Types of Literary Criticism Free Essays

Types of Literary Criticism Since ancient times, readers have debated and critiqued literature from a variety of perspectives. Some have looked at a story or play from a moral stance, considering how values are represented in a text. Another critic might evaluate a poem in terms of its form. We will write a custom essay sample on Types of Literary Criticism or any similar topic only for you Order Now Recent critics have looked at literature to see what it might be saying about our lives in society, our political or power relations, gender roles, or sexuality. Below I have summarized some types of literary criticism you might consider when reading or writing about literature. If you’re interested in knowing more, see the Purdue Online Writing Lab or OWL or read Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide, by Louis Tyson. The Gavilan library website offers resources for students conducting research on literature. (You will need a Gavilan library card to access this information and can apply for a card in person or online. ) The library also has a helpful website on Academic Research Guidelines that will help you identify legitmate sources for your research and avoid plagiarism. See me, a librarian, and/or a writing assistant at the Gavilan Writing Center for help with writing about literature. * Moral Criticism, Dramatic Construction (~360 BC-present) * Formalism, New Criticism, Neo-Aristotelian Criticism (1930s-present) * Psychoanalytic Criticism, Jungian Criticism(1930s-present) * Marxist Criticism (1930s-present) * Reader-Response Criticism (1960s-present) * Structuralism/Semiotics (1920s-present) * Post-Structuralism/Deconstruction (1966-present) * New Historicism/Cultural Studies (1980s-present) * Post-Colonial Criticism (1990s-present) Feminist Criticism (1960s-present) * Gender/Queer Studies (1970s-present) Sociological criticism: Like historical criticism, sociological criticism examines literature in the cultural, economic, and political context in which it is written or received. This type of criticism may analyze the social content of a literary work—the cultural, economic, or political values a particular text implicitly or explicitly exp resses. Reader-response criticism: This type of criticism attempts to describe what happens in the reader’s mind while interpreting a text. A reader-response critic might also explore the impact of a particular text on his or her own ideas or values. For example, one might reflect on how a particular character seems admirable or unlikable and why. One might reflect on how one’s religious, culture, or social values affect readings. It also overlaps with gender criticism in exploring how men and women may read the same text with different assumptions. Gender criticism: This type of criticism examines how sexual identity influences the creation and reception of literary works. Gender studies originated during the feminist movement, when critics began investigating the unexamined assumptions around gender in a piece of literature. Feminist critics explored how an author’s gender might—consciously or unconsciously—affect his or her writing. These critics may also explore how images of men or women in literature might reflect or reject the social norms around gender in a particular society. Mythological criticism: Mythological critics explore the universal patterns underlying a literary work. This type of criticism draws on the insights of anthropology, history, psychology, and comparative religion to explore how a text uses myths and symbols drawn from different cultures and epochs. A central concept in mythological criticism is the archetype, a symbol, character, situation, or image that evokes a deep universal response. For example, critic Joseph Campbell, in his books like The Hero with a Thousand Faces, demonstrates how similar mythic characters and situations, like the hero’s journey, appear in virtually every culture. Biographical criticism: Biographical critics explore how understanding an author’s life can help readers more thoroughly comprehend the literary work. Note: biographical critics are not concerned with simply describing the author’s life but instead with interpreting the literary work using the insights provided by knowledge of the author’s life. New Historicism: New historicist critics look at the impact of the politics, ideologies, and social customs of the author’s world on the themes, images, and characterizations of a text. This type of critic considers the historical events or conditions during which the work was written. Psychoanalytic criticism: This type of criticism views the themes, conflicts, and characterizations of a work primarily as a reflection of the needs, emotions, states of mind, or subconscious desires of the author. Formalist criticism: Formalist critics look closely at the work itself, analyzing the various elements of the work as a way of explicating or interpreting a text. How to cite Types of Literary Criticism, Papers

Lady Windermeres fan Monologue Essay Example For Students

Lady Windermeres fan Monologue Essay A monologue from the play by Oscar Wilde NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Lady Windermere\s Fan. Oscar Wilde. London, Elkin Mathews, 1893. MRS. ERLYNNE: Believe what you choose about me. I am not worth a moment\s sorrow. But don\t spoil your beautiful young life on my account! You don\t know what may be in store for you, unless you leave this house at once. You don\t know what it is to fall into the pit, to be despised, mocked, abandoned, sneered atto be an outcast! to find the door shut against one, to have to creep in by hideous byways, afraid every moment lest the mask should be stripped from one\s face, and all the while to hear the laughter, the horrible laughter of the world, a thing more tragic than all the tears the world has ever shed. You don\t know what it is. One pays for one\s sins, and then one pays again, and all one\s life one pays. You must never know that.As for me, if suffering be an expiation, then at this moment I have expiated all my faults, whatever they have been; for to-night you have made a heart in one who had it not, made it and broken it.But let that pass. I may have wrecked my own life, but I will not let you wreck yours. Youwhy, you are a mere girl, you would be lost. You haven\t got the kind of brains that enables a woman to get back. You have neither the wit nor the courage. You couldn\t stand dishonor! No! Go back, Lady Windermere, to the husband who loves you, whom you love. You have a child, Lady Windermere. Go back to that child who even now, in pain or in joy, may be calling to you. God gave you that child. He will require from you that you make his life fine, that you watch over him. What answer will you make to God if his life is ruined through you? Back to your house, Lady Windermereyour husband loves you! He has never swerved for a moment from the love he bears you. But even if he had a thousand loves, you must stay with your child. If he was harsh to you, you must stay with your child. If he ill-treated you, you must stay with your child. If he abandoned you, your place is with your child.

Black and Decker free essay sample

There has not been any more vital time to understand the cause of this setback. This urgency lead him to ask Joseph Galli, the vice president of sales and marketing at Black and Decker, to conduct a thorough research to develop a marketing plan for the year 1991/1992. The new plan is developed to target the major problem in the Professional Tradesmen segment: Low market share among comparatives and no profitability. After a detailed situation and consumer analysis and evaluating the alternatives, John Galli concluded that professional tradesmen segment needs to be repositioned. After a careful product assessment, Galli realized the professional quality of items produced by Bamp;D is above their major comparatives such as Makita and Milwakee. However, the brand is poorly differentiated from the lower grade products in the consumer segment; the segment which Bamp;D holds the most solid market share among comparatives. The permeation of Bamp;D in consumer segment has tarnished brand perception in professional tradesmen segment; both product lines are offered in the same color: Charcoal Grey! Additionally, due to the already established and extensive negative recognition of professional tradesmen segment among professional buyers of power tool products tagging any product to this brand won’t generate the drastic results that Bamp;D is pursuing. We will write a custom essay sample on Black and Decker or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Furthermore, it was Black and Decker’s weak presence in Home Depot, the rapidly growing professional tradesmen product outlet, which was contributing to the problem. They needed to strategically enter this market while emphasizing their position in Home Center and Two-Step distribution channel. Following these realities, Galli knew with almost no profitability in this segment asking for advertising allowances and rebate money is not an option. As a result, he introduced a marketing plan revolving around repositioning the professional tradesmen segment and establishing a new brand entry, backed by Bamp;D service and warranty handling and differentiating products from consumer segment by colorization. 1 Introduction Black and Decker is one of the world’s largest power tool manufactures and the leader of power tool market in United States. In 1991, Black and Decker’s sales record was over $5 billion and the company ranked 7th in brand recognition throughout U. S and 19th in Europe market. The nation’s power tool company leader divides in three segments: consumer, professional industrial and professional tradesmen. The consumer tool segment is offering products for â€Å"at home† use and is the most popular division with proximately $250 million in revenue in 1990. The professional industrial targets the corporates that purchase tools in large quantities for the use of professional employees. The revenue for this segment is estimated $110 Million as well. The professional tradesmen segment is the $420 million size division which represents products that professional individuals such as carpenters and contractors purchase to use on the job sites where they are required to take their own tools. However, this segment generated only $35 million revenue in 1990 with almost no profit. Both consumer and professional industrial segments owned a solid position in the market with 45% and 20% segment shares in power tool market. However, this success did not transfer to the professional tradesmen segment. In 1990, Bamp;D roughly held 9% market share in power tool market in United States. This highlighted the presence of the competitors such as Makita and Milwaukee with 50% and 10% market shares to the senior management of Bamp;D more than ever. Professional tradesmen segment was clearly suffering and falling behind in the dynamic and competitive power tool market. Joseph Galli, the vice president of sales and marketing in Black amp; Decker decided to conduct an extensive research to find the root of this problem and conclude an alternative. In this research, the problem highlights itself as the professional tradesmen segment’s low market share, no profitability and desperate need to reposition for this segment. Following is the situation analysis of Black and Decker supporting the idea of repositioning the professional tradesman unit. 2 Situational Analysis Internal factors By virtually creating the power tools industry, Black amp; Decker holds primary strength in the consumer and industrial segments, proved by being ranked #1 in those respected market share positions. By holding large amount of equity in the US and Europe, DeWalt can aggressively be put into the professional tradesmen segment to take the market lead from Makita. Although Black amp; Decker only holds a 9% share in the current professional tradesman segment, Black amp; Decker holds the title of being one of the best producers of high quality goods. By repositioning the DeWalt name in the rapidly growing professional tradesmen segment, that 9% market share will quickly increase with the support of our brand recognition and image. With the strong internal factors, the Black amp; Decker Company has strong potential in building an admirable image in the $420 million professional tradesmen segment. External Factors The professional tradesmen segment, although relatively new, has rapidly been growing compared to the consumer, 7%, and industrial, no growth, segments. Having high market shares in the consumer and industrial parts, Black amp; Decker holds a strong 30% of the total market share. Also growing in importance, are the home centers, The Home Depot being the largest of the quickly growing chain stores of home improvement. Buyers of the professional tradesmen tools also heavily patronize emerging retail distribution outlets, such as The Home Depot and Lowe’s. Competitive analysis Despite the fact that Makita does share 50% of the current market, the current position they hold in brand image is not nearly as positive as Black amp; Decker. Consumers have regarded Makita as, 3 â€Å"arrogant† and â€Å"dictatorial. † On the other side, Black amp; Decker has been put in the top ten in the U. S in the aspect of brand strength. One of the main reasons why Makita has grown much success in the past decade was with the help of the new rapid development of home center outlets. A common characteristic shared within the top three manufacturers of the professional tradesmen segment was that all three offered broad product lines, offering approximately 175 SKU’s each. Consumer Analysis Black amp; Decker Corporation as a Power Tools Division has been ranked low in the professional tradesmen market. In efforts to increase awareness and market the power tools division in a more competitive way, a consumer study was established and processed. Consumers of different ages, sexes, and races that work in the professional tradesmen field and the general public were asked a series of non-bias questions in order to gain a competitive advantage in the future sales opportunity. In order to do so we needed to study the current trend of consumer awareness and behavior as well as the pre conceived opinion of the Black amp; Decker product reputation both past and current trends. The following segments were used: Young Adults (ages 15-25), Adult Women (ages 26-60), and Adult Men ages (26-60). Young Adults (ages 15-25): The young adults being mostly single, college age living at home with parents or with roommates who typically don’t use power tools were vaguely familiar with the Black amp; Decker name and not associating as a Power tool brand. Adult Women (ages 26-60) usually homemakers, single moms, have advanced education, professional, and work both outside the home as well as in the home. Of the Adult females surveyed 75% were familiar with the Black amp; Decker name and had purchased a Bamp;D power tool over any other brand. Of those women, 75% also choose durability over cost when compared to similar items. While most women appear to be more in tune to actual cost of household products such as a Dust Buster when compared to professional grade tools, they still have a more realistic estimate of actual cost when compared side by side. Most women rate 4 Black amp; Decker as a good-excellent power tool product and would recommend to a friend and purchase additional Bamp;D products. Adult Men (ages 26-60) Most with a higher level of education and with more experience using power tools. In some instances adult men and women shared the same opinion but when asked, men choose warranty over compatibility. 56% of adult men rated Black amp; Decker as a poor choice for a power tool. While women were found to be more willing to purchase additional power tools with the Black amp; Decker name only 10% of males said they would and most would not recommend Bamp;D as a power tool option. With the above data collected it is determined that dropping the Black amp; Decker name instead of just Sub branding would better benefit the goals of the company and gain a larger advantage in the market. Having such a negative appeal from the current state is not only discouraging but also provides a more complete analysis of how the consumers view the Black amp; Decker name, regardless of the quality of an actual item. Alternatives, Pros and Cons The first alternative would focus on Bamp;D consumer and Professional-Industrial market segment which it already maintains the #1 market share. The professional-Tradesman segment would become an afterthought for Bamp;D, instead focusing primarily on profitability at the expense of market share. Bamp;D research had shown that their tools were highly regarded in the professional industrial segment, for high quality. Bamp;D field test of their products with all identifying marks removed against competitors products which also had all identifying marks removed, showed that product quality was strongly competitive with other brands. This would greatly diminish the Black and Decker brand by deemphasizing the quality in the professional-Tradesman segment. The result would be a negative effect on consumer and industrial segments as well. Brand loyalty and image would suffer greatly while gaining market share for the Professional-Tradesman segment. The second alternative would be to sub-brand Bamp;D product. The brand would have a new name for its professional tradesman products, but would also state â€Å"by Black and Decker†. 5 This alternative would not entirely clear all negative brand perception in the Bamp;D Professional Tradesman segment. Professional Tradesman segment viewed the Bamp;D brand as a product for home instead of job use. This alternative would still carry the negative perception of the Bamp;D brand in the Professional Tradesman segment of the market. Bamp;D quality perception of suppliers quality would remain first to last based on company research. Color was generally regarded as a product differentiator and this alternative would not make any changes in this regard, keeping the Bamp;D tools their respective traditional colors. This alternative would do little to increase market share and revenue. The third alternative, which has been chosen for the best possible outcome, would be to use an entirely different brand name for the Bamp;D Professional-Tradesman segment of the market. The brand name chosen is DeWalt, the brand has storied history in the stationary wood working business since the company was founded in 1918. DeWalt products were permanently installed on many lumberyards, garnering awareness of the brand, verified by research at 70% and also positively viewed as one of the best by 63% of the professional-tradesman segment of the market. The company was purchased by Bamp;D in 1960, so the brand name could be easily assigned to a Bamp;D product. The color option eventually chosen was yellow, a familiar sign of caution used on many construction sites. The yellow coloring would also differentiate the DeWalt product from many other brands including Bamp;D and many other successful brands in the professional-tradesman segment. This option would theoretically double the market share within three years; operating income would also increase by 2%. Recommendations The product chosen to replace the Bamp;D nameplate in the professional tradesman segment is the DeWault. DeWalt brand would position the Bamp;D professional tradesman products a step higher in product quality and reliability, relieving the negative brand association in the respective segment. The color yellow chosen for the product would create instant awareness of the brand amongst its immediate competitors Makita and Milwakee. The price of the DeWalt Professional-Tradesman product would be positioned comparably to the Makita and Milwakee brands. Milwakee and Makita are priced 5% and 10% respectively over current similar Bamp;D products. 6 The distribution channels that will be used include home centers, which include The Home Depot and Home Club. Home centers are increasingly becoming a popular source for professional-tradesman tools. Home centers have a combined yearly sale of 8. 5 million dollar in the professional-tradesman market. DeWalts rise in the marketplace will greatly depend on these types of distribution outlets. Two-steps will be used for distribution as well, including Ace and Servistar. DeWalt will not be offered in discount oriented membership club stores, as they are perceived to be positioning themselves as a â€Å"fathers day gift† The DeWalt brand has an existing 70% awareness rating among Professional-Tradesman, and a 63% positive view by tradesman. The company was founded in 1918 and has been a permanent fixture in lumberyards since, the presence over the years has created most of the existing promotion of the brand. The yellow color of DeWalt tools will help it differentiate itself form other products and also promote itself as being the only yellow tool for Professional-Tradesman on the market. Conclusion The purpose to conduct this marketing plan was to find an alternative to Black and Decker’s decade long failure to own large enough market shares in professional tradesmen segment. Black amp; Decker has succeeded to position the consumer and professional industrial segments in the top ranked market share among comparatives however, professional tradesmen segment has failed to reach anywhere beyond %9. The internal factor for Bamp;D is that, this company is one of the world’s largest power tool producers and in the comparison product analysis Black and Decker’s products win over the competitors. This means Bamp;D has the potential to earn the top brand perception that is missing. On the other hand, consumers are the external factor who prefers using Bamp;D products for home use rather than on job sites this is while Makita and Milwaukee are the two preferred brands in professional tradesmen segment. Galli is coming up with three alternatives. The first option is to harvest professional tradesmen channels. This option is vetoed because professional tradesmen segment is growing more rapidly than consumer and industrial segments. Dropping this segment will lead to a huge loss in a long run. The second alternative is to sub-brand. This alternative is ruled out as well since releasing any products under any brand while still tagged to Bamp;D will not lead to increase sales due to extensive negative brand perception in professional tradesmen products. The third alternative is to drop the tainted Black and Decker name and produce a line of products under DeWalt brand, the brand owned by Bamp;D with already established market share and good brand perception. Even though, building a new brand from the ground up takes time (proximately three years) this alternative is highly recommended. DeWalt brand saws have a very high brand recognition and durability. Additionally, this product line will be offered in a new color: Yellow. The color that indicates safety and can easily be recognized and differentiated by customers. Timeline Spring -begin advertisements with print by using our sub-branding method -sub branding would emphasis on the new name De-Walt -prepare for manufacturing and distribution of product for upcoming summer Summer -hold a press conference inviting various professional tradesmen, small and large corporations such as construction companies and small business owners to introduce the new product line and hold demonstrations -offer sample test tools to professional tradesmen set up workshops using the new sub-branded power tools to generate a buzz and interest in the new products which would be available for purchase soon -begin distribution among large retailers as well as club stores -increase advertisement both in print, radio and television September -evaluate sales -take market surveys of those using the new sub branded product line December -continue to offer demonstrations on the use of the new line -decrease advertisement efforts -offer holiday packages to encourage families to purchase the new product lines for their husbands, fathers, brothers etc. for the upcoming holidays -have successfully created a positive outlook and increased market share and sales of the new sub branded product line by the end of the year

Sell More Work by Grabbing Eye-Catching Quotes

Sell More Work What do the following names have in common? Jeffrey Archer, David Baldacci, Bernard Cornwell, Janet Evanovich, Jasper Fforde, Ken Follett, Jonathan Kellerman, Rebecca Tope. Answer: My articles! These famous bestselling authors have all granted direct personal exclusive quotes to me. A writer instills his own voice, personality, perceptions, knowledge, experiences, even moods into his work. It is one point of view and can sound opinionated. Adding commentary from external sources changes the tone of the article from opinion to analysis. Quotes liven up the content, humanizing and dramatizing it. They add gravitas and credibility to an article. They show the writer has done their homework and produced work that can be taken seriously. They influence readers and build trust. Experts specialize and excel in their fields. Seek the correct kind for your article. For example, when writing on child care, a quote from an educator working in a day care organization will carry more weight than a comment from a therapist working for anti-bullying services, even though both may be parenting experts. Dont demonstrate your ignorance or laziness Experts may be found from a variety of sources: 1. When you come across any expert cited in an article, a quick Internet search like Contact + John Smith, MSc in Child Psychology will bring up some contact information email address, website, Facebook page, LinkedIn profile. 2. Published experts are often on Amazons list of bestsellers or have an authors page on Goodreads.com. 3. Faculty at schools, universities, and training organizations may be accessible.   4. Reach out to people responding in the Comments sections of blog posts. 5. Dedicated online services like HelpAReporter.com can be a good place to network. However, quotes from experts registered on these services are often in exchange for advertising/marketing space or a plug, which may not be allowed for your publication. 6. Key executives of top-selling products can be contacted via websites like BuzzSumo.com. 7. Experts themselves refer or recommend other experts. 8. Your humble daily newspaper is an easy resource. 9. Go crazy signing up for company press releases (e.g. PRWeb.com) and newsletters. Like them on Facebook, stalk them around their Twitter-sphere, follow their blogs and participate in related discussion forums. 10. Get into experts inner circles 11. Writers are experts too! The freelancer who writes on new age therapy may be a licensed naturalist healer who could give input on your article about a newly-discovered herbs medicinal qualities. The literary writer may have a day job as a psychologist or police officer and could grant you a meaty quote about crime at school. Once youve found your experts, dont hesitate to approach them with a polite, clear, concise and non-judgmental enquiry. Introduce yourself honestly, and end with a note of thanks. Ask the right questions to avoid getting dull and pointless answers. Dont act too funny, provocative or familiar. When youve got your quotes, present them appropriately in your article making sure it flows well and doesnt appear disconnected. Take care to attribute the correct quote to the correct expert! While you may need to edit, clarify, highlight, sanitize, or paraphrase the quote, dont go overboard, modify the meaning, take it out of context or introduce your own voice into it. Expert quotes lend authenticity, authority and validity to your work and make it look professional. They can add value, remove discrepancies, reveal new slants, and change the perception of your article. Use others words to sell your own!

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT EUROPEAN AIRLINE CASE STUDY Essay

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT EUROPEAN AIRLINE CASE STUDY - Essay Example The above issues have really affected the industry making airlines hard to survive and eventually leading to strategic alliances amongst the players in the industry. The macro environment analysis refers to the analysis of the political, economic, technological, environmental and social environment factors in the business environment. The Government has come in very strongly to deregulate the European airline industry by opening up the skies .This follows an agreement that was signed up between the United States Government and the European Union. As a result, the airlines are able to make more frequent flights, they have become more flexible in their pricing and it has helped to enhance and heighten competition in the region. Although opening up the skies has had a positive impact on the growth of the industry, the airlines have not been spared the threat of terrorism in the world. The United Kingdom has also come up with the smoke free policy, whereby people are required to abstain from smoking while in the airplanes and this has created a clean and safe environment for both the passengers and employees in the industry (Kassim and Menon 1996). The social environment has had both a po... The citizens have benefited from the multicultural environment thus they are able to gain new ideas and hence they have become more innovative. The rate of population growth is also increasing and thus new business trends are emerging and therefore the business is able to benefit from new management styles (Kassim and Menon 1996). Economic factors. The economic recession the industry has affected its rate of operation and has thus led to its slow rate of growth. The rise in the Gross Domestic Product has led to trade amongst the airlines very expensive. The rate of inflation has been high due to the high oil prices thus affecting the profit margins in the industry. The exchange rates have also affected the margins that are being made in the industry due to the large fluctuations (Kassim and Menon 1996). Technological factors. The emergence of the internet has led to the rapid growth of the industry. Online bookings have become possible thus eliminating the need for travel agents and eventually it has led to saving of time and money for the passengers. Genetic engineering and quality controls have improved and made the industry more innovative thus making the industry more effective and efficient (Kassim and Menon 1996). Environmental factors. The industry has made a negative impact on the environment. The industry has come under criticism due to emission of carbon into the environment, erosion of the zone layers and it has brought about the effects of global warming. However, even with these negative effects the industry has become more innovative as they try to come up with new mechanisms to manage and control the negative

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or Personal Statement - 1

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below - Personal Statement Example My game improved and I ate free lunches for almost the entire summer! This is the type of challenge that best describes me. Other activities that I enjoy are downhill skiing and horseback riding. I am a novice a riding and am looking forward to improving. I have been told that I am too competitive by friends, but that is simply how I am wired. I never stoop to being a poor sport, and I have never lost a friend because of my competitive nature, so I guess I’m not too overbearing with my desire to always do my best. I am the sort of person that cannot relax by relaxing or giving something a half-effort. I relax by giving each challenge all of my effort and then enjoying the benefits of my hard work. This is why I love a good challenge. In the end, I’m a better more relaxed person because of the effort needed to overcome the

Analysis of the Australian Fashion Industry

Analysis of the Australian Fashion Industry Australian Fashion Well known Australian designers Lisa Ho, Collette Dinnigan, Sass Bide, Ksubi, Jayson Brunsdon, Leona Edmiston and Kit Willow are taking the world by storm and expanding into the international marketplace. Fashion is one of Australia’s key creative and design industries and there are now over 2000 active fashion exporters delivering their products and services in overseas markets. The export of Australian fashion is not limited to exclusive designers. Street wear, and surf wear are also famous worldwide. Quiksilver, Billabong and Rip Curl are famous for their boardshorts, T-shirts and wetsuits. â€Å"Getting your label overseas is important†, says designer Claus Maus, â€Å"Not only for building your brand but also for growing sales. The key markets include New Zealand, United Kingdom and the USA. Annual textile, clothing and footwear exports are worth $A277 million, of which $A289 million is clothing. This essay will examine the marketing strategies adopted by some of these fashion brands to launch their label internationally. International markets can provide opportunities for growth. To achieve this, companies need to develop and perform marketing activities aimed at their target customer. A detailed analysis of the environment is critical before a company enters an overseas market. This analysis should include cultural, social, ethical economic, technological, political and legal issues. Cultural differences may affect marketing negotiations and product use. Australian fashion is becoming more popular. Australian Fashion Week is one of the first shows of the fashion season which mean Australian designers can be early in setting trends. It was during Australian Fashion Week that Easton Pearson got their start globally. It is all about timing. Fashion does well in neighbouring markets such as New Zealand, Indonesia and Singapore. In order to stay competitive in the global fashion market, brand management and positioning is crucial. It is important for designers to have a presence at major international fashion events with an eye to being picked up by overseas retailers and boutiques. It is important to listen to your consumer and listen to your retailer. The retailer will have some very specific requirements – will it turn up on time, it will be price correctly and it will make your consumer feel special. The type of product will obviously determine the right market. For example, red-carpet fashion will do well in wealthy, affluent markets, whereas swimwear will do well in big resort areas. The international fashion industry is tough, competitive and constantly evolving. Fashion can be very market and culture specific, so fashion labels should be aware that what is considered fashionable and stylish will differ considerably between markets. When going international fashion exporters need to consider the lifestyle of the customer they are targeting and adapt colour, garment practicality and fabric choices to suit the target climate, lifestyle and market group Social laws will dictate to what extend certain parts of the body should be covered and even the models displaying products should reflect the target market. Immodest clothes are considered inappropriate for many Middle-Eastern women and in Mexico the colour purpose is associated with funerals. Easton Pearson, a successful fashion exporter had to adapt their sizing and hemlines for markets such as Japan and the Middle East. Successful jeans label Tsubi underwent a brand name change to Ksubi. . A shoe label in the United States called Tsubo claimed the name infringed its trademark and challenged the businesses’ use of the name. This case exemplifies how much a brand name means to the business. Colour can also be associated with a brand. Cadbury unsuccessfully took Darrel Lea to court over their use of a shade of purple. Within every brand there is a product. But not every product is a brand. A product is something tangible, it has physical attributes, styles, features and price. A brand is the total consumer experience of a product, its personality, the trust you have in it, the status it gives you, the experiences you share with it. The cultural aspect of launching a brand can’t be overlooked. Sometimes there are language issues, For example, The Ford Pinto did miserably when first introduced in Brazil, and it was discovered that â€Å"pinto† is slang for â€Å"small male sex organ†. Ford changed the name to â€Å"corcel† which means â€Å"horse† and sales improved. Billabong is now the leading brand in Peru. One of the ways in which they have made this brand so well know in Peru has been through providing sponsorship to leading athletes. They sponsor surfers, skateboarders and snowboarders and host many of the event that make up the surfing World Championships Tours as well as region-specific events. They know their customers well and develop innovative and functional products for them, Breaking into overseas markets is exciting but also challenging. Developing an overseas market gives rise to opportunities to grow and prosper with increased sales and profits, improved domestic competitiveness and a reduced dependence on the Australian market and seasonal fluctuations. To enter the overseas market there are certain strategies that must be undertaken to improve success. Breaking into the international market can be costly in time, money and resources. Thorough preparation is essential. Preparation should include professional advice, the ability to balance domestic and export market, do not assume all markets are the same and modify the product to meet regulations and cultural preferences of other countries. Planning is essential. Companies must be capable and ready to export and must have total commitment from all staff. Research is essential and a thorough analysis should be made of the market, taking into account size and distribution capabilities and competition. Companies should respond to perceived demands in overseas markets such as niche markets and acquire resources and technology. A successful marketing strategy used by Sass Bide to launch their label internationally was having celebrities wear their clothing. Basically they asked people through fashion editors to ‘try their jeans’ and first begun by sending their jeans to all of the editors in New York and London presented beautifully with a covering letter. This strategy worked as out of a dozen gifts sent, 6 would write back saying â€Å"OH, my God, we love this†, and as a result celebrities would endorse them. They just had to get their product to the right people. They took this approach as they did not have the money to spend on advertising and marketing, and thought that word of mouth marketing was the way to go. Working with influential people (celebrities) is an important of word of mouth marketing. â€Å"Nobody counts the number of ads you run, they just remember the impression your make.† (Wiliam Bernbach). Sass and Bide partners, Heidi Middleton and Sarah Clarke spend a lot of time travelling making connections with the customers on a one to one level. They do not want to advertise they are more interested in intimate marketing as well as Public Relations. They relied on word of mouth marketing early on however this has changed over the years. The US market is very competitive so they now have a marketing plan and strategy in place to target the whole of the country. They target celebrities like Naomi Watts and Kylie Minogue. They also do in-store appearances and hold tea parties and invite all the stylists and editors to these tea parties. The SWOT analysis is a tool used to assess a company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses come from within the company and are directly controllable. Strengths are attributes of the organisation that are helpful to achieving the objective. If a SWOT analysis does not start with defining a desired objective it may be useless. Identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is essential as steps in the process of planning for achievement of the objective may be derived from them. Strengths include a strong brand name and a good reputation among customers Weaknesses include limited finances and lack of key distribution channels. Opportunities include new technologies, a new international market and loosening of international trade barriers. Threats are shifts in customer’s tastes, new competition and the introduction of new regulations. Firstly, the company has to determine whether the objective of launching internationally is attainable. The organisation should ask how they use each strength, how they can stop each weakness, how to exploit each opportunity and how to defend against each threat. A fashion label needs competitive advantages that give it an advantage in meeting the needs of a targeted market (strengths). To be successful fashion labels need to be an innovative product combined into excellent design that bring together individual style. Brand ambassadors are also a key element in brand acknowledgement overseas. Limitations that a business faces in developing are a weakness. Weaknesses are harmful to achieving the final objective. Limited financial resources can contribute to weakness. The label must be able to generate sales rapidly after the launch. This entails reaching enough people with marketing efforts and creating a retail network. Opportunities and threats exist independently of the business. Opportunities are favourable conditions and business can be rewarded from these benefits if it acts on them properly. Threats are conditions or barriers that may prevent the organisation reaching its objectives. Threats must be acted on or avoided to prevent them from limiting the company’s capabilities. When launching a fashion label internationally it is important to make sure the opportunities are used properly and the strengths made even stronger in order to find new arising opportunities. All the Australian fashion labels entering the international market are in direct competition with one another and are rivals. They all operate in similar fields and their target customers are similar. Billabong and Quiksilver are well established and have loyal followers. Even though competition is very hard it creates opportunity. Competition keeps the companies moving forward. Creating word of mouth marketing campaign can make a big difference in the perception and image of the brand. According to Andy Sernovitz, author of â€Å"Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking† there is a five T method to create efficient word of mouth campaigns. Getting the campaign to function is based on Business to Customer to Customer communication. The real message comes from the customer. The five Ts are Talkers Topics, Tools, Taking Part and Tracking Word of mouth marketing is fully actionable, trackable and plannable. The Internet provides excellent ways to track blogs and other forums. It is very important to identify who and why people are talking about the brand. Find people who will talk about the label and give people a reason to talk. Tools help the message spread faster and further. Track, measure an understand what people are saying. It is important to be successful internationally to find people who will talk about you such as retailers, bloggers and retailers. Also the fashion label should give people a reason to talk through excellent products and great service. They can help the message spread faster and farther by blogs, message boards and the internet. The company itself can take part by posting blogs, answering emails and offering personal service. Also you should measure and understand what people are saying by searching blogs and listening to feedback. The fashion product must also make the most of opportunities. The product image must appeal strongly to people who want to dress stylish but do not want to sacrifice their comfort. With a successful marketing campaign and image building the brand can become very valuable in a short period for time and generate lucrative offers from investors and competitors. Most South East Asiancountries correlate imported brand names and higher prices with superior quality. They generally pay close attention to the country of origin when evaluating quality and making purchasing decisions on apparel products. The average arget age of consumers in South East Asion for imported apparel is becoming younger from people in their 30s to people in their 20s. Given the growth South East Asian casual wear and sportswear market. Australian apparel in these segments has some distinct advantages that provide a good basis for establishing a storng brand image. Designer brands that are successful in the interntional marketplace have a high market potential to be successful in the South East Asian market. Department stores in south east asia are highly positioned and any international fashion brand ensure that is a priority to denter the department stores. Sociuakl Responsibility Socially responsible organisations strive for marketing citizenship by adopting a strategic focus for fulfilling the economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic social responsibilities that their stakeholders expect of them. At the most basic level all, companies have an economic responsibility to be profitable so they can provide a return on investment to their owners and investors, crete jobs for the community and contribute goods and services to the economy. Marketers re also expected to obey laws and regulations. Examples of social responsibility issues include environment, consumerism and community relations. Being socially responsible means an organisation shows concern for the people and environment in which it transacts business. In some cases social responsibility incorporates supporting social causes to help society. For example, some marketers sponsor charity events. Social responsibility does not automatically translate into increased revenue or public image. However, companies who adopt social responsibility tend to have a strong reputation which pays dividends in the form of increased customer loyalty.