Citizen Journalism in Malaysia

Citizen Journalism in Malaysia INTRODUCTION Online citizen journalism is a hot topic that has been happened around us but there have numerous perceptive or opinion regarding the definition and meaning derived from a various sources. The existence of different information offers citizens access to a variety of topics, ideas, stories and capability in their writing. In this research will measure a credibility Metro Online Broadcast (MBO) and Citizen Journalist Malaysia (CJMY) that includes variety of content and topics that most serve this function in the Malaysia. Based on observation of the site, Metro Online Broadcast (MBO) and Citizen Journalist Malaysia (CJMY) is obviously to feature a greater diversity of content, topics, general information, lifestyle and interactive. The role of journalism According to (Goh, 2007) the press or journalism is known the compulsory component that played a role as the watchdog for a healthy democracy. Journalists are played an important responsibility as a journalist in our society. However, Goh also found that Michael Schudson gives a similar definition which means journalism is the business of a set of institutions that promotes periodically information and on contemporary affairs. Basically, journalist are presented their story as true and sincere especially to an anonymous and spread it to spectators openly including within discussion space which considered very important. However, (Deuze,2006) stated that basically journalism is undergoing a transformation. (Witt,2004) found that because of the power of technological advancements have reduced the costs of publishing and with a computer now equating to a printing press individuals have immediate access to publishing suites. Bases on the observation, transformation has emerged the increasing audience expectation that a certain level of audience participation be permitted and indeed facilitated by the media. Online citizen journalism According to (Bowman Willis, 2003), citizen journalism is defined a people who have a responsibility in the process of collecting, analyzing, reporting and delivering news or information to the readers. They also stated that citizen who becomes a journalist are be given the opportunity to become a writers either in online and offline with a variety of forms and formats, working under a variety of editorial schemes that focuses on a differences range of topics. The range whether from the expert to the generic and the micro-local to the global. According to the information at the website (Educause, 2007) citizen journalism is defined to citizen have an opportunity in which they can contribute information or comment about news events at the website. Furthermore, people could be denied that over the year’s citizen journalism has advantage from the development of various technologies which includes the printing press that provided a different tools for the pamphleteers within 17th and 18th centuries. In addition, at that century was using a television, telegraph, and tape recorders which offered opportunities for people to participate in sharing news events and commentary. By the growth of digital technologies, society have unprecedented access to the tools of dissemination and production. The information were include citizen journalist of submitted reviews or opinion such as on a web site about movies to Wikipedia based news. According to (Educause, 2007) has stated that some sites only run stories written by citizen. However traditional news normally accept comments and news stories from readers. Citizen journalism indicate a difference but between simply offering opinion on a topic and developing a balanced story that will be originally useful to readers. Online citizen journalism do their work The issues surrounding how citizen journalism works involve policy more than technology which make a blog as main tools to convey their mission. A website or blog that only includes stories from nonprofessional journalists or citizen who willing to share their stories have responsibility for the content resting with the contributors, or as usual it can have some level of editorial error make a decisions about such as checking facts or editing grammar. However, for a mainstream primary flow that allows citizen to comments or submit the story. To avoid any effect on organization’s credibility the policies must be established about these issues (Educause, 2007). Normally, citizen journalism projects would use a range of technologies which include digital video and audio online tools for posting or accessing stories, have a rules to block who can submit or edit content, and RSS tools to simplify accurate dissemination of content. Some citizen journalism were prefer using wikis and collaborate writing and editing. Flickr photos and YouTube videos as an example of applications encourage users to link to online resources (Educause, 2007). People who involved in online citizen journalism Online citizen journalism were consisted a people who making a sites limited to nonprofessional reporting, such as in Malaysia there have Metro Online Broadcast and Citizen Journalist Malaysia but in overseas a divisions of traditional media companies that feature citizen journalism, such as CNN’s I-Reporter. Basically, citizen use blogs, wikis, photo, video sharing sites, digital storytelling applications and other online media as tools for citizen journalism to deliver their stories. Most of them were taking a projects that relates to local approach, convey the news about citizen issues especially interest topics, such as financial matters, gender issues, political issue and economics issue. Types of online citizen journalism website working in Malaysia Metro Online Broadcast Metro Online Broadcast or MOB which acts as a citizen journalism site, gives an opportunity to the public to share news from their communities that may often go unreported or published. It is similar with newspaper which reports news and happening from around our community. MOB apart are the people known as citizen journalists who produce and determine the suitable news content should be publish. The hidden vital stories among community also are reported and covered in the MOB website. The process of news gathering and information had received from the journalists or known as MOBbers are confirmed and legalize with the help of a core team of journalists or MOB advisors who manage the site. In addition, readers can share their feedback, views and comments on stories that have been published. Citizen Journalists Malaysia Citizen Journalism Malaysia or CJMY was introduced by Malaysia Kini’s CEO, Premesh Chandran. He has started the citizen journalism training course with funding from International Center for Journalists in the United States in 2008. The first training conducted in November at the same year. The aim of this website to existence of participants, without knowing a background with journalistic skills in order to improve their writing and develop new skills such as video story telling. CJMY has spawned 400 citizen journalists and 150 are an active reporters. Some of them have made their own name. There are over 80 training workshops have been conducted throughout Malaysia including in Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Kelantan, Penang, Sarawak and Sabah. The training and workshops was successful therefore CJMY become a platform for citizen journalists to host their work. Amateur journalists have an opportunity to make a right news is being reported and challenge them to feel a surrounding with sensitive issues. Development of citizen journalism Phenomena of citizen journalism was include veteran sites such as Slashdot and Indymedia. OhmyNews one of the famous and the most influential news related weblogs in South Korean which in 2003 was attracting an estimated two million readers a day and online news site in that country (Gillmor, 2003). Other than that, Wikipedia also one of the source with recognize as up to date news and currents events section. Currently, it was introduced as Wikinews and even citizen journalists have huge opportunity to produced video news through in sites such as YouTube and DailyMotion. According to (Flew, 2007) news media organizations are adopting citizen journalism practices and are encouraging citizens to contribute to their news sites while professional journalists are also cooperating with citizen journalists in their news presentation and dissemination processes. However (Jenkins, 2008) found that major daily newspapers are rapidly inviting and subsequently sharing user generated content. For example comments, photos, videos and articles on their news sites. Based on the (Amanda, 2006) more than 1000 citizen news media organizations are sustained through blogs and websites in local communities. Therefore, ordinary citizens enable to contribute news and information. However, the information that were provided by citizen journalist could influences community thoughts either in negative or positive ways. (Ashely, 2006) found that blog users were highly have a credibility to attribute in blogs rather than traditional media sources while also rating traditional sources as moderately credible. Nowadays, community much prefer choose a source of information through online. Content diversity on online citizen journalism The existence of online citizen journalism content in the marketplace may include diversity of information that citizens have contribute while making decisions related to the community environment. According to (Kim Ball-Rokeach, 2006) the utilisation of a diversity of content can encourage individual to give awareness of self because it exposes people to various ideas. According to (Blanchard, 1977) diversity is also a matter of accuracy. According to (Pease, 1990) must have diversity of content and coverage should give a serious attention. The variety of content at the organization level would decrease because of the rising online competitors and declining profits. According to Pease newspapers normally limit their coverage to maintain their readers when faced a lot threat of competition. However, specific coverage may not fully meet the specific of accuracy because demographically tailored coverage can lack representativeness. According to (Carpenter, 2008) there are few studies conducted on online citizen journalism publications but there have a differences in content probably attributed to the perceived changes in their readers. However, according to (Johnstone , 1976) citizen were prefer to generated content by published for smaller and more integrated audiences on a less permanent basis in order to encourage citizen journalists to produce content dissimilar from that daily newspaper journalists. By their observations, blogs are usually used by online citizen journalism and newspaper journalists to disseminate their content. Smaller publications whether urban or rural are focus on community especially about conflict, advocacy over objectivity and evaluation over straight reporting. According to (Donahue, 1972) smaller publications distribute a stories community’s needs with their desire to make professional journalistic content. However, they are not recognize as online newspapers. Their normally loyalty not steadily toward their community. This is because according to recent survey by (Schaffer, 2007) most of the online citizen journalists perceive they are be able to solve community problems and encourage a high local voter turnout. But the value of content it was failed to known widely by online citizen journalists in the marketplace. The situation would be seen through (Carpenter, 2008) online citizen journalists were rarely to rely the opinion by media routines and prefer producing stories that use more unofficial sources. According to (Pease, 1990) previously newsroom leadership have failed morally and economically to diversity the content because they only focused on hiring minorities in the newsroom. Negative actions in socializes among journalists would affects the presence of content diversity. However (Shoemaker Reese, 1996) were argued compliance to routines and the implementation of similar news values to stories will causing the content become variety to the public. Then the researcher would analysed the selected online citizen journalism website by using quantitative content analysis. This is because it is suitable for measuring large quantities of data. According to (American Society of Newspaper Editors, 2002:) the responsibility and roles of a journalist is very important because readers really care about have been show but not how the stories will be published. They are also be able to judge based on the content rather than the process. For this research, the researcher are focus on a diversity content in online citizen journalism website which is Metro Online Broadcast (MOB) and Citizen Journalist Malaysia (CJMY). This research also are created to measure of content diversity to make the comparisons for each topics. The content was measured the general information that provide diversity of content on both website, news source, and topics selection. Primary topic in online citizen journalism website One of the author in the (Project for Excellence in Journalism, 1999) stated that the increasingly of topics that covered by the news organization will showing an excellent of the organization. They stated that a diversity of topics would describes entirely about community issue. This study will evaluate the diversity level of articles by utilizing Simpson’s D. According to (McDonald Dimmick, 2003) Simpson’s D was measures the proportions across categories and the diversity will considered an optimal measure to improve of its interpretative capability. The content that found at the online citizen journalism is probably similar with smaller publications. According to (Janowitz, 1952) smaller publications are most focus on the coverage on human interest, social events and athletics. Whereas, larger publications are more to concentrate on government and crime topics. Based on research of (Project for Excellence in Journalism, 1999) found that the topics such as business, government, crime and foreign relation stories were has greater reported proportion than other stories such as accident, entertainment, science reporting and elections that includes in newspaper.

What determines a successful niche strategy

Niche marketing is a very important marketing tool that is defined as â€Å"focusing on sub-segments or niches with distinctive traits that may seek a special combination of benefits (Kotler & Armstrong, 1997) Niche strategy or sometimes-called focus strategy is a marketing segmentation strategy that concentrates or focuses on a few target markets. Users of this strategy hope that by focusing on a few (one or two) markets segments that are narrow, they would be in a better position to meet the needs of that market. Therefore the company strives to tailor make its marketing mix to suit these specialized markets that it has identified. By using the niche strategy the company easily stands to gain or have a competitive advantage by being effective rather than efficient. (Kotler & Armstrong, 1997) Niche strategy in most cases is suitable for small firms although it is open to any company which would want to utilize it in selecting targets with lesser substitute vulnerability or where there is weak competition. (Kotler & Armstrong, 1997) There are several factors that greatly enhance a successful niche strategy and include: – 1) Market –research Before developing any niche market it is very important to conduct a comprehensive market research of the desired market before embarking on any marketing program. Towards this end, a SWOT analysis that highlights the strength and weaknesses of the company vis-à  -vis the market it desires to segment is very necessary. (Chisnall, P.M.1997) The market research will enable the company determine the market characteristics that will enable it serve this particular segment in a better way. Such characteristics would include, customer preferences, desirable price ranges level of competition, product differentiation, distribution channels, the marketing mix and various other important marketing variables.   (Chisnall, P.M.1997) When these characteristics have been established and defined the company on its part designs a marketing model that should suit the target market and be a profitable venture for the company. The market research in itself will enable the company not only identify a market but will give it more information on the demographic history of the market as well. (Chisnall, P.M.1997) 2) Create customer loyalty. One major threat to establishing and growing any niche is competition. Competition may eat up a share of the company’s market, reducing the profitability or worse still drive out the company from the market. Towards this end it is very important for the company to make it its priority to listen to the customers. When the company makes it its goal to carefully listen to the customers, it will have the ability to create products or services that will not only meet customer expectations but will meet their needs as well. Listening to the customer will enable the company differentiate its product range to suit the needs of the niche. This will in turn create loyalty that will enable the company weather any form of competition, in fact when customers are loyal it will be very difficult for them to seek other alternatives or switch to the competitors. (Peter, J.P. and Olson, J.J., 1996) 3) Develop two or more niches By developing two or more niches it will prove quite advantageous to the company in several ways. The experiences and lessons gained in other niches will give the company the ability to tackle the challenges that would likely to occur in a different niche. (Baker, M. 2000) Two or more niches on the other hand may work towards supporting each other especially in the advent of any form of competition; for example when one niche is faced with competition other niches can be of great support especially if price competition would be necessary. Two or more niches supporting each other gives the company a leverage that would enable it sustain any form of marketing campaign to maintain high market penetration. By maintaining two or more niches, the company lowers the risk of closing shop just in case one of the niches collapses or is faced with competition and there’s a reduction in profitability levels.   By developing more than two niches the chances of success are increased tremendously as well. (Baker, M. 2000) 4) Focus on a particular region To achieve successful specialization, it is important for the company to address those geographic markets that other competitors ignore. By focusing on a particular region, it is easier for the organization to design a distribution channel that will not only be effective in terms of logistics but will ensure timeliness in the distribution of goods or services. By focusing on a particular area, it enables the company to create or design an effective marketing strategy to promote and create awareness of its goods and services. The company also stands a better chance of interacting with the customers more deeply and freely to which case it would be easier to predict the buying trends and the customer preferences. (Linneman, R.E. and Stanton, J.L. 1991) Gamma Plc Gamma PLC produces very high quality motors for garden mowers and this fact gives it an edge over its competitors in this particular niche. However the company can not sit back and sit on its laurels, It is imperative for company to work extra hard to ensure it commands these niche especially with the competition of such established organizations like Yamaha and Honda.   To guard itself from this onslaught there are certain challenges that the company will face which might force it out. Competition As it is, already the company is facing competition from such world acclaimed names like Yamaha and Honda. For such names to be attracted to such a market, then it follows that the market is very lucrative. Gamma PLC is not quite renown, apart maybe for this particular market segment, unlike the competitors who are well established and with renowned brands. The big players if they would decide to flex their muscle, this might drive out Gamma from this niche. (Linneman, R.E. and Stanton, J.L. 1991) They can do this in various ways including powerfully utilizing the 4ps (Price, promotion, product and place) of marketing. The kind of marketing or promotion blitz they would likely conduct, would obviously be superior compared to Gamma’s with a lesser budget. Besides, these companies’ would likely introduce price wars that would have adverse effect on Gamma Plc, whose budget would likely be comparatively small. The latter’s prices cannot compete with those ones of the more established firms. This kind of competition would prove to be a nightmare for Gamma whose niche is under threat. After all, the bigger companies’ bottom line would not be affected in any way because their presence is worldwide and are more experienced and advanced especially with the marketing capabilities. (Linneman, R.E. and Stanton, J.L. 1991) The competitors may also decide to adopt or even copy how Gamma Plc is producing its high quality motors, thereby claiming some of the market share. Competition may also come in terms of remuneration and staff training where the other organizations may be attractive to employees in Gamma. The niche strategy may be limiting By adopting and relying on this particular niche the company would be faced with another challenge of future growth. Because it might expend all its energies trying to defend this niche from Yamaha and Honda it might lack the resources to venture in other markets thereby limiting its own growth. This is always foreseen especially if the market is relatively small. As time goes by Gamma’s market share might shrink which might eventually affect its continued production of highly quality motors. (Linneman, R.E. and Stanton, J.L. 1991) Is the market defensible? This should be the question that should be ringing in the minds of Gamma Plc’s management. It would not be worthwhile to cling to one niche especially if it is not defensible. Most small companies like Gamma will find it challenging to judge this especially bearing in mind that this is the market that supports the organization. The company may lack the resources to get out if the competition becomes unbearable and establish another niche elsewhere. (Linneman, R.E. and Stanton, J.L. 1991). The market would be defensible if the customers within the niche have shown the willingness to support the company regardless of who comes to compete, which is to mean they are strictly loyal to Gamma. It would also mean that the market would be big enough to warrant any fight over it. However if the market is small and shrinking there’s not need to waste the resources to defend it. Substitute Products Gamma Plc manufactures quality products and as stated before this might be the edge it might be having over the competition. However, it is worth noting that quality in most cases comes at a higher price. Thus consumers would likely to be charged more compared to similar products from other companies. Yamaha and Honda may take advantage of this by providing cheaper alternatives that the customers can select from. This means that not all consumers use quality as the driving purchasing factor. Most consumers will go for cheaper products provided the offer similar functions. This would force Gamma either to lower quality so that the product becomes cheaper or seek for more efficient ways of production. (Linneman, R.E. and Stanton, J.L. 1991). Gamma Plc most probably specializes in the production of motors for garden mowers, which in essence means that they lack any other product line, unlike Yamaha and Honda who have a very wide product range, that ranges from generators to motorbikes. The range could be a very crucial marketing entry point for consumers who might not necessarily want motors for garden mowers yet they possess them. (Linneman, R.E. and Stanton, J.L. 1991). REFERENCES Baker, M. (2000) Marketing Management and Strategy, 3rd edition, Macmillan Business. Chisnall, P.M. (1997) Marketing Research, Fifth Edition, London: McGraw-Hill Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (1997) Marketing An Introduction. Fourth Edition. New  Ã‚   Jersey. Prentince Hall International Linneman, R.E. and Stanton, J.L. (1991) Making Niche Marketing Work, New York:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   McGraw Hill Peter, J.P. and Olson, J.J. (1996) Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Strategy, USA:  Ã‚  Ã‚   Irwin            

Banyan Tree Branding the Intangible

Strategic Drift in RIM Research In Motion (RIM) is a company that has suffered from strategic drift. The essential problem created by RIM only focused upon their current technology, without evaluating the rapid changing among the competitors Apple and Android were using. RIM has simply made incremental changes to the same product which has not met the change in customers' needs (Dwyer and Edwards, 2008). The leaders at RIM are overestimated the BlackBerry's advantages, while Apple and Android roducts developed the use of apps, better operating systems, hardware and usability.The RIM BlackBerry phones have seemingly fallen behind this environmental change (Guman, 2012). It had caused shareholders angry and 11% shared drop as a senior RIM employee wrote an open letter to the Co-CEO's urging them for citing the company lacked of focusing the market change and fail to improving the business. It is evident that the leaders are entirely responsible for revolutionary change in RIM. In 2012, the revolutionary changing in the two dual CEOs Mike Lazard and Jim Balsillie had been stepped down and replaced by Thorsten Heins.Heins made a substantial changes to the company's leadership team. John & Katulis (2007) suggest that there are many fallings that could cause business decline or strategic drift and one of the main points they highlight is a lack of marketing skill, which could attributed to the leaders. Eden (1998) offers the idea that a loss of external confidence and reputation could be caused by strategic drift and in the case of RIM these marketing errors have certainly affected their reputation. Banyan Tree Branding the Intangible Banyan Tree Branding the Intangible Abstract Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts had become a leading player in the luxury resorts and spa market in Asia. As part of its growth strategy, Banyan Tree had launched new brands and brand extensions that included resorts, spas, retail outlets, and even museum shops. Now, the company had to contemplate how to manage its brand portfolio and expand its business while preserving the distinctive identity and strong brand image of Banyan Tree, its flagship brand. Case Questions 1. What are the main factors that contributed to Banyan Tree’s success? 2. Evaluate Banyan Tree’s brand positioning and communications strategies. Can Banyan Tree maintain its unique positioning in an increasingly overcrowded resorts market? 3. Discuss whether the brand portfolio of Banyan Tree, Angsana, Colours of Angsana, and Allamanda, as well as the product portfolio of beach resorts and city hotels, spas, galleries, and museum shops fit as a family. What are your recommendations to Banyan Tree for managing these brands and products in future? Discussion of Case Questions 1. What are the main factors that contributed to Banyan Tree’s success? Banyan Tree’s success might be attributed to an verall well designed and executed external and internal marketing program, and in particular: †¢ Choice of target segment †¢ Positioning and branding strategy †¢ Product/service design and delivery †¢ Aggressive internal marketing †¢ Winning the support of local communities and public interest groups †¢ Pioneer status : first mover advantage †¢ Pro-environmental business practices Choice of target segment The large price gap in the luxury resorts market meant that middle upper class consumers must either stretch to pay for ultra luxurious resorts such as Aman, or settle for resorts, though luxurious, are catered to he masses. Ho recognized the business opportunity presented by the gap in the resorts market: there was room for something pricier and more exclusive that would better cater to these middle upper class consumers, who had better spending power than had the average consumer in the mass market, and would be able to afford and willing to pay for a more exclusive premium service offering. Moreover, as a result of today’s generally more hectic and stressful lifestyles, many well-to-do couples would appreciate Banyan Tree’s value proposition of a memorable, romantic holiday experience that would oth provide relaxation and create quality time for them to spend quiet moments together. Positioning and branding strategy Although Banyan Tree’s service offering was unique when it was first launched, this would not be a sustainable competitive advantage, as most tangible products could be easily copied by competitors. Establishing a strong service brand, however, would serve to distinguish Banyan Tree from competitors when they do jump on the bandwagon. Positioning as a sanctuary for romance and intimacy was well thought out, these being timeless attributes valued by many couples. A clear brand promise of romance and intimacy, which the company consistently delivered, also helped it achieve a clear and distinctive market position. That the company consistently delivered on its promise further reinforced what Banyan Tree stood for in the minds of its customers, thereby building both brand loyalty and emotional bonds. Product/service design and delivery The luxurious villas and distinctive native settings provided an excellent backdrop for guests to create memorable holiday experiences. Service employees were warm, sincere, and respectful; knew guests by their names; and emembered their preferences. Such personalized service delivery warmed guests, and helped them feel comfortable and relaxed, contributing to the entire customer experience. This was further enhanced by the feel-good factor that guests’ patronage helped to contribute to various social and environmental causes. Repeat patronage was also encouraged by the different services offered at differ ent locations, which gave satisfied guests an added incentive to visit Banyan Tree resorts around the world, to experience authentic flavors and practices of various local communities. As employees were given freedom to decorate the illas and in serving guests, even regular guests of a particular resort would have a different experience and may be pleasantly surprised every time they checked in. Such practices, together with continual service innovations, kept the Banyan Tree experience fresh and interesting. The whole Banyan Tree experience was engineered to appeal to one’s senses, giving guests a unique value proposition unlike the regular room stays offered by competitors then; such a service feature was also difficult to imitate, and successfully set Banyan Tree apart from other resorts in the market. Satisfied guests not only became loyal customers but lso helped spread positive word-of-mouth, which in turn gained the company new customers. Aggressive internal marketing Generous staff welfare policies created a strong sense of brand ownership among employees, which motivated them to achieve service excellence. Service staff served guests with passion and sincerity that could not be bought or easily copied by competitors. employees may not always provide the standard service across all the resorts nor always similar to that commonly found in five-star establishments in developed countries, their friendly and respectful attitudes towards guests more than made up for it and ctually provide an element of surprise even to the most regular guests. Winning the support of local communities andpublic interest groups The company’s considerable investments in conserving/preserving/promoting the social/cultural/natural environment beyond what was required of the company (without sacrificing on service quality) showed proof of corporate ethics that were driven by the management’s personal values. Such acts projected the Banyan Tree brand as being caring and sincere, consistent with its positioning of a romantic brand. Overall, Banyan Tree was viewed by guests, staff, local communities, and public interest roups as a warm, sincere, caring, ethical, and responsible company. Even when guests wander beyond the resorts’ compounds, the genuine feelings of hospitality and appreciation showed by the local communities at the villages made guests felt welcome and at home, making the entire stay pleasant and memorable. Such service capabilities were extremely difficult for competitors to imitate, requiring lots of investments in time, effort, and money by the firm to gain the trust and respect of both staff and the local community alike. Pioneer status: first mover advantage At a time when clinical spas were the norm, Banyan Tree invested in tropical garden spa pavilions, pioneering the concept of tropical spas and Asian therapeutic massages, a novelty which proved to be popular. Being the first in the market gave them a head start in penetrating the market. The lack of competition in the beginning also helped in consolidating the company’s position in the spa and resorts market. Establishments that were interested in providing similar spa services naturally approached them to establish an outlet in their premises, which helped further promote the concept of tropical garden spas beyond the regional markets. Pro-environment business practices Although being environmentally conscious sometimes resulted in costlier business decisions, for Banyan Tree, a major part of the resorts’ attraction was in the natural beauty of the location in which the villas were located. So, it made economic sense to protect and preserve the resorts’ surrounding environment to ensure that it remained an attractive tourist destination in the long run, or as Banyan Tree put it, â€Å"to prevent today’s darling from becoming tomorrow’s has-been. † Such pro-environmental business practices also generated a lot of positive publicity and won the ompany several awards, and these not only helped increase the brand awareness of Banyan Tree but also generated much interest among potential customers. At the same time, the company got the support of various public interest groups, such as environmentalists, and this saved the company from having to deal with any potential trouble that migh t have arisen from their development of the natural habitats of various flora and fauna for business purposes. 2. Evaluate Banyan Tree’s brand positioning andcommunications strategies. Can Banyan Treemaintain its unique positioning in an increasinglyovercrowded resorts market? Brand positioning is timely and appropriate in today’s hectic and stressful lifestyles Banyan Tree was positioned as a sanctuary that offered couples an exclusive romantic and intimate holiday experience. Positioned on such timeless attributes as romance and intimacy between couples, the positioning is timely and appropriate in today’s increasingly hectic and stressful lifestyle, where many couples are busy with their careers and have little time to spend together. Banyan Tree’s offering of an avenue to get away from it all and spend quality time together while relaxing and de-stressing would appear to be valued enefits sought by today’s busy couples. Being the first and only resort to be positioned as such, Banyan Tree occupied a unique position in the luxury resorts market when it first started. Focused promotion efforts with minimal wastage Banyan Tree’s communications program focused mainly on public relations and publicity, and direct marketing through its web site and sales offices that targeted wealthy consumers, with little emphasis on advertising. As advertisements were selectively placed in only high-end travel magazines that targeted the higher income and more sophisticated segment of the market, astage in advertising exposure is minimized. Showcasing the awards and accolades won credibly enhanced the brand’s reputation. Promotion through agents specializing in exclusive holidays adequately exposed Banyan Tree to its target segment of wealthy consumers. Efforts at obtaining and increasing editorial coverage on Banyan Tree both increased brand awareness in the industry and helped to sell the â€Å"Banyan Tree experience† credibly, coming from a neutral third party. Much positive publicity and public interest was generated as a result of the company’s investment in pro-environmental business practices, such as ponsoring various environmental conservation programs and community outreach programs. B esides being viewed as a caring and pro- environmental company, such publicity also drew attention to the natural beauty of the resorts and their environments, which helped the company to advertise its villas. Unique positioning sustainable? Whether Banyan Tree can maintain its unique positioning in the market would depend on how well it can keep its identity distinct and prevent competitors from encroaching into its turf. Generally, the positioning of providing romantic and intimate holiday experiences is not difficult to mitate; so is the concept of individual villas and any tangible offering. But, the overall service experience at Banyan Tree can still be unique, given its location specific service offerings and the uniqueness of the natural environment that Banyan Tree resorts are located. Although service innovations can be copied easily, the personality of a brand is less so, and the same can be said of the attitudes of staff and the local community at the resort destination, as well as the genuine feelings of hospitality shown towards guests. Banyan Tree had tried to appeal to â€Å"the senses,† ocusing on the overall customer experience and working on what the customer will ultimately bring home—memories. Judging from its success so far, it appears that even if competitors come up with similar lower-priced service products, it is unlikely that they would be able to replicate the total Banyan Tree experience so quickly. Perceptual mapping could be used to visualize the market positions of Banyan Tree and its sister brands relative to competitors in the industry. An example of a positioning map with the attributes price level and romantic versus sporty image is shown below: 4. Discuss whether the brand portfolio of BanyanTree, Angsana, and Colours of Angsana, as well asthe product portfolio of beach resorts and city hotels, spas, galleries, and museum shops fit as a family. What are your recommendations to Banyan Tree formanaging these brands and products in future? From luxurious six-star Banyan Tree resorts to small, individual Colours of Angsana branded hotels in exciting locations, these properties were bound together by one central theme: the romance of travel and the beauty of discovering the world. Banyan Tree targeted the higher end of the luxury resorts market Angsana was more mainstream and contemporary, targeting the wider market The Colours of Angsana range of boutique hotels catered specifically to the soft adventure tourism segment, locating in remote and exotic places that cannot justify the premium prices charged by Banyan Tree villas The various brands thus served to cater to different segments of the hotels and resorts industry, made distinct by price and benefits offered. The city hotel was also positioned similarly on romance and intimacy although it additionally catered to business travelers. There is a heavy emphasis on spa, designed to rovide an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. It also offered various getaway/wedding packages for couples to indulge in romance and intimacy. The various facilities, such as spas and retail outlets, found across Banyan Tree resorts, were also available at Banyan Tree Bangkok. In particular, the hotel had an open-air rooftop lounge, Vertigo, at the top of the building, where guests c ould get a good view of the city; the lounge could also be used to host wedding receptions and other parties. Four broad product lines: accommodation, clubs, spas, and retail outlets Banyan Tree’s products and services could be lassified into essentially four product lines: hotels and resorts, clubs, spas, and retail shops, under various brands and sub-brands. Banyan Tree’s properties and spas could be classified under the business of travel and leisure. The retail shops augmented and helped to extend the overall service experience through the sale of products that consumers might use at home to replicate and remind them of the Banyan Tree experience. Also, the arts and crafts sold at the shops not only served to reinforce Banyan Tree’s brand personality, but also fitted in the travel industry, with the sales of indigenous products that tourists could buy s souvenirs. Achieving branding consistency through management by brand Management of the portfolio by brand would achieve more consistency in branding and positioning, and also make it easier to cross-sell and bundle products, although such an arrangement would require duplication in resources for various functions. Target customer Banyan Tree focused on its target customer segment which was high-end wealthy customers looking for exclusive luxury holidays. Banyan Tree knew exactly which customers they wanted to target and carried out its brand positioning accordingly. Advertisement The advertising was very minimal to maintain exclusivity† and it was carried out in top-of-the-line travel magazines that targeted its preferred customer segment. It never went in for a mass market strategy by selling through wholesale and retail agents. It became so successful and profitable owing to the fact that it ended up knowing its target customers so well, it met their needs better than other giant chains such as Hilton and Shangri-La. Brand Identity -Brand value / ethics / CSR : Environmental fr iendly, preservation of eco system, bio- degradable products, customer focus, -Brand Associations / Personality : Caring, Romance and intimacy, social and sensitive, rivate, cultural and authentic, -Brand Vision – sanctuary for the senses, building a necklace across the world -Brand Positioning (Category, POD, POPs, Value Prop) -POD : Pricing, experience – intimate moments, private pools, spas and art gallery, building memories, romance, CSR, customer involvement(environmental preservation), sense of place (different place -> different experience) -POPS : all attribute of luxury resorts(high service standard, 5 star training -Value Proposition – is ideal for †¦.. provide target market segment because they provide†¦.. better than their competition

Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter From A Birmingham Jail And...

The â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King and the play of â€Å"Antigone†, both demonstrate ways in which civil disobedience is used to challenge unfair laws. Although Martin Luther King and Antigone both go against the unjust law, however, they go about it in different ways. For instance, Antigone acts in civil disobedience in order to accomplish a family obligation, meanwhile, Martin Luther King Jr. visions civil disobedience as a method to obtain equality for the sake of his community. Even though both important figures risk their lives to fight for their â€Å"Good Life†, Antigone takes a solitary, independent approach, while Martin Luther King stands up for others and promotes unity in his journey to obtain equity and fight for†¦show more content†¦The negative sanction, such as imprisonment in MLK case, as a result of civil disobedience, will spark an awakening in the community. King Jr. believes that if one single individual c an voluntarily accept the punishment for an action against injustice, it will benefit the community in society altogether. In addition, King Jr relies on religion to determine unjust vs just laws. According to MLK, â€Å"A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God† (paragraph 21). MLK use religion as a method to appeal to the heavily religious south and persuade them to form part of the change in civil disobedience. King Jr, fights for the â€Å"Good Life† with the hope to unite society and advocate for white people and colored people who are not willing to perform civil disobedience due to fear or any other motive. In the Sophocles’ play Antigone, Antigone demonstrates individualism in her struggle to provide a decent burial for her brother. Antigone acts alone and as King JrShow MoreRelatedAntigone And Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1233 Words   |  5 PagesIn Sophocles’ Antigone and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, Antigone and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used resistance against powerful leaders to follow their morals and make a statement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s approach towards the reconstruction of society’s cultural understanding of segregation used civil disobedience in a more public and large-scale approach, whereas Antigone’s use of civil disobedience defied the law in a much more private, small-scale way toRead MoreThe Fight for Social Justice Essay892 Words   |  4 Pagescomes at a great cost to those involved. 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Sophocles’ Antigone and Martin Luther King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† explore a common theme that law sometimes conflicts with justice through the characters of Antigone, Creon, and theRead MoreCivil Disobedience, And Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1018 Words   |  5 PagesHistoric figures such as Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. all acted civilly disobedience, but society benefitted from their movements. Civil disobedience is the underlying theme of Sophocles’ Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter From Birmingham Jail. The main character of Sophocles’ Antigone, Antigone, acts civil disobedience, just as Dr. King acted civilly disobedient. 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A specific claim exemplified throughout theseRead MoreAntigone And Letter From A Birmingham Jail Analysis716 Words   |  3 PagesSophocles’ â€Å"Antigone† and Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter From a Birmingham Jail† are two works of literature addressing the concept of nonviolent civil disobedience. â€Å"Antigone† is the story of a young woman, who the play is named after, who buries her brother against the law, as he was a traitor. She was then incarcerated and sentenced to death by the king of Thebes and her uncle, Creon. â€Å"Letter From a Birmingham Jail†, as the name implies, was written while Ki ng was arrested in Birmingham for leadingRead MoreEssay on Antigone: Martin Luther Kings Nonviolent Campaign1041 Words   |  5 Pages Martin Luther King, Jr. defines â€Å"civil disobedience† as a way to show others what to do when a law is unjust and unreasonable. As King stated in the letter from Birmingham, â€Å"Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.† When Negros were being treated unfairly, Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped in to show people how to peacefully protest and not be violent. The dictionary definition of civil disobedience is the refusal to comply withRead MoreThe Civil Disobedience of Antigone and the Teachings of Martin Luther King Jr.1402 Words   |  6 PagesFrom the monarchs of the ancient era to the democracy of today, order has been maintained by means of rules and regulations known as laws. Compliance with these laws is enforced through punishments ranging in severity ac cording to the crimes committed to reduce violence and misconduct from individuals within a society. However, just as citizens consent to abide by the laws of the state in which they reside, one is compelled to preserve justice and condemn the unjust decisions of man when the social