www. education. theage. com. au/pagedetail. asp? intpageid=69&strsection=students&intsectionid=0  · www. fortunecity. com/tinpan/clapton/843/energydrinks. html#eda  · Euromonitor International, Soft Drinks in Australia, August 2004, www. euromonitor. com. library. vu. edu. au/gmid/default. asp  · Euromonitor International Global Packaging: Key Trends, August 2004, www. euromonitor. com. library. vu. edu. au/gmid/default. asp  · www. alumni. berkeley.edu/Students/Group_Resource_Guide/Marketing_Tips_for_CAA_Student_Leaders. asp  · www. frucor. com/brands/aus/new_age. html  · www. cokebuddy. com. au/about_brands. asp  · www. snopes. com/toxins/redbull. htm  · www. red-eye. com. au/classic. html Articles :  · Glenn Martin, general manager, Frucor Beverages, The Age, May 2, 2001  · Spark Gale, â€Å"Sports and energy drink market expanding faster than other soft drinks†, Food & Drink Weekly, February 23, 2004  · Marsha Barancik, â€Å"Bottle cans’ have magnetic attraction†, Beverage Industry, March 2003.

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