The role and portrayal of Women in the media

The role and portrayal of Women in the media Introduction Media is considered as a traditionally male job and generally it is thought that women journalists can not skip the glass ceiling phenomenon. Pakistan is another minefield of challenges for journalists, especially female journalists. The problem prevails mostly in electronic media scenario as women are making more appearances on screen with the boom of private TV channels. They are considered less prominent. Female journalists working in developed countries are also facing such problems but Pakistani female journalists are in the initial stages towards progress. In Pakistan, with the advent of increasing number of private TV channels, female journalists quite often appear on our television screens. Anchor women, foreign correspondents, and special correspondents are omnipresent in the main broadcast news shows and in current affairs programs. They are considered beautiful and successful women, as well as trend-setters with respect to clothes, make-up and hairstyles. Print journalism, where the physical image is replaced by the reporters name, this phenomenon is much less prominent than electronic media. In spite of the large entrance of female personnel into the professional work of information, women on top of editorial staff are still a scanty minority: this is, however, no different to Western countries. Thanks to television, female journalists have acquired great visibility. Recently The International Womens Media Foundation announced that Rabia Mehmood, a journalist in the Lahore bureau of Express 24/7 Television in Pakistan, has received its 2010-11 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship. Mehmood is the sixth recipient of the annual fellowship, which gives a woman journalist working in print, broadcast or online media the opportunity to focus exclusively on human rights journalism and social justice issues. Throughout her career, Mehmood has reported on topics such as womens rights, freedom of speech and political unrest. She has covered the survivors and victims of terrorist attacks, suicide bombings and hostage sieges carried out by militants in Lahore. Mehmood has also reported on internally displaced people who left Northwest Pakistan as a result of insurgency by terrorists and military offensives. But this is not the case of every female journalist. Most of them are assigned to cover social, cultural, soft stories, days events, or light events. But male journalists get the preference to get a significant assignment, stories which might be lead stories. With the evolution of time and in order to follow the west, Pakistani media is giving important posts to female journalists but in fact the power still lies in the hands of dominant males. Editorial Boards mostly consist of male members. Gender discrimination in journalism is very distinct and they are given the same benefits as to their male colleagues. Some of the most prominent women working in Pakistani electronic media are Aasma Chuhdry Dr Ayesha Siddiqa Katrina Hussain Bushra Rehman, Najia Ashar Naseem Zehra Saadia Afzaal Sheren Mazari Asma Sherazi Zahida Hina Sana Bucha Sumaira Nadeem Sana Mirza Ayesha Baksh And many more Theoretical Framework Gender Role Theory: Gender role theory posits that boys and girls learn the appropriate behavior and attitudes from the family and overall culture they grow up with, and so non-physical gender differences are a product of socialization. Social role theory proposes that the social structure is the underlying force for the gender differences. Social role theory proposes that the sex-differentiated behavior is driven by the division of labor between two sexes within a society. Division of labor creates gender roles, which in turn, lead to gendered social behavior. The physical specialization of the sexes is considered to be the distal cause of the gender roles. Mens unique physical advantages in term of body size and upper body strength provided them an edge over women in those social activities that demanded such physical attributes such as hunting, herding and warfare. On the other hand, womens biological capacity for reproduction and child-rearing is proposed to explain their limited involvement in other social activities. Such divided activity arrangement for the purpose of achieving activity-efficiency led to the division of labor between sexes. Social role theorists have explicitly stressed that the labor division is not narrowly defined as that between paid employment and domestic activities, rather, is conceptualized to include all activities performed within a society that are necessary for its existence and sustainability. The characteristics of the activities performed by men and women became peoples perceptions and beliefs of the d ispositional attributes of men or women themselves. Through the process of correspondent inference, division of labor led to gender roles, or gender stereotype. Ultimately, people expect men and women who occupy certain position to behave according to these attributes. These socially constructed gender roles is considered to be hierarchical and characterized as a male-advantaged gender hierarchy. The activities men involved in were often those that provided them with more access to or control of resources and decision making power, rendering men not only superior dispositional attributes via correspondence bias (Gilbert, 1998, p.**), but also higher status and authority as society progressed. The particular pattern of the labor division within a certain society is a dynamic process and determined by its specific economical and cultural characteristics. For instance, in an industrial economy, the emphasis on physical strength in social activities becomes less compared with that in a less advanced economy. In a low birth rate society, women will be less confined to reproductive activities and thus more likely to be involved in a wide range of social activities. The beliefs that people hold about the sexes are derived from observations of the role per formances of men and women and thus reflect the sexual division of labor and gender hierarchy of the society. The consequences of gender roles and stereotypes are sex-typed social behavior because roles and stereotypes are both socially shared descriptive norms and prescriptive norms. Gender roles provide guides to normative behaviors that are typical, ought-to-be and thus likely effective for each sex within certain social context. Gender roles also depict ideal, should-be, and thus desirable behaviors for men and women who are occupying a particular position or involving in certain social activities. Put is another way, men and women, as social beings, strive to belong and seek for approval by complying and conforming to the social and cultural norms within their society. The conformity to social norms not only shapes the pattern, but also maintains the very existence of sex-typed social behavior. In summary, social role theory treats these differing distributions of women and men into roles as the primary origin of sex-differentiated social behavior, their impact on behavior is mediated by psychological and social processes including developmental and socialization processes, as well as by processes involved in social interaction (e.g., expectancy confirmation) and self-regulation Social Construction of Gender Difference This perspective proposes that gender difference is socially constructed. This perspective believes that gender is socially constructed. Social constructionism of gender moves away from socialization as the origin of gender differences; people do not merely internalize gender roles as they grow up but they respond to changing norms in society. Children learn to categorize themselves by gender very early on in life. A part of this is learning how to display and perform gendered identities as masculine or feminine. Boys learn to manipulate their physical and social environment through physical strength or other skills, while girls learn to present themselves as objects to be viewed. Children monitor their own and others gendered behavior. Gender-segregated childrens activities create the appearance that gender differences in behavior reflect an essential nature of male and female behavior. Judith Bulter contends that being female is not natural and that it appears natural only through repeated performances of gender; these performances in turn, reproduce and define the traditional categories of sex and/or gender. A social constructionist view looks beyond categories and examines the intersections of multiple identities, the blurring of the boundaries of essentialist categories. This is especially true with regards to categories of male and female that are typically viewed by others as binary and opposites of each other. By deconstructing categories of gender, the value placed on masculine traits and behaviors disappears. However, the elimination of categories makes it difficult to make any comparisons between the genders or to argue and fight against male domination. Feminism, masculinism and religious views Some feminists see gender differences as caused by patriarchy or discrimination, although difference feminism argues for an acceptance of gender differences. Conservative masculists tend to see gender differences as inherent in human nature, while liberal masculists see gender differences as caused by matriarchy and discrimination. History of the struggle of female journalists: Since the 1960s, feminists have argued that it matters who makes it. When it comes to the mass media, who makes it continues to be men. Women working in the media have made some inroads. In 2001, the International Federation of Journalists reported that around the world, 38 per cent of all working journalists are women. Studies conducted by Canadian researchers Gertrude Robinson and Armande Saint-Jean have found that 28 per cent of newspaper editors are female. And according to San Diego State University communications professor Martha Lauzen, 24 per cent of American television producers, writers, and directors are women. Denis Monià ¨re, political analyst and professor at Quebecs University of Montreal maintains that even if the visibility of female journalists has grown in the last ten years, we shouldnt be too quick to shout victory. In 2002, the Canadian Newspaper Association reported that 43 per cent of Canadian newspaper employees are women. However, they account for only eight per cent of editors-in-chief and twelve per cent of publishers. Women employed in the sector tend to work in pink-collar ghettos; they make up 70 per cent of the advertising department, and 80 per cent of the accounting and finance staff. In addition to being un-represented in positions of authority, Monià ¨re thinks women are also under-utilized in covering the subjects considered most important-politics, economy and social trends. And when it comes to the evening news, women are almost invisible. The posting of Sophie Thibault in 2002 as the ten oclock news anchor for the national French-language channel TVA is a first for Canada. Most often, women are consigned to noon-hour shows, local newscasts, fill-ins and weekend spots. However, men continue to occupy approximately 75 per cent of the positions of power in the mass media. The 2001 study conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania is equally damning. The Center reports that only 13 per cent of the top executives of American media, telecommunications and e-companies are female. And that 13 per cent is not concentrated at the top: women constitute only 9 per cent of the boards of directors for these companies, and they hold only 3 per cent of the most powerful positions. CURRENT SITUATION: Women in Islamic nations are increasingly being heard, seen and listened to, thanks in part to leading female voices determined to make a difference, despite challenges ranging from motherhood to threats on their lives. One of the hostesses of a popular Saudi program called Speaking Softly says that until recently, she did not see people like herself on television. Muna Abusulayman is one of four anchorwomen on the show that deals with various issues in a talk format. Of the four, Abusulayman is the only one who wears a hijab, or headscarf. She is also divorced and lives alone with her child in Saudi Arabia. Women in the Middle East actually make up the majority of anchors and presenters on television. But, Abusulayman says, they are much less prominent behind the scenes and in other media like print and radio. Tasneem Ahmar, who runs a media and advocacy group in Pakistan as well as producing radio programs on womens issues, agrees with Abusulayman. With more than 25 years experience as a journalist, Ahmar says that, not unlike the West, most decision-making jobs, top executive positions, and tough assignments are given to men. Women normally are assigned very soft issues social issues, cultural issues, she said. There are very few women, youll find, who are doing hard political stories or economic stories or current affairs programs. Tasneem Ahmar thinks positive changes for women in the Middle East and the Islamic world are on the horizon. She predicts that a new wave of young women in the Pakistani media will have an impact in five to ten years in her country. These young girls who have come in, theyre very ambitious and theyre very hard working and I dont think anything is going to stop them from going to the top positions. While there is still a lot of work to be done, the women hope that their efforts and successes in the media will inspire not only women but men too. Or maybe there is truth to the old adage, the best man for the job is a woman. One woman in the Middle East who does cover tough stories and speaks out is May Chidiac. She is the host of a Lebanese TV program called With Audacity. Chidiac is known all over the Arab world for her tenacious journalism. A victim of an assassination attempt by suspected Syrian agents, she lost a hand and a leg in a car bombing in September 2005. After numerous surgeries, she went straight back to work. Reporter of an English Newspaper from Dhaka says that in most cases, chief reporters/assignment editors (almost everyone are male) do not assign them something special/important or significant reports. They are still assigned soft stories, days events, or light events. But male journalists get the preference to get a significant assignment, stories which might be lead stories. But the interesting point is that, many female journalists in our country now protesting this kind of attitudes and they are getting serious kind of assignment after fighting with their bosses. In Bangladesh, this is a very new phenomenon to appoint female journalists in electronic media, However, critics pointed that as female is more attractive then male in electronic media, so the media owners appoints the female journalists to attract audiences. About 15 percent female journalists are now working in countrys 11 state and privately run TV channels. On the other hand, in print media, we are very few female reporters are which any working journalist can count within 10 minutes. There are some other sectors of the media where female are more visible then reporting like hazardous and glamorous job for unknown reasons. Anam Istafa, Sub editor, National Herald Tribune openly admits that female journalists are usually assumed to be dumb and so tender hearted for Hard news coverage especially of blasts and natural disasters. She says that very rare females are at the executive positions in media news media business. Most of them usually follow guideline and policies by their male bosses. Policy and decision makers are predominantly men. Despite the increase of womens visibility in media organizations, journalists in South Asia are hardly seen in the decision-making positions. This was one of the several issues highlighted by more than 200 women working in the media from every SAARC country, who came together for the first time in Lahore, Pakistan, for a two-day meeting on Women in Media Challenges, Opportunities and Partnership. Women media persons from Maldives, Bhutan and Nepal pointed out that none of the print media in their country has ever had a female journalist heading the newsroom. Participants from India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka raised similar concerns, and also pointed out that man in their media organizations outnumbered women. Most of the participants cited long and difficult working hours, lack of incentives and appreciation to keep women working in the media, fulfilling household obligations and unequal wages as some of the reasons why women in the media are under-represented at various levels in South Asia. These were also some of the reasons why most female media persons, after working for few years, leave the profession for other jobs. Portrayal of women in the media as victims was also discussed extensively. Some of the participants pointed out that women make news in several South Asian news media only when they are victims of conflict, crime, natural disasters or terrorism. However, one of the guest speakers, Pakistans federal information minister, Qamar Zaman Kaira, said: Women journalists play an important role in voicing concerns of the victims in conflict areas, who are often women and children. Some of these victims are more comfortable sharing their experiences with female professionals. He urged women media persons to also take up more serious and hard-hitting issues relating to politics, security and conflict. Senior journalist in Pakistan, Shehar Bano, said at the conference that international research studies indicate transformation in news content brought on by an influx of women into the news media. Issues such as health, education, child care and women workers have gained prominent slots in newspapers, she said. Bandana Rana from Nepal said, however, that there are also many female media persons, who are confined to covering only feature articles on art, culture and lifestyle and very few female reporters are assigned business, economics or political stories. It was resolved during the meeting that female media persons should be given training opportunities to enhance their skills to cover all issues, along with mentorship programmes between senior and junior female journalists. Former Chairperson, Department of Mass Communications at University of Karachi, Professor Shahida Qazi said she is happy that more and more Pakistani women are now joining media. She recalled when in 1966 she had joined Daily Dawn Karachi as a reporter, many people were surprised. She said now more than 70 percent of Karachi University students are women. She said in the Department of Mass Communications, there are more female students than males. Former Secretary Information Department, and TV compere Mehtab Akbar Rashdi said declaration of the state of emergency and curbs on media in Pakistan have shocked journalists, writers and human right activists. She said the dream of gender justice and equality could not materialize until change of mindset in male population. She said even today in the practical field female journalists face many problems due to this dogmatic thinking. Rashdi said steps for empowerment of women should be taken from the home. She said parents should encourage their daughters to get higher education and work in every walk of life. Electronic media in Pakistan is highlighting gender-related issues in a better way in comparison to print media, because more women journalists work in TV channels. Pakistani women have entered the field of journalism after a tough competition. Now women journalists and photographers could be seen working in Pakistani society and it is a welcome change. Association of Television Journalists (ATJ) only has some 50 females among its 700 or so members around the country, but nearly half of them are concentrated in the business capital of Karachi. Women are highly visible in the Pakistani media as anchors and talk show hosts on dozens of private radio and television channels in various regional languages, besides English and Urdu. Women are paid less than their male colleagues for equal work and have to fight harder for the political or other high profile assignments Most identify sexual harassment as their biggest concern, according to Zebunnisa Burki, who has been coordinating South Asian Women in Media (SAWM) EFFORTS /STEPS TAKEN TO PROMOTE ROLE OF WOMEN IN MEDIA Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a more secure future for women reporters To mark International Womens Day on 8 March 2005, UNESCOs Director-General, KoÃÆ' ¯chiro Matsuura, launched for the fourth time the global initiative Women Make the News. UNESCO appeals to all media producing daily news to hand over editorial responsibility to women to cast the news on that day. UNESCO Supports Gender in Journalism Awards in Pakistan The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) organizes the Gender in Journalism Awards to honour excellence in gender sensitive reporting in the country. UNESCO supports the two awards, each carrying a cash prize of Rs 25,000 (US$ 400), that will be given to Pakistani journalists. One award recognizes models for excellence and best practices in coverage of gender related issues. It is open to both male and female journalists. The second award honours outstanding coverage of any issue by a female journalist. Its aim is to promote role models for women entering or planning to enter the journalism field. Journalists working in print media may nominate their own work, or editors and others may nominate articles that promote the objectives of the awards. Fiji Women Community Radio Initiative femLINKpacific (Media Initiatives for Women), a womens media NGO, launched in 2004 femTALK 89.2FM, a mobile womens community radio project. In January 2005, as a result of the grant of UNESCOs Intergovernmental Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), the femLINKpacific is taking the suitcase radio to women in their communities. The aim of the femTALK 89,2FM project is to not only create a new space on the radio waves for community based discussion, but also to provide practical opportunities for women within their own communities to highlight and address issues relevant to them. The main focus of femLINKpacifics range of community media initiatives is women speaking to women for peace. The decision making structures still lack equal representation by women and the capacity of women, especially from the rural population and the poor, to communicate openly on common matters should be increased. International Womens Media Foundation Since its founding in 1990, the International Womens Media Foundation has conducted training programs on five continents, in 26 countries and over the Internet with the goal of strengthening the role of women in the news media worldwide. The IWMF supports women in the media through groundbreaking projects, and innovative research and training designed to help women develop their skills and become leaders in their profession. Since 1990, the IWMF has honored more than 50 extraordinarily brave and hardworking journalists with Courage in Journalism Awards. The only international awards designed to recognize the contributions of women on journalisms front lines, the Courage awards recognize women who have faced physical attacks, prison terms, beatings, rape, and death threats to themselves and their families. Training Women Media Professionals Internews is one of the worlds leading trainers of female media professionals, training more than 25,000 women in media skills since 2003 alone. Internews helps women get on the air and in the newsrooms in societies where their participation has been marginalized, allowing for reporting on all issues-not just womens issues-to be done through the voices of women in that society. Mainstreaming Womens Issues To ensure that the media meet the needs of all audiences, Internews works to foster womens leadership in the media industry so that issues of vital concern to women are mainstreamed, integrated across all programming and not relegated to a niche market. In communities where specific gender issues are underreported, such as gender-based violence or womens health, Internews has developed special programs produced by and for women. Pakistans First Radio Program by and for Women In Pakistan, where only three percent of journalists are women, Internews has worked to increase the number of women working in media, training women at journalism programs established by Internews at universities from Peshawar to Rawalpindi to Balochistan. Internews launched Meri Awaz Suno (Hear My Voice), the countrys first independent syndicated program that features women as both producers and subjects. In 2003, Internews built a state-of-theart independent radio production facility in Islamabad where women journalists are trained in radio reporting and production and work on Meri Awaz Suno. The radio show airs on 19 independent radio stations across the country, and focuses on issues such as politics, education and health. Before Internews training, most reporters working on Meri Awaz Suno had little experience working in radio or journalism. Now they are leaders the first women in Pakistan to work as independent broadcast journalists, and role models for young women. Establishment of Forum Named :Women Journalists Pakistan (WJP) The women journalists of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad formally announced Women Journalists Pakistan (WJP) forum to address professional problems faced by them and find out ways to nurture their skills. The ceremony was organized at the National Press Club, Islamabad in which Javed Akhtar, Director News Associated Press of Pakistan, Absar Alam, Anchor person Aaj TV, Qatrina Hussain, Anchor person Express TV and Fozia Shahid Anchor Person ATV shared their through provoking ideas and views with a large number of female journalists present there. According to WJP members, the body is a non-political and intellectual-based forum that aims to provide platform to working women journalists in the print and electronic media. In addition to raising a collective voice on issues faced by women journalists, the forum will initially focus on two basic aspects networking and facilitating journalists avail media-related career-building opportunities. The WJP hierarchy is: Myra Imran of The News (Convener); Saadia Khalid, The News and Humaira Sharif of APP (Resource persons). Working Group: Ayesha Habib (Dunya TV); Sehrish Majid (Apna TV), Anila Bashir- (Samaa), Asma Ghani (The Nation), Maimoona (Khabrain), Siddrah Bokhari (APP), Naheed Akhtar (APP), Shumaila Noreen (APP), Zahida Mahmood (APP), Ghazala Noreen (News-One TV), Saadia Masood (Rohi TV), Nazia Hameed (Channel 5), Afshan Qureshi (Ausaf), Rukhsana Mussarat (Radio Pakistan), Shazia Seher (Apna TV). The WJP Advisory Board comprises the following: Qatrina Hussain (Anchorperson, Express TV); Absar Alam (Anchorperson Aaj TV); Ghazi Salahuddin (Member Editorial Board, Jang Group of Newspapers); Javed Akhtar (Director News, APP); Muhammad Ziauddin (Executive Editor, The Express Tribune); Shamsul Islam Naz (Secretary General, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists); Asma Shirazi (Anchorperson Samaa TV); Mazhar Arif (Executive Director, Alternate Media) and Fozia Shahid (ATV). Establishment of Aasha (the Alliance Against Sexual Harrasment) and a code of conduct for workplace WWO is among the civil society organisations which got together a few years ago to form Aasha, the Alliance Against Sexual Harassment (www.aasha.org.pk) in collaboration with the International Labor Organisation (ILO) and Pakistans Ministry of Women Development. Aasha developed a code of conduct for the workplace and a procedure to deal with harassment and discrimination. Geo TV, the largest private television network in Pakistan is among the few media organisations Aasha lists as a progressive employer. Its not necessary for every case to be a federal issue, commented a television producer who worked with Geo when Aasha started. Often the tension arises because of the widespread gender segregation in our society many of these youngsters dont know how to interact with each other. This leads to misunderstandings that the code helps to clear up. Another reason for growing sexual harassment may be that, with education, more people are crossing class barriers. Women coming into journalism earlier were relatively well-connected and self-confident. Many now come from lower-middle class backgrounds and have less confidence. Men find it easier to take advantage of or intimidate them, observed a senior journalist. Problems Faced by Female Journalists (Pakistan) It is an established fact that women are an integral part of the Pakistani media. Professionally, they match their male colleagues and their analytical and investigative skills are quite impressive. With their distinctive approach to political, economic and social issues, women journalists have successfully highlighted the human angle that had previously remained neglected. They have proven themselves, both in the print and the electronic media. Less than a decade ago, there were very few women in journalism. But things have now changed and with the opening of a string of television channels, many new faces have joined in. These motivated girls have been a valuable addition to the Pakistani media. Viewers, readers and listeners, have all appreciated their work. However, unfortunately the working conditions in the media houses have remained unchanged. Low salaries, downsizing, lack of professionalism, non-existence of basic facilities for employees like health, old age benefits etc, no job security and non-conducive work environment in majority of media organizations especially in the Urdu print media are indeed big hurdles. This has greatly affected women journalists because they are often the first ones to become victims of downsizing. Mainly due to social pressures, they cannot work in two or three places like their male colleagues and unlike their male colleagues women are reluctant to seek favors. The constraints they face due to overall environment in media industry become a hurdle in their way to assume journalism as a career but another dimension of this issue is the problems female journalists face within their community the biggest is their continuing struggle to become registered journalists within media bodies. Unfortunately, majority of the women journalists have only been granted associate membership which is actually not regular membership. The condition is worst in under developed areas where women, in most of cases, dont apply for membership. This apparently small problem has long lasting effect on the overall situation of female journalists and their growth in media industry. Due to non-registratio

Portrait of the Poet as Landscape Essay

The basic attribute that cane extracted from the persona of the character is his dilemmas in life. The vivid description of the surrounding community does not really have any sympathy to what a particular individual is going through as long as life goes on for each of people in the background. The terms â€Å"death† and â€Å"alive† do not really have much of an importance since the reference character does not really involve him to the actual events happening in the surroundings. The persona seems to be disgusted with how the world works and that finding a sense in living is futile.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The effects of terms â€Å"moods† and â€Å"remember† suggest that the persona may not actually be an entity at all. He is just like a ghost of his own dilemma wherein what he can only do is to cherish the life he once had. All the character can see is how busy the world is and that nothing really matters whether someone is in agony. It is only possible to create an illusion of change among the social structure but being a ghost himself cannot actually impart change. Everything is perceived by the persona to be temporary and materialistic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is apparent that the poem presents the disgust of the persona towards artificial power over tangible things which are directly insinuated by the phrase â€Å"Fame: the adrenalin†. It tells that having a name can be a great tool not for a beneficial imagination but for a destructive illusion. This is the same as â€Å"defying gravity† which can almost imply absurdity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the end, the poem presents that once a person achieves a kind of satisfying illusion, there is no other way to go but to go down. Otherwise, he would just look into matters beyond his illusion which can only cause unending search for perfection. The term â€Å"sixth sense† provides this incapacity of a person to achieve greater worth more than illusionary and artificial goals as these provide comfort in life (Bloland). Bushed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The poem Bushed is particularly concerned over how a man perceives his surroundings in the presence of wild life influences. Although the literary article provides some sort of descriptions about the natural entities in the background, there is a difficult identification whether the perceptions were actually happening or just a figment of the man’s imagination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is also evident that contrasting benefits and disadvantages are provided for the main character. He can basically utilize the natural resources around him while at the same time being threatened by the dangers lurking in the setting. Clear examples of advantages can be identified with the terms and phrases â€Å"building a shack†, â€Å"roasting porcupine† and â€Å"wearing quills†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The term â€Å"dawn† played an important part by presenting the fact that the character was first lured by the beauty and benefits of the surroundings. However, a sudden change of the time frame would suggest that what the character was actually deceived for unanticipated danger lurks around him. The effect of the moon in the darkening of the atmosphere, the mocking of the owls and the seemingly fading away branches of the cedars impose loneliness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The line which designates the â€Å"resting of the wind in the mountains† provide a clear glimpse of the dangers which are about to come. The term â€Å"arrowhead† is the most significant identification of the notion of danger. Although there is a complete time frame before it arrives to the persona, it is actually going to happen. As with the flints are expected to come which practically represent the slow influence of the coming dilemma. Works Cited Bloland, Sue Erikson. â€Å"Give the Atlantic.† The Atlantic Online. 1999. The Atlantic. 24 Jan 2008 .

Accounting Essay - 2949 Words

SMT640 Group Research paper Fall 2014 You have been named the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a two year old company, CUNY Analytics. Financials have been prepared by a bookkeeper. As CFO, you responsible for the preparation of accurate financials, analysis and review of the financials before they are released and communication of the results of your company to banks, investors, creditors and the government, as necessary. Please complete the following: a. What are the four major financial statements and, in depth, discuss their purpose. The four major financial statements are the balance sheet, the income statement, the retained earnings statement and the statement of cash flows. The Balance Sheet reports the company’s†¦show more content†¦If the company is predicted to be well off and can meet its obligations, then investors will buy stock. If it seems like the company will not do well, then they will sell or just not buy any stock costing the company its investors. The Retained Earnings Statement provides users the net income retained in the business for a specific time period. It shows the amount and cause of changes during a reporting period while simultaneously allowing users to evaluate dividend payment. External users mainly use this because they evaluate the dividend payout. The Statement of Cash Flow provides information about cash receipts and cash payments of a business at a specific period of time. It provides an idea of the company’s cash position, which includes the net increase and decrease, inflows and outflows of cash through three major components: operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities over an accounting period. The operating activities include the cash effects of transactions that create revenues and expenses. It helps determine net income for that year. The investing activities include the sales and purchases of the company. It also includes the lending of money and the collecting of loans. The financing activities section shows how cash was obtained from issuing debt and repaying the amounts borrowed and obtaining cash from stockholders, repurchasing shares and paying dividends. Therefore, the three components show where the cash came from, how andShow MoreRelatedAccounting1024 Words   |  5 PagesQues tion 1:   * Proficient-level:   * There are several important functions performed in an organization, among which accounting is one of them. Define the accounting function and discuss how it differs from double-entry bookkeeping. Answer: According to the Dictionary of Accounting Terms, Accounting is defined as a one step process of recording, measuring, interpreting and communicating financial data by preparing financial statements in order to reflect financial condition and operatingRead MoreAccounting753 Words   |  4 PagesCampbellsville University School of Business and Economics SYLLABUS Course Title: ACC 601 Managerial Accounting Semester/Dates: Graduate Term 1: August 29, 2011 – October 23, 2011 (Traditional MBA) Meetings: Thursday (6:00 PM – 10:00 PM), AD 25 Faculty: Dr. Sunny Onyiri Office: AD 29-b Phone: (502) 365 4424 Read MoreAccounting Analysis On Management Accounting Essay1210 Words   |  5 PagesManagement Accounting Introduction: Management accounting technique is the procedure of understanding, analyzing, exam, calculating, deciphers, and transfers the verbal data to chase of company objectives. The section of bookkeeping is called as cost accounting. The difference between the financial and managerial bookkeeping data is the goal at assist the administrators inside the corporation to create choice as per their situations. Even as economic bookkeeping is intended at giving data to gatheringRead MoreFinancial Accounting And Managerial Accounting1613 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: Both financial accounting and managerial accounting provide important information about the business process. On the one hand, financial accounting provides only financial information to its internal users and external users. On the other hand, managerial accounting basically communicates about financial and non-financial information with internal users such as managers, employees and owners of the company. In other words, manag erial accounting provides information to managers who directRead MoreAccounting7049 Words   |  29 PagesAcct 340-Midterm Review Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. ____ 1. Which of the following is NOT a process associated with an accounting information system? |a. |auditing existing data | |b. |collecting and recording data | |c. |providing informationRead MoreAccounting Theory And Management Accounting2580 Words   |  11 PagesThough forms of managerial accounting practices can be traced back decades, centuries even, management accounting used to be regarded as a financial tool, advantageous for the financial managers. However, over the past three decades views on management accounting have changed. As Kaplan (1994) states management accounting theory has experienced a revolution in both theory and practice with the development of new innovations. Through advances in information technology, more competitive markets andRead MoreAccounting Analysis : Management Accounting2168 Words   |  9 Pages MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING Author’s Name Course Name Professor’s Name Due Date MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING Accounting is a way of measuring a business s financial performance through maintaining records and analyzing them. Financial accounting system produces reports that are generally intended for external stakeholders to evaluate a business. Management accounting is used to provide internal information that management uses in order to assess performance toward goals and objectives. FinancialRead MoreAccounting Scandals And Enron Accounting Scandal1596 Words   |  7 Pages Introduction: In this research paper I will be examining accounting scandals, specifically the Enron Accounting Scandal. First, I will be exploring the history of Enron. Then I will be going into further depth on what accounting issues Enron faced and then I will be explaining what a derivative is. Finally yet importantly, I will consider the different types of Accounting Fraud following a conclusion. Accounting Scandals are born due to collective greed and corporate arrogance. InRead MoreManagerial Accounting Is A Discipline Within The Accounting1541 Words   |  7 PagesManagerial accounting is a discipline within the accounting community that focuses on providing valuable information to the leaders of their organization. The importance of the community relies on its ability to provide information that is not readily found in traditional financial statements developed in the accounting department for reporting to outside agencies. Activity-based management utilizes information developed u sing activity-based costing (ABC) to accurately determine product costs.Read MoreAccounting Practices And The Field Of Accounting1393 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction to the authoritative resources in the field of Accounting In the era of technological advances, access to information of any subject is abundant. With this vast array of information to tap into, the credibility of the material presented becomes questionable. But throughout history, there are sources of material that have been highly regarded. These sources include Scholarly peer reviewed journals, Trade publications, and information presented by respected institutions or organizations

Marketing Plan for Introduction of Multi-functional Remote Device of JKL Plc - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 14 Words: 4338 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Case study Level High school Did you like this example? Proposed Marketing Plan for Introduction of Multi-functional Remote Device of JKL Plc, UK. Section 1: Introduction and Background This report entails the development of a marketing plan for the launch of a new product, a Multi-functional Remote Device (MRD), to be presented to the Investment Committee of JKL Plc. JKL Plc is a large London headquartered multinational FMCG with operations spanning 16 countries across the world. Its turnover for the financial year ended December 31, 2010 amounted to GBP 454 million. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Marketing Plan for Introduction of Multi-functional Remote Device of JKL Plc" essay for you Create order The search for innovative products has led the company to focus on the swift technology evolution within the hospitality industry around the world. This has necessitated the accurate estimation of future developments for maximising customer satisfaction and retention. Environmental scanning and market research reveals that customers are driving the industry towards technology convergence (Bentley, 2007, p2). The hotel industry presently relies upon stand-alone modes or discrete technology application devices to fulfil customer service requirements, in areas like electronic check-in/ check-out facilities, purchase and use of in-room entertainment or even the control of room settings for different utilities and appliances that are used by the customers during their stay in the hotel. Due to the continuous nature of the service provided by the industry, it is difficult to install/ retro-fit new technologies in operational properties at reasonable cost outlays. Consequently, it is difficult to consider further technology investments for retrofitting innovative technology developments as a substitute for technologies installed previously. This necessitates the need for investment in technology that encompasses multiple functions for the hospitality industry customer. This need has led to the concept of this MRD that caters to ‘last-yard connectivity (Bentley, 2007, p3). The MRD would enable the shift towards methods and systems to enable integration of all hotel services into a single application that is accessible from such an electronic device. A customer will consequently be able to gain access to and manage hotel services prior to arrival at the hotel, upon arrival at the hotel, within the hotel room, within the local neighbourhood, as well as after departing from the hotel. The company feels that the product has potential for commercial exploitation. The BOD has decided to progress with the suggestion. This report deals with the marketing o f MRD devices to hospitality establishments across the target market in UK. Section 2: Product Details 2.1. Product Concept The single integrated application on the MRD is designed to enable access to most of the premium and desired functionalities and services offered by the hospitality establishment to their customers. The hospitality establishments that purchase these MRDs can select the permutation of the functionalities and services that can be accessed by their customers. This would depend on the technology budgets at their disposal. Appendix 1 details the major functionalities that can be accessed through the integrated application available on the MRD. The integrated single application installed on certain versions of the MRD will enable communication with one or more servers connected to the hotel. The MRD will, for instance, communicate with different servers connected with ordering goods or services from the hotel. It will also communicate with different servers linked to shops, stores or attractions to permit a customer to effect reservations, purchase goods or services, or obtain informa tion. The development of the MRD will lead to technology convergence. It will also hopefully lead to the deployment of this portable device across the entire hospitality industry spectrum as a convenience and an energy friendly device. This will help maximise customer satisfaction and improve the convenience and comfort levels for hotel customers. The MRD is essentially an upgrade with a single application that substitutes the operation of multiple remote devices for individual applications of different portable electronic remote devices. An example is the capability of the MRD to interface with the customers hotel room controls to organise room features like temperature, audio and video settings, lighting, any other appropriate room settings, or any permutation of the above. 2. 2. Technical Assessment Both wired and wireless technologies enable the integrated functioning of portable remote devices for availing multiple functionalities concurrently. This enables the hotel customers to access, purchase and use different products and services offered by the hospitality industry. The convergence of present day technology systems necessitates reliable infrastructure that can function consistently. The major constituents of infrastructure are: (1) Local and wide area data networks (LANs and WANs), (2) Workstation and server operating systems, (3) Network operating systems, and (4) the Data management platform (Wynes, 2005, p3). The secondary constituents incorporate all-purpose business tools like software for office automation purposes, security tools like virus scanners and firewalls, and supporting applications such as custom reporting packages. The business environment that sustains such infrastructure necessitates robust processes not only for technology selection, implemen tation and integration, but also for user support and system administration (Wynes, 2005, p3). Hotels endeavour to distinguish themselves from others to improve revenue streams and profitability. They should look favourably towards converged and intelligent network technologies to improve occupancy levels by attracting and retaining high-value customers, generating fresh recurring revenue streams and steering themselves towards higher operational efficiencies (Wynes, 2005, p3). The network technology that is prevalent across the industry will also support the MRD introduction across most market segments of the hospitality industry in UK. 2.3. Market Assessment The European hotel industry is controlled by independent, managed and family owned small hotels. The hotel sectors of UK, Germany, France, and Italy are dependent upon their home markets, whereas other European countries service a larger percentage of international customers. Whilst the UK has the maximum concentration of brands, around 70% of British hotels continue to be small and do not have more than fifteen rooms (Hotelmule, 2010, p1). Recent market forecasts predict that UKs  £1 billion corporate hospitality market will grow by only 1 percent this year. The ‘UK Corporate Hospitality Market Development Report notes that the market suffered a 5 percent reversal during 2009, when turnover dropped to  £933 million, a five-year low. The growth is expected to reach 11 percent in real terms during the period 2010 to 2015 (Quainton, 2010, p2). Reports on performance during 2010 confirm robust profit growth within London and stagnation across the provinces. This is con firmed by the London hotels double-digit rise in profits, as per latest survey conducted by TRI Hospitality Consulting. However, the performance across the provinces has not been as strong with the industry norm GOPPAR (Gross Operating Profit per Available Room) falling by 1.4 percent. This contrasts with the 13.9 percent growth in London (Hotelnewsresource.com, 2011, p 2). The performance of hotels in London is remarkable compared to the subdued performance of hotels in the provinces. The improved performance of the London hotels over 2008 levels bodes well for the subsequent 12 months. The economic environment is expected to benefit from the upcoming Royal Wedding and the 2012 Olympic Games (Hotelnewsresource.com, 2011, p 2). This environment augurs well for the launch of the MRD by JKL Plc. There has been a rise in budget and ‘no-frills choices within the hotel industry. There are two distinct markets for ‘luxury and ‘budget hotels. Another category betwee n these two markets is the mid-market category that comprises mainly of three-star hotels. The average hotel in UK has 12 rooms, unlike the average budget property, which has 75 rooms. Budget accommodation accounted for 12 percent of overall serviced accommodation within the UK in 2008. Nearly all budget hotels fall in the branded category, according to British Hospitalitys 2008 Trends Statistics Report (Morton-Holmes, 2009, p3). This is largely the intended target market for the various models of MDR developed by JKL Plc. 2. 4. Product Development and Testing/Validation Manufacturers, operators, owners, and suppliers engaging with the hospitality industry have to be certain that their products fulfil customer expectations in todays complex and dynamic marketplace. They also need to comply with necessary regulatory and safety standards mandated by different municipal, state and national government agencies. Poor quality goods can lead to customer dissatisfaction, injury and other hazards. Both can also adversely affect the brand image and brand equity of the organisation. Rigorous and relentless product testing is required to ensure that products conform to required standards and regulatory norms. The process entails the assessment of products against detailed standards and regulations (Bureau Veritas, 2007, p2). It is assumed that all MRD models will conform to the specifications detailed in the product concept and major functionalities in Section 2.1.and Appendix 1 respectively. It is also assumed that the necessary pre-development product con cept testing research has been carried out in terms of the market and technical assessments. Concept testing involves qualitative surveys that determine the acceptance of a single or multiple products concept through the deployment of surveys targeted at focused respondents like prospective customers and/or industry experts. Product testing of the MRD will consequently determine if all its versions satisfy industry standards and regulatory requirements. Testing will also determine whether the MRDs are produced according to required specifications and whether they meet the established criteria of different functionalities. It is intended that product testing will be conducted at 2 beta sites within each category of the target market in the hospitality industry, especially the budget hotels and those considered to be ‘Inns at law under the UK 1956 Innkeepers Liability Act. Section 3: Marketing Plan 3.1. Marketing Analysis 3.1.1. Environmental Analysis The application of acknowledged and appropriate marketing tools like PESTEL and SWOT analysis facilitates the analysis of the organisations market position (Proctor, 2000, p 9). PESTEL Analysis A PESTEL analysis enables a complete analysis of the ‘political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal aspects of the marketplace and offers essential information that helps in formulation of marketing strategy (Proctor, 2000, p 9). Political Conditions The political environment within UK is stable. Economic Conditions Considerable medium and short term risks still exist in the current economic environment. The recent increase in VAT by the government to shore up its finances has subdued the economic sentiment. The MRD introduction will lead to better economic performance of the hospitality industry in terms of improved turnover and profitability and immediate savings in energy costs. Social Conditions The Companys introduction of MRD will not require adjustment to social norms since the UK population is largely conversant with the use of high technology electronic devices. Technology Conditions There is robust implementation and consumption of high technology merchandise. The technology savvy population is open to innovative products Environmental Conditions Direct savings in electricity consumption will be achieved with the MRD introduction. Carbon footprint reduction from the use of multifunction electronic devices will lead to savings in toxic material like plastic and non-biodegradable components like silicon chips and sensors. The MRD introduction will reduce the carbon footprint across the entire supply chain. Legal Conditions Innovative products need to comply with UK statutory, regulatory and electronic standards. Compliances are mandated. SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis of an organisation entails the elucidation of its natural strengths and weaknesses along with its external opportunities and threats. This enables the management to utilise and develop its strengths to take advantage of available market opportunities, lessen its weaknesses and cover threats (Proctor, 2000, p 47). The SWOT analysis of JKL Plc is as follows: Strengths First mover advantage in home market Extensive domain knowledge of electronics industry Established distribution channels High technological expertise Weaknesses MRD brand focus to be established No presence in overseas hospitality electronics markets Opportunities The UK hospitality market is open to innovative products and related value added services Increasing requirement for converged broadband and other hotel services offers a strong opportunity to introduce the latest range of services across the board Threats Faces serious threats to its first mover position as a MRD provider in UK from aggressive potential competitors Low technological entry barrier for large electronics industry organisations 3.1.2. Market Segmentation TRI/BDRC, a prominent industry consultancy firm, assesses the overall hotel room stock within UK at 708,412. This figure is roughly in agreement with its peer MGCLs estimation (Slattery Gamse, 2008, p11). MGCL catalogues the range of hospitality establishments in the UK as ‘bed and breakfasts, guesthouses, farmhouses, motor lodges, youth hostels, motels, inns, and hotels. Another hospitality industry consultancy segregates these establishments into two commercially distinct groups (Slattery Gamse, 2008, p11). The first group comprises of the bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and farmhouses that are the most haphazard and least successful establishments (Slattery Gamse, 2008, p12). MGCLs estimate of 202,000 rooms within these establishments appears to be reliable. However, the annualised availability of such rooms is not expected to be more than 100,000 due to their closure for a large part of the year (Slattery Gamse, 2008, p12). The second group comprises of hotels, motels, motor lodges and inns, although they are not distinct segments. Yet, jointly they are considered as â€Å"inns at law† under the UK Innkeepers Liability Act of 1956 and are thus different from the former group of venues. It is within this group that the hotel-keeping industrys professionalism has grown. MGCL estimates the present volume of room stock within this group to be 514,000 (Slattery Gamse, 2008, p13). In terms of geographical spread, whilst the hospitality business establishments are spread throughout UK, they have a propensity to be present in the major cities. The largest number of hospitality establishments is found in London and in the South East of England. Each of these locations accounts for 13 percent of the overall national hospitality establishments. The South West, which is a tourist destination region, has the next largest cluster of hospitality establishments. The lowest group of hospitality establishments is found in Merseyside and the North East (NGRF, 2003, p1). Appendix 2 details the corresponding projected employment levels and the change in catering and hotels for the period from 1999 to 2010. Recent industry research reveals that views on the comparative performance of the different categories of hotels cover a wide range. Some researchers aver that the four-star and five-star hotels viz. the markets top end is suffering heavily. The best returns are estimated for hotels in the medium level categories, whilst the low budget and luxury hotels are making profits (PwC, 2010, p12). 3.1.3. Target Market The adopter categories are expected to comprise of hotels and their ultimate individual customers. JKL Plc needs to address target market segments that will minimise the speed to market and maximise the sales and profitability of the company. Of the overall hotel room supply of 708,412, the company should first address the 514,000 room stock pertaining to the ‘inns at law group. It is this group of establishments that is professional and profitable. Within the above target group, the company needs to first focus on the medium level category of hotels viz. the volume target market of two, three and four star categories of hotels. This will also include the budget hotels category, which is expected to continue to perform well in future. This needs to be followed by addressing the luxury and low budget hotel segments. JKL Plc, with regard to geographical spread, needs to initially address the hospitality establishments that are situated in London and the South-East region of England. This should be followed by the next largest cluster of establishments, which are located in the South-West tourist destination region. 3.2. Marketing Mix The marketing mix of JKL Plc, as indicated by the 4P configuration of product, price, promotion and placement, is provided below. The companys products and related services seek to fulfil the technology convergence needs of its target markets through a permutation of various functionalities offered by the integrated single application housed in the MRD. The functionalities of MRD have been thoroughly detailed in the earlier Section 2.1. The product positioning enables MRD to be considered as a fully-converged convenience device that is energy friendly and helps in improving the comfort levels of all the customers of the hospitality industry. JKL Plc will differentiate its pricing according to the needs of the different target market segments and the corresponding value added functionalities preferred by the prospective customers. Introductory pricing will be differentiated with the post launch pricing taking into account the first mover advantage. There is no competition with in the fully-converged devices market, as yet. However, the pricing structure has taken into account the prices of remote devices that are less converged in terms of the functionalities offered. JKL Plc needs to engage in extensive promotion and advertising activities. Although it does undertake adequate marketing activities for its established FMCG business, it will need to create a fresh budget for the integrated marketing strategy that includes promotion and marketing activities for the successful introduction of the MRD. The marketing message for the new product introduction has to be created in consonance with marketing objectives, the target market, other key stakeholders and the vital USPs or features of the product (Scott, 2010, p 17). The company will need to engage in promotional activities that span the pre-launch, launch and post-launch phases, including participation in industry and trade fairs. It will also need to focus on industry print media including special ised trade and industry journals and magazines. The MRD will be formally launched and showcased at the British Hospitality Associations Climate Week that is usually held in the month of March. It is a nationally acclaimed event that promotes green and environment friendly causes. The launch will also be aired on national and local TV and radio. The company will organise a string of presentations and demos to industry participants, mainly hotels and specialist electronics retail outlets that will stock the product. Such events could also be held in the relevant trade and industry platforms. The firm will also make use of internet tools such as chat rooms, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and the organisational website to maximise national reach and encourage product discussion. The hospitality industry is generally considered to lag behind in technology implementation. This has become a barrier to technology adoption as faster technology evolution constantly renders current technology obsolete (Khosrow-Pour, 2002, p209). However, the major barriers to technology adoption lie in the cost of technology deployment, the standardisation of technologies that are required to be converged and security of the e-commerce payment mechanisms. The speed of adoption is largely related to the above factors, along with the bandwidth speeds that are becoming increasingly important due to the requirement of immense volume of real-time online content. The major barrier to adoption of the MRD by the companys customers is primarily on account of the security concerns relating to payment mechanisms. This issue will also be addressed by JKL Plc through its various communications and campaigns to its potential customers. It has been assumed that the concept testing exercise has also been successfully conducted and the trial rates and repeat rates confirm the potential of the product. The trial rate represents the extent and speed with which customers wi ll make an initial purchase of a new product. The trial rate is checked jointly with the repeat rate to gauge the sales potential and the consumer satisfaction of the brand. A high trial rate along with a high repeat rate signifies that consumers need the product and that it fulfils their expectations (Barrons, 2000, p 1). The MRD in all its versions will be freely available across all of UK. Adequate stocking will be ensured to satisfy the forecasted demand across all sectors and geographical spread of the industry. The distribution network and its modes will also be in place well before the launch of the product. 3.3. Market Forecast Budgeting is critical to all marketing plans. The details of the budget for the introduction and launch of the MDR will need to be prepared by considering the different costs associated with MDR kits, the pre-launch beta testing at potential customer locations, press releases, post-launch promotional events and media expenses as well as annual promotional expenses. Table 1 below details the MRD sales forecast and the related marketing budget for 5 years. It is felt that the sales forecast should be based on the total room stock of approximately 600,000 rooms, excluding the 100,000 that are not available for a considerable part of the year. However, room supply has been assumed to grow at 5 percent per annum. The MRD sales have been assumed to grow from 3 to 12 percent of the target market during the 5 years. The average MRD price of GBP125 in year 1 is expected to stabilise at GBP150 for years 2 and 3, followed by a 20 percent drop in the subsequent 2 years due to economies of s cale. Table 1: MRD Sales Forecast and Marketing Budget for JKL Plc for 5 years Year 1 Year2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 GBP GBP GBP GBP GBP Sales forecast Hotel rooms targeted (numbers) 600000 630000 661500 694575 729304 %age of MDRs sold 3.0% 7% 9% 12% 12% MRDs sold (numbers) 18000 44100 59535 83349 87516 Average MRD price (GBP) 125 150 150 120 96 Total sales forecast (GBP) 2250000 6615000 8930250 10001880 8401579 Total sales forecast (million GBP) 2.25 6.62 8.93 10.00 8.40 Marketing Budget Pre-launch beta testing 50 MRD kits 6250 Launch event 150000 Post-launch promotional activities 100000 Post-launch media expenses 200000 Annual promotional expenses @ 1.5% 33750 99225 133954 150028 126024 Total marketing budget (GBP) 490000 99225 133954 150028 126024 Total marketing budget (million GBP) 0.49 0.10 0.13 0.15 0.13 The launch event allocation of GBP 150,000 is considered to be adequate for about 800 invitees. The post-launch promotional activities will include the cost of site displays, press kits, promotional material and merchandising material. It is felt that the post-launch media expenses of GBP 200,000 in year 1 should suffice for the TV, radio and print media. Annual promotional expenses have been considered at 1.5 percent of the annual sales forecasts. 3.4. Evaluation and Assessment It is imperative that a market feedback mechanism be put in place for periodic evaluation of the new product. Corrective measures will consequently need to be taken to rectify the product malfunctions and issues that are thrown up by such feedback. The resultant coordination between the design team and production will lead to better product performance and speed of adoption and ultimately to improved customer satisfaction levels. A well structured system is required to be established to ensure periodic financial performance reviews that compare budgets with actual performance. The product performance reviews need to address the customer and market issues. Damage control is an integral part of marketing activity (Scott, 2010, p 8). Its implementation is necessitated both during and after the launch of JKL Plcs MRD. The product performance can for instance be impacted by an unsatisfied customer who could complain about its mode of functioning, user friendliness or even its digi tal display. Section 4: Conclusions This project report involves the preparation of the marketing plan for the launch of the MRD for the hospitality industry in UK. The relevant product and market assessments have been done and it has been demonstrated that there is a definite market for converged electronic devices that can be suitably deployed in the hospitality establishments throughout the target market. It is evident from the marketing plan presented above that the product has good potential for its introduction in the UK hospitality industry. However, adequate care needs to be taken for the successful implementation of the project, especially considering the fact that the group will have first mover advantage. It is important that a proper feedback mechanism be implemented to enable product enhancements in order to maximise customer convenience and satisfaction levels. Bibliography Barrons, 2000, â€Å"Barrons Marketing Dictionary†, Dictionary of Marketing Terms, Available at: https://www.answers.com/topic/trial-rate (accessed January 30, 2011). Bentley, R., 2007, â€Å"Future technology prediction will keep your hotel guests happy†, Reed Business Information 2010, Available at: www.caterersearch.com//Future-technology-prediction-will-keep-your-hotel-guests.htm (accessed January 30, 2011). Bureau Veritas, 2007, â€Å"Managing Risk and Protecting Your Brand, Product testing services for the hospitality industry†, Available at: https://www.bureauveritas.com/wps/wcm/connect/bv_com/Group/Home/bv_com_serviceSheetDetails?serviceSheetId=14700serviceSheetName=Product+Testing+Services+for+the+Hospitality+Industry (accessed January 29, 2011). Gupta, S., Lehmann, D. R., 2005, Managing Customers as Investments: The Strategic Value of Customers in the Long Run, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education/Wharton School Publishing. Hotelmul e, 2010, â€Å"Hotel Marketing Competitive strategies†, Available at: https://www.hotelmule.com/management/html/79/n-2179.html (accessed January 29, 2011). Hotelnewsresource.com, 2011, â€Å"UK Chain Hotels Market Review December 2010†, HotStats survey from TRI Hospitality Consulting, Available at: https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article51797.html (accessed January 29, 2011). Huber, N., 2010, â€Å"Five hospitality technologies coming your way†, www.caterersearch.com, Available at: www.caterersearch.com//Future-technology-prediction-will-keep-your-hotel-guests.htm (accessed January 29, 2011). Khosrow-Pour, M., 2002, Issues and trends of Information Technology management in contemporary organizations, London: Idea Group Publishing. Kotler, P., 2002, Marketing Management, 11th edition, NJ, USA: Prentice Hall. Lesly, P., 1998, Handbook of Public Relations and Communications, USA: NTC Business Books. Morton-Holmes, I., 2009, Hospitality: Future t rends, Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS). NGRF, 2003, â€Å"Hospitality Regional / National Dimension, LMI Future-Trends†, National Guidance Research Forum, Available at: https://www.guidance-research.org/future-trends/hospitality/regional (viewed January 29, 2011). Porter, M. E., 2004, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, London: New York Proctor, T., 2000, Strategic Marketing: An Introduction. London: Routledge. PwC, 2010, UK hotels forecast 2010 and 2011: On the comeback trail, March 2010 Issue 21, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Quainton, D., 2010, â€Å" £1bn corporate hospitality industry set for slow growth: report†, Eveningmagazine.co.uk, Available at: https://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/news/1023018/1bn-corporate-hospitality-industry-set-slow-growth-report/ (accessed January 28, 2011). Roger, B., 1998, International Marketing: Strategy, Planning, Market entry Implementation, London: Kogan Pag e Seitel, F, P., 2007, The Practice of Public Relations, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Shimp, A. T., 2008, Advertising Promotion and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications, 8th edition, USA: South-Western College Pub. Scott, M. D., 2010, Real-Time Marketing and PR: How to Instantly Engage youre Market, Connect with Customers, and Create Products that Grow Your Business Now, US: Wiley. Slattery, P., Gamse, I., 2008, â€Å"Hotel supply in the United Kingdom: assessments of size, structure and growth†, Hotel Analyst, 4(4): 11-13. Wynes, D.C., 2005, â€Å"Convergence: Hotel Technology for Today and Tomorrow†, Hotel Technology Next Generation In?Room Technology Workgroup June 2005. Appendices Appendix1 Details of major functionalities available on the single MRD application 1. The functionality to determine that the user is an authorized hotel guest based on relevant identification and is scheduled to check-in to the hotel on the relevant date. 2. The functionality to allot and configure the guests particular hotel room with one or more suitable room settings relating to any of the appliances or HVAC equipment. 3. The functionality to permit the hotel guest to check-in or check-out, with the requisite permission being transmitted through the electronic device and subsequently checking into or out of the hotel. 4. The functionality for the device to accept and operate an electronic key to unlock and open the door of the allotted hotel room 5. The functionality of the device to transmit a call to request for a particular hotel service or set of services. 6. The functionality of the device to operate and control the entertainment system housed within the allotted hotel room.