Social Responsibility and HP Essay Example for Free

Social Responsibility and HP Essay Sustainable development has become a recurrent term in the modern day business community. In order to achieve a socially conscious economy, businesses have to strike a key balance between the needs of the present and the viable use of natural resources and ecosystems for future generations. â€Å"Living Progress† is the term coined by the Fortune 50 company, Hewlett Packard to report its Corporate Social Responsibility program. The Living Progress program is designed to provide a collective value to society much like an integrated Triple Bottom Line concept. The challenge for HP is to create a balance between human,economic and environmental progress. It aims to achieve a strong internal culture within the workforce to provide solutions to global issues. This paper will attempt to illustrate HP’s integrated approach by drawing data from HP’s 2014 Living Progress report, official website and press releases and show a connection between economic returns and environmental and social well being. The human component of HP’s initiative demonstrates a number of detailed strategies, from committing to directly employing foreign migrant workers in the HP supply chain to a addressing issues of diversity with other organizations. HP also proudly boasts a 15% improvement in Social Accountability Internationals Social Fingerprint Benchmark which resulted in HP placing in the top tier of companies assessed.1(2014). All this points to HP’s promise of securing innovative ways to engage workers and protect them. The human progress model constitutes of sub frameworks, that all string to human development. â€Å"Human rights are the fundamental rights, freedoms, and standards of treatment to which all people are entitled. They are outlined in international conventions, declarations, and treaties, including the United Nations  Universal Declaration of Human Rights.†2(2014). Human rights is a compelling issue for HP, by working closely with the United Nations Guiding P rinciples on Business and Human rights, HP has created policies of its own designed to curb worker exploitation and support the rights of all concerned stakeholders. Beyond its own operations, HP has contributed to a multitude of initiatives that support the common goal of human rights and has taken a leading role in participating with them. Another branch of the human progress model is HP’s Supply Chain Responsibility. HP is highly indebted to the Information Technology (IT) supply chain and hence is involved in programs that enhance the lives and protects the rights of its workers that deliver its products and services. A remarkable achievement in its Supply Chain Responsibility program was the reduced supply chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity by 18% from 2010 levels.3 The Supply Chain Responsibility program is an ever evolving system and HP is determined to mitigate risks by monitoring programs, worker engagement and other external sources. For example, HP’s engagement in Southeast Asia enabled them to understand the evolving risk of forced labor in foreign migrant worker populations and take action as early as 2008.4 HP is aiming to secure high worker productivity and employee retention through The Supply Chain Responsibility initiative. Another vital straw of the human progress framework is HP’s objective of employee development. Among the many activities are, mentoring, leadership development, professional development and redeploying employees which is the term HP uses for internal recruitment. HP is committed to increasing the diversity of the workforce, with a strong focus on female talent5. The report also credits workforce, wellness, health and safety, providing more than just financial remunerations. As one of the world’s largest multinational companies, HP has far reaching economic impacts. The second pillar in HP’s Living Progress scheme is to advance a thriving economy, where people have the skills and resources they need to contribute to society.6 The economic impacts created by HP across all stakeholders for 2014 are broad. One such example is supplier diversity, By supporting local communities and harnessing innovative and competitive advantages, HP creates a chain of expansive economic impacts. The demands of  rising levels of data, calls for viable IT solutions, and HP is proud to host the groundbreaking HP Apollo 8000 system.7 Launched in 2014, the system has recorded savings of $1million in energy costs, compared to previous versions. The Apollo 800 is a revolutionary system that relies on a liquid cooling system, unlike the other systems that use air. The impact created through this system was that excess heat was able to be transferred to use elsewhere8 Another economic impact highlighted in the report is the indirect payoff to local economies, resulting from compensation to all its 302,000 employees worldwide and they in turn pay taxes.9 HP paid net cash income taxes of $1.3 billion in 2014, contributing to government spending and programs around the world. We also returned $3.9 billion of capital to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases potentially increasing their spending and taxes.10 The economic waves created by companies such as HP is a clear case for a positive derivative to society. The most necessary concern for sustainable development is the final tier in HP’s Living Progress initiative, The Environmental Progress. Through its application HP hopes to make the environment stronger as they grow by improving the efficiency of its supply chain, operations, and product and solutions,as well as by making positive contributions to the community, hence solving sustainability challenges.11 Tackling greenhouse gas emissions is HP’s primary focus in operations. Also, by striving to continually reduce waste and the use of water, HP has created leak detection systems, resulting in efficient operations. In 2011, HP became the first IT company to publish its global carbon footprint.12 This was a bold move by the company, as it demonstrates the willingness HP took to act responsibly and set a trend for other IT firms to follow. Embracing the circular economy model is a key factor in HP’s Environmental Progress agenda. This model not just simply sell products, but offers customers ongoing services, extending its life cycle . All of the products and services that HP sells have the environment in mind and this is key to sustainable growth in society. Product design is a vital endowment in research fo HP product and this is displayed in HP’s Design for the Environment Program(DfE), which dates back to 1992.13 The DfE program was highly responsible in 2014 for helping customers gain green procurement, resulting in more than $25 billion in existing and potential  business revenue14. This type of investment in customers turned out be highly rewarding. Later this year HP announced it will be separating into two companies; Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc. HP believes the split will provide further breadth into its Living Progress impact worldwide, but needless to say this may lead to conflicting interests or a failed opportunity. The long term effects of the program may be shadowed by the impending change, however it is key to note that HP’s strategy has always been to look to the future and it is not the first large firm to make a colossal strategic decision and wont be their last. Socially responsible activities such of those, conducted by HP must have some concrete return, or it won’t be viable from a business perspective. HP has exhibited a strong connection between monetary returns and social and environmental well being. The Living Progress initiative is a beacon for sustainable development and making the environment stronger is its highest aspiration. REFERENCES HP Living Progress. (2014).2014 HP Living Progress Report Retreived From: http://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c04152740 Indiana Business Review. The Triple Bottom Line: What Is It and How Does It Work? Retreived from: http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/ibr/2011/spring/article2.html

Time Management in Operations Management

Time Management in Operations Management Introduction Operations Management is vast in its functions and principles, and its application varies from organization to organization. As the years go by, competition becomes fierce, as those who have first hand experience of the markets conditions a few yearsago will testify. Success may only be achieved now through precise, time-based functions that are efficient as well as flexible in building a working relationship with customers. Global competition and advancements dictate that one must keep on their toes and innovate, to remain in the game. E-businesses are an example of the need of the times, a creative way to move businesses forward. Large scale organizations such as Wal-mart, FedEx or Starbucks all owe their success to their effective Operations Management functions. From the four tasks Discussion When it comes to efficiency and tiem management with respect to operations management, one of the first examples one can think of is the NASCAR races, and how efficiently the service pit crew uses their time. The first question of how a track race crew is able to manage a lot of tasks relating to the car in 17 seconds, where the same amount ofd working taking up to 3 days at Auto garages can be figured out in a few steps. First of all, race track cars are designed in a way that they are eay to take care of within the short amout of time that they stop by in the service pit. They are specifically designed in a way that allows the crew, which usually only consists of a few members, to maintain and check the car’s fuel, tune its engine, check on the gas tank and so on. Not only this, the crew members are given extensive training so that they may complete these tasks in record time. At an Auto dealer, not only does the crew have more than one car at a time to maintain, thy arenâ⠂¬â„¢t working on extreme deadlines or under severe pressure, as opposed to the track car crews. The race car crews spend al ot of effort into maximizing the efficiency of the functions needed to perform each of their designated tasks, so when time comes, they don’t waste a single second in their tasks, finishing in mere seconds. Hence, it can be concluded that time management as well as efficiency and practice in designated tasks provides the answer to this question. In the second scenario, the process of loading of the luggage in large passenger jets as opposed to smaller planes is questioned. Whether the organization be large scale or small, the operations management team’s task is to make sure their subordinates are well-versed in their designated tasks, so much so that they take minimum time in performing them That is why, in time consuming tasks, often teams are split up in ways that allow for each person to perform their tasks in the most efficient and least tiem consuming manner. With airlines, large passenger jets often have a lot more cargo space as well as seating, and the airline makes more money with the number of flights, as opposed to small planes that are more concerned with the number of passengers and often have limited luggage space and definite weight limits. Larger airplanes may cross their designated weight limits by a degree, but smaller aircraft often cannot take the risk. Apart from this, the loaders of both smaller and larger aircrafts know that their tasks are planned in a manner that could save more time and get the planes in the air, so they concentrate fully on being efficient with time management. The larger aircraft use aluminium containers because usually large aircraft are traveling further then smaller aircraft, hence passengers are likely to bring al ot more luggage with them as well. The question relating to fashion goods and the manufacturing of sweaters without color produced till orders are placed relays to the function of predictive marketing management. In the fashion industry, a lot of different perspectives come together to decide what the flavor of the month will be, and it makes perfect sense for the manufacturers to not add color till they’re certain of the orders. The market for fashion related products is multi-faceted and needs proper deliberation in order to come to a conclusion. Not only does the sweater manufacturers decision to hold back color save a lot of cost, but it also diminishes the risk of returned orders. The manufacturers may save face infront of the customers as well, and no funds need to be wasted. Some may argue that due to this sort of rationalization, these particular manufacturers may fall behind when it comes to their competitors but the advantages outweigh the difficulties that may be faced with this decision. For instanc e, the decision helps avoid the implications of buying merchandise and making it work deliberately, when rules of fashion dictate that it may not. Apart from this, certain contract hold that merchandise once bought must be insured, and kept with the distributor for an indeterminate period of time. Besides this, had the manufacturer not taken this prerogative, they would most probably end up at the mercy of the supplier, as ordering colors before knowning the demand would mean that the manufacturer cannot back out of their agreement. The only way to avoid the situation is to do guesswork as to what the fashions may be during particular seasons, or use standardized merchandise, so that there is no risk of the competition moving ahead while the the particular anufacturers get left behind. The next question based on the time management of insurance companiesi n lieu of casualty claims can be answered by relating to the earlier questions. The tim management aspect is important for the insurance company which can handle emergency casualty claims within 30 minutes as opposed to spending three weeks on a similar claim. A hurricane site where an accident has taken place is likely to demand more attention than one where no one is in immediate danger. The designated team and their grasp of individual tasks is again the most important part of this issue as well. Operation management principles dictate that all utility personnel need to believe in the importance of timely maintenance, scheduling and planning, but also be aware of up-front time and effort that is required in expert cases. A group of workers that is small in numbers but efficient in the management of their tasks will most kilely be able to handle emergency claims in a timely fashion, without requiring pre-requisi te planning/scheduling in these cases. In the cases that require a quick wit, office politics, job division issues, initial paper work or constant upgrading of claims are avoided as well, which means a good organizational plan is made to work along with the problem. Conclusions In operations management, the principles are clear and to the point, requiring employees to be well-versed in their indicidual tasks if they are to achieve maximum workability. They are principles that have worked for generations of organizations, and have set firm values on the worth of planning ahead, time management, scheduling and accountability. It can be safely concluded that wit the use of such principles, maximum utilization of work-force is possible, with effective and efficient results that are time-tested and secure. Resource Assignment Plan and Matrix For Proposed Data Entry Project Activity # Project Activity / Deliverable Core work team Client Sponsor Client IT Director Client Coordinator IT Client Coordinator SAMPLE HOSPITAL CareTech Project Manager CPOE Vendor Project Manager Training / User Support Client I.T. Technical Leads Physician Consultant Integration / Interface Team Process Mapping Analyst Project Initiation Deliverables 1 Statement of Work / Contracts A P R R R P R 2 Project Management Plan / Charter I A A I I P R R I I R R 3 Scope Change Decisions A R R R R R R R R R R 4 Detailed Project schedule A A A I I P P I I I I R 5 Resource Assignment Matrix A R I I P I S I I S R 6 Communications plan I A P P P S S I R Project Managing Deliverables 7 Cost Management I A P S S S I S 8 Meeting agendas and minutes I A P P P I R I I R R 9 Issues log and management I R A P P P I R I I R R 10 Risk worksheet and management I R A P P P I R I I R R 11 Status reports R R A P P P I R I R R R System Design Requirements Deliverables 13 Review/Revise Business / Workflow Policies and Processes I R R A R S I R P 14 Systems Design Flow of physician functions I R R A R S I R P 15 Systems Design Flow of ancillary functions I R R A R S I R P 16 Interface Requirements / Design A R R R S R P Planning Deliverables 17 Marketing Plan P A S S S R S S I 18 Benchmark /measurement plan P A S S S R R I 19 System Testing Plan P A A A S I R I I S 20 Acceptance Test Plan P A A A S I R I I I 21 Training / User Support Plan A S S S S I P R I S 22 Implementation plan P A A S S S I I I I I S 23 Vendor product support plan R R A R R R P I R R R Development Deliverables 24 Install Hardware Software R A S R S P R 25 Install and Configure Application SW R A P S R P R 26 Establish Network Connectivity R A P R 27 Interface Development and Testing R A S S R P R R P Go Live Deliverables 28 System Testing S A A P P S P R S I S 29 Acceptance Testing Approval S A A P P S S R S S 30 Ongoing support of application components A A P P S P R S S P Primary preparer A Approve S Support I Provide Input R Review References Wild, J. (2007) Fundamental Accounting Principles. McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 18 edition p. 387. Naylor, J. (2002), Introduction to Operations Management, Financial Times Management, pp.120-231 Collier, D.A.,(2007), Operations Management: Goods, Service, and Value Chains, South-Western Publications, pp.11-129 Stevenson, W. (2008), Operations Management, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, pp.143- 201

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 Essay -- essays research pa

Throughout the evolution of man, power and control have been idealized. When power is attained by manipulative dictators, citizens may initially view them as a means to satisfy their need for structure and direction. An author’s grim prophecy of mankind in a totalitarian society is depicted in George Orwell’s, 1984. Citizens in Oceania are governed by the Party Big Brother, which succeeds in controlling their actions and minds. The concept of oppression is taken to a new level, until there is no sense of humanity within the society. Natural instincts and emotions do not exist for the citizens in Oceania, as they are conditioned since birth to be working bodies, lacking mercy and compassion. â€Å"By careful early conditioning, by games and cold water, by the rubbish that was dinned into them at school and in the Spies and the Youth League, by lectures, parades, songs, slogans and martial music, the natural feeling had been driven out of them.† (Orwell, p.71) The main repetitive means of conditioning were the Party slogans which citizens must adhere to; War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength. War is linked with peace and security, rather than horror and grief. Freedom is viewed as being an individual, therefore more susceptible to torture. The individual is defeated and therefore enslaved to the government rather than being apart of the government. In result, there is no freedom of thought, expression, language, religion, etc. Ignorance is bliss since there is no need to criticize the gove rnment and therefore, fewer confrontations. The proles (proletariats) in the novel are allowed and appreciate primitive emotions. Sex, scent, expression, and the true sense of freedom embody this in the novel. It is ironic that they reserve a sense of humanity, yet are considered inhumane. Eighty five per cent of Oceania’s population is proles, and they are unaware of their potential power. â€Å"If there is hope, it lies in the proles. Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.† (Orwell, p.52) Although it could lead to a counter-revolution, they are content in the purity of their lives, and see no need for power since they have not yet been exposed to the oppression in Oceania. â€Å"The lower strata of the middle class – the small tradespeople, shopkeepers, and retired tradesmen generally, the ha... ...collective mind. Orwell uses this concept to relate to the oppression in society present during the time in which he wrote the novel. During the 1940’s, it was not only WWII, but also the time of the dictators Stalin and Hitler, who used brainwashing techniques to take advantage of their vulnerable societies. The Machiavellian Theorem becomes the sole tactic to survival in Oceania. In order to become a member of the Brotherhood, Winston agrees to commit all the carnage that Big Brother has raged on his people. (Orwell, p.180) With angst to be rid of his oppression, Winston has lost his sense of humanity. He now believes that his end justifies his means. Although he believes he resists internally to the Party, his mentality has inevitably been brainwashed by acts of sabotage, and all that O’Brien had to do to corrupt him was to direct his hate elsewhere. The Inner Party develops intricate ways of attacking a person at their personal weakest, and using their various instruments, can break down body, mind, and soul. Although this novel is merely Orwell’s political speculation, it opens the doors to the many possibilities and outcomes of uncontrolled power in vulnerable societies.

The Collapse of the Egyptian Regime Essay -- Politics, Hosni Mubarak,

Three months ago, no one in the world could have expected the collapse of the Egyptian regime as a result of a popular revolution. The Egyptians revolted against the iron-fisted hand of the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, over three main authorities in Egypt, which are the legislative authority, the executive authority, and the judicial authority. Revolutionaries also called for overthrow the Egyptian regime in order to achieve all their aspirations for a better life in Egypt, and this appeared clearly from their daily chant for eighteen continuous days, which was â€Å"the people want to bring down the regime.† They realized most of their aims through overthrowing Hosni Mubarak the last Egyptian Pharaoh, and agreed on the transferring of power from Hosni Mubarak to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to take control of the nation in a short transition period. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces exerted all their efforts in order to meet the key demands of the revo lutionaries through suspension the constitution, and decided to form a committee to amend changes to some constitutional articles so as to use them in issuing a constitutional declaration. After the committee had finished the amendment of the constitutional articles, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces asked citizens to participate in the referendum and not to boycott this process. In fact, most Egyptians, who have the right to vote, agreed on participating in the referendum, although they didn’t decide whether to vote â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no†; accordingly, they drew the world’s attention due to their gigantic contribution in the referendum because they turned out on Saturday, March 19th, to vote on the amendment to nine constitutional articles. The scene was incredible ... ...h many citizens may have other reasons which drove them to participate, I think that there were four main catalysts, which were the main driving forces behind this massive turnout of Egyptians to vote in the referendum. In fact, voters participated in the referendum because of their conviction with the fairness of the referendum, their feeling free to vote, and their participation due to the influence of many groups, which pushed them to look for stability and safety. In my humble opinion, all Egyptians must thank the martyrs for all they have sacrificed in order to see this day. I think that we should be proud of ourselves, and we must recognize changes, which we made in the world that motivated Austrian President Heinz Fischer to say: â€Å"The people of Egypt are the greatest people of earth; and they should deserve a Nobel Prize for Peace† quoted in (Shehab, 2011).

The Main Theme of “On Liberty”

The main theme of on liberty was the individual. Everything else, society, education,government and so forth had their basis in the individuals rights to his own liberty. Noone, no member of society, government, even God, if he appeared before an individual, could inforce his will upon him. That is not to say that you couldnt change someones mind through discussions, but instead, that noone had a right to force his views upon another. Your happiness is yours(individual) to enjoy without any infringements. Conversations between individuals or groups of individuals is essential in eveloping the notion of liberty. Mill claims that you should feel free to convey your views openly without forcing them onto others. After all, a man who learns from noone but himself has a fool for a teacher. There is however an exception to this rule. That is, if an individual in any way harms or comes onto anothers rights to liberty, or causes a social threat, hence he or she is subjected to forced inclinations by other members of society. For example, walking around nude on the streets of Cairo might be youre cup of tea, alas, in Cairo they prefer coffee. In other words, if ou offend other individuals, you are in fact infringing on their rights as free citizens who poses a sovereign mind. However if you choose to remain nude while in the comfort of your hotel room in Cairo, then there is no reason why you According to Mill, education is a fundamental requirement for being an individual as well. But once again, there should be no forceful applications towards what is being taught. Man is after all, a rational being and has the capabilities to reason things through. Education serves more as a guide then as a factual basis for each individual. No wo individuals can have the exact same experiences in life. Therefore, it is up to the individuals themselves to conclude what they perceive to be their own ideas of happiness. An individual who follows traditions and customs soleley because they are inherrent in society, is nothing more than an animal. The very fact that you can reason said mill, means that you have the option of disregarding all customs and traditions if you feel they are not beneficial towards your happiness. That is not to say that you shouldnt follow customs and traditions, merely that you ought not to, for the sake of eing just another brick in the wall. The progressive nature of humans leads to the ultimate conclusion that there is no need for a governing force outside society consisting of individuals that have their own interests at heart. There should not be a government, a monarch, a ruler that is outside society. Instead, it should be attached to the people, having their best interests at heart. Rulers are not needed to protect the people from themselves. In fact, they should be in all regards, responsible to the people and subjected to being removed by he people, beacause it is the people who ultimately have the power. This is a true democratic state, with individuals as the microscopic entities that make it up. Members of this society must not allow themselves to be surpressed by any group who claim to be their legitimate representative of the state. This will subdue individual growth and sovereignity, creating a state with tyranny at its heart. TO avoid this, individuals should freely express themselves, their beliefs, ideas and so forth. No government has the authority to silence individuals who convey their eliefs as the truth. Even if there are a thousand people with a thousand different views, it is for the benefit of society as a whole to hear them out, for there is a chance that among the various beliefs, one of them may contain the essence of truth. Noone has the right to silence another merely because they express conflicting views. Members of society must be able to keep an open mind towards other individuals â€Å"truths†. Reason and logic will see to it that they are capable of readjusting and reconstructing themselves if they find that there is truth in what another individual ays. This is exactly why individuals and society are The only way a state can progress is by allowing its members to progress. Supression of individual rights and happiness will lead to nothing more than stagnation. Governments are the watchdogs of the people, granting them liberty to expand without inteferences. Mill undoubtedly believed in laissez-fairre for the very reason that it promoted individuality with minimum government intervention. All said, Mills on liberty held the individual as the nucleus of society, with everything else revolving.

Understanding the Value of Creativity in Advertising

Understanding the value of Creativity in Advertising Creativity is thinking new things. Innovation is doing new things. † (Theodore Levitt) In today’s media landscape where it’s very difficult to shape consumers attitude and intentions and move them to next level of buying process, advertisers find it even more difficult and challenging to break through the clutter of competing advertisement. The advertising industry has experienced dynamic changes over the last several decades.The changes have been good in terms of Technology advancement, Medium and more methods to attract consumers and on Creativity. This study represents how creativity impacted advertising and understanding the value of creativity in advertising through the Review of various literatures. The importance of creativity factor in advertising has got wide recognition by many researchers, practitioner, but there is a miss of true & systematic research to define advertising creativity and how it relat es to ad effectiveness.The review study discusses some campaigns that have left their strong impression on consumers. The presented review study tries to come up with some evidence of creativity by reviewing expert views, past literature in advertising and marketing. The study discusses different forum on how creativity works, and what makes an ad to travel good or poorly. It summarized the value of creativity in advertising through Expert interviews, published material and related secondary data to understand the logic. Methodology: This study used a review study method to analyze the secondary data & observations.David Ogilvy once quoted that â€Å"If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative. † In this review study researcher  has analyzed secondary data through the series of interview, expert comments, and live cases of various literatures and through live observations to understand the value of creativity in advertising. The review paper includes a various article, discussion and market insight from the leading marketers, creative director insights about how this promising form of advertising is constantly evolving. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND: Creativity is seeing something new when you look at something old; it is all heart of civilization and is the driving force of revolution†-David Ogilvy It is an accepted fact that there should be an element of creativity in an advertisement. This creativity is something new, unique, extreme attractive and appealing to the consumers. In fact, advertising itself is a creative process. It is the outcome of long term planning and hard work on the part of the copy writer & creative director who prepares & shapes the final copy of advertisement. http://www. baclubindia. com /forum/files/37_37_creativity_in_advertising_project_report. doc In today’s media landscape advertisers find it even more challenging to break through the clutter of competing ads in order to shape consumers attitudes and intentions. A good alternative strategy to greater advertising spending may be more creative advertising. Understanding the fact that creative ideas do not come over night they are required to be developed through systematic thinking. Breakthrough ideas might appear to be instant or impulsive, but they are not.They are based on sound strategy, outstanding visuals and copy, and the correct application of timing and media. The art is in ensuring that all elements of communication work together so that the end result is more powerful and effective. http://crackminds. com/? p=221 There are much bold evidences that significant changes faced by this industry. Some of these changes are good: big ideas, innovative partnerships, & interesting new work, that show what advertising can do for brands.Advertising allows you to communicate a salient message to a large group of consumers faster than any other form of communication. It allows you to truly connect with your consumer; it gives you an opportunity to develop an ongoing relationship between the consumer and a brand. At its best, advertising will create a sense of urgency for the consumer, honest awareness and accurate that there are products, places, styles or sensibilities that cry out for attention or action.To do that there are various styles of advertising, a soft sell or a hard sell, a subtle approach or a blatant approach, an informative style, humor or a modern and edgy one. Style will always change: with the product or service you are selling; with the timing of the message and with the medium you are using. But important aspect is how you can engage your consumers to watch that Creative challenge you took with the blend of style.The important thing is finding the right balance between defining a good creative message and execution. The true craft is in identifying ways to interest consumers in what is being offered at the same time justifiable creativity. A creative strategy can put you on the right course, but in a wor ld filled with distractions and clutter you must develop communications that capture consumer attention and interest. The key is delivering the selling point in an interesting, single-minded, non-contrived manner.Some advertising sells brands. Great advertising also builds them. Advertising might, at times, trod on the fine line between creativity and ethical considerations. Creativity makes advertisement popular among the consumers and motivates them to purchase advertisement specific product. The advertising message is received well by the target audience for follow-up action. LEARNING FROM PAST: SOME HERITAGE BRANDS AND RECALL VALUE In India there are some brands who have acquired distinct space in consumer mindset.These brands played very important role in initial marketing era, and managed to become an unforgettable brand for Indian households. These brands have endured the test of time. Colgate Toothpaste, Vimal, Pear's soap, Mysore Sandal Soap, Woodward's Gripe Water, Dabur, Amrutanjan balm, Vicco, Pond’s, Surf, Amul and Prestige Pressure Cooker are symbols of heritage brands of India. Some of these brands are represent the Indian culture. Sometimes the brand relies heavily on product and price features, rather than advertising creativity.The recalled values of some of these heritage brands are higher than today’s brands, the Colgate’s Surkasha chakra, Vicco’s jingle â€Å"Vicco turmeric nahi cosmetic† Advice of lalita ji for Surf,† Surf ki khariddari mai hi samjhdari hai†, Bajaj with it all time hit tagline ‘Hamara Bajaj’, or it be Lux with tagline â€Å"filmi sitaron ka saundarya sabun†, & Dalda-vanaspati was a impressive success and ruled the perch during its time, the unforgettable Liril campaign, the ad was all about waterfalls, abundant water and the girl splashing about in total abandon singing â€Å"la la la la laaa†.The ad was major success & very much appreciated, at the same time it became the highest selling premium toilet soap in a period of two years. Basically Most of the Heritage brands appeal to many age groups, probably the product /brands is what used by one generation, had been used by the previous generation and is used presently by the current generation. Understanding the success mantra behind these heritage brands can be tough but there are strong evidence stating towards their advertising appeal.The uniqueness of the campaign leads towards the high recalling. The frequency of television commercial was less and during that era there wasn’t much competition and managed with only National TV channel, â€Å"Doordarshan† these brands made their presence heavily on consumers, whereas Today’s as a competitive market emerged in various categories i. e. soaps, shampoos, TV’s fridge, Air conditioner and computers so did the media options to reach more people. THE CAMPAIGNS: HOW CREATIVITY WORKS?The current scenarios focuses that advertising has altered in many ways, now advertising become more and more creative, and getting real. Creativity increases the brand value. There is enough evidence that value for a brand will be formed through creativity. With Pointing on India’s phenomenal growth, it has become even more important for ad agencies and their clients to gear up together to meet challenges that come with such expansion. Creative ideas have no boundaries, Ideas can strike anytime.A successful & great creative idea can give brands the required thrust to explore new heights. It is very important that with creativity involved in advertising it should not forget its basic agenda –of informing, convincing, and selling. Creative advertising needs to intelligent, sharp, imaginative to the point and extremely catchy. It must motive people to purchase advertisement product. The message and appeal made should be able to make positive impact on the consumers. The creativity develops n ew useful ideas which further fulfill the desired requirement.Creativity should focus the attention of the customer on the product and he must feel the urge to have that product for same benefit. This suggests that creative advertising should be able to create demand for the product when it is introduced for the first time. Some of the distinct creative ads impacted hard. VODAFONE’S Creation â€Å"The Zoozoo†: After successfully rebranding â€Å"Hutch to Vodafone† Vodafone Essar Limited, the India-based subsidiary of the global mobile network operator, Vodafone started expanding its presence in pan India.The new avatar of Vodafone is â€Å"Zoozoo† has created a new dimension of creativity. The Zoozoos advertising campaign highlighted the different value added service (VAS) offered by the company. This creative aspect got huge appreciation from the customer and they say you simply Love them and you just can’t ignore them. The Zoozoos were everywhere . The creative ad series of 30 TVCs, were Created by Ogilvy & Mather for IPL Season 2. The Zoozoos Coffee Mugs and T-shirts became instant hit in the market.Prior to this what Vodafone did to show the transition from Hutch to Vodafone, ad agency O&M launched a rather direct, thematic ad showing the trademark pug in a garden, moving out of a pink colored kennel symbolizing Hutch, and making his way into a red one (the Vodafone color). A more energetic, chirpier version of the ‘You and I’ tune associated with Hutch, plays towards the end, as the super concludes, ‘Change is good. Hutch is now Vodafone’. Public Awareness: A simple public awareness TVC shows a man manipulating a remote control toy car in an office set up.He receives a call and tries to answer it with continuing to manipulate the controls of the car. The car crashes. The message is clear and gets across with no extra layers. Driving while talking on a mobile can cause accidents. ‘IDEAâ€⠄¢ Cellular: The ideas of Idea cellular campaign were worked really well. It has been an interesting and almost ‘off the track’ ride for the brand belonging to the Aditya Birla Group. This cellular service used its brand name â€Å"idea† and real social issues to successfully showcasing its message in the consumer’s mind.The campaign shows ugly reality in the social and political arena in India, it’s very unique and different combination of creative aspect, â€Å"What an Idea sir ji† campaigns raised issues related to Caste wars, Education for all, Democracy, health Campaign, ‘walk and talk’. The creativity of ideas worked well, while the team is well aware that most of the solutions it propagates in its ads may seem improbable, but at least it makes people think. The job is done if consumer also starts saying â€Å"what an Idea, Sirji!! There are many creative ads which made a direct entry into customer mind.Camlin’s Per manent Marker made a distinct effect on the consumer it leaves Lowe Lintas, devised a cool concept for the brand to advertise the product. This time this is OOH advertising, the simple but eye-catching hoarding, with the three cut-out men having mechanically-backed moving limbs, trying to wipe off the words written in bright red, also displays the product – the permanent marker. The category of permanent markers are a very low involvement, in such scenario also ad agency had done clutter breaking, and at the same time, something that brings out the essage clearly – here the message being ‘permanent'. † WHAT MAKES ADS TRAVEL GOOD OR BAD; A REALITY CHECK There are numerous factors play roles in determining whether advertisement travel well or poorly. Marketers need to test multiple markets to get a full understanding of an ad’s likely effectiveness, but it becomes equally imperative to understand what it takes to beat the odds and create a truly Creati ve Advertising. The combination of creativity and the characteristics of ads that travelled well are, Children, Celebrities, Music, Humor and Emotions.In India presence of Celebrities makes a big difference and this can work across markets. True to the phenomena that the famous celebrity can contribute to an ad travelling well but the ultimately success comes down to the power of good copy. Humor, this word will now be associated with advertising for a long time to come. Humor can work greatly well, probably because it was cracked not long ago by the advertising fraternity, Or probably because the otherwise fretting Indian audience feels largely pepped up with humor in ads, and therefore, there are more chances of an ad acquiring mind space.Whatever be it, it's a formula which now everybody is trying hands on. Some ads are surely worth the effort. Particularly when it comes from visual and music, the examples can be ‘Happydent white’, and the great ‘Amul butterâ⠂¬â„¢ print series with â€Å"Amul girl† , ‘Fevicol’ ads, ‘Mentos’ , Vodafone ad Children in the ads can certainly help to travel well it is not simply the cuteness that adds to creative portability, but rather the child’s unique perspective and reaction to an event within the ads.An excellent example is â€Å"Dirt is Good or ‘Daag Achche Hai'† ad for Surf Excel, in which a brother â€Å"fights† the mud his sister fell into. And the recent on which shows a little boy pretending to be a dog in order to make his teacher, who has just lost her dog, smile. Of course, in the process his white uniform gets mud spattered and totally worthy of a Surf Excel wash. This one from Lowe Lintas tugs the heart strings. This campaign sticks to its ‘Daag Achche Hai' premise.Bank of India showing kid with piggy bank is yet another creative scoop. At the same time advertising that generates an emotional response also has its own benefit, like it can help generate engagement and memorability and it can help the emotions transfer to the brand shaping the brand perception. Dove’s real beauty campaign is perfect example. CREATIVE ADVERTISING: IS THERE A STRONG NEED: Most brands in the same category deliver more or less the same functional benefits and answer the same needs of the consumers.With so many products on the market having the same function, the only way to position a product, service, or company differently from anything else in the same category is through creative development in advertising. Today traditional advertising is losing its sheen. The biggest problem with traditional media is that consumers today have lots of choice for ad avoidance. The fragmentation is very high and there is very less scope of customized message for all. The Indian consumer has changed if we focus on this issue there is a lot more on the menu to choose from.Now the message unlike the past is no longer a one way process. But public opinion is far more mobilized, they have immediate platform for expression. The expert believes that the creativity in advertising could never exist in isolation without a context. The success of final product completely depends on empathy and the relevance of message it intends to deliver. The trigger for ideas and insights must necessarily come from the environment. The new millennium is just decade old, advertising, which is about creating demand, also has undergone a complete transformation.Many things have changed and many things have stayed exactly the same in this industry. The media agencies have witnessed the tremendous growth in skills set. If one critically analyze, â€Å"advertising reflects the mood of the times. The simplistic inform-persuade-sell mode worked beautifully for a long time but once communication became sophisticated, technology entered, there was a paradigm shift. Multi-tasking became the order the day. It is not uncommon to see today’s kids on the mobile while hitting the net, right?So in this age of Youtube, Twitter and Facebook, advertising content has to keep pace. It can’t be as direct, naive and simplistic as it once was. The new-age consumer would dismiss it, straightaway. † For hard-core information and details about products and services that are in the hi-ticket category, the internet provides it all; one doesn’t have to completely depend on advertising. So the job of advertising today is to primarily push the brand in an endearing fashion that triggers the recall factor, and examples discussed indicates that ‘creativity’ stored better recall value.Unlike other businesses, advertising is ultimately a people's business. Thus creative advertising that sells is the results of three ingredients: people, information, and environment. If you create the appropriate environment for creative people with right information, they can create great advertising. To make the right enviro nment, Ad people must bond together as a ‘team' not as individual. Therefore, creative advertising that actually sells is the result of ‘team work. ‘ This is one single most important characteristic of creativity in advertising business.Creativity resulting from ‘team work', effectiveness and communication, these are the key factors in successful advertising campaigns. The Ad agencies must strive for balance between them. How many TVCs of toothpastes, soaps, creams, shampoos, of different companies could were differentiated from one another? Examples are many, all toothpastes promises white teeth & fresh breath some shampoos promise Zero Hair Fall, another one promises Zero Dandruff and remaining guarantee strong, shine and strength.With creative ads they can certainly communicate it differently so as to create a distinct brand image in the minds of the consumer,† Consumers often remember and memorize the creative ads than the product; rarely any advert isement makes the product memorable. So understanding the various dimension of advertising creativity is important. To fully understand creativity, one would need to expose what factors are generally held to comprise it. Some dimensions are Novelty, Meaningfulness, Well Craftiness, Positivity, and Humor.

A Mir Case Essay

In the Case, â€Å"A Mir Case† there are many Organizational Behavioural issues involved. There was no team cohesion amongst the researchers and this was in a large part due to the composition of the team. This composition in itself created many cross cultural, gender and communication issues, which resulted in the conflict amongst the individuals. One factor that influences team cohesion is the members’ similarities and in this case we see the Russians forming their own group (due to their similarities and cultural beliefs and views) and the new international researches forming another group amongst themselves. Another division amongst the group was due to the language barriers. . Language differences are a huge source of communication noise as it lessens effective communication as words and meanings can be easily misunderstood. Along with the language barrier, there was also cross cultural and cross gender communication issues. The Japanese and Austrian saw the inclusion of the female participant to be positive and treated her with respect, the Russians felt she had to be endured and looked at her as a sex-symbol and not a team member. There were also cultural differences as the Russian were seen to be more aggressive and dominating and while the Austrian, the Japanese and the French researcher saw the kiss as a form of sexual harassment, the Russians saw nothing wrong in this â€Å"stolen kiss. † These actions by the Russians (which were due in part to the cultural differences) now has serious repercussions as the other researchers now felt as though they were in a hostile environment which in turn leads to high levels of stress. To make matters worse, there was no intervention by a mediatory or leader from IBMP to help resolve the conflict which only further escalated the problems. Within the individuals there was no emergence of a leader and no one to take charge of the situation and work towards resolving the conflict. In essence, the lack of team dynamic and cohesion and the cross cultural differentiation all escalated to a conflict that was never resolved or addressed rather it was avoided by Moscow’s Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP), who classes the conflict as all a part of the experiment. As mentioned in the case, the purpose of the experiment was to learn about the dynamics of isolation, as they would apply this knowledge to the International Space Station, who would be sending people into space for long periods of time. For this to work, the group would really need to learn how to work effectively as a team and how to overcome conflicts that would naturally arise. In this situation, the individuals really need someone to step up as a leader and take charge of the situation. This would be a positive step, as the leader can work with the individuals to form a cohesive team and initiate some conflict resolution. However this solution will be challenging as the Russians will probably not want to listen to someone who is not Russian and due to their aggressive nature, the other researchers may not want a Russian as their team leader either. As a result it would really take an understanding, open, motivated and influential person to take charge of this team. The individuals also needed conflict resolution. The company should have looked at third party conflict resolution as a means of working through this issue. This would be best as it would be an outside person who is able to be neutral and help the conflicting parties resolve their differences. However this mediator would interfere with the experiment, because if this incident did take place in space, there would be no mediator to send. Due to the fight and the kiss, this conflict escalated to a very high level as one individual felt violated. As a result conflict management is definitely needed. Though IBMP did not want to intervene, sexual harassment is a serious claim and needed to be addressed. A mediator needed to get involved to work through this crisis. A mediator will not only help to diffuse the issue but will show the researchers who were upset with the incident that the company is not avoiding the issue but is taking it seriously. That mediator would first off have to look at ways to reduce differentiation by creating common experiences. The mediator would have to find a way to show the cross cultural differences and show the Russians that what is acceptable in their culture is not in others and vice versa. The researchers need to find the commonalities within each other in order to live and work more effectively. After differentiation has been reduced the mediator would also have to look at ways to improve communication and understanding. Through this experiment IBMP would be able to tell the International Space Station (and implement in future experiments) that you cannot isolate people with different genders, cultures, languages together without first giving them a chance to get to know one another. The group should be asked to choose a team leader first and given some time to form their team dynamics. The group should be able to socialize together, learn about each other’s’ ultures and lifestyles and go through the team processes of storming and norming before being isolated in space. The group should also be given some regulations to follow, as ambiguous rules tend to lead to conflict. Certain common norms, for example, that sexual harassment and violence will not be tolerated should be instituted. Of course due to the different cultures, it will have to be clarified what is meant by sexual harassment and violence. With a good group dynamic, with a clear team leader and some rules in place the group should be able to reduce conflict and function more effectively.