To attain such goal

utliers, values that significantly differ among others in the set of data [2]. Before doing the statistical calculations, suspect values, which are the lowest and highest data obtained are evaluated in terms of its acceptability through the Q-test.It makes use of the tabulated critical values for different confidence levels in which the resultant value for the said test hould not exceed, otherwise the datum is considered invalid and cannot be included in the course of the following calculations. Where Xq is the highest or the lowest datum, Xn is the closest numerical value to the suspect values and R is the range of the data set. The sample mean is considered as the most valid estimate of the true value that is considered in the course of the experiment.It is considered as the norm in finding the probable location of the center of the data set since it is the value in between the extremes of the data. This is acquired by dividing the summation of the data within he set by the number of data added altogether [3]. Where is the mean value and represents the individual datum in the data set of replicate measurements. Standard deviation, in the other hand, is the measure of variation or the degree of the gathered measurements which implies that the measurements are less precise when a greater value is obtained. Otherwise, a lesser value should be calculated [3].However, standard deviation is usually expressed in parts per thousand. That is, Standard deviation may only measure the variability of the true value. However, to dentify the end values of a specific confidence interval, the confidence limit is calculated. It is the range where the true value lies at a certain level of probability. It may also measure the precision of the gathered data. The narrower is the range, the more precise are the acquired data. To calculate the confidence limit, Where t is the tabulated value for the corresponding levels of probability, n-l .In this experiment, it is crucial to be ab le to use the analytical balance properly and through gained knowledge on some concepts of statistical analysis, statistical concepts may hen be applied throughout the course of analytical chemistry. METHODOLOGY Figure 1 . Flowchart of the general procedures of the experiment. Ten (10) samples of 25-centavo coins were collected, washed thoroughly and dried to be used as samples for the experiment. With the use of forceps, these samples were transferred to a small beaker. The use of forceps was to ensure that no additional moisture will be retained on the surface of the samples.The weighing by difference technique was used in acquiring the mass of each sample. Before using the analytical balance, the on/tare button was pressed to calibrate the instrument. The beaker-sample system was then placed on top of the analytical balance. After the sides was properly closed, the reading was then recorded. After each reading, one 25-centavo coin is removed and a new reading was then obtain. Thi s was repeated until there was no sample left in the beaker and so the last acquired reading was the mass of the beaker.

Birth of the Republic

The birth of the United States is one of the turning points of history of humans. It enabled the New World to come full circle and make the perilous transition from the Old World to the New. The American Revolution also defined the role that Great Britain was to play in the world. With the breaking away of the American colonies, a new nation was born that would supersede the power and influence of the United Kingdom. Edmund S. Morgan provides a summary of the American Revolution and recounts how the Republic was born and struggled to create its own mark in history.Morgan managed to trace the historical developments in the original thirteen colonies in America and the issues that led them to push and fight for independence. At first, the major issue was taxation by the British government. However, as they went on with the struggle, the Americans started defining themselves as a nation and affirmed their freedom as a people independent from Great Britain. These ideas did not arise beca use of amazing political theory that the Americans in the colonies formulated. Rather, they arose out of the experiences and the needs of the people in the colonies. The American Push for IndependenceAccording to Morgan, the people who went to the colonies understood themselves to be free â€Å"Englishmen† who were entitled to the usual rights and privileges ascribed to Englishmen, particularly their right to liberty and freedom. As such, it came as a surprise to those in the colonies when Sugar and Stamp Acts of 1764-1765 demanded that extra tax be taken away from the colonies. As a response, the colony settlers demanded that they be directly represented to the British government. This was but the first of a series of demands that led the colonial settlers to redefine and rethink the nature of their relationship with Britain.It is important to note that the colonial settlers did not truly wage the Revolution because of nationalistic impulses or because of too lofty ideals. W hat they wanted was to have equal rights of liberty and representation enjoyed by Englishmen whether they are in England or not. Because the colonial settlers could not accept the idea of being represented virtually, they rejected the taxation system being imposed upon them. More than that, the settlers also began to question the jurisdiction of the British Parliament over them.The process of establishing a central government among the colonies was full of difficulties and challenges, which were confounded by the war against Britain. Even if the colonies managed to defeat the British, the colonies recognized the need to band together and form a government that can look after the colonies. Four years after signing the Peace Treaty, the colonies called for a Constitutional Convention in 1787. The process was far from smooth. What happened was that the process tended to be more controversial than the act of declaring freedom from Great Britain.Several issues that arose included the siz e of the states and the differences among them. Surprisingly, however, the equality of states in representation to the Senate was prioritized over the equality of men. The reality of slavery also became a contentious issue among the States. Ironically, a slave was considered as three-fifths the worth of a free man when it came to representation. This was a compromise so that slaves could not longer be imported after 1808. Private property was also protected. The idealism of the Declaration of Independence did not resound very loudly in the Constitution.Such was the case of compromises and political situation during the Birth of the United States. Morgan managed to highlight the different motives of the leaders of the Revolution throughout the process—from the first time that the issue of taxation arose, down to the actual revolution, and the writing of the articles and the Constitution. This whole process occurred within twenty-five years. Morgan also looked into the leaders of the Revolution and conceded that they were not always acting based on good motives and an appeal to idealism. They also worked for economic gain and they managed to include provisions that protected their properties.During that period, the ownership of land was the foremost indicator of wealth. However, these acts do not mean that they are no less committed to the ideals of liberty. The compromises made by the colonies among themselves, particularly the issue of slavery, was but part of the issues that were not smoothed out because the Constitution had to be put in place if the young nation were to stand on its own against the might of the stronger nations during that period. Conclusion Although the war during the American Revolution is interesting, Morgan did not devote a lot of pages in discussing it.Rather, he explained the broader issues and forces at work in the birth of the United States of America. More than just the dynamics of the war, the author traced the ideals, the i deas, and the issues that bonded together the colonies and their efforts in consolidating themselves into one nation. Furthermore, the author included the texts of important documents that have shaped the American nation since its inception. It is an amazing piece of work documenting the nation’s history. Reference Morgan, E. S. (1993). The Birth of the Republic: 1763-89. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press.

DODEA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DODEA - Essay Example titutions are based on the fact that instructors chosen by the military exerts more effort in inculcating discipline not only within the school staff and personnel but also to their students and their respective families as well. This consist of regular and standardized monitoring which is made along with counseling and follow-ups to impart appropriate and acceptable principles and behavior regarding family and community aspects (Andrew 1-2). Relatively, children from DoDEA who are well disciplined also perform academically better than those of their counterparts in the local public schools since they are rigorously required to come up with the high standard of the school and excel in their marks (Randolph 1-2). Being an achiever is a by-product of DoDEA schools since students are encouraged to be their finest both in curricular and extra-curricular activities. Hence giving their best with the primary objective of having to excel (Brooklyn 1-4). It also goes true that DoDEA students or children have a wholesome sense of security which really sets them apart from the students enrolled in conventional public schools. The inspiration of keeping themselves and their environment secure stems from the way the administration or management handles them once they go out of line from the pre-set standards and regulations of the school. The procedure that is often employed by the said schools starts from interviewing the wayward student, then consulting with the parents/guardians to discuss concerns on behavior in order to determine whether further mental or health evaluation is necessary (Safe Schools Newsletter 2). In this regard, the counselors within DoDEA schools are cautioned to refrain from emotional responses that may excite or anger the emotionally disturbed student. Such appropriate handling works in a way that the child will learn how to respond and react calmly when faced with distressing situations; and will normally faci litate retention of normality

Retail Marketing- (Retail Audit Analytical Memos) Assignment

Retail Marketing- (Retail Audit Analytical Memos) - Assignment Example Country’s Road’s retail concept or core offering is that of high quality apparel that reflects the Australian lifestyle. Although the primary target is middle to high-income groups, the company offers seasonal price promotions including mid-sales of upto 50% off on products in store. At the same time, however, the company is not a discount retailer and focuses on providing superior quality products that reflect the Australian fashion and lifestyle. The products are neither distinctly classic nor purely modern but a unique combination of both. The significant retail mix elements in this case are location, assortment and communications mix. The company operates both brick-and-mortar stores as well as an online store. The online store has been introduced owing to increased demand for electronic purchases by consumers and falling sales in brick-and-mortar stores. Keeping in view the rising demand for smartphones and tablets rising, the company has introduced a mobile shopping app which would further enhance customer experience. The company’s iPhone app, for instance, has been a big hit in Australia after eBay’s and Apple’s apps. Online shopping has further necessitated the need for managing real-time inventory for the company as customers look forward to getting the same retail experience online as they would in store. Furthermore, online shopping shall provide impetus for greater sale of full-priced items even before the company needs to discount them to offload remaining inventory. This way, margins ca n be increased. As far as assortment is concerned, Country Road offers few product categories (including apparel and home products) even though it offers several items within each category. For instance, under the category of women’s apparel, the company offers dresses, t-shirts, jeans, shorts, pants, shirts, sleepwear, jackets, knitwear and sweats (Country Road, 2014). Then again, it offers various items under the footwear category

Changes In Company's Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Changes In Company's Culture - Research Paper Example This paper stresses that there is a strong relationship between culture and performance. A supportive culture enhances the organization’s competitive advantage in terms of higher outputs, improved profits, increased employee retention and enhanced working environment. Culture determines employee attitudes, their motivation and consequent organizational performance. This paper has highlighted change in organizational culture, the two levels of organizational culture, the use of culture measures in change situations, failure to achieve organizational culture change, and implementing the process successfully. Sustainable organizational change cannot be effectively implemented by structural or systemic changes to the organization. On the other hand, it is brought about by powerful techniques that work successfully through strong communications with employees. These communications convey both the means by which the organization will change the way it functions and about the new cultural goals of the organization. Effective organizational change occurs when completely new climates and cultures are created and maintained by the company. Different types of climates and cultures may be equally effective for different organizations according to their industry, markets and nature of their workforce. To ensure successful cultural change management in an or ganization, and to break the spiral of dysfunctional failures, the climate and culture levels offer numerous opportunities for the company’s management to bring about sustainable change.

Event study for efficient market hypothesis ex dividend data Dissertation

Event study for efficient market hypothesis ex dividend data - Dissertation Example The intention of this study are efficient market hypothesis. The theory ‘efficient market’ was formulated by Eugene Fama in 1970. He described an efficient market as a market where at any point in time, actual prices of individual securities already reflect the effects of information based both on events that have already occurred and on events which, as of now, the market expects to take place in the future. The efficient market prices represent the intrinsic value of the securities. Researchers have developed this hypothesis to be known as the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) which states that the market prices reflect all information known to the public. Market react to any new information available in the market immediately as reflected in stock prices rather than gradually adjust it. This theory is an important concept in the area of understanding equity markets and cost of equity capital. Another important concept in the area of equity markets is that of random wa lk hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, the anticipated price of an asset fluctuates randomly around its expected value. Both the efficient market and random walk hypothesis, it is a futile exercise to try and find overpriced and under-priced assets. This is because, in an efficient market, the assets in the stock market are already reflecting all the available information. There are no future predictions that can be made about how a market will behave. The price of any assets is already a reflection of the best estimates for the expected risk and return of the assets. The suggestion that all the information known about past, present and future events is reflected in the current market prices means that the financial analysts are snake oil salesmen. This is why the EMH is such a controversial hypothesis. However, in an inefficient market, investors can identify miss-priced assets. Identifying the same can enable an investor to achieve gains (Rutterford, 1993). Because of these reasons, these hypotheses provide a solid theoretical and predictive model about the operations of the financial markets and influence more people to invest in stock market (Will, 2006). Types of Market Efficiency There are three primary categorization of EMH given by Fama (1970) according to the type of information reflected in the stock price – 1. Weak-form efficiency - Share prices reflect all past information and thus, rules out the possibility of predicting future stock prices on the basis of past

Why should we apply the death penalty to the remaining younger brother Essay

Why should we apply the death penalty to the remaining younger brother who did the Boston marathon bombing or why shouldnt we - Essay Example This remaining criminal, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, after confirmation of the crime will be punished by the death penalty according to the United States Attorney General Eric Holder who detailed charges for the 19-year old survivor. In support of this statement, this essay will provide an argumentative analysis on the plight of the criminal with death as the alternative penalty. ARGUMENT Mere punishments, such as life imprisonment, for the person like Dzhokhar Tsarnaev might not be a better punishment because his action is a serious humanity crime. Humanity crime that involves killing is a weighty offence that needs instant penalties. In such cases people who cause a grave public disturbance should face a charge equal to the crime committed. Causing death to innocent people shows that the violators do not value the life of other people (Kotz n.pag.). This, therefore, implies that this person should be subjected to death penalty as a lesson to the other criminals alleged with the same crime. Some criminals do not forget their usual activities even after maltreatment in the cell, and, thus, it is necessary for the court to raise concerns for the applicable punishment for such criminals. We might argue that the remaining criminal has learned a lesson after the death of his brother (Kotz n.pag.). People who point guns at the police mean that they have the capability shooting other people because now they despise the police force.

Hazardous Waste Transportation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hazardous Waste Transportation - Term Paper Example In the anticipation of such events, the United States government made the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in 1976. Today, the act is being implemented under the supervision of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA); and mandates specific rules and regulations regarding the management of these materials. This paper would focus on the hazardous waste transportation as one of the important aspects of the act’s proposed â€Å"cradle-to-grave† program. This would start with knowing what the hazardous wastes are, why there is a need of properly transporting it, what are the specific provisions indicated in the RCRA on transporting these materials, its process and the people, or organizations involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are four main things that deem wastes as hazardous. They are hazardous if they are toxic, can catch or readily start a fire, have high reactivity level when combined with other products, or are corrosive (Kovacs 71). The RCRA specifically defined these wastes under solid waste; although it can also include any form of matter. They are â€Å"any garbage, refuse, sludge or other discarded materials, including solid, liquid, or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining and agricultural operations, and from community activities† (Teets, Reis, and Worrell 21). Any of the materials that contain carcinogenic [can cause cancer], mutagenic [can induce mutation], or teratogenic [can cause malformation or even death to a fetus] elements are considered toxic. Corrosive substances â€Å"include inorganic acid and bases that have the ability to damage or destroy material and living tissue by direct chemical action.† R eactive materials, on the other hand, are those that readily react if combined with other products and â€Å"can cause burns, poisoning, fire or explosion† while flammable materials â€Å"include combustible liquids, flammable solids, flammable gases,

William Paleys Teleological Argument Research Paper

William Paleys Teleological Argument - Research Paper Example When a watch that has an intricate design and function exists, a creator or designer for the watch also exists. Therefore, the existence of the universe and living beings in it uphold the belief that there is someone behind their creation and that creator is God. This can further be discerned from the fact that without a creation no creation is possible. Paley’s view is that a watch has several metal parts and each has a distinct place and function in making the machine work. He then puts forth a reasonable argument that of the alignment is disturbed or if even a tiny part of misplaced, the watch will cease its function. If one puts together bits and pieces of metals and waits for an eternity, the particle will not join together and make a watch and, therefore, it transpires that behind the watch there is a designer who has put the right things in the right place to achieve alignment for the machine to work. He compares the universe to a similar phenomenon, which needs to have a designer to make such a scheme of things to work and argues that God is the designer, which is a tenable contention. Anselm argues that to understand God a human must first believe in Him and without belief understanding does not occur and one cannot hope to first understand God and then believe in Him. He asserts the Christian faith that God is a bei ng â€Å"than which none greater can be conceived† (Oppenheimer & Zalta 2) and, thus, he contends that since God represents perfection, this very notion implies the His existence. In Anselm’s view, belief is the means to understand God and not the end one pursues through understanding God. Thus, if one believes in God, one can feel the presence of God but one cannot aspire to feel the presence of God and then believe in Him. His philosophy emphasizes the ideals of Christian faith, which believes that there is no being greater than God.

Heroes and Heroines in American Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Heroes and Heroines in American Education - Essay Example Today, the United States is still the land of opportunity for the common man. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world still would like to come to America and live here, centuries after the first European settlers made it their New World. And yet for young Americans, the heroes and heroines have increasingly been limited to what they see on television, films and those who excel in sports. This is due to the pervasiveness of media that has even taken over the role of educating the minds and ways of the youth, away from that of the schools and even to a certain extent, the family. Young people watch television many hours a day and even babies are weaned on cartoons. Likewise, Hollywood news and the latest victory of a Tiger Woods or a Roger Federer take much of the time and attention of youngsters. The way that young America is idolizing or making heroes out of actors and sports stars should be taken into a certain perspective in as much as the positive influence of empowerment is more often a case of make-believe (in the case of film stars for there is no sure way to tell the spin from the actual or the real ) and rarely goes beyond individual achievement (in the case of sports heroes, except probably with Michael Jor dan who was recognized not only a superb individual player but an outstanding team player as well). Real heroes and heroines on the othe

Introduction to China Essay Example for Free

Introduction to China Essay IntroduMing emperor Yung-lo and commander in chief of the Chinese expeditionary fleet to the South Seas in the early years of the 15th century. Born into a family named Ma, presumably of Mongol- Arab origin, In central Yunnan Province, Cheng Ho was selected to be castrated by the general In charge of recruiting eunuchs for the court In 1381, when he was about 10. Assigned to the retinue of Chu Tl, who later became emperor, Cheng accompanied him on military campaigns, culminating in the usurpation of the throne by Chu Ti in 402. Ma Ho proved himself to be an exceptional servant to Prince Zhu Di. He became skilled in the arts of war and diplomacy and served as an officer of the prince. Zhu Di renamed Ma Ho as Cheng Ho because the eunuchs horse was killed in battle outside of a place called Zhenglunba. (Cheng Ho is also Zheng He in the newer Pinyin transliteration of Chinese but hes still most commonly called Cheng Ho). Cheng Ho was also known as San Bao which means three Jewels. Cheng Ho, who was said to have been seven feet tall, was given greater power when Zhu Di became emperor in 402. One year later, Zhu Di appointed Cheng Ho admiral and ordered him to oversee the construction of a Treasure Fleet to explore the seas surrounding China. Admiral Cheng Ho was the first eunuch appointed to such a high military position In China. Because of a report that the former emperor Hul-tl had fled overseas, but probably with other good reasons, such as promoting Chinese influence or trade opportunities, Yunglo sent out expealtlons overseas unaer cnengs command. In a perloa 0T 2 years, from 1405 to 1433, Cheng directed seven expeditions and visited no fewer than 7 countries, stretching from Champa in the east to the African coast in the west. In preparation for these expeditions, some 1,180 ships of various types and measurements were constructed. The size of the fleet varied from voyage to voyage. The first expedition consisted of a 27,800-man crew and 62 large vessels and 255 smaller ones carrying cargoes of silk, embroideries, and other valuable products. Cheng took personal command of each voyage, but he often entrusted his lieutenants to undertake side trips away from the main itinerary. The countries visited ranged rom the nearby states, such as Champa, Sumatra, and Java, to the faraway lands to the East, including Arabia and places on the east African coast, such as Mogadishu and Brawa. The purpose of these trips was to assure foreigners of Chinas friendliness, extend imperial gifts and greetings to the chiefs of the foreign kingdoms, and report the conditions of these distant lands to the court. But at the same time, Chengs fleet also managed to annihilate a powerful Chinese pirate, interfere in a Javanese war, and reinstate a legitimate ruler in Ceylon. Yielding loads f exotic native products, the expeditions were often followed by tribute-bearing envoys from across the sea. Nonetheless, these voyages were criticized by Chinese officials as useless and wasteful of resources. After Yunglos death in 1424, the expeditions were suspended, and Cheng was made a garrison commander of Nanking. The last voyage (1432-1433) took place under the auspices of Emperor Hs?an-te. Cheng is customarily said to have died in 1435/1436, at the age of 65, but one source holds that he died early in 1433. Chengs expeditions, undertaken almost century before those of Christopher Columbus and Vasco de Gama, not only strengthened Chinas influence over its neighbors but also marked a unique achievement in the history of maritime enterprise. A navigational chart attributable to the expeditions has been preserved and translated into English. First voyage (1405-1407) The first Treasure Fleet consisted of 62 ships; four were huge wood boats, some of the largest ever built in history. They were approximately 400 feet (122 meters) long and 160 feet (50 meters) wide. The four were the flagships of the fleet of 62 ships assembled at Nanjing along the Yangtze (Chang) River. Included in the fleet were 339-foot (103-meter) long horse ships that carried nothing but horses, water ships that carried fresh water for the crew, troop transports, supply ships, and war ships for offensive and defensive needs. The ships were filled with thousands of tons of Chinese goods to trade with others during the voyage. In the fall of 1405 the fleet was ready to embark with 27,800 men. The fleet utilized the compass, invented in China in the 1 lth century, for navigation. Graduated sticks of incense were burned to measure time. One day was equal to 10 watches of 2. 4 hours each. Chinese navigators determine latitude through monitoring the North Star (Polaris) in the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Cross in the Southern Hemisphere. The ships of the Treasure Fleet communicated with one another through the use of flags, lanterns, bells, carrier pigeons, gongs, and banners. The destination of the first voyage of the Treasure Fleet was Calicut, known as a major trading center on the southwestern coast of India. India was initially discovered by Chinese overland explorer Hsuan- sang In tne seventn century. I ne meet stopped In Vietnam, Java, ana Malacca, ana hen headed west across the Indian Ocean to Sri Lanka and Calicut and Cochin (cities on the southwest coast of India). They remained in India to barter and trade from late 1406 to the spring of 1407 when they utilized the monsoon shift to sail toward home. On the return voyage, the Treasure Fleet was forced to battle pirates near Sumatra for several months. Eventually Cheng Hos men managed to capture the pirate leader and take him to the Chinese capital Nanjing, arriving in 1407. second voyage (1407-1409) A second voyage of the Treasure Fleet departed on a return trip to India in 1407 but Cheng Ho did not command this voyage. He remained in China to oversee the repair of a temple at the birthplace of a favorite goddess.

Reusability of Code Essay Example for Free

Reusability of Code Essay Designing a code can often take a lot of time, depending on the complexity of the coding. This is why code reusability has become a standard when it comes to computer programming. But to understand why you would reuse code, you need to understand what goes into creating code. This essay will compare and contrast procedural programming modules and objects. Also, it discuss the security terms in hiding code, passing of data versus data encapsulation, code reuse in more than one program, and how object-oriented methods are similar to procedural modules. According to Gaddis (2010) there are two methods of programming that are primarily used: Object-oriented and Procedural. Procedural programming is more focused on creating procedures; object-oriented programming is focused on creating objects. When dealing with procedures, the data items are separate from the procedures. Gaddis (2010) says this can cause problems, but at the same time it will help the program become larger and more complex. But where procedural programming separates code and data, object-oriented programming handles it through encapsulation and data hiding. Encapsulation takes an object and combines data and code into it. Data hiding makes it possible to hide code in the inside of an object from the code outside of the object. An object normally hides its data, but leaves the methods available for access. Gaddis (2010) states, â€Å"When an object’s internal data is hidden from outside code and access to that data is restricted to the object’s methods, the data is protected from accidental corruption.† There is also no reason to worry about formatting of the code inside the object, just the methods of the object. If you want to reuse codes, the best way to do it is to create modules. They let you duplicate code in a program so that you can execute whenever you  need the service. The Microsoft website (What Is Reusable Code?, 2013) says that code reusability can be used if the code doesn’t have to modified, and can perform a specific service regardless of what the application uses it. It just can be too complex of a code. Just as we use standards in everyday life, there are standard code that is used with computer programs. Venit and Drake say (2011) that inheritance goes along with code reusability. Inheritance takes the methods and attributes from old classes and uses them in new ones. In conclusion, there are different aspects between object-oriented programming and procedural programming. These two methods have different ways of functioning within a program. And as long as a code isn’t to complex, code reuse is very possible. References Gaddis, T. (2010). Starting Out with Programming Logic Design (Second Edition ed.). Addison-Wesley. Microsoft. (2013). What Is Reusable Code? Retrieved from msdn.microsoft.com: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/aa189112(v=office.10).aspx Venit, S., Drake, E. (2011). Prelude Programming Concepts and Design (Fifth Edition ed.). Addison-Wesley.

Impact of Brand Sound Elements on Consumers

Impact of Brand Sound Elements on Consumers Executive Summary With increase in competition and the number of media vehicles available, it has become essential for brands to establish powerful memory triggers in the minds of customers. Although, our relationship with sound is largely unconscious, sound is one of the most powerful and least explored senses in advertising and branding. India being a country with a very rich oral culture has numerous examples of sound identities created in religion, culture, traditions etc. Many smaller vendors and peddlers of India have also very effectively used sounds to differentiate themselves. Many companies are now starting to realize the effectiveness of Sonic Branding and the need for brands to have a sound identity. Some examples of famous and efficient sound trademarks are the Intel jingle, Nirma jingle, the Yahoo yodel, Apple computer sounds, Harley Davidson engine bike sound and Nokias ringtone. From just using jingles and music, sonic branding has moved to the use of sounds in various other platforms such as intrinsic product based sounds, soundscapes etc. This research aims to explore the effects of sound triggers or stimuli applied on customers to gauge the emotions and memories it evokes and hence understand how the trigger can affect the respondent. Brands across four broad categories have been considered for primary research according to the four quadrants of the FCB matrix. Various projective techniques have been used to find the associations created by the brand sounds of these chosen brands. Opinions of a few experts from advertising agencies and a few music composers have been taken to understand the phenomenon better. The findings have been analysed using the AIDA model, CAB model and also compared with similar examples from everyday life. The insights obtained have been used to come up with a framework for future companies to effectively implement sonic branding. Introduction: The impact that sound creates on anyone is profound. Sound being one of the major five senses plays a vital role in everyones day to day activities. In a country like India, which has an extensive oral culture where even a form of medication has been passed on to the next generation orally; sound is something that matters to every single soul in one way or the other. Sound is prevalent in almost all traditional forms in India ranging from festivals to discourses. In a vast country like India, each state has its own culture and each culture has its own representation of sound in its own unique ways. Right from the birth, where a special song is sung to represent the birth of a new child till the death, where in some states there are different instruments played during funeral. There are different sounds that represent different emotional states and thus it is a part of everyone and each variation of it causes a different impact. Every religion has its own usage of sound, for instance, ringing of bell and chanting has always symbolized the Hindu religion, similarly Sunday carols and Friday prayers at Church and mosque respectively. In a similar fashion and following the trend, various brands have started using sounds in all possible ways ranging from ad jingles to brand name associated music like the one Nokia has been using for years now. The main reason behind brands using sound although visual medium is still in vogue is because of the impact a particular sound creates on the user and the association with the brand name. Association of a particular sound to a product stays longer in a persons lifetime than probably a logo that one would associate with the same. There are sounds that one can easily recognize like that of a police siren or one from the ambulance which creates the sense of emergency and this sound creates a deep impact at least for a small period of time. Sound can be regarded as the best medium to communicate as the auditory signals can spread through thin air reaching a lot of people around and unlike vision which is restricted to the view of the reader. This way the reach increases and the impact is so huge that many companies have started using sound as their important means of communication. There are cases where the usage of sound has proven to increase the brand image and brand association of a particular product with the sound ,for example Kelloggs hired a Danish Lab to design a specific crunching sound for their cereal so that the customers will be able to differentiate their product from their counterparts based on the sound. Similarly, Nestlà ©s Kit-Kat has used the wafer cracking sound in its advertisements extensively thus bringing in an association between the cracking sound and their product. Sound Association with products has become so common that there are lots of products in the market which can be associated with its own song, jingle or even simple theme music. The underlying fact is that the sound that one experiences once stays forever in the minds and thus strikes a chord whenever they come across the product. This long term impact of sound makes it a more viable option than other means. There are cases where silence is the last thing customers would want, like in the case of a lounge where a mild music would help the customers ease out. This is probably the reason why a convention of sound based alerts in an elevator has come up to reassure people that they are safe even when they are alone. In the same lines was the first personal stereo developed because of which a person will not feel lonely and that sound will help him overcome his loneliness which eventually became an all time super hit product. As we all know that radio is one of the most welcomed invention and the reason why it is still popular even after the invention of television and other fancy gadgets is because of the ease of use and because sound does not require one to sit tight to get the fullest experience, a person driving his car can just tune into his favourite station and keep listening while doing the driving and so is the case with a housewife who can listen to it doing her daily chores alongside. This is one reason why people are still happy advertising through a radio. Considering Cinema, the impact that the sound creates and the value add that it provides to the movie experience is huge. Imagine a horror movie without sound and the impact it creates is not even half when compared to the one with the soundtrack on. There are many interesting cases which proves the point that sound is really a factor in any ones business; one such example would be the case of IBMs introduction of new range of noiseless typewriters in the 70s which did not sell well in the market. The reason that they found was that what they termed as noise really turned out to be a core attribute of the product and hence they re-launched the product with an artificial sound which simulated the original one. There is also the case of Las Vegas Gambling machines which were made coinless and hence the absence of the sound made by coins inside the slot machines shooed away the customers thus resulting in a drop in the revenues. There are certain products which are so attached to sound used by the vendors to sell the products that the change in the sound or absence of it might pose a threat to the product. The best example is the roadside pushcart seller who uses his distinctive voice to cry out loud and sell what he has got. There could be no better way to sell ice creams or cotton candys without using the bell attached to their push cart. When we look at various commercial products, like say a coke tin when broken open gives this unique sound which reassures the buyer of the freshness and quality of packing involved and same applies to various other food products. This kind of a sound association with every attribute attracts the producers to give more and more importance to the involvement of sound in their products. There are other instances which acts in the exact opposite fashion from what we have seen so far, the negative impact of sound associated with a product. An example to quote here would be that of a computer which produces less noise or no noise at all. In that case also sound association plays a vital role but in the opposite sense, that is, no sound or silence. Another major example here would be that of a generator which is more welcome when it produces less noise than one with a lot of sound. In this way even the absence of sound is associated with a select few products. Hence here sound might produce a negative impact on brand image. There are certain products where the sound association comes in the form of sound made by the product itself, like for example, a motorcycle which has its own distinct sound by which it is well recognized in the society. It is imperative that for these products the sound attribute must never be replaced with or removed from the product. If we run a search on product promotion using sound, there is no escape without going through our own traditional methods of product promotion or brand strengthening using sound as the major medium. Right from selling fish in a market till promoting a political party, Oral culture seems prevalent throughout our country. Processions, awareness campaigns all use sound to promote their products or ideas. Literature review Introduction to sonic branding The branding of a sound stimulus is called as Sonic Branding, Audio Branding, Sound Branding or Auditory branding, interchangeably by different authors. The power of music and sound to create a worldwide emotional response is unquestionable, but there is only little research that has been conducted to understand this phenomenon of sonic branding. Jackson (2004) defines Sonic branding is defined as the structured process, in which the acoustic becomes a part of the brand and its brand identity. .it may consist of an audio logo, a short jingle, or a brand theme. Roots of sonic branding Sonic Branding has been prevalent over centuries. The first sonic brand created was in 1859 when the chime sequence and the Big Ben bell was installed in the Westminster clock in London. Even today, whenever the chime is heard whether in grandfather clocks or mantel piece heirlooms, the City of Westminster is remembered around the world. (Stewart-Allen, 2006) Sonic branding seems to have its roots around the time humans discovered or developed music, and later used music to peddle our wares. Even today vendors in the markets who shout out to customers, ice cream trucks that ring a bell as they move, giant wheels and merry-go-rounds in village fairs have a unique sound attached to them which created fond memories in people. Jackson (2004) says in spite of all these, sonic branding has gained recognition as a separate business discipline only in the last few decades and has gained sophistication only over the last few years. Power of Sound: Music, the foundation for sonic branding, is a universally understood language and hence a powerful and feasible brand communications tool. Studies have shown that variations in the formal music structure of background music in commercials may have significant influence over the emotional responses of an audience. Music can evoke past memories, create nostalgia and transport the person to the past. The music evoked moods congruent with the feelings appropriate in such situations can be associated with increases in purchase intentions. (Alpert, Judy, Elliot, 2005) Sound is hardwired into our emotional circuit and it can often be the decided factor in a consumers choice. Studies have shown direct correlation between the kind of music played in a store and the purchase pattern of customers. Hearing is passive and listening is active, and according to Lindstrom (2005, P. 73) Even if we are more involved in hearing than listening, our mood is still affected by what we hear. While a logo is a graphical element of the brand, the sonic brand is the audio element of the brand. The objective is to create a memory trigger, linking the product name, service or benefit with a pleasant memory. Sound is also the simplest way to bypass cultural and language barriers and delivers a corporate message on a global scale (Beau, 2008). Sonic branding and advertising Every living being on earth has its own sonic signature. As human development spreads, the space available for animals and insects shrink hence there is less space for creatures that rely on sound to hunt and reciprocate. Brands face a similar challenge. Some of the acoustic principles of mature hence apply to brands also. (Franus, 2009). Apart from visual stimuli, Audio is the most widely used element in any advertisement or brand communication. In the book Sonic Branding, Jackson (2004) refers to auditory interfaces as sonic touch points. Radio, TV, cell phone, music played during telephone hold, and customer interactions in an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system are but a few examples of the fourteen touch points Jackson identified. Sonic Logo – Sogo The most basic form of sonic branding is the sonic logo, a sogo. A sogo is a unifying, focal sonic branding device. Corporate identity literature defines a sogo to be a sonic branding device that plays the role of a short distinctive auditory signature lasting between three to six seconds. A sogo is the auditory analogue of a visual logo. For example the 5-tone (G?-C? -F? -C?- G?) Intel TM is a sogo. As another example, sonic branding for different models of the Nokia phones may be different but related musically as a family, signed off by the same sogo. The sogo activates the entire brand knowledge that includes brand attributes, brand benefits and brand attitudes. According to Roy (2009), jingles which were the most common type of music in popular radio and TV commercials of the 80s and 90s is slowly phasing out. One does not hear jingles like that of Nirma, Hamara Bajaj or Vicco Turmeric any more. The trend is moving towards more short, crisp and memorable brand sogos. Global Examples: The power of Tarzans call, the famous MGM lion roar are some examples of sounds that are famous globally. Later came Microsofts start up tone for windows which is even today heard by more than 400 million people every day. The Intel Inside tune has been around since 1998 that it has actually made the invisible chip visible via the short distinct sound used in all its brand-building campaigns. Realising the importance of sound, Daimley Chrysler established a new department within his company to work on the sound of their car door as it was found that the way doors close can be an important factor in the perception of quality. (Lindstrom, 2005, p. 19, 21) Sonic Brands in India: According to Sanjay Raj Kurup, India is a very sonic nation and [brand] advertising in India was founded on sonic elements. He goes on to say Age old jingles of brands like Vicco Turmeric cream, Frooti (fruit drink) and Nirma washing powder have helped create strong brand identities and are remembered even today. Also, as a country, we love the voices of our actors and actresses, and any brand that uses a famous celebrity voice to promote its products has met with success. (Khicha, 2009) Further, Marketers in India have used music to sell everything from biscuits to bicycles. Britannias trademark jingle tintin tri din or the patriotic tune of Hamara Bajaj still rings in our ears. Khicha (2009) says today, in an increasingly cluttered media environment, jingles have been refreshed and modernized to hold the attention of customers. Tunes no longer just repeat the brand name, but are used in a manner where the core brand idea is tied to the music more creatively like Titans use of the symphony of Mozart Impact of Sounds: According to Julian Treasure, sounds affect us at four stages: Physiologically- Everyday life is filled with thousands of sound elements. From the alarm in the morning to the traffic and screeching of animals at night, every sound trigger creates a physiological impact on us. These impacts could include hormone sections, change in breathing, heart waves and brain waves. Unpleasant sounds like screeching sound, background sounds etc also affect us similarly. Psychologically- Music is the most powerful sound that affects our emotional state. Music is capable of changing the mood and mental condition of a person. Apart from music, natural sound affects our emotions too. Bird sound make many people feel reassured. Sound of traffic and horns increase tension and anxiety. Cognitively: We sub consciously filter sounds and only listen to what you want. For example when our name is called out in a crowd, we hear it irrespective of the background noises. This is also the reason why productivity decreases in noisy offices. Behaviourally: We move towards unpleasant sounds and move towards pleasant sounds. The best example of this is the fact that most retail sounds have a drastic effect on sales. Analysis of Brand Sounds: There are eight ways in which a brand can express itself using sound and every brand which does it has some fundamental guidelines at its centre. (Treasure, 2009). The eight ways or platforms are: Measuring Senses The main problem with conducting a sensory audit is that People tend to think about the sensory experience only in terms of the primary sense involved in the experience (Lindstrom, 2005, Pg 139). Hence it now becomes a challenge to identify the component parts of the sensory experience. The Brand Sense study (Lindstrom, 2005) covers the differences between the brands based on the senses before getting to the core of the questionnaire focusing on the senses and specific brands. Measuring Emotional response is trickier and is beyond the scope of a simple survey. Hence emotional responses are validated by starting on a simplifying assumption that emotion is related to a good or bad stimulus response. This hypothesis is later validated with the respondent. (Lindstrom, 2005) According to Banks (2009), sonic branding is one of the most intangible and poorly understood forms of branding. At its simple form a sogo is just a memorable sound attached to an identity, but for a global brand the sonic strategy can capture the essence of the entire company. Conclusion A number of brands have implemented the feature of sound stimulus to facilitate marketing strategy and building a brand. In recent years, numerous companies have followed this way to gain reputation and trust for their goods and services. It has hence been proved that the particular sound of a product can acquire distinctiveness and become a valuable trademark. It is now time to awaken the dormant senses and further utilize their unique properties in the search for brand loyalty (Fulberg, 2003) Recent Trends Use of Intrinsic unconscious Sounds: Brands have now started using more unconscious sounds to cognitively connect to the customer. With BMW patenting the sound of its car door closing and Kellogg patenting the sound of its crunchiness, more brands have started realising the importance of product sounds in creating a brand image for the product. Death of Jingles: The 1990s were times when brands used long jingles with lyrics very successfully to connect to audience. Brands like Vicco turmeric, Hamara Bajaj have very successfully used this phenomenon. In current times very few brands choose to use a brand jingle and are moving towards signature tunes, sogos etc. The problem faced with most jingles was that there is no common language across India and translating jingles to regional languages did not work well except in rare cases like that of Nirma. In Film Sound Placements: Like product placements, sound placements are also entering films. For example in the recent Aamir Khan Starrer 3 Idiots, the Airtel AR.Rahman caller tune is played whenever a phone rings in the movie. This phenomenon is likely to increase in future. Knowledge gaps: Analysis of sounds heard in our everyday lives as a part of our environment, culture, religion etc as a sonic trigger and understanding how it interacts with the listener. Semiotic Analysis of Sonic triggers to understand their meaning with respect to the context. Data analysis tool to measure the degree of interaction between the customer perception and the Brand Sounds. Metrics to measure the effectiveness of a sonic brand. Research Problem To understand the impact of brand sound elements on a consumer and to analyse how it affects their perception of the brand and further their purchase intension. Key Information Areas: Study how many Indian and global brands have effectively used Sonic branding as a key branding element. (by analysing successful case studies) To understand how people respond and interact with all the sonic triggers in their environment. Impact on brand awareness, brand recall and brand loyalty Relationship between sound element and perceived image of brand Impact on attitude towards the brand Emotional or memory triggers caused by the sound To analyse the data obtained to extract the key insights or learning that is seen across all sonic brands studied. How are the insights from each brand, related to the brands core value? Are there any lessons for future brand managers? How better can brands utilize it? Potential it holds for the future. Develop a framework for future brands to successfully implement sound as a key brand element. Rational for Research: The radio boom, internet and social media have opened up many new platforms of advertising and leveraging the power of sound for advertisers and brand managers. Also studies have shown that music played in stores has a huge impact on sales. This research is very relevant to the current times as every brand now has started recognising the power of sound in branding and is looking out for more opportunities to implement the same. There are consultancies that have come up, which specialise in offering sound strategy to their clients. In spite of all these advances, there is still very little research conducted on the effect of sound triggers on customers and the emotional impact it creates. There is also no framework to plan sound triggers as a part of a brand. Hence this research would be of tremendous benefit to Advertising agencies which create advertisements and also for brand managers as sonic branding can be made a part of a brand right from its very basic product manufacturing stage. Research Methodology: The research methodology consists of two stages: Secondary and Primary research. Secondary Research: Study of the various sonic elements found in Indian History, Culture, Religion and our environment. Understand their significance and impact (effectiveness) in the society? Analyse some popular Indian and global brands which have successfully used sound as a brand element. Primary Research: The research will be primarily qualitative as we are trying to understand intangible factors such as the impact of a sound element on a customer. Qualitative Research: Depth Interview and Dyads to understand parameters such as: The sensory impressions created by the sound brand element, Memories attached Emotions evoked. Reaction to the stimuli. Depth Interviews with experts in the Industry (Both Brand strategists and Music composers) to understand their considerations for building a sound element into a brand. Primary Research Design The FCB matrix developed by Foote, Cone and Belding of a market research agency in 1980, segregates the purchase of a customer into four different categories based on the involvement of the customer (high or low) and the motive behind the purchase (rational or emotional) For ease of comparison and analysis of data, the sonic brands taken for primary research are from four broad categories which fall in the four different quadrants of the FCB Matrix as follows. Reason for choosing the categories and test samples: Majority of the brands currently using sogos and Brand sounds to market themselves are from the telecom sector. For example the Nokia ringtone is played 1.8 billion times a day and is the most played sound around the world today. Although the frequency of association with these category of brands is low for a consumer, these sound elements help maintain high brand recall. Hence telecom falls in the first quadrant of the matrix being a rational purchase with considerably high amount of involvement. The samples taken for primary research from this category are: Airtel (AR Rahman caller tune) Docomo (Signature tune) Nokia (Ring tone) Products which of high emotional value and have a high level of involvement with the customer are usually prized possessions close to the customers heart. To analyze this quadrant, examples of two wheelers are taken from the automobile sector. More than Ad jingles, it is known that the engine sound of an automobile plays an enormous role in creating an intrinsic emotional connect and a perception of the vehicle in the customers mind. Hence, engine sound being a product sound for these brands have been taken as a sample for primary research. The samples taken are: Britannia (Sogo) Kellogg (Crunchy sound) Alpinliebe (Sogo) Sounds can play a massive role in creating top of mind recall and desire to purchase in the category of foods and beverages. Huge brands like McDonalds, Britannia and Kelloggs have very effectively tried to use this phenomenon in their communication. Although visuals are the most important sense to connect to when it comes to food, creating an unconscious sound trigger helps create a deeper association for the customer with the brand at a more cognitive level. In this category, brand sounds also help motivate impulse purchase. Hence, some of the product sounds and Sogos taken for research from this quadrant are: Yo-Bikes (Engine sound) Harley Davidson (Engine sound) Pulsar (Engine sound) Apart from large products and brands, there are numerous goods that brand themselves only using sounds in the environment around us. They are products with which we have very low involvement, but their effective use of certain sounds connects to people in a spontaneous and emotional way. For example, a person on the way to work may suddenly decide to polish his shoes on hearing wood tapping sound made by cobblers sitting on the platform. Polished shoes make him feel more confident of his looks. Another example would be of peoples immediate reaction to the pleading sounds of beggars even on a busy day. Some of the samples taken from this quadrant of the matrix are: Ice cream trolleys (sound of the ringing bell) Beggars (Sound made while pleading for alms) Assumption of Research: The basic assumption of this research is that the brands which fall in the four different quadrants of the FCB matrix differ in the ways and reasons for which sounds have been used to create a unique identity for themselves. The research tried to analyse the difference in the use of sound in these four quadrants based on this assumption Sampling Design: The observation and depth Interviews with vendors will be done in the cities of Ahmedabad and Chennai to observe the commonalities and differences between the cultures. The respondents will be chosen using the method of random sampling as follows: Mix of users and non users of the brands. Preferably respondents who are aware of the brand. (Note: SEC A+ and A and this particular age group has been selected based on the target users of the brands that are taken for primary research.) Expert opinions: Apart from primary research with the customers, the opinions of three experts has been taken. Mr.Biju Dominic (CEO, Final mile) who has done deep research in the fields of neural sciences, Ms.Shally Mukherjee (Account Head, Leo Burnett) and Mr.Dominic (Music and Jingle Composer) have shared their views on the topic. Findings from Observations Watching respondents doing their routine work in the given context to derive insights about their behaviour is known as Observational research. The key advantage of this methodology is that the respondents are unaware of being monitored and hence behave naturally reducing sources of error in the data. To understand the effect of particular sound elements in our daily life, the following places were observed Market Places Residential Areas and inside houses Railway Stations and Bus Stands Market Place: The market place of any city, town or even village in India will be one of the most cluttered and unorganized place in that locality. With Large shops, medium sized shops, road side peddlers, beggars, mobile vendors and of course the people and the vehicles, a market place is just chaos especially at peak hours. In such a scenario, where any sound is considered noise, it becomes crucial for vendors and peddlers to use sound to break through the clutter and attract customers. Some of the key insights obtained from the market place are as follows: The vendors who sell vegetables and fruits, call out to the female customers on the roads with respect using words like Didi, Amma etc. Some often repeat a list of vegetables that they are stocking currently. To push stocks, sometimes they repeatedly call out one particular vegetable or fruit announcing that it is fresh or that it is available for cheap rate. Thus by identifying what exactly the customer wants and needs to know to create a need for the product in the customers mind is done effectively by these vendors by using their voice as a medium of communication. The beggars who are seen in large numbers near important places provide numerous insights on sound based branding. There are different kinds of beggars. Physically Handicapped, poor with children, group of blind beggars and transvestites. Although all of them ultimately try to evoke sympathy and persuade you to part with some money voluntarily, it is seen that each of them have their own styles of using sound for the same purpose. Transvestites use the hands clapping as a symbol of their presence and to make others feel uncomfortable about it. Blind beggars grouped together and sang devotional songs with a whining flute, handicapped beggars often made sounds by knocking their begging bowls with very few coins on the floor or wall to direct the attention of passersby to their state of being handicapped and poor. Beggars who used small children to beg used a highly emotion filled pleading voice in order for people to sympathise with them. In spite of different kinds of sounds being use d, all of them make the listener feel that it is also his social responsibility to serve the poor in the country in some way. He is indirectly persuaded to part with some money. This phenomenon can also work in the opposite way. Repeated exposure to these sounds can make respondents indifferent to beggars in which case no amount of persuasive pleading appeals to the respondent. The sound either becomes redundant, noise or irritates him. The sales men similarly use their voice or recorded sound to create a mystery around the products being sold. Their calling creates a curiosity and attracts passersby to stop for his demo. Resi Impact of Brand Sound Elements on Consumers Impact of Brand Sound Elements on Consumers Executive Summary With increase in competition and the number of media vehicles available, it has become essential for brands to establish powerful memory triggers in the minds of customers. Although, our relationship with sound is largely unconscious, sound is one of the most powerful and least explored senses in advertising and branding. India being a country with a very rich oral culture has numerous examples of sound identities created in religion, culture, traditions etc. Many smaller vendors and peddlers of India have also very effectively used sounds to differentiate themselves. Many companies are now starting to realize the effectiveness of Sonic Branding and the need for brands to have a sound identity. Some examples of famous and efficient sound trademarks are the Intel jingle, Nirma jingle, the Yahoo yodel, Apple computer sounds, Harley Davidson engine bike sound and Nokias ringtone. From just using jingles and music, sonic branding has moved to the use of sounds in various other platforms such as intrinsic product based sounds, soundscapes etc. This research aims to explore the effects of sound triggers or stimuli applied on customers to gauge the emotions and memories it evokes and hence understand how the trigger can affect the respondent. Brands across four broad categories have been considered for primary research according to the four quadrants of the FCB matrix. Various projective techniques have been used to find the associations created by the brand sounds of these chosen brands. Opinions of a few experts from advertising agencies and a few music composers have been taken to understand the phenomenon better. The findings have been analysed using the AIDA model, CAB model and also compared with similar examples from everyday life. The insights obtained have been used to come up with a framework for future companies to effectively implement sonic branding. Introduction: The impact that sound creates on anyone is profound. Sound being one of the major five senses plays a vital role in everyones day to day activities. In a country like India, which has an extensive oral culture where even a form of medication has been passed on to the next generation orally; sound is something that matters to every single soul in one way or the other. Sound is prevalent in almost all traditional forms in India ranging from festivals to discourses. In a vast country like India, each state has its own culture and each culture has its own representation of sound in its own unique ways. Right from the birth, where a special song is sung to represent the birth of a new child till the death, where in some states there are different instruments played during funeral. There are different sounds that represent different emotional states and thus it is a part of everyone and each variation of it causes a different impact. Every religion has its own usage of sound, for instance, ringing of bell and chanting has always symbolized the Hindu religion, similarly Sunday carols and Friday prayers at Church and mosque respectively. In a similar fashion and following the trend, various brands have started using sounds in all possible ways ranging from ad jingles to brand name associated music like the one Nokia has been using for years now. The main reason behind brands using sound although visual medium is still in vogue is because of the impact a particular sound creates on the user and the association with the brand name. Association of a particular sound to a product stays longer in a persons lifetime than probably a logo that one would associate with the same. There are sounds that one can easily recognize like that of a police siren or one from the ambulance which creates the sense of emergency and this sound creates a deep impact at least for a small period of time. Sound can be regarded as the best medium to communicate as the auditory signals can spread through thin air reaching a lot of people around and unlike vision which is restricted to the view of the reader. This way the reach increases and the impact is so huge that many companies have started using sound as their important means of communication. There are cases where the usage of sound has proven to increase the brand image and brand association of a particular product with the sound ,for example Kelloggs hired a Danish Lab to design a specific crunching sound for their cereal so that the customers will be able to differentiate their product from their counterparts based on the sound. Similarly, Nestlà ©s Kit-Kat has used the wafer cracking sound in its advertisements extensively thus bringing in an association between the cracking sound and their product. Sound Association with products has become so common that there are lots of products in the market which can be associated with its own song, jingle or even simple theme music. The underlying fact is that the sound that one experiences once stays forever in the minds and thus strikes a chord whenever they come across the product. This long term impact of sound makes it a more viable option than other means. There are cases where silence is the last thing customers would want, like in the case of a lounge where a mild music would help the customers ease out. This is probably the reason why a convention of sound based alerts in an elevator has come up to reassure people that they are safe even when they are alone. In the same lines was the first personal stereo developed because of which a person will not feel lonely and that sound will help him overcome his loneliness which eventually became an all time super hit product. As we all know that radio is one of the most welcomed invention and the reason why it is still popular even after the invention of television and other fancy gadgets is because of the ease of use and because sound does not require one to sit tight to get the fullest experience, a person driving his car can just tune into his favourite station and keep listening while doing the driving and so is the case with a housewife who can listen to it doing her daily chores alongside. This is one reason why people are still happy advertising through a radio. Considering Cinema, the impact that the sound creates and the value add that it provides to the movie experience is huge. Imagine a horror movie without sound and the impact it creates is not even half when compared to the one with the soundtrack on. There are many interesting cases which proves the point that sound is really a factor in any ones business; one such example would be the case of IBMs introduction of new range of noiseless typewriters in the 70s which did not sell well in the market. The reason that they found was that what they termed as noise really turned out to be a core attribute of the product and hence they re-launched the product with an artificial sound which simulated the original one. There is also the case of Las Vegas Gambling machines which were made coinless and hence the absence of the sound made by coins inside the slot machines shooed away the customers thus resulting in a drop in the revenues. There are certain products which are so attached to sound used by the vendors to sell the products that the change in the sound or absence of it might pose a threat to the product. The best example is the roadside pushcart seller who uses his distinctive voice to cry out loud and sell what he has got. There could be no better way to sell ice creams or cotton candys without using the bell attached to their push cart. When we look at various commercial products, like say a coke tin when broken open gives this unique sound which reassures the buyer of the freshness and quality of packing involved and same applies to various other food products. This kind of a sound association with every attribute attracts the producers to give more and more importance to the involvement of sound in their products. There are other instances which acts in the exact opposite fashion from what we have seen so far, the negative impact of sound associated with a product. An example to quote here would be that of a computer which produces less noise or no noise at all. In that case also sound association plays a vital role but in the opposite sense, that is, no sound or silence. Another major example here would be that of a generator which is more welcome when it produces less noise than one with a lot of sound. In this way even the absence of sound is associated with a select few products. Hence here sound might produce a negative impact on brand image. There are certain products where the sound association comes in the form of sound made by the product itself, like for example, a motorcycle which has its own distinct sound by which it is well recognized in the society. It is imperative that for these products the sound attribute must never be replaced with or removed from the product. If we run a search on product promotion using sound, there is no escape without going through our own traditional methods of product promotion or brand strengthening using sound as the major medium. Right from selling fish in a market till promoting a political party, Oral culture seems prevalent throughout our country. Processions, awareness campaigns all use sound to promote their products or ideas. Literature review Introduction to sonic branding The branding of a sound stimulus is called as Sonic Branding, Audio Branding, Sound Branding or Auditory branding, interchangeably by different authors. The power of music and sound to create a worldwide emotional response is unquestionable, but there is only little research that has been conducted to understand this phenomenon of sonic branding. Jackson (2004) defines Sonic branding is defined as the structured process, in which the acoustic becomes a part of the brand and its brand identity. .it may consist of an audio logo, a short jingle, or a brand theme. Roots of sonic branding Sonic Branding has been prevalent over centuries. The first sonic brand created was in 1859 when the chime sequence and the Big Ben bell was installed in the Westminster clock in London. Even today, whenever the chime is heard whether in grandfather clocks or mantel piece heirlooms, the City of Westminster is remembered around the world. (Stewart-Allen, 2006) Sonic branding seems to have its roots around the time humans discovered or developed music, and later used music to peddle our wares. Even today vendors in the markets who shout out to customers, ice cream trucks that ring a bell as they move, giant wheels and merry-go-rounds in village fairs have a unique sound attached to them which created fond memories in people. Jackson (2004) says in spite of all these, sonic branding has gained recognition as a separate business discipline only in the last few decades and has gained sophistication only over the last few years. Power of Sound: Music, the foundation for sonic branding, is a universally understood language and hence a powerful and feasible brand communications tool. Studies have shown that variations in the formal music structure of background music in commercials may have significant influence over the emotional responses of an audience. Music can evoke past memories, create nostalgia and transport the person to the past. The music evoked moods congruent with the feelings appropriate in such situations can be associated with increases in purchase intentions. (Alpert, Judy, Elliot, 2005) Sound is hardwired into our emotional circuit and it can often be the decided factor in a consumers choice. Studies have shown direct correlation between the kind of music played in a store and the purchase pattern of customers. Hearing is passive and listening is active, and according to Lindstrom (2005, P. 73) Even if we are more involved in hearing than listening, our mood is still affected by what we hear. While a logo is a graphical element of the brand, the sonic brand is the audio element of the brand. The objective is to create a memory trigger, linking the product name, service or benefit with a pleasant memory. Sound is also the simplest way to bypass cultural and language barriers and delivers a corporate message on a global scale (Beau, 2008). Sonic branding and advertising Every living being on earth has its own sonic signature. As human development spreads, the space available for animals and insects shrink hence there is less space for creatures that rely on sound to hunt and reciprocate. Brands face a similar challenge. Some of the acoustic principles of mature hence apply to brands also. (Franus, 2009). Apart from visual stimuli, Audio is the most widely used element in any advertisement or brand communication. In the book Sonic Branding, Jackson (2004) refers to auditory interfaces as sonic touch points. Radio, TV, cell phone, music played during telephone hold, and customer interactions in an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system are but a few examples of the fourteen touch points Jackson identified. Sonic Logo – Sogo The most basic form of sonic branding is the sonic logo, a sogo. A sogo is a unifying, focal sonic branding device. Corporate identity literature defines a sogo to be a sonic branding device that plays the role of a short distinctive auditory signature lasting between three to six seconds. A sogo is the auditory analogue of a visual logo. For example the 5-tone (G?-C? -F? -C?- G?) Intel TM is a sogo. As another example, sonic branding for different models of the Nokia phones may be different but related musically as a family, signed off by the same sogo. The sogo activates the entire brand knowledge that includes brand attributes, brand benefits and brand attitudes. According to Roy (2009), jingles which were the most common type of music in popular radio and TV commercials of the 80s and 90s is slowly phasing out. One does not hear jingles like that of Nirma, Hamara Bajaj or Vicco Turmeric any more. The trend is moving towards more short, crisp and memorable brand sogos. Global Examples: The power of Tarzans call, the famous MGM lion roar are some examples of sounds that are famous globally. Later came Microsofts start up tone for windows which is even today heard by more than 400 million people every day. The Intel Inside tune has been around since 1998 that it has actually made the invisible chip visible via the short distinct sound used in all its brand-building campaigns. Realising the importance of sound, Daimley Chrysler established a new department within his company to work on the sound of their car door as it was found that the way doors close can be an important factor in the perception of quality. (Lindstrom, 2005, p. 19, 21) Sonic Brands in India: According to Sanjay Raj Kurup, India is a very sonic nation and [brand] advertising in India was founded on sonic elements. He goes on to say Age old jingles of brands like Vicco Turmeric cream, Frooti (fruit drink) and Nirma washing powder have helped create strong brand identities and are remembered even today. Also, as a country, we love the voices of our actors and actresses, and any brand that uses a famous celebrity voice to promote its products has met with success. (Khicha, 2009) Further, Marketers in India have used music to sell everything from biscuits to bicycles. Britannias trademark jingle tintin tri din or the patriotic tune of Hamara Bajaj still rings in our ears. Khicha (2009) says today, in an increasingly cluttered media environment, jingles have been refreshed and modernized to hold the attention of customers. Tunes no longer just repeat the brand name, but are used in a manner where the core brand idea is tied to the music more creatively like Titans use of the symphony of Mozart Impact of Sounds: According to Julian Treasure, sounds affect us at four stages: Physiologically- Everyday life is filled with thousands of sound elements. From the alarm in the morning to the traffic and screeching of animals at night, every sound trigger creates a physiological impact on us. These impacts could include hormone sections, change in breathing, heart waves and brain waves. Unpleasant sounds like screeching sound, background sounds etc also affect us similarly. Psychologically- Music is the most powerful sound that affects our emotional state. Music is capable of changing the mood and mental condition of a person. Apart from music, natural sound affects our emotions too. Bird sound make many people feel reassured. Sound of traffic and horns increase tension and anxiety. Cognitively: We sub consciously filter sounds and only listen to what you want. For example when our name is called out in a crowd, we hear it irrespective of the background noises. This is also the reason why productivity decreases in noisy offices. Behaviourally: We move towards unpleasant sounds and move towards pleasant sounds. The best example of this is the fact that most retail sounds have a drastic effect on sales. Analysis of Brand Sounds: There are eight ways in which a brand can express itself using sound and every brand which does it has some fundamental guidelines at its centre. (Treasure, 2009). The eight ways or platforms are: Measuring Senses The main problem with conducting a sensory audit is that People tend to think about the sensory experience only in terms of the primary sense involved in the experience (Lindstrom, 2005, Pg 139). Hence it now becomes a challenge to identify the component parts of the sensory experience. The Brand Sense study (Lindstrom, 2005) covers the differences between the brands based on the senses before getting to the core of the questionnaire focusing on the senses and specific brands. Measuring Emotional response is trickier and is beyond the scope of a simple survey. Hence emotional responses are validated by starting on a simplifying assumption that emotion is related to a good or bad stimulus response. This hypothesis is later validated with the respondent. (Lindstrom, 2005) According to Banks (2009), sonic branding is one of the most intangible and poorly understood forms of branding. At its simple form a sogo is just a memorable sound attached to an identity, but for a global brand the sonic strategy can capture the essence of the entire company. Conclusion A number of brands have implemented the feature of sound stimulus to facilitate marketing strategy and building a brand. In recent years, numerous companies have followed this way to gain reputation and trust for their goods and services. It has hence been proved that the particular sound of a product can acquire distinctiveness and become a valuable trademark. It is now time to awaken the dormant senses and further utilize their unique properties in the search for brand loyalty (Fulberg, 2003) Recent Trends Use of Intrinsic unconscious Sounds: Brands have now started using more unconscious sounds to cognitively connect to the customer. With BMW patenting the sound of its car door closing and Kellogg patenting the sound of its crunchiness, more brands have started realising the importance of product sounds in creating a brand image for the product. Death of Jingles: The 1990s were times when brands used long jingles with lyrics very successfully to connect to audience. Brands like Vicco turmeric, Hamara Bajaj have very successfully used this phenomenon. In current times very few brands choose to use a brand jingle and are moving towards signature tunes, sogos etc. The problem faced with most jingles was that there is no common language across India and translating jingles to regional languages did not work well except in rare cases like that of Nirma. In Film Sound Placements: Like product placements, sound placements are also entering films. For example in the recent Aamir Khan Starrer 3 Idiots, the Airtel AR.Rahman caller tune is played whenever a phone rings in the movie. This phenomenon is likely to increase in future. Knowledge gaps: Analysis of sounds heard in our everyday lives as a part of our environment, culture, religion etc as a sonic trigger and understanding how it interacts with the listener. Semiotic Analysis of Sonic triggers to understand their meaning with respect to the context. Data analysis tool to measure the degree of interaction between the customer perception and the Brand Sounds. Metrics to measure the effectiveness of a sonic brand. Research Problem To understand the impact of brand sound elements on a consumer and to analyse how it affects their perception of the brand and further their purchase intension. Key Information Areas: Study how many Indian and global brands have effectively used Sonic branding as a key branding element. (by analysing successful case studies) To understand how people respond and interact with all the sonic triggers in their environment. Impact on brand awareness, brand recall and brand loyalty Relationship between sound element and perceived image of brand Impact on attitude towards the brand Emotional or memory triggers caused by the sound To analyse the data obtained to extract the key insights or learning that is seen across all sonic brands studied. How are the insights from each brand, related to the brands core value? Are there any lessons for future brand managers? How better can brands utilize it? Potential it holds for the future. Develop a framework for future brands to successfully implement sound as a key brand element. Rational for Research: The radio boom, internet and social media have opened up many new platforms of advertising and leveraging the power of sound for advertisers and brand managers. Also studies have shown that music played in stores has a huge impact on sales. This research is very relevant to the current times as every brand now has started recognising the power of sound in branding and is looking out for more opportunities to implement the same. There are consultancies that have come up, which specialise in offering sound strategy to their clients. In spite of all these advances, there is still very little research conducted on the effect of sound triggers on customers and the emotional impact it creates. There is also no framework to plan sound triggers as a part of a brand. Hence this research would be of tremendous benefit to Advertising agencies which create advertisements and also for brand managers as sonic branding can be made a part of a brand right from its very basic product manufacturing stage. Research Methodology: The research methodology consists of two stages: Secondary and Primary research. Secondary Research: Study of the various sonic elements found in Indian History, Culture, Religion and our environment. Understand their significance and impact (effectiveness) in the society? Analyse some popular Indian and global brands which have successfully used sound as a brand element. Primary Research: The research will be primarily qualitative as we are trying to understand intangible factors such as the impact of a sound element on a customer. Qualitative Research: Depth Interview and Dyads to understand parameters such as: The sensory impressions created by the sound brand element, Memories attached Emotions evoked. Reaction to the stimuli. Depth Interviews with experts in the Industry (Both Brand strategists and Music composers) to understand their considerations for building a sound element into a brand. Primary Research Design The FCB matrix developed by Foote, Cone and Belding of a market research agency in 1980, segregates the purchase of a customer into four different categories based on the involvement of the customer (high or low) and the motive behind the purchase (rational or emotional) For ease of comparison and analysis of data, the sonic brands taken for primary research are from four broad categories which fall in the four different quadrants of the FCB Matrix as follows. Reason for choosing the categories and test samples: Majority of the brands currently using sogos and Brand sounds to market themselves are from the telecom sector. For example the Nokia ringtone is played 1.8 billion times a day and is the most played sound around the world today. Although the frequency of association with these category of brands is low for a consumer, these sound elements help maintain high brand recall. Hence telecom falls in the first quadrant of the matrix being a rational purchase with considerably high amount of involvement. The samples taken for primary research from this category are: Airtel (AR Rahman caller tune) Docomo (Signature tune) Nokia (Ring tone) Products which of high emotional value and have a high level of involvement with the customer are usually prized possessions close to the customers heart. To analyze this quadrant, examples of two wheelers are taken from the automobile sector. More than Ad jingles, it is known that the engine sound of an automobile plays an enormous role in creating an intrinsic emotional connect and a perception of the vehicle in the customers mind. Hence, engine sound being a product sound for these brands have been taken as a sample for primary research. The samples taken are: Britannia (Sogo) Kellogg (Crunchy sound) Alpinliebe (Sogo) Sounds can play a massive role in creating top of mind recall and desire to purchase in the category of foods and beverages. Huge brands like McDonalds, Britannia and Kelloggs have very effectively tried to use this phenomenon in their communication. Although visuals are the most important sense to connect to when it comes to food, creating an unconscious sound trigger helps create a deeper association for the customer with the brand at a more cognitive level. In this category, brand sounds also help motivate impulse purchase. Hence, some of the product sounds and Sogos taken for research from this quadrant are: Yo-Bikes (Engine sound) Harley Davidson (Engine sound) Pulsar (Engine sound) Apart from large products and brands, there are numerous goods that brand themselves only using sounds in the environment around us. They are products with which we have very low involvement, but their effective use of certain sounds connects to people in a spontaneous and emotional way. For example, a person on the way to work may suddenly decide to polish his shoes on hearing wood tapping sound made by cobblers sitting on the platform. Polished shoes make him feel more confident of his looks. Another example would be of peoples immediate reaction to the pleading sounds of beggars even on a busy day. Some of the samples taken from this quadrant of the matrix are: Ice cream trolleys (sound of the ringing bell) Beggars (Sound made while pleading for alms) Assumption of Research: The basic assumption of this research is that the brands which fall in the four different quadrants of the FCB matrix differ in the ways and reasons for which sounds have been used to create a unique identity for themselves. The research tried to analyse the difference in the use of sound in these four quadrants based on this assumption Sampling Design: The observation and depth Interviews with vendors will be done in the cities of Ahmedabad and Chennai to observe the commonalities and differences between the cultures. The respondents will be chosen using the method of random sampling as follows: Mix of users and non users of the brands. Preferably respondents who are aware of the brand. (Note: SEC A+ and A and this particular age group has been selected based on the target users of the brands that are taken for primary research.) Expert opinions: Apart from primary research with the customers, the opinions of three experts has been taken. Mr.Biju Dominic (CEO, Final mile) who has done deep research in the fields of neural sciences, Ms.Shally Mukherjee (Account Head, Leo Burnett) and Mr.Dominic (Music and Jingle Composer) have shared their views on the topic. Findings from Observations Watching respondents doing their routine work in the given context to derive insights about their behaviour is known as Observational research. The key advantage of this methodology is that the respondents are unaware of being monitored and hence behave naturally reducing sources of error in the data. To understand the effect of particular sound elements in our daily life, the following places were observed Market Places Residential Areas and inside houses Railway Stations and Bus Stands Market Place: The market place of any city, town or even village in India will be one of the most cluttered and unorganized place in that locality. With Large shops, medium sized shops, road side peddlers, beggars, mobile vendors and of course the people and the vehicles, a market place is just chaos especially at peak hours. In such a scenario, where any sound is considered noise, it becomes crucial for vendors and peddlers to use sound to break through the clutter and attract customers. Some of the key insights obtained from the market place are as follows: The vendors who sell vegetables and fruits, call out to the female customers on the roads with respect using words like Didi, Amma etc. Some often repeat a list of vegetables that they are stocking currently. To push stocks, sometimes they repeatedly call out one particular vegetable or fruit announcing that it is fresh or that it is available for cheap rate. Thus by identifying what exactly the customer wants and needs to know to create a need for the product in the customers mind is done effectively by these vendors by using their voice as a medium of communication. The beggars who are seen in large numbers near important places provide numerous insights on sound based branding. There are different kinds of beggars. Physically Handicapped, poor with children, group of blind beggars and transvestites. Although all of them ultimately try to evoke sympathy and persuade you to part with some money voluntarily, it is seen that each of them have their own styles of using sound for the same purpose. Transvestites use the hands clapping as a symbol of their presence and to make others feel uncomfortable about it. Blind beggars grouped together and sang devotional songs with a whining flute, handicapped beggars often made sounds by knocking their begging bowls with very few coins on the floor or wall to direct the attention of passersby to their state of being handicapped and poor. Beggars who used small children to beg used a highly emotion filled pleading voice in order for people to sympathise with them. In spite of different kinds of sounds being use d, all of them make the listener feel that it is also his social responsibility to serve the poor in the country in some way. He is indirectly persuaded to part with some money. This phenomenon can also work in the opposite way. Repeated exposure to these sounds can make respondents indifferent to beggars in which case no amount of persuasive pleading appeals to the respondent. The sound either becomes redundant, noise or irritates him. The sales men similarly use their voice or recorded sound to create a mystery around the products being sold. Their calling creates a curiosity and attracts passersby to stop for his demo. Resi

College Life :: essays research papers

When I came to Reinhardt College, I had to meet new people. I had to meet new teachers, coaches, and students. One coach who stood out to me is coach Jonathan Lenarz. He is the Reinhardt soccer coach and teaches Reinahardt Orientation and Wellness. There are many things that I can say about Jonathan Lenarz, like he is a careing, understanding, and intelligent person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caring is a great way to decribe a coach because he looks out for players on his team and also anyone who is around him. Coach Lenarz is the kind of person who tries to help students in anyway that he can. He is always giving a helping hand. In fact, Coach always tells the guys on the team that if they need someone to talk to they can always go talk to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also, Coach is the kind of person that one can talk to about anything that is going on in one's life. He will not make juddgemants, even if it is something that is pretty bad. After talking to Coach, it seems like he always knows just what to say and when.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Coach is a very intelligent person. He always knows how to explain directions to everyone. Explaining directions is not always easy, because not everyone understands the first time. For example we have many foriegn players on our team this season and not all of them can speak nor understand English very well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another instructer that I have meet since I have been at Reinhardt College is my Western Civilization teacher, Sean Martin. Dr. Martin is very intelligent, but sometimes that can be a great thing and a bad thing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Martin is one of the smartest teachers that I have ever had . A student could probably ask him any question about history, and he would know the answer. I believe that it very important for a teacher to know what he is talking about. Then there is another side to being too intelligent. One reason that it is not always a great thing is because a very intelligent teacher can go way to fast for some people.

The Red Room and The Judges House - Typical Nineteenth Century Ghost

The Red Room and The Judge's House - Typical Nineteenth Century Ghost Stories? Nineteenth century ghost stories are typical of the gothic genre. They are referred to as stereotypical, because in the period they were written in, it was the practice to include several distinctive elements which are now exclusively associated with this genre. 'The Red Room' by H. G. Wells (1894) and 'The Judge's House' by Bram Stoker (1891) will be discussed in this essay to assess them as distinctive examples of ghost stories. There are various elements which are distinctive of characteristics of a nineteenth century ghost story. The criteria used to determine 'The Red Room' and 'The Judge's House' are of nineteenth century ghost stories in this essay are, firstly, the setting. This is the background scenery to the story and is, typically of this genre, an isolated place or house. The second element is the inclusion of characters with a variable state of mind throughout the story. This could be a terrifying consuming fear or the complete loss of reason leading to insanity. The incorporation of characters which believe and do not believe in the supernatural is the third element. This allows a wider range of people to read the story and associate with the characters. The fourth criterion is an ancient prophecy or a history of disturbances surrounding the place where the story is set. The fifth element is light. Ghost stories make use of shadows, darkness, night-time, and the diffusive light of a candle to help develop tension and suspense. The final element is imagery used by authors. The images created tend to be appealing to the five human senses of touch, sight, taste, smell and hearing. I will compare 'The Red Room' and 'The Judge's House' base... ...t and inflamed', plus, 'red eyes'. This gives the sense of you being watched. The references to, 'monstrous shadow', 'grotesque custodians', and, 'the human qualities seem to drop from old people insensibly day by day', shows that they aren't like normal human beings and are out of this world. 'The Judge's House' is a perfect example of the three types of characters. Malcolmson obviously being the non-believer, Mrs Witham, Mrs Dempster and Dr. Thornhill are the believers. While the Judge's spirit is the supernatural. Malcolmson is also a rational person like the narrator of 'The Red Room'. He believes in knowledge not fictional stories. 'A man who is reading for the Mathematical Tripos', and, 'disturbed by any of these mysterious somethings'. It doesn't have many references to Malcolmson attitude to the Judge's house. But from this quote, we can see he is not afraid.