Advances in Biomedicine and the Possibility of the Manipulation of Assignment

Advances in Biomedicine and the Possibility of the Manipulation of Human Existence - Assignment Example Furthermore, this means that health-related matters are routinely objectified as technical problems to be solved through the application of technology and the conduct of science and are therefore decontextualized into practice (Lock & Nguyen 2). It is apparent that the innovations in biomedical technology bring forth benefits that could aid in the improvement of the health and the life of human beings; however, it is a fact that human existence and life itself is threatened by the increased risk and probability of technological intervention and manipulation. Others may term it as the science of â€Å"playing god†. This paper deems to explore the implications of Biomedical Technology as guided by the work of Ray Kurzweil entitled, The Singularity is near: when Humans Transcend Biology and the Message of Pope John Paul II to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Evolution highlighting that Truth Cannot Contradict Truth. The Singularity is near in the lieu of the Message to the P ontifical Academy of Sciences Evolution has been an interesting subject matter in the field of science particularly Biomedical Technology. Kurzweil envisioned in his work entitled, The Singularity is near: when Humans Transcend Biology, a new evolutionary process that aims to integrate man and machine (1-652). It is highlighted that the knowledge and skills entrenched in our brains will be merged with the immeasurably superior capacity, speed and knowledge-sharing capability of human innovations (Kurzweil 1-652). The age of the Internet was also predicted in the aforementioned work; he even mentioned that technological innovations have emerged at accelerating rates in recent years, while information technology capabilities such as cost performance, speed, capacity and bandwidth grow at exponential rates faster than the forecast of Moore’s Law (Kurzweil 1-652). It is obvious that one of the principal goals of brain science is to produce an artificial brain. This was very contr oversial for many groups advocating human ethics. The author of this paper believes that such innovation could lead to tremendous and a variety of debates. It may be deemed that this is such advancement on the part of science but nonetheless, the values imbibed in the nature of human beings must be taken into consideration. It is necessary for people to give due respect to what the Divine Providence has created and provided. As what Pope John Paul II stressed in his message to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on evolution that truth cannot contradict truth (Pope John Paul II). Conversely, it was mentioned by Pope John Paul II that the reflection on science of the third millennium commenced with the identification of the principal problems brought about by science and which affect humanity’s future though the solutions to such predicaments were also pointed out which will be beneficial to the whole human community in the aspects of life and health (Pope John Paul II). For ex ample, in the book entitled, Stem Cell Wars: inside stories from the Frontlines written by Herold and Daley (1-256) which tackled fascinating stories of stem cell research and its benefits on mankind. It divulged how stem cell research had benefited humans in terms of developing cures to certain diseases such as muscular dystrophy (Herold and Daley 1-256). In another book entitled, The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine written by Collins (1-368) that explores the possibility of completing the interpretation of the

A Victim's Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Victim's Perspective - Essay Example Despite of this reduction, violent crimes in the country are known to be around 1.2 million (Frieden 2012). These statistics indicate the fact that more than millions of lives and more than millions of families are subjected to violent crimes annually. Despite of the reduction, it needs to be understood that the lives of the victims of the crimes become scarred every year. I have been through one such experience of a violent crime when I recently witnessed the murder of my aunt who stays in my neighbourhood. This event has left a great impact on me and has hampered my day to day activities. It has crippled me physically, emotionally as well as financially. I had read about the fact that crime victims suffer from many after effects following the violent crimes. These include post traumatic stress disorder, delusions and constant fear. Furthermore, the victims are repeatedly reminded of the crime by the interrogators who question with regard to the crime very often. Anxiety and stress are also known to affect these victims (Cox 2006). I have been suffering from all of these problems ever since the crime. I cannot sleep well and there is always a constant fear of being interrogated and reminded of the happenings on that day. I was very unlucky to have witnessed the murder of my aunt by the man who loved her and had promised that he would marry her. He is still on the run and I feel helpless. There are many challenges that I have to overcome before I can return my life back to normal. But the biggest challenge that needs to be tackled is to overcome the fear that I face when I want to go outside. It has been very difficult for me to step out of the house as there is a constant fear that I might be attacked by the murderer or that I might come across a similar incident again. I would have to gather my strength again and be ready to take all the support that my family and friends are offering me. To overcome this difficulty, I would also need to cooperate in a better way with the interrogators so that they can find the criminal and out him behind the bars. This will not be easy as it will require great willpower from my side. Difficulties have been my way following this incident. I have to answer the queries and questions not only of the investigators but also of the people living around me. This serves to remind me of the incident again and again. I am emotionally unstable as I cannot interact with anyone and my social life has totally ended. Furthermore, I have started visiting a psychiatrist as I am unable to sleep at night. I have not been going to my college as I do not think I will be able to face all the people and talk to anyone. My part time job has also been affected. Thus I have been drained financially as well. The stress and anxiety does not let me concentrate. I have assessed the fact that I need to come to terms with the event that has happened and face it rather than hide from it. I have tried searching and I have seen man y vic tims who have been suffering since years. I also watched the documentary â€Å"Beyond Conviction† by Rachel Libert (2006) to understand the feelings and emotions of other people suffering like me. The stories of Angela whose father was murdered and of Lyndy who was raped seem very similar to the situation that I

One child policy of China Essay Example for Free

One child policy of China Essay The issue of population growth has been one of the major problems faced by world over past century. The exponential population growth, popularly termed as population explosion, has led to unprecedented rise in human population, which has numerically grown by over 4 billion to 6 billion in the last hundred years itself. This enormous growth in human numbers has spawned social and economical problems of severe complexity, especially considering the fact that most of this growth has happened in economically underdeveloped countries of Asian and African region, particularly India and China, both of whom have seen their population growing past a billion mark. Supporting such huge number of ever rising population is indeed a challenge for any country, as natural resources threaten to run short, and economic privations become a general norm. Under such circumstances, population control becomes a necessary government objective, the validity, importance and meaningfulness of which are undisputable from environmental, economic and social angels. However, population control policies have always generated controversies from humanitarian and ethical viewpoints, the most noted example of them being the population control policy of People’s Republic of China that restricts couples to having just one child (Xue, 1996). Although highly effective under China’s strict state policies, it is indeed an extreme measure that has invited criticism from all over the world because for its forceful rather than coercive implications. Issues involved As stated earlier, unchecked rise in population is indeed an invitation to complex and unmanageable problems that no nation state can handle irrespective of its size and resources. However, the issues involved with China’s one child policy are very complicated and affect some basic concepts of right to life and existence China launched its aggressive family planning scheme in mid of 1970s when suddenly its policy makers realized the dangers of a rapidly growing population that had reached one billion mark by 1980s (Smith, 1991). In the previous two decades the government had failed to take in cognizance of growing population due to stability and improvement economic conditions, availability of medical facilities, medicines and drop in child mortality. More ominously, as demographers realized, the rapid growth of population in previous decades implied that by 1980 more than half the population was approaching marriage age, which meant that even under decreasing fertility rate, the Chinese population would reach 1. 4 billion by end of the century (White, 2003). This realization launched Chinese policy makers and government in a frenetic attempt to implement some of the strictest population measures that included a one-child policy per couple to contain the population under 1. 2 billion (Richards, 1996). This draconian measure was explained and justified from various social and economical angels, one of which was arguable shortage of cultivable land (Smith, 1991). As government argued, the cultivable land per person had come down from . 20 hectare in 1949 to . 10 hectare in 1980 due to almost doubling of population in the same period and hence the ensuing crisis demanded critical measures (ibid). Moreover the state infrastructure and its capacity to support such large population, provide adequate medical and educational facilities and ensure jobs for it would become increasingly difficult. As claimed by supporters of the one child policy, the policy was merely concerned with providing economic incentives and preferential treatment to families with one child such as paid pregnancy leave, lucrative salary bonus, and state sponsored or free educational and medical facilities, facilities that families with more than one child lack. Further disincentives created for larger families include financial penalty on birth of second and third child that are respectively 20 and 30 percent of the annual income of the family (Richards, 1996). The policy was tooth and nail opposed by a large proportion of Chinese people, and especially by those in rural areas but government decided to continue with it seeing its possible benefit in controlling the population question. One of the main problems disturbing Chinese leaders was China’s low GNP and very simple calculations showed them that to increase GNP in the longer run, they required to reduce or contain the number of people, which was the easy way against the hard route that involved working towards increasing the economic output (Feng, 1996). Containing population growth was presented was the single panacea that could increase per capita income, help achieve modernization plans, give impetus to the economy and solve the problem of additional resource requirements that rising population presented (Feng, 1996). The one child policy is considered officially successful and instrumental in significantly reducing birth rates, fertility rates, growth rates and death rates and its expected that soon the population would began to decline at a faster rate as children born after the implementation of the policy would have less desire to have a family of more than one child (Richards). Also to wash off its hand from the negative effect of the policy, such as increased number of female feticide, and suicides among Chinese females, the government insistently attributed them to backward and obsolete Chinese culture and customs. Conclusion Despite the claims of the supporters and the official government, it cannot be denied that the very concept of the one child policy involves flagrant violations of the rights to live, procreate and live socially. In its zeal to implement the policy, Chinese authorities permitted such extreme measures as forcible abortions and sterilization, which were openly illegal in every humanitarian statute (Xue and Xiaokang, 1996). By making childbearing an illegal act, the government forcibly tried to change the demographic dynamics with dangerous social consequences that threatens to create a mundane and homogenous society bereft of any relation except parents and in-laws. Also the one child policy triggered a large number of female-infanticide that threatened to dangerously alter male-female sex ratio in China. Of course the most cruel fate was reserved for those who were born outside this policy, that is the second and third child of the family who were denied any state support and facility in a perfectly state controlled society. In the wake of an economically prospering and comparatively stabilized China, it’s the call of the hour for Chinese government to finally abandon and bury its anti-people one child policy and work on creation of a more informed society.

The Oppression of Poland During Joseph Conrad’s Childhood Essay

The Oppression of Poland During Joseph Conrad’s Childhood Joseph Conrad was born in 1857 as JÃ ³zef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in south-eastern Poland. He grew up during one of Poland’s most difficult times. The Polish people were oppressed by three imperial rulers. Joseph Conrad’s parents died as a result of the oppression imposed on the Polish population. Conrad ultimately left Poland mainly due to its political situation. In 1795 Austria, Prussia, and Russia partitioned Poland for the third and last time. What was once a great empire stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea ceased to exist up until the end of World War I. Though all three countries were oppressive, none was more so than Russia. It occupied the most territory and most resistance occurred against Russian rule. The Polish people never ceased to resist the three imperialist rulers. When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1806, Poles lead the charge hoping the campaign would result in a free Poland. Unfortunately Napoleon’s campaign failed and the Poles that fought alongside of him either had to flee to Western Europe or face hard labor in Russia. Poles once again tried to free themselves in 1831 when they launched the ‘November Insurrection.’ After fighting for over a year, the Polish rebel army was forced to capitulate. Russia immediately punished the Polish population. All schools were closed down and over 40,00 0 families were sent to Siberia. Even though the Polish people faced harsh repression, their patriotic spirit never died. In the second half of the nineteenth century, after almost 30 years of general calm, the Polish people once again began protesting Russian rule. Meetings were held and discussions raged about reforms and emancipatio... ...live. They made every effort to continue their traditions at high risks. At the end of World War I, after 123 years of occupation, Poland finally regained its independence. Works Cited http://www.top-biography.com/9211-Joseph%20Conrad/life.asp Brief biography of Joseph Conrad http://www.citinet.net/ak/polska_16_f2.html Contains information about Poland after the third and final partition of 1795. It is mostly about the ‘November Insurrection’ of 1831 and the uprising in 1863 and their repercussions. http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~koby/political/chapter_19/19_1863up.html Describes the events that led up to the uprising of 1863. This website also gives specifics about the uprising itself and life during and after it. http://artyzm.com/g/gierymski/e_powstanie.htm Displays paintings of the uprising.

Moods of Norway

Moods of Norway case indicated many interesting issues relating to brand management study. In this paper, first, we outline two key challenges that Moods are facing, then analyze the brand based on CBBE pyramid, and finally suggest two marketing programs that the company should invest. 1. Key challenges The first challenge facing Moods of Norway is expanding the business to U. S. This is always a profitable but risky opportunity for every firm, including Moods of Norway. The company with â€Å"free styling† wants to â€Å"just go to the U. S. and see what happens† (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 15). However, U.S. market – one of the most difficult markets in the world – has many implicit challenges for Moods. Firstly, their brand is unknown in United States. Therefore, they need to base on the local sales agents and distributors in the U. S. Although they had a five-year contract with CAA – the leading talent agency – their profit will depend on the CAA’s success that is affected by the fit between the two companies. For example, CAA has not many experiences with distributing fashion products. Secondly, the U. S. customers’ preferences in color, fabric, size, etc. are different from Norwegian customers.Moods’ products must be adaptable. This means they might need other suppliers and manufacturers to change their products. Finally, the most difficult question for the company is how they can bring their company’s concept to America and convince U. S. customers to buy their products based on that concept. Because they combine Norwegian nature and ordinary stories into their design that makes their product be unique and succeed in Norway, hence it is not easy to translate it for the customers outside the country. Even if they can illustrate their stories clearly, non-Nordic customers may not be interested in those products.As Dahlkvist expressed, they â€Å"should do the design in th e U. S. , to really get a feel for what moves around in that country and how to do it† (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 15) but observable risks will prevent them from doing it. The second key challenge that Moods should consider is expanding the women’s clothing line, which is also a great opportunity. Men’s clothing accounted for 70% of Moods sales while women shop more in general. Thus, there is an opportunity for growth here. However, Moods should seriously consider the challenge they will face. First, women’s clothing market is more competitive than men’s clothing market.The market is very fragmented with many competitors representing different styles in all price segments. Many brands have been around for a long time and have gained customers’ loyalty. It will be difficult for Moods to enter the market in any segment. Second, women’s clothing styles are more complicated with different types of clothes. While men’ s clothes are limited with some popular types such as suits, shirts, and T-shirts, women’s clothes have a wide range of types from dresses, blouses to skirts, cardigans, etc. To generate sales, the designs must be much diversified and fast changeable.Thus, some Moods adjustments are necessary, and Moods may face a dilemma of how to keep the moods unique while diversifying the styles to generate revenue. Third, designing women’s clothes requires different techniques. The two main designers of Moods specialized in designing men’s clothes, which is simpler than women’s. Hence, the company needs to hire extra experienced designers for women’s line. However, even with extra designers, keeping the look and lifestyle image of women’s clothing in line with the rest of the company message is still a challenge for Moods. 2. Moods of Norway brand audit Brand SalienceBrand salience measures awareness of the brand (Keller 2008. 60). Although Moodsâ€℠¢ management team is interested in expanding as a lifestyle brand, people still think of as it a fashion brand, which mainly focuses on male clothing. However, the brand reached a very high level of awareness in Norway where 85% of its sales happened. One of the evidences is that when customers and partner companies sought â€Å"Norwegian Design,† they sought Moods (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 5). â€Å"Moods of Norway† is a fashion leader in the country that even Norwegian Police Department approached Moods to design their uniforms.This high level of awareness partly thanks to the little competition Moods has to face in Norway. Moods also used some other effective ways to raise the awareness. One of those is the fashion show, which was the biggest fashion event in Norway. Other contributors to the high awareness are the pink boat and the image of three owners as a rock band. Brand performance The product itself is at the heart of brand equity and brand p erformance describes how well the product or service meets customers’ functional needs (Keller 2008, 64). Following is Moods’ brand performance measured by some attributes and benefits.Regarding primary ingredients and supplementary features, Moods is doing well with choosing fabric from partners in Paris and Istanbul, who provide the best materials for Moods’ collections based on the requirements of quality, color and even style of button. This leads to the good quality of final products, which help Moods sell them at medium-plus price range. In term of style and design, Moods’ products are unique and favorable in male clothing market because it reflects not only the moods of fun and happiness but also the style of cultural tales that Norwegians love.However, Moods still need to improve designs in female market, which is still the weak point of the company. In addition, service is also an important part contributing positively to performance of brand. It seems that Moods has not pay much attention to customer service. This could be a shortcoming point for Moods to perform well in the highly competitive market like US market. Brand Imagery Brand imagery links mainly to four intangible aspects (Keller 2008, 65). First, in term of user profiles, some 70% of Moods’ customers are male. While company is interested in expanding the age range, the target customers are at age of 18 – 35.However, Moods is facing a dilemma that â€Å"a balance needed to be maintained between broadening their target group and remaining a â€Å"cool† brand (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 13). Second, regarding purchase and usage situations, Moods’ products are nearly limited with T-shirts and suits but cover a wide range of situations that people can wear. The situations are suggested by the company’s three original clothing lines, which are â€Å"cocktails,† â€Å"street† and â€Å"casual. † M oreover, the designers also make effort of generating new ideas by imagining scenarios requiring special clothes.Third, Moods brand has a favorable personality that is cool, fun, and happy. This also creates values for customers that they have the feeling of connecting to their clothes in each situation. Finally, Moods of Norway does very well in using history, heritage to create the uniqueness for their products. Moods’ clothing lines tell their â€Å"authentic, true and real† story of Norwegians heritage. The story layers have great value in getting customers to spend time thinking about Moods’ products, which is good for remembering the brand (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 3).Although this concept is highly successful in Norway, it is very difficult to apply to other markets. This requires Moods to develop another â€Å"story† to tell in US market. Brand Judgments Brand Judgments and Brand Feelings are both of brand responses that â€Å"el icit the proper customer responses to this brand identification and brand meaning† (Keller 2008, 60). From the performance and imagery of Moods of Norway, we know partly about the customers’ evaluation of the brand. Following the Possible Measures of Brand Building Blocks that is given by Keller (2008, 75), firstly, Moods bring good value for customers.Indeed, they not only provide the clothing products for customer, but also provide a chance to interact with their clothes by inscribing the lore on its inside. Customers receive more value and feel more satisfied by Moods of Norway’s fun stories. Secondly, in comparison with standardized goods, fashion collections for the winter are not the same for the summer and its change over years continuously. Hence, customers judge the brand based on the success of previous products, other customers and especially in designers’ reputation.By borrowing associations from its high-qualified designers and owners, Moods b ecome trustworthy and credible brand (Keller 2008, 305). People buy their products because they can trust the Moods Boys’ innovativeness and uniqueness. As mentioned in the case: â€Å"When customers and partner companies sought â€Å"Norwegian Design,† they sought Moods,† the brand likability is quite high in Norway. In addition, they always are the leader in domestic market. Hence, Moods actually is the fashion expert in customers’ eyes in Norway. Finally, Moods of Norway is only company that designed the lore into the clothes themselves.Because all these stories are true and authentic, consumer feel the clothes more related to them. When customers love the story, they will also think that the product is relevant to buy. Consequently, Scandinavians buy products of Moods because it is superior compared to others. Brand Feelings Clothing products of Moods bring the warmness to customers by reminding them of old-world, traditional customs, etc. In addition , the clothes combined â€Å"traditional Norwegian style and the modern fashion scene† (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 2), therefore, it is so fun and exciting for customers.For instance, the image of tractor on the suit is so surprising and interesting. Especially, Mood Boys often appear in vivid dresses with the pink fishing boat. The image of the â€Å"boy band† is not only the designers’ image, but also is the brand image. They really inspire customers by fun and crazy feelings. Brand Resonance This is the final step of Keller’s CBBE model that â€Å"focuses upon the ultimate relationship and level of identification that the customer has with the brand† (Keller 2001, 15).Based on the case’s limited information, in our viewpoint, they have many loyal Norwegian customers with high attachment, especially 15-20 year olds who think Moods of Norway is more successful than StatOil [the large Norwegian Oil Company] (Austin, O’D onnell, and Krogh 2009, 8). Because Moods relies on word of mouth to marketing their products, so they should have a great brand community in both online and offline. In addition, to enforce the relationship with customers, Moods must make customers engaged to the brand. They should create more value for frequently customers and satisfy them by organizing some fun activities. . Suggested Marketing Programs Moods of Norway are facing two major problems: promoting Moods brand to American market and developing clothing line for women. Two following brief marketing programs are supposed to solve these problems respectively. Promoting Moods brand to American market Firstly, penetrating American market by indirect exporting is very important for new entrant. Based on limited capacity and resources, they must focus on one or two big cities where is profitable for fashion industries in America (Los Angeles, New York, Chicago or Boston†¦).Now they have one store in Los Angeles but it is not sufficient. They must expand their market share via many distributors and agents. While enhancing the relationship with Creative Artists Agency, they should get bigger distribution to other important stores. Secondly, making the Moods brand different from other fashion products but still understandable is also essential. That means they must not only focus on their uniqueness (adding lore to clothes themselves) but also create more fun and less regional stories about clothes.Thirdly, they have to organize special fashion collections in America as much as possible. They also can use the image of colorful tractor as an association to inspire and make American customers unforgettable. Especially, Moods Boys must appear on American TV, magazines frequently†¦ because their impressive appearance affect directly to Moods brand’s awareness. Using celebrities to endorse Moods clothing also increase the customers’ associations, judgments, and feelings (Keller 2008, 305 ).Finally, based on analyzing American market carefully, their image should be adaptable to fit American style but still homogeneous in all countries. Expanding the women’s clothing line To conquer women’s clothing market, Moods should seriously take some actions. First, Moods should improve their products in term of designs so that their products are attractive enough to female customers. Currently, Moods have only two main designers who are specialized in designing men’s clothes while women’s clothes require different kinds of technical design.Hiring Project Manager Helen Marie Rod who had experience with some famous brands is a good step for expanding women’s clothing line. However, to diversify their product, Moods still need to hire extra designers who are experienced in designing for women. Second, for women’s clothes, the company should consider adjusting some personalities to fit female clothing market. They can keep their main moods that are fun and happiness, except â€Å"rock stars† and wild moods that are not considered favorable for majority of women.Third, because fashion shows are the primary marketing activity for the company and the shows are effective, Moods should continue this. However, to promote and increase awareness of the women’s clothing line, Moods should hold a fashion show particularly for women. They should also consider other types of advertising such as Internet or fashion magazines because those sources can easily access potential female customers. Fourth, in term of distribution, in the beginning, Moods can still combine products for male and female in same stores. Nevertheless, in future, they can divide the stores separately.Finally, yet importantly, Moods should consider selling accessories along with women’s clothing line because accessory is a very important part of women’s style. Moods may design their own accessory line or cooperate with other accesso ry brand that fits Moods’ brand personality. To conclude, Moods of Norway has many favorable conditions to succeed in American market and female clothing line. Based on Keller’s CBBE model (2008), we propose two marketing program investments to not only enhance the current brand position but also take advantage of potential opportunities to company’s expansion.By combining traditional style and contemporary tendencies, then applying proper strategies for brand building, Moods of Norway could be high successful in the competitive world of fashion. Appendix ———————– Good quality Nice style Medium-plus price points Mostly for men, 18 – 35 Music and artist style Clothing, Shoes, Eyewear Resonance Loyalty Attachment Feelings Warmness Fun Excitement Imagery Good value Trustworthiness Relevance Superiority Judgments Performance Salience Figure 1: Moods of Norway CBBE Pyramid

Moods of Norway

Moods of Norway case indicated many interesting issues relating to brand management study. In this paper, first, we outline two key challenges that Moods are facing, then analyze the brand based on CBBE pyramid, and finally suggest two marketing programs that the company should invest. 1. Key challenges The first challenge facing Moods of Norway is expanding the business to U. S. This is always a profitable but risky opportunity for every firm, including Moods of Norway. The company with â€Å"free styling† wants to â€Å"just go to the U. S. and see what happens† (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 15). However, U.S. market – one of the most difficult markets in the world – has many implicit challenges for Moods. Firstly, their brand is unknown in United States. Therefore, they need to base on the local sales agents and distributors in the U. S. Although they had a five-year contract with CAA – the leading talent agency – their profit will depend on the CAA’s success that is affected by the fit between the two companies. For example, CAA has not many experiences with distributing fashion products. Secondly, the U. S. customers’ preferences in color, fabric, size, etc. are different from Norwegian customers.Moods’ products must be adaptable. This means they might need other suppliers and manufacturers to change their products. Finally, the most difficult question for the company is how they can bring their company’s concept to America and convince U. S. customers to buy their products based on that concept. Because they combine Norwegian nature and ordinary stories into their design that makes their product be unique and succeed in Norway, hence it is not easy to translate it for the customers outside the country. Even if they can illustrate their stories clearly, non-Nordic customers may not be interested in those products.As Dahlkvist expressed, they â€Å"should do the design in th e U. S. , to really get a feel for what moves around in that country and how to do it† (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 15) but observable risks will prevent them from doing it. The second key challenge that Moods should consider is expanding the women’s clothing line, which is also a great opportunity. Men’s clothing accounted for 70% of Moods sales while women shop more in general. Thus, there is an opportunity for growth here. However, Moods should seriously consider the challenge they will face. First, women’s clothing market is more competitive than men’s clothing market.The market is very fragmented with many competitors representing different styles in all price segments. Many brands have been around for a long time and have gained customers’ loyalty. It will be difficult for Moods to enter the market in any segment. Second, women’s clothing styles are more complicated with different types of clothes. While men’ s clothes are limited with some popular types such as suits, shirts, and T-shirts, women’s clothes have a wide range of types from dresses, blouses to skirts, cardigans, etc. To generate sales, the designs must be much diversified and fast changeable.Thus, some Moods adjustments are necessary, and Moods may face a dilemma of how to keep the moods unique while diversifying the styles to generate revenue. Third, designing women’s clothes requires different techniques. The two main designers of Moods specialized in designing men’s clothes, which is simpler than women’s. Hence, the company needs to hire extra experienced designers for women’s line. However, even with extra designers, keeping the look and lifestyle image of women’s clothing in line with the rest of the company message is still a challenge for Moods. 2. Moods of Norway brand audit Brand SalienceBrand salience measures awareness of the brand (Keller 2008. 60). Although Moodsâ€℠¢ management team is interested in expanding as a lifestyle brand, people still think of as it a fashion brand, which mainly focuses on male clothing. However, the brand reached a very high level of awareness in Norway where 85% of its sales happened. One of the evidences is that when customers and partner companies sought â€Å"Norwegian Design,† they sought Moods (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 5). â€Å"Moods of Norway† is a fashion leader in the country that even Norwegian Police Department approached Moods to design their uniforms.This high level of awareness partly thanks to the little competition Moods has to face in Norway. Moods also used some other effective ways to raise the awareness. One of those is the fashion show, which was the biggest fashion event in Norway. Other contributors to the high awareness are the pink boat and the image of three owners as a rock band. Brand performance The product itself is at the heart of brand equity and brand p erformance describes how well the product or service meets customers’ functional needs (Keller 2008, 64). Following is Moods’ brand performance measured by some attributes and benefits.Regarding primary ingredients and supplementary features, Moods is doing well with choosing fabric from partners in Paris and Istanbul, who provide the best materials for Moods’ collections based on the requirements of quality, color and even style of button. This leads to the good quality of final products, which help Moods sell them at medium-plus price range. In term of style and design, Moods’ products are unique and favorable in male clothing market because it reflects not only the moods of fun and happiness but also the style of cultural tales that Norwegians love.However, Moods still need to improve designs in female market, which is still the weak point of the company. In addition, service is also an important part contributing positively to performance of brand. It seems that Moods has not pay much attention to customer service. This could be a shortcoming point for Moods to perform well in the highly competitive market like US market. Brand Imagery Brand imagery links mainly to four intangible aspects (Keller 2008, 65). First, in term of user profiles, some 70% of Moods’ customers are male. While company is interested in expanding the age range, the target customers are at age of 18 – 35.However, Moods is facing a dilemma that â€Å"a balance needed to be maintained between broadening their target group and remaining a â€Å"cool† brand (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 13). Second, regarding purchase and usage situations, Moods’ products are nearly limited with T-shirts and suits but cover a wide range of situations that people can wear. The situations are suggested by the company’s three original clothing lines, which are â€Å"cocktails,† â€Å"street† and â€Å"casual. † M oreover, the designers also make effort of generating new ideas by imagining scenarios requiring special clothes.Third, Moods brand has a favorable personality that is cool, fun, and happy. This also creates values for customers that they have the feeling of connecting to their clothes in each situation. Finally, Moods of Norway does very well in using history, heritage to create the uniqueness for their products. Moods’ clothing lines tell their â€Å"authentic, true and real† story of Norwegians heritage. The story layers have great value in getting customers to spend time thinking about Moods’ products, which is good for remembering the brand (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 3).Although this concept is highly successful in Norway, it is very difficult to apply to other markets. This requires Moods to develop another â€Å"story† to tell in US market. Brand Judgments Brand Judgments and Brand Feelings are both of brand responses that â€Å"el icit the proper customer responses to this brand identification and brand meaning† (Keller 2008, 60). From the performance and imagery of Moods of Norway, we know partly about the customers’ evaluation of the brand. Following the Possible Measures of Brand Building Blocks that is given by Keller (2008, 75), firstly, Moods bring good value for customers.Indeed, they not only provide the clothing products for customer, but also provide a chance to interact with their clothes by inscribing the lore on its inside. Customers receive more value and feel more satisfied by Moods of Norway’s fun stories. Secondly, in comparison with standardized goods, fashion collections for the winter are not the same for the summer and its change over years continuously. Hence, customers judge the brand based on the success of previous products, other customers and especially in designers’ reputation.By borrowing associations from its high-qualified designers and owners, Moods b ecome trustworthy and credible brand (Keller 2008, 305). People buy their products because they can trust the Moods Boys’ innovativeness and uniqueness. As mentioned in the case: â€Å"When customers and partner companies sought â€Å"Norwegian Design,† they sought Moods,† the brand likability is quite high in Norway. In addition, they always are the leader in domestic market. Hence, Moods actually is the fashion expert in customers’ eyes in Norway. Finally, Moods of Norway is only company that designed the lore into the clothes themselves.Because all these stories are true and authentic, consumer feel the clothes more related to them. When customers love the story, they will also think that the product is relevant to buy. Consequently, Scandinavians buy products of Moods because it is superior compared to others. Brand Feelings Clothing products of Moods bring the warmness to customers by reminding them of old-world, traditional customs, etc. In addition , the clothes combined â€Å"traditional Norwegian style and the modern fashion scene† (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 2), therefore, it is so fun and exciting for customers.For instance, the image of tractor on the suit is so surprising and interesting. Especially, Mood Boys often appear in vivid dresses with the pink fishing boat. The image of the â€Å"boy band† is not only the designers’ image, but also is the brand image. They really inspire customers by fun and crazy feelings. Brand Resonance This is the final step of Keller’s CBBE model that â€Å"focuses upon the ultimate relationship and level of identification that the customer has with the brand† (Keller 2001, 15).Based on the case’s limited information, in our viewpoint, they have many loyal Norwegian customers with high attachment, especially 15-20 year olds who think Moods of Norway is more successful than StatOil [the large Norwegian Oil Company] (Austin, O’D onnell, and Krogh 2009, 8). Because Moods relies on word of mouth to marketing their products, so they should have a great brand community in both online and offline. In addition, to enforce the relationship with customers, Moods must make customers engaged to the brand. They should create more value for frequently customers and satisfy them by organizing some fun activities. . Suggested Marketing Programs Moods of Norway are facing two major problems: promoting Moods brand to American market and developing clothing line for women. Two following brief marketing programs are supposed to solve these problems respectively. Promoting Moods brand to American market Firstly, penetrating American market by indirect exporting is very important for new entrant. Based on limited capacity and resources, they must focus on one or two big cities where is profitable for fashion industries in America (Los Angeles, New York, Chicago or Boston†¦).Now they have one store in Los Angeles but it is not sufficient. They must expand their market share via many distributors and agents. While enhancing the relationship with Creative Artists Agency, they should get bigger distribution to other important stores. Secondly, making the Moods brand different from other fashion products but still understandable is also essential. That means they must not only focus on their uniqueness (adding lore to clothes themselves) but also create more fun and less regional stories about clothes.Thirdly, they have to organize special fashion collections in America as much as possible. They also can use the image of colorful tractor as an association to inspire and make American customers unforgettable. Especially, Moods Boys must appear on American TV, magazines frequently†¦ because their impressive appearance affect directly to Moods brand’s awareness. Using celebrities to endorse Moods clothing also increase the customers’ associations, judgments, and feelings (Keller 2008, 305 ).Finally, based on analyzing American market carefully, their image should be adaptable to fit American style but still homogeneous in all countries. Expanding the women’s clothing line To conquer women’s clothing market, Moods should seriously take some actions. First, Moods should improve their products in term of designs so that their products are attractive enough to female customers. Currently, Moods have only two main designers who are specialized in designing men’s clothes while women’s clothes require different kinds of technical design.Hiring Project Manager Helen Marie Rod who had experience with some famous brands is a good step for expanding women’s clothing line. However, to diversify their product, Moods still need to hire extra designers who are experienced in designing for women. Second, for women’s clothes, the company should consider adjusting some personalities to fit female clothing market. They can keep their main moods that are fun and happiness, except â€Å"rock stars† and wild moods that are not considered favorable for majority of women.Third, because fashion shows are the primary marketing activity for the company and the shows are effective, Moods should continue this. However, to promote and increase awareness of the women’s clothing line, Moods should hold a fashion show particularly for women. They should also consider other types of advertising such as Internet or fashion magazines because those sources can easily access potential female customers. Fourth, in term of distribution, in the beginning, Moods can still combine products for male and female in same stores. Nevertheless, in future, they can divide the stores separately.Finally, yet importantly, Moods should consider selling accessories along with women’s clothing line because accessory is a very important part of women’s style. Moods may design their own accessory line or cooperate with other accesso ry brand that fits Moods’ brand personality. To conclude, Moods of Norway has many favorable conditions to succeed in American market and female clothing line. Based on Keller’s CBBE model (2008), we propose two marketing program investments to not only enhance the current brand position but also take advantage of potential opportunities to company’s expansion.By combining traditional style and contemporary tendencies, then applying proper strategies for brand building, Moods of Norway could be high successful in the competitive world of fashion. Appendix ———————– Good quality Nice style Medium-plus price points Mostly for men, 18 – 35 Music and artist style Clothing, Shoes, Eyewear Resonance Loyalty Attachment Feelings Warmness Fun Excitement Imagery Good value Trustworthiness Relevance Superiority Judgments Performance Salience Figure 1: Moods of Norway CBBE Pyramid

Moods of Norway

Moods of Norway case indicated many interesting issues relating to brand management study. In this paper, first, we outline two key challenges that Moods are facing, then analyze the brand based on CBBE pyramid, and finally suggest two marketing programs that the company should invest. 1. Key challenges The first challenge facing Moods of Norway is expanding the business to U. S. This is always a profitable but risky opportunity for every firm, including Moods of Norway. The company with â€Å"free styling† wants to â€Å"just go to the U. S. and see what happens† (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 15). However, U.S. market – one of the most difficult markets in the world – has many implicit challenges for Moods. Firstly, their brand is unknown in United States. Therefore, they need to base on the local sales agents and distributors in the U. S. Although they had a five-year contract with CAA – the leading talent agency – their profit will depend on the CAA’s success that is affected by the fit between the two companies. For example, CAA has not many experiences with distributing fashion products. Secondly, the U. S. customers’ preferences in color, fabric, size, etc. are different from Norwegian customers.Moods’ products must be adaptable. This means they might need other suppliers and manufacturers to change their products. Finally, the most difficult question for the company is how they can bring their company’s concept to America and convince U. S. customers to buy their products based on that concept. Because they combine Norwegian nature and ordinary stories into their design that makes their product be unique and succeed in Norway, hence it is not easy to translate it for the customers outside the country. Even if they can illustrate their stories clearly, non-Nordic customers may not be interested in those products.As Dahlkvist expressed, they â€Å"should do the design in th e U. S. , to really get a feel for what moves around in that country and how to do it† (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 15) but observable risks will prevent them from doing it. The second key challenge that Moods should consider is expanding the women’s clothing line, which is also a great opportunity. Men’s clothing accounted for 70% of Moods sales while women shop more in general. Thus, there is an opportunity for growth here. However, Moods should seriously consider the challenge they will face. First, women’s clothing market is more competitive than men’s clothing market.The market is very fragmented with many competitors representing different styles in all price segments. Many brands have been around for a long time and have gained customers’ loyalty. It will be difficult for Moods to enter the market in any segment. Second, women’s clothing styles are more complicated with different types of clothes. While men’ s clothes are limited with some popular types such as suits, shirts, and T-shirts, women’s clothes have a wide range of types from dresses, blouses to skirts, cardigans, etc. To generate sales, the designs must be much diversified and fast changeable.Thus, some Moods adjustments are necessary, and Moods may face a dilemma of how to keep the moods unique while diversifying the styles to generate revenue. Third, designing women’s clothes requires different techniques. The two main designers of Moods specialized in designing men’s clothes, which is simpler than women’s. Hence, the company needs to hire extra experienced designers for women’s line. However, even with extra designers, keeping the look and lifestyle image of women’s clothing in line with the rest of the company message is still a challenge for Moods. 2. Moods of Norway brand audit Brand SalienceBrand salience measures awareness of the brand (Keller 2008. 60). Although Moodsâ€℠¢ management team is interested in expanding as a lifestyle brand, people still think of as it a fashion brand, which mainly focuses on male clothing. However, the brand reached a very high level of awareness in Norway where 85% of its sales happened. One of the evidences is that when customers and partner companies sought â€Å"Norwegian Design,† they sought Moods (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 5). â€Å"Moods of Norway† is a fashion leader in the country that even Norwegian Police Department approached Moods to design their uniforms.This high level of awareness partly thanks to the little competition Moods has to face in Norway. Moods also used some other effective ways to raise the awareness. One of those is the fashion show, which was the biggest fashion event in Norway. Other contributors to the high awareness are the pink boat and the image of three owners as a rock band. Brand performance The product itself is at the heart of brand equity and brand p erformance describes how well the product or service meets customers’ functional needs (Keller 2008, 64). Following is Moods’ brand performance measured by some attributes and benefits.Regarding primary ingredients and supplementary features, Moods is doing well with choosing fabric from partners in Paris and Istanbul, who provide the best materials for Moods’ collections based on the requirements of quality, color and even style of button. This leads to the good quality of final products, which help Moods sell them at medium-plus price range. In term of style and design, Moods’ products are unique and favorable in male clothing market because it reflects not only the moods of fun and happiness but also the style of cultural tales that Norwegians love.However, Moods still need to improve designs in female market, which is still the weak point of the company. In addition, service is also an important part contributing positively to performance of brand. It seems that Moods has not pay much attention to customer service. This could be a shortcoming point for Moods to perform well in the highly competitive market like US market. Brand Imagery Brand imagery links mainly to four intangible aspects (Keller 2008, 65). First, in term of user profiles, some 70% of Moods’ customers are male. While company is interested in expanding the age range, the target customers are at age of 18 – 35.However, Moods is facing a dilemma that â€Å"a balance needed to be maintained between broadening their target group and remaining a â€Å"cool† brand (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 13). Second, regarding purchase and usage situations, Moods’ products are nearly limited with T-shirts and suits but cover a wide range of situations that people can wear. The situations are suggested by the company’s three original clothing lines, which are â€Å"cocktails,† â€Å"street† and â€Å"casual. † M oreover, the designers also make effort of generating new ideas by imagining scenarios requiring special clothes.Third, Moods brand has a favorable personality that is cool, fun, and happy. This also creates values for customers that they have the feeling of connecting to their clothes in each situation. Finally, Moods of Norway does very well in using history, heritage to create the uniqueness for their products. Moods’ clothing lines tell their â€Å"authentic, true and real† story of Norwegians heritage. The story layers have great value in getting customers to spend time thinking about Moods’ products, which is good for remembering the brand (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 3).Although this concept is highly successful in Norway, it is very difficult to apply to other markets. This requires Moods to develop another â€Å"story† to tell in US market. Brand Judgments Brand Judgments and Brand Feelings are both of brand responses that â€Å"el icit the proper customer responses to this brand identification and brand meaning† (Keller 2008, 60). From the performance and imagery of Moods of Norway, we know partly about the customers’ evaluation of the brand. Following the Possible Measures of Brand Building Blocks that is given by Keller (2008, 75), firstly, Moods bring good value for customers.Indeed, they not only provide the clothing products for customer, but also provide a chance to interact with their clothes by inscribing the lore on its inside. Customers receive more value and feel more satisfied by Moods of Norway’s fun stories. Secondly, in comparison with standardized goods, fashion collections for the winter are not the same for the summer and its change over years continuously. Hence, customers judge the brand based on the success of previous products, other customers and especially in designers’ reputation.By borrowing associations from its high-qualified designers and owners, Moods b ecome trustworthy and credible brand (Keller 2008, 305). People buy their products because they can trust the Moods Boys’ innovativeness and uniqueness. As mentioned in the case: â€Å"When customers and partner companies sought â€Å"Norwegian Design,† they sought Moods,† the brand likability is quite high in Norway. In addition, they always are the leader in domestic market. Hence, Moods actually is the fashion expert in customers’ eyes in Norway. Finally, Moods of Norway is only company that designed the lore into the clothes themselves.Because all these stories are true and authentic, consumer feel the clothes more related to them. When customers love the story, they will also think that the product is relevant to buy. Consequently, Scandinavians buy products of Moods because it is superior compared to others. Brand Feelings Clothing products of Moods bring the warmness to customers by reminding them of old-world, traditional customs, etc. In addition , the clothes combined â€Å"traditional Norwegian style and the modern fashion scene† (Austin, O’Donnell, and Krogh 2009, 2), therefore, it is so fun and exciting for customers.For instance, the image of tractor on the suit is so surprising and interesting. Especially, Mood Boys often appear in vivid dresses with the pink fishing boat. The image of the â€Å"boy band† is not only the designers’ image, but also is the brand image. They really inspire customers by fun and crazy feelings. Brand Resonance This is the final step of Keller’s CBBE model that â€Å"focuses upon the ultimate relationship and level of identification that the customer has with the brand† (Keller 2001, 15).Based on the case’s limited information, in our viewpoint, they have many loyal Norwegian customers with high attachment, especially 15-20 year olds who think Moods of Norway is more successful than StatOil [the large Norwegian Oil Company] (Austin, O’D onnell, and Krogh 2009, 8). Because Moods relies on word of mouth to marketing their products, so they should have a great brand community in both online and offline. In addition, to enforce the relationship with customers, Moods must make customers engaged to the brand. They should create more value for frequently customers and satisfy them by organizing some fun activities. . Suggested Marketing Programs Moods of Norway are facing two major problems: promoting Moods brand to American market and developing clothing line for women. Two following brief marketing programs are supposed to solve these problems respectively. Promoting Moods brand to American market Firstly, penetrating American market by indirect exporting is very important for new entrant. Based on limited capacity and resources, they must focus on one or two big cities where is profitable for fashion industries in America (Los Angeles, New York, Chicago or Boston†¦).Now they have one store in Los Angeles but it is not sufficient. They must expand their market share via many distributors and agents. While enhancing the relationship with Creative Artists Agency, they should get bigger distribution to other important stores. Secondly, making the Moods brand different from other fashion products but still understandable is also essential. That means they must not only focus on their uniqueness (adding lore to clothes themselves) but also create more fun and less regional stories about clothes.Thirdly, they have to organize special fashion collections in America as much as possible. They also can use the image of colorful tractor as an association to inspire and make American customers unforgettable. Especially, Moods Boys must appear on American TV, magazines frequently†¦ because their impressive appearance affect directly to Moods brand’s awareness. Using celebrities to endorse Moods clothing also increase the customers’ associations, judgments, and feelings (Keller 2008, 305 ).Finally, based on analyzing American market carefully, their image should be adaptable to fit American style but still homogeneous in all countries. Expanding the women’s clothing line To conquer women’s clothing market, Moods should seriously take some actions. First, Moods should improve their products in term of designs so that their products are attractive enough to female customers. Currently, Moods have only two main designers who are specialized in designing men’s clothes while women’s clothes require different kinds of technical design.Hiring Project Manager Helen Marie Rod who had experience with some famous brands is a good step for expanding women’s clothing line. However, to diversify their product, Moods still need to hire extra designers who are experienced in designing for women. Second, for women’s clothes, the company should consider adjusting some personalities to fit female clothing market. They can keep their main moods that are fun and happiness, except â€Å"rock stars† and wild moods that are not considered favorable for majority of women.Third, because fashion shows are the primary marketing activity for the company and the shows are effective, Moods should continue this. However, to promote and increase awareness of the women’s clothing line, Moods should hold a fashion show particularly for women. They should also consider other types of advertising such as Internet or fashion magazines because those sources can easily access potential female customers. Fourth, in term of distribution, in the beginning, Moods can still combine products for male and female in same stores. Nevertheless, in future, they can divide the stores separately.Finally, yet importantly, Moods should consider selling accessories along with women’s clothing line because accessory is a very important part of women’s style. Moods may design their own accessory line or cooperate with other accesso ry brand that fits Moods’ brand personality. To conclude, Moods of Norway has many favorable conditions to succeed in American market and female clothing line. Based on Keller’s CBBE model (2008), we propose two marketing program investments to not only enhance the current brand position but also take advantage of potential opportunities to company’s expansion.By combining traditional style and contemporary tendencies, then applying proper strategies for brand building, Moods of Norway could be high successful in the competitive world of fashion. Appendix ———————– Good quality Nice style Medium-plus price points Mostly for men, 18 – 35 Music and artist style Clothing, Shoes, Eyewear Resonance Loyalty Attachment Feelings Warmness Fun Excitement Imagery Good value Trustworthiness Relevance Superiority Judgments Performance Salience Figure 1: Moods of Norway CBBE Pyramid