Modern Crime :: essays research papers

"She's just another Hollywood whore, an immoral porn queen. She's beyond redemption," he muttered to himself as he paced back and forth outside her apartment building. He had been constantly walking around outside the building for hours now, harassing people passing on the streets with crazed questions. Suddenly, overcome with resolve, the man stomped back to the building and rang the bell. She had rejected him once, but never again. He had given her a chance, but she had turned him away from her life. How could she do this to him, her biggest fan? After letting go of the buzzer, Robert Bardo hid himself in the bushes by the door. This was the only choice he had left after such a rejection. Twenty-one year old Rebecca Schaeffer, actress on the sitcom My Sister Sam, answered the door for the last time in her life. She had politely turned away a disturbing man earlier that day after explaining to him that she had to study her lines for her next show. However, when she answered the door this time, there was no one there. Bardo saw his chance and acted on it. He burst from the shadowy confines of the bushes and pushed a gun into Schaeffer's chest, pulling the trigger after he had her in his grasp. The bullet barely missed the young actress's heart as she fell to the ground, bleeding from a mortal wound. As Bardo flew from the scene, he stashed the incriminating evidence into the bushes. After interrogations performed by the LAPD, it was found that Bardo had been stalking Schaeffer for a very long time. However, this was not the usual case of a voyeur or a stranger trailing someone throughout their day. Bardo had traced Schaeffer through the use of the computer and its vast resources. With the use of computer databases, Bardo was able to find out where Schaeffer lived, what her telephone number was and who she called, what kind of vehicle she drove, and where she spent her money. It was as if Bardo could look through a window and clearly see all of Schaeffer's personal, intimate secrets (Rothfeder 13-14).This is the perfect example of a modern crime, in which all of an individual's privacy and personal information have become little more than a commodity, easily accessible to anyone with very little hassle. In the highly modernized society in which everyone lives, people compromise their privacy in order to live comfortably.

Building Brands

The following paper provides detail insight into the different concepts regarding branding. It starts off by defining the brand and the importance of brands I the market. It then continues on to elaborate on the brand building process, the conceptual framework and the customer relationship building process for a brand. The paper also highlights the characteristics of leading and successful brands in the market. The problems and risks associated with branding are discussed and solutions for overcoming the specific problems related to brand imitation and been devised.The paper also follows the work of brand theorists and researchers in order to establish the barding concept and discuss the new branding strategies comparative to the traditional brand building strategies. An in-depth analysis of three major brands of today is conducted using the case study method. The case studies for Ebay, Emirates Airlines and Ferrari are performed in order to identify their unique brand proposition an d their brand building strategies in the different sectors and industries of the economy. 1. OverviewThe following paper provides in depth information and commentary about the importance of brands and the characteristics of the brands. The process of building a brand has been discussed and the case studies have been analyzed in correlation of their brand building efforts. The paper also depicts how brands can be successful in building convincing and long term profitable brands. 1. 1. Objective The objectives of this paper are listed down as: †¢ Define the nature of the brand †¢ Discuss the importance of the brands in an industry and how they effect consumer purchase decision†¢ Proving a comprehensive resource on the strategies for brand building and long term profitability †¢ Discuss the risks associated with branding †¢ To discuss the prominent brands in the market of diverse natures, and to explain the brand building efforts taken up by these brands 1. 2. Methodology The nature of this paper is that of a research paper. No practical or experimental research has been carried out. Instead the research is supported by literature review and key trends in the market.The brand building operations discussed in the paper have been supported by real life examples of brand building operation and their effects on the industry and the market. the literature review is also supported by the works of brand building theorists like David Aaker and the Ries’. The paper takes into account there case studies where the history, business operations and the brand building strategy of three diverse and well known brands and been depicted. The brands which have been discusses, analyzed and compared in the case studies are the following†¢ A web/ internet brand, Ebay. †¢ An international brand, Emirates. †¢ A popular international sports automobile brand, Ferrari. All three brands taken into account for the purpose of case study analysis are brand leaders and the pioneers in their industry of operation. 1. 3. Structure The paper has been structured in such a manner that the components of the research have been divided among 4 categories. The first category discusses the nature and basics of the brands. It depicts what the brand actually is and what are the different layers of the brand.The different types of brands are discussed here and the importance of brands according to customers is also depicted here. The value based bands are also discussed in this section and the specific values the brands have for the company as well as the customers are explored. The second category covers the brand building strategy. In this the brand building process and the development and frame work of a brand have been discussed in detail. The supporting action of relationship building for brand building operations is also discussed here.This section is closed by discussing the different characteristics of successful brands and the ri sks that are attached with branding The third section covers the three case studies of the prominent brand leaders in the market. rtheir value proposition id s depicted in this section and their brand building strategy is identified here. The research is supported by the SWOT analysis of these brands and the comparative analysis of these brands relative to other in the same market. The reasons for their leadership in their specific industries have also been realized here.The last section comments on the nature of the research, and the conclusion gained from the research. Further opportunities of research on the topic have also been identified. 2. Basics of a Brand: 2. 1. What is a brand? A brand is essentially an entity which has certain visual, rational, emotional, as well as a cultural image which is associated with the brand. The brand does not exist solely to sell the product to the people. It creates a bond and an associative relationship between the customer and the company.Th e brand can be a product or a service or even simply the name of the company which manufactures or provides the product of service. Branding gears to evict a response from the users via the advertising tools of targeting the audience through positive reinforcement based on cumulative impressions of the brand. Through branding the target audience is forced to remember the brand and have positive associations because its helps the consumers in making decision at the point of purchase about the selection of brands they want to buy and consume.The value and the satisfaction that the consumer derives from the product or service is also enhanced by existence of the brand Simply put a brand is a promise made by the company to its customers regarding the quality of the products. The quality of the product/ service is central to the brand and helps in differentiating it from others in the market whereby reducing competition. As said before the brand can be an image, a logo, a slogan and even the brand name. â€Å"If you want to build a successful brand, you have to understand divergence.You have to look for opportunities to create new categories by divergence of existing categories. And then you have to become the first brand in this emerging new category. In the great tree of brands, a successful brand is one that dominates an emerging branch ad then becomes increasingly successful as the band expands to block the sunlight from nearby branches. †(Ries & Ries, 2004) Branding however is the process by which the company communicates its mission and objectives to its target audience.â€Å"Branding is a rather new concept: a single, seemingly innocuous idea conceived by the strategists Al Ries and his wife, Laura Al Ries in the mid-1980s. They believed that successful companies produced brands instead of products, that is, brands were intangible and existed only in the minds of the consumers† (2007, Brand Wagon). The branding process is initiated as well as s tructured and proposed by the founders of the brands, or the key people in the company who have come up with the concept of the brand. Branding can also be defined as the process by which the business builds its activities around the promotion of its products.It deals with creating a unique idea, or mindset in the minds of the consumer relative to the brand which helps the target market differentiate it from, the competition in the market. People often make mistakes while branding their products. These mistakes mostly relate to not thinking rationally or logically when building the brand, not maintaining the brand or keeping up with the environmental, technological and cultural changes in the market and trying to appease everyone. Problems can also arise if the company itself is unaware of what the brand actually stands for and who they actually are targeting.When the company employees are not fully committed to branding then this can also lead to a failed brand. Similarly not havin g a dedicated marketing plan set out or using too much technical jargon in the communication process leads to creating inconsistency in the resultant brand. The biggest pitfall in branding however is trying to hard to be different and differentiating the product or service from the competition. This can lead to a loss of visions for the brand. The following diagram depicts the Brand Hexagon which shows the integration of brand equity and brand identity which forms the brand

Depiction Of Slavery By Frederick Douglass - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1392 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/05/26 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Frederick Douglass Essay Slavery Essay Did you like this example? Slavery in American history dates as far back as the late 17th century when twenty African slaves landed in Virginia carried by a Dutch ship. Since then, the practice of slavery dramatically increased with over 3.8 million slaves being transported to the New World between 1700 and 1800. As one of the 1.5 million estimated slaves during the early 19th century, Frederick Douglass makes his feelings of disgust and hatred towards slavery evident in his memoir, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, in which he critiques the dehumanizing nature of the act. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Depiction Of Slavery By Frederick Douglass" essay for you Create order Douglass accounts everyday cruel treatment, poor living conditions, denial of rights and education, beatings, and perils he both personally experiences and witnesses. In relation, education was a privilege that was not granted to slaves in America and it was against the law in the 1830s for slaves to be taught how to read or write. Despite this, Douglass teaches himself to read and write. Douglass also emphasizes the importance of freedom when he first gets sold to Baltimore as a slave and eventually succeeds in his relentless pursuit to be free in 1838. In day-to-day life, Douglass recollects the barbarities and dangers he views and undergoes at the hands of slaveholders. This cruelty would be exemplified by Douglassrs first ever witness of his Aunt Hester being whipped until bloody by Master Anthony. The sight of this whipping left Douglass terrified and horror-stricken;such violence against slaves occurred regularly, proving to be one of the many hardships Douglass experienced. Living conditions were of poor quality and inhumane. No beds, regular whippings, a stingy allowance of food and clothing, loss of sleep, and little protection from heat and cold were daily adversities. It was very common according to Douglass in Maryland for slave children to be separated from their mothers at very young age and raised without proper maternal care. Some of the women suffered being raped by their masters and bearing their children; their mulatto children were both at an advantage, receiving favors withheld from other black slaves, and disadv antage, being sold, whipped, and tied up by their white sibling or father. For slaves throughout America, safety and protection was never granted in their daily lives. In like manner, slaveholders would strip away the individuality of men and women, which in turn intensifies Douglassrs hatred of slavery. In the time of Master Anthonyrs death, Douglass describes how he felt degraded as he becomes valued as property for Mrs. Lucretia and Master Andrew. According to Douglass, slaves were ranked and traded as property with no more of a say in that decision than the animals. As a result from the slaveholders rankings and trade, slaves were dehumanized to the state of property. Further evidence of how slaveholders imbrute slaves was when Douglass witnesses slave children devouring mush out of a wooden trough like so many pigs. Despite Douglassrs strong spirited beliefs in himself, he ends up broken down in his spirit, body and soul because of the six months of labor at Mr.Coveyrs, as Douglass states, transformed him into a brute. Given this comparison to animals and property, Douglass struggles with the hardship of being regarded as less than a human bei ng, having his individuality destroyed, and being sold against his will-all of which illustrate atrocities of slavery. Significant factors contributing to the adversities in slaves lives are the slaveholders manipulation and abuse of power, particularly when coinciding with religion. While controversial to note, the worst slaveholders were the religious masters who would justify their oppressive behavior with the perversion of Christianity, as in the case of Reverend Rigby Hopkins. Instilling fear through whippings over made-up excuses and minor offenses were actions committed by Hopkins, a man whose most infernal deeds would be protected with religious involvement. In one similar instance, Douglass details when Master Auld whips a young woman and quotes from the Scripture: He hath knoweth his masterrs will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes. In this quotation, a section from the Bible was not only taken out of context, but manipulated for the purpose of maintaining Master Auldrs status, control over the slaves, and to justify further cruelty. By the time Douglass arrives to Baltimore, his desire for freedom sparks a quest to escape slavery. After his first six months living with Edward Covey, Douglass shows resistance and gets into a fight with Covey. This fight signifies his first steps in gaining his freedom, seeing that a new self-confidence, sense of manhood, and willpower to be free have risen in his act of resistance. Later on in 1835, with the goal to escape slavery, Douglass devises a plan to travel in canoe up to the Chesapeake Bay. Throughout this process, Douglass experiences determination, doubtful of freedom, eagerness to pursue his plan, joy, and anxiety considering that he is responsible over the escape attempt. To Douglass and his fellow slaves, their escape plan would either result in a near certain death or a doubtful liberty. Unfortunately, his plan backfires when he is caught and sent to jail, now facing the feelings of despair over the lost possibility of freedom. Eventually, Douglass becomes free on September 3rd, 1838 in New York after finding employment and working to buy his own freedom. Douglassrs plan to escape consists of working for Mr. Butler at a ship-yard where he earns $8 weekly for Master Hugh, who is unaware of Douglassrs intentions. By September 3rd, he purchases his freedom and travels to New York. Now a free man, Douglass is conflicted with the insecurity, l onesomeness, and mistrust as an outsider in a new environment vulnerable to being kidnapped and sold away. At this point, Douglass adjusts to the unexpected costs of liberty. It is important to note, however, that Douglassrs desire for freedom goes hand-in-hand with learning. To begin with, education was a privilege masters preferred to withhold from their slaves. Such is the case with Master Auld, who states that learning would make a slave unmanageable to their master, thus a slave should not learn anything but to obey their master. Knowledge was a tool for the slaveholders used to maintain and enslave. As a matter of fact, education was so powerful of a tool that it was illegal for slaves to be taught to read or write in America. Generally speaking, black education was not prioritized in most of America until the creation of the Freedmenrs Bureau in 1865, which helped finance activities promoting education for blacks. Despite the limitations given, Douglass strives to learn how to read, write, and teach others. When he first starts living in Baltimore, Douglassrs mistress, Sophia Auld, teaches him the alphabet which he values as the beginning of his fixed goal to learn to read and use his education to achieve freedom. Soon, when out running errands on the streets, Douglass befriends young white boys who teach him to read in exchange for bread. When Douglass reads The Columbian Orator he finds himself immersed in the discussions of human rights, his new knowledge begins to torment and sting his soul, anguished by his own thoughts but nonetheless dedicates to escaping his life as an ignorant slave. Years later, Douglass teaches himself to write from copying from his master Thomasrs books after observing ship carpenters writing letters on timber. After a while, Douglass holds a Sabbath school and teaches a group of slaves to read the will of God. While it was blessed and important for Douglass to help the condition of his fellow slaves, it was a risk worth 39 lashes by the masters who wished to keep their slaves in an ignorant starved state of mind. As previously stated, masters purposely kept slaves uneducated to better manipulate and keep their power over the slaves. With this understood, the students had a wish to learn, much like Douglass, that came from a deprived mind. Due to the day-to-day perils and atrocities of slavery, Frederick Douglass chooses to escape his enslaved life by means of education and determination to become free. Douglassrs memoir, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass captures the awful effects of slavery he experiences and witnesses, as well as illustrate the process of Douglass becoming a free man. This account of Douglassrs life is of importance to American history due to it deconstructing the idea of blacks inferiority in society in addition to persuading Americans to support emancipation.