Be Your Own Ideal Reader

Be Your Own Ideal Reader Be Your Own Ideal Reader Be Your Own Ideal Reader By Michael Our article Your Ideal Reader prompted a response from veteran writer Kilburn Hall, who wrote: There is no â€Å"ideal† reader and if you start trying to write for one specific audience, you’re going to tune out others that might actually be interested in reading your book. How can Mr. Hall can say that? Because, like most successful writers, he is his own ideal reader! Instead of trying to please an imaginary member of a writers market (middle-class men aged 35-65), he is trying to please himself. And like every successful writer, he is single-minded about catering to this ideal reader, which happens to be himself. So his manuscripts satisfy editors, and his books satisfy readers. When you look at it that way, though, its not true that writing for one specific audience will tune out others. If you dont decide who youre writing for, even if its yourself, your writing becomes vague, even useless. A finance article for corporate accountants probably wont help college students cut their expenses. I would say this principle applies to novels as well. If you write an adventure novel because you really like adventure novels, the lovers of adventure novels will perk up, and other readers can at least tell theyre reading the real thing. Writing for specific readers, or a specific purpose, doesnt keep other people from reading your piece, just because you werent thinking about them when you wrote it. Yes, youll tune out some readers if your publisher prints on the cover, To Be Read By Middle Class Women Only, which is why your publisher doesnt do that. But your publisher is very interested in making sure middle class women know when a book is targeted for them. The pastels and flowers on the cover might tune out some middle class men. But if you dont know what youre writing about, youll tune everybody out. One group that Mr. Halls message is especially relevant for, however: aspiring writers who are willing to compromise their vision to make a sale. You have to write the book thats in you, not the book that youd like to think was in you. If you pretend to be writing for particular ideal readers just because they buy a lot of books, but your heart isnt in it, the quality of your writing will suffer, and you wont fool your readers either. But if you say, as Herman Melville did, I want to write a novel about a white whale, and I dont care if anybody else reads it, youll do all right. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?Use a Dash for Number RangesStarting a Business Letter with Dear Mr.

Coping With School Violence essays

Coping With School Violence essays Violence is definitely a major problem in our school systems today. Establishing guidelines and observation by educational staff and parents cannot only deter violence but also prevent it. Noticing the early warning signs in a childs behavior is the key to observance. As adults, we have a responsibility to protect our children. Whether the violence has to do with typical shoving, name calling, or weapons; school violence is getting out of control. Consider these grave statistics: 160,000 children nationwide ditch school daily in fear of violence, every day 100,000 take guns to school, and 6,250 teachers are threatened daily and 260 are assaulted, and an estimated 14,000 children are attacked on school property every day Washington Education Association. Preventing Online. (p.2).14 Nov. 2004 When parents begin to worry about their childrens safety at school, it should flag us that there definitely is a problem. School violence is a major issue and begins to grow bigger each year. Each time there is an occurrence, more children are afraid to go to school. Every child has a right to an education in a safe and secure environment, and violence in our nations schools threatens that right. This is a sign that something has to be done. Since the late 90s, shootings and other random acts of violence have grown significantly in our nations schools. On the 2nd day of February 1996, Barry Loukaitis from Moses Lake, Washington opened fire in his Algebra class killing two students and a teacher. There was yet another shooting in the same month that took place on February 19th, 1996 in Bethel, Alaska killing the principal and a student. Three more shootings took place in 1997, including the shooting in Pearl, Mississippi on October ...

Saloon management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Saloon management - Case Study Example Marketing has also been defined as the process of "planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create relationships which satisfy consumer and business objectives" (Boone, 2008, p.7). This recognises marketing as a rather complex series of activities which ultimately decide the entire direction which an organisation takes in order to become profitable or ensure high sales volumes of their products. For example, the saloon will need to consider how best to price the musical events in a way that is competitive with other companies offering nightly musical acts as well as satisfying what consumers would actually be willing to pay for these events. Creating relationships is another key factor of marketing which should be explored, especially for a saloon owner/manager because the business will rely on a great deal of return customers in order to be successful. Therefore, as part of marketing, the business leaders should consider the attitude of staff who tend bar or serve clients as part of the wait staff, as this is part of quality customer service which will determine whether many customers feel that the saloon gives them a good experience. With all of the above having been said, marketing is a complicated process which involves budgeting, people management, having a focus toward satisfying both the business goals and the consumer goals, and also ensuring that a quality product or service is delivered to the best of the business' ability. Marketing considers how best to get the product to the right customer markets and what type of message should be associated with product in order to build awareness and interest; and perhaps even long-term product loyalty if successful. Marketing and the Organisation Marketing within the saloon consists of first understanding what customers in the local region would actually be looking for when deciding on entertainment locations. Murphy's Saloon will provide regular live musical group entertainment, a small-scale restaurant environment with a limited menu, alcoholic beverages, and certain tournaments such as billiards. However, in relation to organisation, the saloon must consider certain budget issues and determine how much money the owner really maintains (capital) prior to laying out a marketing strategy. Costs, from the organisational perspective, are significant considerations as they will decide how much of the business' profit should be applied to promotion and advertisement and how much the saloon owner can actually afford. This is why having a solid marketing strategy is so vital because it recognises projected costs of marketing as well as the actual costs of historical marketing in order to give a better picture of financial capabili ties and how to use different mediums in order to get messages across to potential customers about the saloon and its activities. Two marketing professionals flatly offer that product is "the single

Theories of Public Policy and Administration Coursework

Theories of Public Policy and Administration - Coursework Example The founding and supporting theorists go further to claim that emancipator transformation in societies is important bearing the fact that contemporary social existence fails to address the basic issues needed by the civilized citizens. In a move to simplify this theory, the founding theorists of the Critical Social theory hold that life in the modern world is equally irrational as in the postmodern societies. Even with the expansive and increasing democracies in the modern societies, irrationality continues to persist as individuals and nations annihilate each other. Social condemnations, unhappiness, servitude, corruption that makes some communities continue in poverty as other prospers define just but a few characteristics of the modern world that are under criticism by the founding theorists. As observed By Leonardo (2004), the Critical social theory makes social analysis by focusing on the historical events and their longitudinal changes earmarked and noted by the end of work or transformation. Another theory of Public policy and administration is the Complexity theory developed and investigated by George Cowan of the Santa Fe Institute in I984 and Stephen Wolfram of the Center for Complexity in Illinois in 1986 (Klijn, 2007). According to the proposers of the theory, the whole or entire system is easily managed and very efficient compared to the sum of the parts or work done by individual parts of the system. As the depiction of the theory, complex systems include numerous interacting parts with each behaving in the local setting in accordance with the laws, forces, and rules that override the system. In simple terms, the complex theory holds that systems are self-organizing and produce results that when traced cannot lead to the contribution of each part in ensuring the resultant outcome.

Education Essay Example for Free

Education Essay When we think of someone who is well-educated, we typically think of doctors, lawyers and people in those categories. This does not always means a person has to have a fancy degree or title behind their name to be well-educated. Being well-educated can come in many different ways. So what does it mean to be well-educated? In this essay, I will give some examples as to what I feel well-educated means to me, other than having a degree. As I read thru the article by Alfie Kohn about principle leadership on what does it mean to be well-educated; I became very intrigued. Over my 21 years with the US Army, I have had several officers over me who have their degree but still not educated on life in the military. Yes, they went to college and got educated in the books, but when it comes to military life or combat, it’s still a lot to be educated on. There were times when an officer came to me for advice or what to do because he knew I had many years of experience on the job which therefore made me more educated than he. It’s no different from when I first enlisted in the military; there were people over me I had to go to because I wasn’t educated in the job. In Alfie Kohn’s article, he stated â€Å"my wife has a doctoral degree from Harvard but if you ask her what 8 times 7 is, she would freeze up. † The same concept applies with some officers I worked under in my military career. You could go to them about a lot things, and they could give you answer without thinking but it could be something as simple as putting up a frame tent and they wouldn’t have a clue. But if you take a person that has set up a frame tent several times without any hesitation and not ask the question, â€Å"how? † I consider this person well-educated because he has done this task many times. I do believe a person becomes well-educated with time and practice. Just because you go to college and graduated doesn’t necessarily mean you well-educated on the job. For me, being well-educated can mean different things for different people. For instance, take my dad. My dad is 65 years old and retired from his job for as long as I can remember a mechanic. After his retirement, my dad sits in his chair and watches cartoons, old television shows and westerns and tells me stories of his past. My dad never even finished high school but I do consider him to be a well-educated man because of things he has taught me and the way he raised me. My father never had much growing up, so he had to work in the fields and didn’t have much opportunity for education. He had to start work at a very young age as a mechanic once he turn 16; a job he done till he retired at age of 62. By those many years in one profession; even though he doesn’t have a high school diploma nor college degree, I still consider him a well-educated man from his years of experience. You may be able to walk up to my dad and ask him an algebra problem but if you ask him anything dealing with mechanical on a car, there would be no problem. He didn’t have and school education, but he knew how to count and manage his earnings. He also married my mom when he was 18 and done a really good job of raising three kids. I remember growing up and watching my father work on people car out in the yard and I use to wonder what he was doing? I didn’t have a clue of what he was doing but I know the person he whose car he was working on was very satisfied after he was done. He taught me how to be a man and what mistakes not to make from his mistakes. I know he wasn’t good with math but he could really save money and make his money work for us. One thing I never forgot he said, â€Å"always put some money away from every check for that rainy day. † Once I got my first job, I have always done just that; even still to this day. He also taught me the responsibility to always take care of your family first before anything else. It didn’t quite understand then what he was referring to then, but as I got older, I knew he was just educating me on how to be a man that takes care of his family and home. For that I consider my father to be well-educated. I believe if a person just takes the time and be patient at whatever there pursuing, he or she will become well-educated. For some, going to college and receiving a degree and be very difficult, whether is financial or just didn’t score high enough to get into college. I do believe that if we got to college and graduated with a degree, we can get better jobs and be well-educated in the books but maybe not hands on in the field of their choosing. I know once I graduated from high school, going to college was the last thing on my mind and joining the military was always my desire. I’ve always felt like school just wasn’t for me because I had hard time maintaining grades and learning the books. I have always been more of hands on person more than school. I do consider myself well-educated because I spent 21 years in the military and have accomplished all tasks set before me with high standards. In conclusion, I believe that a person doesn’t necessarily have to go to college and get a degree to be considered well-educated. We as people can determine who we feel is well-educated by knowledge and experience as well as schooling; whether it be at junior college, university or technical college. So what does it mean to be well-educated is a question that can be argued for years to come.

A Conservative Argument against Stem Cell Research Essay -- Stem Cell

A Conservative Argument against Stem Cell Research For the past few years stem cell research has been a widely debated topic; however, former President Clinton?s stance?allowing federal money to be spent on tightly controlled stem cell research?lead to intense debates over federal funding for stem cell research. There are four ways of obtaining stem cells, which are taken from embryos that are approximately one week old. They are using unwanted embryos from fertility clinics, embryos from aborted fetuses, cloned embryos, and embryos created for research purposes. Stem cells can also be taken out of adult bone marrow, but scientists do not think that adult stem cells hold as much medical potential. Conservatives are against federal funding for stem cell research because they feel that by doing such the government would be contributing to ?murder.? This idea is rooted in the religious beliefs, which include the belief that life begins at conception, held by conservatives. However, liberals support federal funding for the resear ch of embryos because they question whether embryos are full human beings and believe the research could expedite potential medical breakthroughs. The editorial, ?Stem Cells and the Logic of the Nazis,? appeared in the September 3, 2000 issue of the Los Angeles Times. Even though the Los Angeles Times, a widely distributed newspaper, has a slightly liberal slant, this editorial displays a strongly conservative view on stem cell research. Thus, the author of the editorial has to be very cautious in the tone that he uses in order not to offend liberal readers. George Weigel, the author of this editorial, picks apart what he sees as the fallacious argument of Michael Kinsley, a well-known libe... ...vative which is supported by the fact that Weigel is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Since, he is writing to an audience with a vast range of political viewpoints and he must be very careful not to be too aggressive in the tone he uses. Weigel begins this article with very basic logic and then progresses to logic by analogy with incorporated pathos. This is a very effective method for him with conservative readers because he is successfully able to transfer emotions about other subjects into emotions about stem cell research. He also uses logic by cause and effect, which in this case is designed to create fear in the reader: fear that history will repeat itself. Source Cited Weigel, George. ?Stem Cells and the Logic of the Nazis.? Editorial. Los Angeles Times. (September 3, 2000): 5. Online. Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe. A Conservative Argument against Stem Cell Research Essay -- Stem Cell A Conservative Argument against Stem Cell Research For the past few years stem cell research has been a widely debated topic; however, former President Clinton?s stance?allowing federal money to be spent on tightly controlled stem cell research?lead to intense debates over federal funding for stem cell research. There are four ways of obtaining stem cells, which are taken from embryos that are approximately one week old. They are using unwanted embryos from fertility clinics, embryos from aborted fetuses, cloned embryos, and embryos created for research purposes. Stem cells can also be taken out of adult bone marrow, but scientists do not think that adult stem cells hold as much medical potential. Conservatives are against federal funding for stem cell research because they feel that by doing such the government would be contributing to ?murder.? This idea is rooted in the religious beliefs, which include the belief that life begins at conception, held by conservatives. However, liberals support federal funding for the resear ch of embryos because they question whether embryos are full human beings and believe the research could expedite potential medical breakthroughs. The editorial, ?Stem Cells and the Logic of the Nazis,? appeared in the September 3, 2000 issue of the Los Angeles Times. Even though the Los Angeles Times, a widely distributed newspaper, has a slightly liberal slant, this editorial displays a strongly conservative view on stem cell research. Thus, the author of the editorial has to be very cautious in the tone that he uses in order not to offend liberal readers. George Weigel, the author of this editorial, picks apart what he sees as the fallacious argument of Michael Kinsley, a well-known libe... ...vative which is supported by the fact that Weigel is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Since, he is writing to an audience with a vast range of political viewpoints and he must be very careful not to be too aggressive in the tone he uses. Weigel begins this article with very basic logic and then progresses to logic by analogy with incorporated pathos. This is a very effective method for him with conservative readers because he is successfully able to transfer emotions about other subjects into emotions about stem cell research. He also uses logic by cause and effect, which in this case is designed to create fear in the reader: fear that history will repeat itself. Source Cited Weigel, George. ?Stem Cells and the Logic of the Nazis.? Editorial. Los Angeles Times. (September 3, 2000): 5. Online. Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe.

Ralph and Jack in “The Lord of the Flies” Essay

Question 1 There are a number of differences and a few similarities between Jack and Ralph. First of all the main similarity is the fact that both boys are roughly the same age. Then furthermore, there is the fact that both pf them are boys. In addition their share the quality of leadership, or in other words both of them have the abilities to be a leader. Then on the other hand there are the numerous differences they in clued; different style of leadership, different believes, maturity, and the symbol that they represent. Jack and Ralph have a very different style of leading. Ralph has a democratic leadership and Jack is more of a dictator figure. Then furthermore, there is the difference of believes, Jack believes that the main objective on the island is to hunt and Ralph believes that it is to be saved. Then there is the maturity, Ralph is more mature that Jack. And the last difference in the symbols that these characters represent, Jack represents the bad side of human nature and Ralph represents the good side or democracy. Question 2 Piggy represents intelligence and thinking. This idea is proven through out the whole book, until his death. Fist of all there is the fact that because of Piggy the boys were able to create the fire. The secondary, idea is the fact that Piggy acts very mature through out the book. He is even more mature than Ralph. Piggy comes up with ideas that not a single other boy had though of. For example there is the fact that Piggy though of the sundial. Furthermore there is the idea that Piggy constantly reminds Ralph of their objective to the island, and which is to be saved.

Reflecting reality in film documentaries Essay

The paradox of reality stems from the fact that it is a combination of abstract and concrete concepts. Abstract since different kinds of reality can be subjectively formed and understood. It cannot be quantified from a single perspective alone. In the meantime, reality is concrete since it is something that each and every individual must readily confront. Reality is part of mankind’s constant struggle. The puzzling complexity that embodies the notion of reality is even more felt on how it is depicted, presented or articulated in other forms. Literature exploits the power of words to explain reality, singers capitalize on music. But the task becomes even harder as for the case of film makers who are expected to utilize both visual and musical elements to represent reality. In film-making, it cannot be denied that the use of different technologies somehow affect how reality is shown. For every filmmaker, there is the challenge to make their works of art convincing—convincing, in the sense that a film seems to devoid of any technological mediation and corporeal interest—and at the same time retaining the subject matter in its pure and organic form. With this pursuit, the emergence of film documentaries came into life. Kibborn once noted that film documentaries aim to offer a â€Å"window of the world (p. 53). † This would not come as a surprise since films, whether they are created for commercial purposes are indeed reflections of a much wider world view. Some filmmakers have fared well, while some, unfortunately, failed. On the other hand, there are others, who have seen film documentaries as a tool to immortalize not only their works but also their names. The film industry owes it all to the Lumiere Brothers. This generation would not experience the beauty and artistry of films if not for these two. Since early film tools and equipments are not that sophisticated during that time, silent films tend to dominate the (big screen). However, what is even more amazing in this context is the manner in which the Lumiere Brothers have managed to present reality with pure visual images alone. Films do communicate and try to reach to their respective audiences. But then again, the absence of sounds seems to make the presentation a bit complicated and difficult. However, if one would stick to the principle in which reality is comprised of events that are experienced in everyday lives, situations that are commonly confronted by ordinary people, it can be fairly said that the Lumiere Brothers stand out. If one has to take a closer look at Arrival of a Train (Nichols 83), such event is commonly encountered. The camera focuses on the train and the people that arrive in the station. A close shot is chosen as if trying to tell every intricate sequence and details of the said event. Unaware and unscripted, the actors are seen in their most natural ways and manners. Such technique is also used in Nanook of the North by Robert Flaherty. However, Flaherty incorporated some texts. Perhaps it can be argued that the Flaherty wants to make the a more vivid and descriptive storytelling approach. There is the intention to relate to the audience what is actually happening rather than to interpret the stories on their own. There is a scene in the film wherein the boat is being covered with a piece of cloth before going down the river. In this case, a close shot was again used, in order to show how intricate the processes are. Yet, during the part wherein the actual trek is going on, a long shot was utilized, thus readily evoking a feeling that the group is on their journey. The characters looked small during that shot and the notion of space and distance were further highlighted. From documenting everyday routines to inserting texts in the film, documentaries are also flavored with the directors’ political perspective as for the case of Dziga Vertov. Hicks even described Vertov as the so-called â€Å"genie† of propaganda films primarily because of its strong Marxist beliefs and visions (8). Taylor described that Vertov depicted reality through the montage technique (74). In this manner, Vertov, since he is also into propaganda reflects life beyond what is â€Å"ordinarily seen,† but rather it is on â€Å"how it should be seen (Taylor 74). † In the film, Three Songs of Lenin, different scenes are patched together. There is the part wherein a group of marching men were shown and followed by a scene that focuses on three statues. Another group of marching people is presented but this time, women, with holding high powered guns are also shown, then it goes back to the three statues. Vertov, as a propagandist who wanted to tell the people what life should be seem to purport that equality between men and women must be readily observed. At the same time, the three statues that are constantly shown is reflective of an ideology or school of thought that must be readily followed and practiced. In the meantime, John Grierson is a film critic who is one of those who laid down the foundations of realism theories in films (Aitken 162). Elis and Mclane noted that Grierson readily influenced many film makers (73). He is also responsible for proliferating such film genre in â€Å"English-speaking nations (Ellis & Mclane 73). Grierson firmly believes that in order to depict reality properly, reality should be free from all forms of manipulation—that it should be captured in its raw form rather than mastered in artificial environments (Aitken 167). Works Cited Aitken, Ian. European Film Theory and Cinema: A Critical Introduction. Scotland: Edinburgh Press, 2001 Ellis, Jack and Betsy McLane. A New History of Film Documentary. London: Continuum International Publishing, 2005 Hicks, Jeremy. Dziga Vertov: Defining Documentary Film. London: I. B Tauris Publishers, 2007 Kibborn, Richard. Staging the Real: Factual TV Programming in the Age of Big Brother. Oxford, UK: Manchester University Press, 2003 Nichols, Bill. Introduction to Documentary. Bloomington:Indiana University Press, 2001 Taylor, Richard. Film Propaganda: Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany. London: I. B Tauris Publishers, 1998

Nike Marketing Strategy Essays

Nike Marketing Strategy Essays Nike Marketing Strategy Essay Nike Marketing Strategy Essay Defining Marketing for the 21st Century Nikes Marketing Strategy Company Summary Founded in 1962, Nike, formerly known as Blue Ribbon Sports, is a major publicly traded sportswear, footwear, and fitness equipment manufacturer based in the US. The companys main focus was to provide high quality running shoes designed by athletes for athletes. By moving the manufacturing abroad, Phillip Knight (Founder), believed that the shoes could be sold at competitive prices (Kotler Keller, 2012, p. 29). In order to market the brand to the public and create a cult like following, Nike igned up a few athletes to endorse the brand and promote it to the masses; this strategy proved to be a success and eventually became the forefront of Nikes marketing strategy. In addition, Nike invested $20 million dollars into the Just Do It campaign, which challenged a generation of athletic enthusiasts to chase their goals. Other marketing strategies such as sponsorship of international sports teams were used to enter markets abroad and strengthen the companys presence at the global level. According to DB site Hoovers, Nike is the worlds #1 shoe and apparel company. Pros of Marketing Strategy Nike has focused on selling a brand that represents success and excellence. In order to convey that to the public the company has combined a marketing strategy that is difficult to beat. Signing up athletes like runner Steve Prefontaine, NBA player Michael Jordan, golf Player Tiger Woods, and Tennis player Maria Sharapova, has helped Nike build a strong reputation of excellence and gain the loyalty of the public. Michael Jordans line of shoes yielded a revenue of $100 million the first year of its debut; presently the line of sneakers remains a success and a must have. Other athletes such as Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, and Lance Armstrong are as important to the brand. These athletes who have transcended their sports, embody success and are considered heroes worldwide. The fact that Nike has been able to sign them up, has gained the company the millions of customers that look up to these athletes. Nike has also used the swoosh logo, which is strategically placed in all Nike products and athletic gear of athletes, thus promoting the brand to the masses at the games or at home watching television. The Just Do It campaign combined with the logo of he company both represent the risk-taking, hard work, and dedication that the company seeks to convey to the public. Whether is the logo on the sneakers, the words Just Do it on a shirt, or the word Nike on a headband, the company has it all covered. All of the products have been color coordinated to provide customers with variation, great design, and excellent performance. It is no wonder the brand is number one in its industry. Nike also has made strategic partnerships with successful companies. Nike teamed up with champion Lance Armstrong not only to sell Nike products but also to help Armstrongs LIVESTRONG campaign. Nike sold over 70 million yellow bracelets, netting $80 million for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. stores running information such as calories burned, mileage, and pace. These partnerships have boosted companys revenues and built the brand into the leading company it has become. Cons of Marketing Strategy While signing up athletes to endorse the brand and promote it to the masses has been one of the key factors of Nikes success, it has also been a cause of detriment in recent years. When an athlete is performing great, everyone falls in love not only with he athlete but with the brand they represent; this is because everyone wants to be a winner, and if the brand represents winning, everyone wants to wear the brand. However, when an athlete becomes infamous for unethical issues, the brand he/she represents takes a hit as well. Take for example the Tiger Woods cheating scandal, which became worldwide news in a matter of minutes. The once beloved golf player became the face of shame, and everyone knew about it. Some companies, which he had deals with, even dropped their contracts, afraid to take a hit for the bad publicity he was attracting. In essence, Nike takes a risk when signing up athletes, which although can be great for long periods of time, can and will eventually fall victim to bad press as they are humans and are prone to mistakes. Working with Lance Armstrong and his foundation yielded not only high revenues, but also gave way to a Nike collection of gear that represented the colors of the foundation; black and yellow. The partnership was successful and gained the company good publicity, as the foundation is known for its charity work with cancer patients. However, when Armstrong admitted using illicit drugs for the Tour de France, the company was forced to distance itself from the athlete and his foundation, as they were both under the microscope of the press. This break caused implications for the company, as many might have not been happy that the company withdrew its support to the Armstrong foundation, while others maybe felt that it was the right move. There is no quantifiable way of knowing what impact the break had on Nikes image in the eyes of the public. Adidas As a Competitor Adidas based in Europe should use the Nike strategy to stay competitive. First, the company should seek to re-invent the image of the company in the publics eyes. By staying versatile and coming up with new designs and colors, Adidas will attract consumers of all ages. Adidas only enjoys 6% of the running shoe market share, while Nike enjoys 54% market share. What this implicates is that Adidas needs to concentrate its efforts and design shoes that are aesthetically pleasing, allow for superior performance, and can be coordinated with other products made by the company. By signing up athletes in the NBA such as Dwight Howard, for example, Adidas has been able to conquer some of the US market. What Adidas should also do is focus on the young athletes ages 13-19. This group of athletes can be easily influenced, are more likely to buy multiple products, and can become long-term loyal customers of the brand if the right design attracts them. In addition, Adidas can form a partnership with Samsung, known as Apples strongest competitor, to manufacture a product that can compete with Nike+. In doing so, Adidas will gain access to Samsungs loyal customer base and stay afloat. Sponsoring charity foundations can also gain the company good publicity if marketed on television. Designing specific products for a specific foundation, like Nike did with the Armstrong foundation, can

Why You Should Give Free Content To Your Readers

Why You Should Give Free Content To Your Readers Give it away give it away give it away give it away now. Give It Away, Red Hot Chili Peppers Thats four suggestions, in a row, to give something away. Surely the Chili Peppers are onto something you can apply to your blog. If you do a search on with the word free, you get a fair number of results. What are our blog giveaways and other free stuff  here at ? WordPress plugins Headline creation tools Email newsletters and courses calendar training An endless number of infographics, e-books, and worksheets Craziness. But not really. Why You Should Give Free Content To Your Readers #blogging via @JulieNeidlingerThe Power Of  Blog Giveaways Free content builds goodwill, and people love to share free stuff with their friends and followers on social media. Free content is portable. E-books and other downloads are portable. Youre not demanding that people stay on your site to read and access them. Regularly creating free content keeps you familiar with the act of being a creator. Jay Baer wrote about giving content away, and one reason he believes it is necessary is startling: Your audience expects it  now. By not having blog giveaways  on your site, you stand out in a negative light. Freebies have become so prevalent that even if it could be proven to be a negative tactic (which it really isnt), youd still have repercussions if you didnt offer something. #Blog giveaways are  so prevalent, its negative  if you dont give something away for free.4 Ways Blog Giveaways Will Help You Grow Your Audience Start by figuring out what your reluctant readers might need to convince themselves to open their wallet and buy. Chris Garrett, over at Copyblogger, discussed what blog giveaways  will do for you: 1. Build your network. Free content, such as an e-book that knocks peoples socks off, is how you build your network. This happens in two ways. First, your blog giveaway is so amazing it starts getting shared. Second, you mention others in your e-book and pretty soon they are sharing it. 2. Prove youre an expert. You can say youre an expert until youre blue in the face, but sooner or later readers are going to expect you to back it up. Your blog posts do most of that work for you, but if you can offer free resources that supplement and expand on those posts (e-books, worksheets, etc.), then youre giving readers the proof they need before trusting you enough to buy what youre selling. 3. Compare yourself to your competition. Ever noticed how blog copy within an industry starts to sound the same? Its easy enough to be inspired (i.e. copy) others in an industry, but if you create unique resources, you set yourself apart from the competition. 4 ways #blog giveaways help grow an  audience: networking, expertise, comparison, doorway.4. Create doorway content. Giving away something of value is how you get your readers hooked. Just as pro guest bloggers advocate doing your best writing for your guest posts instead of saving it for your blog, you need to do the same for your blog giveaways. It has to be addictive. However, if your best content is free, be sure that any content you sell isbetter. In other words, free content cant be junk, but if youre going to create content and put a price on it, it has to be even better. These reasons are particularly important for new bloggers, or bloggers who are still working at getting a serious readership. You have to show that you have the chops. Once you build a name for yourself, you dont have to give as much away. People already know what you offer is going to be good. 4 Types Of Blog Giveaways That Really Work What might you give away?  Knowing what to give away isnt a trick, but the answer is going to vary for each blogger. 1. Something fun that arrives regularly. Theres a reason subscription services have become popular- people are signing up for boxes to be delivered each month with things like makeup, food, or toys for their dog. We like a little surprise to look forward to. You can do the same with your freebies. Designers, consider giving away a monthly printable design pack. I regularly look forward to several designers who send out links to fun print-cut-assemble projects each month. 2. Something that promotes continued education. Marketers, provide training resources that are actually unique and not a rehash of everything out there already. Writers, give your readers writing help- from writing prompts to handy guides for fleshing out a plot. Give away something fun, educational, reputation-building, and ongoing. #blogging3. Something that gives you a reputation. While on a quest to find or create the perfect weekly planner, I stumbled upon the chronodex. Developed by Patrick Ng, the chronodex was his answer to planning. Its become hugely popular among planner fanatics, and a search on the chronodex will reveal people sharing their versions and how they use it. All of this from something Ng gave away for free. That chronodex created a positive reputation for Ng for those obsessed with planning and organization. If he were to begin selling additional expansions to his chronodex, Ive no doubt people would pony up the money. (Ng does not charge. He gives everything away.) 4. Something you can continue to build on. That chronodex? That is a free item that people look forward to every year because it naturally needs to be re-issued annually. If you can create blog giveaways  that you can build on, you create a loyal audience. You can also create items that can be purchased that add onto the original giveaway. Ng continues to provide updates, and he also highlights how other readers have been putting his chronodex system to work in their lives. He is turning something he gave away for free into a movement. How Much Is Too Much? Some are going to argue this point, butits possible that you can give away too much. The reason there is disagreement on giving things away is because some bloggers are approaching it purely from the viewpoint of marketing, while other bloggers are actually trying to make their living off of content. For example, a blogger who is building a reputation for being a marketing expert might think giving everything away is a great idea. They are focused on establishing a reputation, and the more valuable content they have out there, the better. A blogger who is building a business creating knitting patterns and instructions cant exactly do that. They need to sell the patterns. So how many blog giveaways  is too many? When might you pull back on giving away content? 1. You are trying to make a passive income. If, for example, you are hoping to make a passive income in which you will sell documents, content, downloads, etc., you need to be careful that what you give away doesnt have a negative impact on your sales. In this scenario, you ought to be giving away good content that shows you have the skills and potential for even better content, but you should not be giving away your best content. Thats for sales. 2. Youre using exclusivity as a driver for sales. Lets not forget about the power of exclusivity.  Exclusivity makes people want something, and it works in two ways: Not everyone gets in.  We like to know that we are part of a small group that made it in. We like knowing there are people who are not receiving this special knowledge because it makes our chances of success better. Think of a football game. When you are sitting in a crowd, standing up gives you a better, exclusive view. If everyone stands up, though, your view is no longer special. We like being part of what is special and exclusive both for how it makes us feel (important) and because we get a better view (imminent success). This requires a product that is so good, so clever, so desirable, such a status symbol, that people are frantic to get in on it. Everyone gets in, but only through specific channels.  While no one is turned away, they have to meet certain standards or requirements in order to participate. This helps weed out those who arent as dedicated, willing to pay, willing to work, and so on. It makes the group who has succeeded at getting in know that everyone else is as serious as they are. This requires a product that is excellent, people have to be able to find it easily enough, and you have to have a method for keeping control of how it spreads (think DRM). We like #blog giveaways to feel  something  special,  exclusive, and important.If your sales model is exclusive training for members, you simply cant give everything away, even for an email address. 3. You built a strong reputation and want to bank on that. There is room for a shift in how much you give away over time if your goal was to build a reputation before reigning in your freebies. After a while, it might be time to ask a bit more for your free content. After a while, you might take that popular freebie and put a price tag on it. For example, Copybloggers famous blog post on how to write magnetic headlines now redirects not to the easy-access blog post, but to a section of their site in which they encourage you to sign up for their other exclusive content. That content is still free, but by using the same URL and pointing it to a landing page which funneled readers directly into a sales funnel, they made that popular content work a little harder for them.  It isnt as easily accessible. They now want an email address, and they expose you to the sales pitch of a landing page. Give away enough to prove your other content is worth the purchase. Give away enough to give your customer a chance for small success using your program or content so they trust you enough to make a purchase. Dont give away the cow. Give away about 98% of the cow. That remaining 2% is what will get someone to buy. When it comes to content, people will pay for certain things: Exclusivity. People will pay for the opportunity to be part of something others arent. Sounds cruel, but its true. Detailed guidance. People will pay for detailed how-to instruction that helps them get their job done. Nothing vague, please. Be specific, and give people the know-how to achieve a concrete result. Custom content. People will pay for content created specifically for them. Instead of a generic report on how to get more traffic, theyll pay for a custom report that takes their specific situation into account. Great experiences. People will pay for the opportunity to experience something worthwhile.

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