Thursday, December 26, 2019

4 Creative Ways to Analyze Plays

As students we remember sitting through countless lectures in which the instructor waxed eloquently about dramatic literature, while the class listened patiently, taking notes now and then. Today, as teachers, we certainly love to lecture about Shakespeare, Shaw, and Ibsen; after all, we love to hear ourselves talk! However, we also love student involvement, the more creative, the better. Here are a few ways for students to exercise their imagination while analyzing dramatic literature. Write (and Perform?) Additional Scenes Since plays are meant to be performed, it makes sense to encourage your students to act out some of the scenes in the play. If they are an energetic and outgoing group, this can work splendidly. However, it might be that your English class is filled with rather shy (or at least quiet) students who will be reluctant to read Tennessee Williams or Lillian Hellman out loud. Instead, have students work in groups to write a brand new scene for the play. The scene could take place before, after, or in-between the playwrights storyline. Note: Tom Stoppard did an excellent job of writing scenes that take place in between Hamlet. Its a play called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Another example some students will be more likely to appreciate would be Lion King 1 1/2. Consider some of these possibilities: Write a scene set ten years before Death of a Salesman. What was the main character like before he had children? What was his career like in the early days?Write a scene that shows what happens between Hamlets Act III and IV. Many dont realize that Hamlet hangs out with pirates for a while. Id love to know what happens between the Danish prince and the band of buccaneers.Write a new ending to Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House. Reveal what Nora Helmer does the day after she leaves her family. Does her husband win her back? Does she find a new sense of purpose and identity? During the writing process, the students may remain true to the characters, or they may spoof them or modernized their language. When the new scenes are finished, the class can take turns performing their work. If some groups would rather not stand in front of the class, they can read from their desks. Create a Comic Book Bring some art supplies to class and have students work in groups to illustrate a graphic novel version of the play or a critique of the playwrights ideas. Recently in one of my classes, students were discussing Man and Superman, George Bernard Shaws battle-of-the-sexes comedy that also contemplates Nietzsches ideal of a human, the Superman or ÃÅ"bermensch. While creating a literary response in comic book form, the students took the Clark Kent/Superman character and replaced him with a Nietzschean superhero who selfishly ignores the weak, hates Wagner operas, and can leap existential problems in a single bound. They had fun creating it, and it also displayed their knowledge of the plays themes. Some students might feel insecure about their drawing abilities. Assure them that it is their ideas that matter, not the quality of the illustrations. Also, let them know that stick figures are an acceptable form of creative analysis. Drama Rap Battles This works especially well with the complex works of Shakespeare. This activity can produce something incredibly silly. If there are sincere urban poets in your classroom, they might compose something meaningful, even profound. Take a soliloquy or a two-person scene from any Shakespearean play. Discuss the meaning of the lines, clarifying the metaphors and mythical allusions. Once the class understands the basic meaning, have them work in groups to create a modernized version through the art of rap music. Heres a brief albeit corny example of a rapping version of Hamlet: Guard #1: Whats that sound?Guard #2: All around—I dont know.Guard #1: Dont you hear it?Guard #2: This Denmark place is haunted by an evil spirit!Horatio: Here comes Prince Hamlet, hes a melancholy Dane.Hamlet: My mother and my uncle are driving me insane!Yo Horatio - why did we come out here?Theres nothing in the forest for me to fear.Horatio: Hamlet, dont get upset and dont go mad.And dont look now-Hamlet: ITS THE GHOST OF MY DAD!What is this apparition with eyes that fright?Ghost: I am thy fathers spirit who does forever walk the night.Your uncle killed your daddy, but that aint the bomb-That big jerk went and married your Mom! After each group is finished, they can take turns delivering their lines. And if someone can get a good beat-box going, all the better. Warning: Shakespeare might be spinning in his grave during this assignment. For that matter, Tupac might start spinning as well. But at least the class will have a good time. Standing Debate Set Up: This works best if students have room to stand up and move about freely. However, if that is not the case, divide the classroom into two sides. Each side should turn their desks so that the two large groups face each other—they should be ready to engage in some serious literary debate! On one side of the chalkboard (or whiteboard) the instructor writes: AGREE. On the other side, the instructor writes: DISAGREE. In the middle of the board, the instructor writes an opinion based statement about the characters or ideas within the play. Example:  Abigail Williams  (the antagonist of The Crucible) is a sympathetic character. The students individually decide if they agree or disagree with this statement. They move to either the AGREE SIDE of the  room or the DISAGREE SIDE. Then, the debate begins. Students express their  opinions and state-specific examples from the text to support their argument. Here are some interesting topics for debate: Hamlet truly goes insane. (He’s not just pretending).Arthur Miller’s  Death of a Salesman  accurately criticizes the  American Dream.Anton Chekhov’s plays  are more tragic than comic. In a standing debate, the students should feel free to change their minds. If someone comes up with a good point, the fellow classmates might decide to move to the other side. The instructor’s goal is not to sway the class one way or another.  Instead, the teacher should keep the debate on track, occasionally playing devil’s advocate to keep the students thinking critically. Generate Your Own Creative Analysis Activities   Whether you are an English teacher, a home school parent or you are just looking for an imaginative way to respond to literature; these creative activities are just a few of the endless possibilities.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

I Get Into So Much Trouble Just By Walking - 1131 Words

Qualitative Researchers In Introduction Fatimah Almahdi Amy Petersen Michael’s Story: â€Å"I get into so much trouble just by walking†: Narrative Knowing and Life at the Intersections of Learning Disability, Race, and Class Introduction The purpose of the article’s introduction is to highlight the challenges that students from minority go through in special education schools. Linking his personal experiences as a former special educator, Connor strives to explore the intersection of learning disability, race, and class. The author collected data by conducting interviews with a participant researcher to get his side of the story. Connor planned to compare his LDs experiences with his own. Valuing Narrative Connor opted to use a narrative as a means of expression since most people understand issues better when they are conveyed as a narrated story. Michael, the participant researcher, narrates the discrimination he went through during his time in school. Being a student with a learning disability, he was segregated from the other â€Å"normal† students, and they always taunted him because of his condition. The fact that he is black, physically challenged and comes from a working class background makes him feel less entitled to receiving a decent college education (Connor, 2006). His situation that even in the education sector, the playing field is not fair as far as minority groups are concerned. Choosing poetry Connor elects to present his findings in the formShow MoreRelatedEssay On What You DonT Know Can Hurt You1190 Words   |  5 Pagescan affect you sometimes in negative sometime s in positive ways. I was a kid in elementary school I wasn’t much of a talker I was shy ignorant of the ways of the world. No one in my child hood life saw fit to tell me what the middle finger meant no adult that is. So I in school may have done something offensive not knowing the consequences of my actions. I was in elementary about five or six years of age, I was naà ¯ve I was walking down the hall to class then Carlos my best friend in elementary schoolRead MoreMonster By Walter Dean Myers967 Words   |  4 PagesThe book I chose is called Monster by Walter Dean Myers. This novel won the Coretta Scott King award , the Printz award , and was also a National Book Award Finalist. Monster is the name and thing that Steve considers himself as he has gotten in a bit of trouble. This novel took place in Harlem New York in mid year of 1997. Steve harmon was in a drug store while some of the people he has been seen around the neighborhood with stuck the place up and murdered the owner of the store in cold blood nowRead MoreShootings : An Robbery Of The United States944 Words   |  4 PagesEvery minute and everyday someone in the United States gets robbed. Not even just a regular robbery, an armed robbery. 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ThisRead More Stereoptyping, Labeling, Pre-judging Essay678 Words   |  3 PagesPre-judging One day as I was shopping in Patterson’s at the mall here in Bemidji I noticed somethin that I have seen quite a lot of as I have been living in this town of racial diversity. I seemed to notice when I walked in the store with my mom we got the expected Hello, can I help you find something?. We said No, we are just looking. and went on our way through the store. A couple of minutes later some Natives came in the store and the guy who was working acted much different. He kind of lookedRead MoreA Ghost s Revenge : Lily s Pov1128 Words   |  5 PagesLily’s POV â€Å"AHH!† I screamed backing away from the ghost sitting on my bed staring at me in a creepy way. The ghost looked like a girl that was ripped apart with all the scars and bruises that she had. She stood up and started walking towards me and whispering noncoherent words. As she was walking closer the words became clearer. â€Å"I died in a car accident, it was a hit and run, I need my revenge!† I closed my eyes and screamed on the top of my lungs. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes slowlyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Stuffy Stimulator 1333 Words   |  6 Pagesthem. The master came and told him, â€Å"Control your powers young bear, for they will become more obvious when you go to complete your quest. Come, and we will talk more about the adventure and your powers I enchanted you with. The person you must choose,you will know when you see her, you will just know she is the one. Teresa Smith was now only 21. She dropped out of school, wanting to find her lost dad. It was when she was nothing more than a fresh 9 year old. She was playing outside when her parentsRead MoreAnalysis Of Tickits By Paul Milenski891 Words   |  4 Pages The short fiction story â€Å"Tickits,† written by Paul Milenski is about Toby Heckler giving tickets to all those he finds doing wrong especially his mother. How can I help all those around me someone like Tobey can ask himself? I can shed light to the troubles one may cause others like a superheroes providing safety to the citizens around them. My cloak and armor is my sharp appearance with not even a smudge on my pearly white sneakers. There are many imperfections when it comes to people behaviorRead MoreStealing: Debut Albums and Magnificent Idea1746 Words   |  7 PagesStealing is just plain old wrong, but still that doesn’t stop people from doing it. They don’t take the time to realize the amount of trouble that they’re getting themselves into. Or maybe they just don’t care, but they really should. Stealing has no excuses, explanations, or anything, because when you get caught that’s it. There are reasons why you shouldn’t do this, good ones, theses are the things that people should think about before stealing. First of all what would God say, do you thinkRead MoreThe Challenges : One Of Avernas Tale1721 Words   |  7 Pagesfell, but so did all the barbarians, no one else in the caravan dying. He has been at Averna’s side ever since. â€Å"How do we get out of here, thief?† In every direction, there was a wall that was at least fifteen stories high surrounding the castle, archers patrolling the top of it. I tried to remember the night before when I was brought it, but I had been so panicked that I did not retain much. Once again, my life was in the hands of the thief and I hated every moment of it. â€Å"Well, walking out of

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Encompassing Corporate Social Responsibility -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Encompassing Corporate Social Responsibility? Answer: Introduction: Corporate social responsibility can be defined as a particular type of business approach that helps in contributing to the different sustainable developments. This is mainly done by delivering economic, environmental as well as social benefits for all stakeholders who are associated with the business. Researchers are of the opinion that it is a broad concept that helps in addressing a wide number of topics like health and safety, corporate governance, environmental effects, human rights, contribution to that of the different economic department and working conditions. A number of benefits remain associated with the organizations that develop good corporate social responsibilities. These are the development of better recognition of the band, easier forms of access to the capital, positive formation of business reputation, growth of the organization and increased sales and loyalty of customers. It also helps in making savings of operations costs, betterment of financial performance and development of greater ability to retain staff and attract talent. This report will help to show how five important companies had garnered topmost positions globally by fulfilling their corporate social responsibility successfully. Reputation Institute (RI): Reputation Institute (RI) is a Boston-based reputation-management consulting firm. It has conducted an annual study by mainly tracking down the social responsibility reputations of about 170000 companies in 15 countries. They have analyzed the ratings by mainly zeroing in on the perceptions of the consumers about the company governance, its positive influence on the society as well as the treatment of the different employees. They have analyzed so with the proprietary RepTrak Pulse system (Strauss 2018). Lego: In the year, 2017 Lego has emerged as the topmost company showing the best CSR with RepTrak points of 74.4. The company has jumped from its fifth position in the year of 2016 to that to first position in the year 2017. RI has found out the LEGO not only behave ethically but also protects the environment and also supports different worthy causes. It is a Danish toy company. It had taken important steps like Building the Change as well as the Sustainable Material center initiatives. It has also engaged successfully into a partnership with that of the World Wide Fund for developing the condition of the poor and underprivileged (Isaksson, Kiessling Harvey, 2014). Lego has spent 1 billion Danish Krone (about $150 million) for the development of sustainable materials. They had planned to use them for the packing of different materials and to make high quality plastic toys. Moreover, it is seen that the organization had hired for about 100 engineers with an aim to develop various alternati ves to petroleum-based materials (Berlan, 2016). It has also taken initiatives for reduction of the carbon footprint. They have invested in wind farms so that they can help in offsetting the energy used in factories and for achieving its goals of utilizing 100 % renewable energy by the year of 2020. Microsoft: Microsoft is one of the Seattle based technology firm and has garnered the second position from the last year. It has scored about 74.1 according to the RepTrak CSR scoreboard. The CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella is considered one of the most important proponents of the social as well as the environmental responsibility. The organization has committed in enhancement of education as a highly relevant global human issue. The organization had been successful in taking responsible actions for safeguarding the future of the planet with the help of different interesting initiatives. They had developed Artificial intelligence in ways, which helps in amplifying human ingenuity, and help in developing sustainability across the globe. With the help of development of AI, they had created access for different organizations and individuals in getting access to cloud and computing resource for the development of efficient environmental solutions (Wang et al., 2016). They had also helped in educati on and innovations. Project premonition is an interesting project that had garnered huge appreciation from stakeholders. 75% of the emerging infectious diseases are seen to originate form animals. Monitoring and gathering samples are often considered labor intensive and time consuming by scientist. Hence, the project would be using mosquitoes as tools for the collection of data from animals in the environments (Jannsen, Sen Bhattacharya, 2015). This project mainly aims in detecting as well as tracking pathogens more accurately so that prevention of their outbreaks can be done among humans. Another interesting initiative that has taken by them is called the FarmBeats. This project is seen to utilize advanced technology, power of machine learning and Cloud and even the power of the existing connectivity infrastructure to help in data driven farming. This helps the farmers to get interpretable insights for developing agricultural yield, reduction of environmental impact and lowering o f the overall cost of the farming (Westermann et al., 2015). Google: The next organization, which had attained the third rank according to the report of RI, is Google. It has achieved a CSR score of 73.9 and has fallen from the first place to third place. It has taken commendable initiatives in the domain of energy consumption. Google takes responsibility in the purchasing or in the production of 24% renewable energy. It already has 11% renewable electricity on the board and thereby totals to the renewable energy of 35%. The rest of the 65% of energy that is non-renewable is entirely neutralized by carbon-offset projects. Already, 4 million square feet of Google buildings had achieved green certification status. This status had been provided by LEED. In case of water consumption, the organization has reduced potable liters of water utilized by each employee by 30% at the Bay Area headquarters. Six branches of operating data centers of organization had been seen to achieve 100% landfill diversion and one of these had also achieved Zero Waste to Landfil l (Pai et al., 2015). The company had been seen to be carbon neutral form the year of 2007. Moreover its another initiative called the Commuting Sustainablyhas dedicated in keeping about 5700 cars out of roads. Not only that, its shuttle program as well as the different electric vehicle charging stations are found noteworthy as it is equivalent to the use of 87 million vehicle miles annually. Moreover, it is also responsible for developing its operations on cloud (Tai Chuang, 2014). This has advantages, as this platform is carbon neutral with different types of positive environmental implications. Walt Disney: This company has been successful in achieving the rank of four in the domain of corporate social responsibility by getting a RepTrak score of 73.5 points. It has been dropped from third place to fourth place by a margin of 102 points. It has been the leader of CSR in the year 2009 and had been continuing to so since then. However, the raising value and expectations of CSR had resulted in dropping from position one to four. Volunteerism is one of their initiatives where they encourage over one million people in USA to commit and provide service in their communities (Hirosee, Lee Matsumara, 2017). They do so by offering free tickets to the million people for providing volunteering service from an organization that they choose. Moreover, they have tried to focus on environmental education to their consumers by sharing compelling stories and even immersing audiences in the natural world to make them more aware. They have produced three important Disney Nature films like Earth, Oceans, a nd African Cats. Moreover, they have also planted more than 3 million trees in the threatened Atlantic forest in Brazil and had protected for about 40000 acres of coral reefs in the region of the Bahamas. They have also conserved for about 5000 acres of Savanna Wildlife corridors in Africa. Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund has taken many other initiatives. It was established in the year 1995 and since then it has helped global as well as local nonprofit organizations who are working to protect wildlife and ecosystems making a positive impact on the community (Rainey et al., 2015). From that time, until today, it has been seen to support over $20 million in various types of projects in over 112 countries. BMW Group: It has garnered the fifth position among the different organization of various nations in the domain of corporate social responsibility. It has a RepTrak Score of71.5 points. It has dropped from its position from fourth place to that of the fifth place by a margin of 2.4 points. BMW has been seen to provide importance in three aspects which are clear self positioning, sustainable operation model and as well as innovation and creation. This organization has been seen to effectively promote long term and active participation of various stakeholders so that proper addressing of the social issues can be made and shared value can be created. It has placed importance on three important principles (Oberseder et al., 2014). These are all-stakeholder engagement, addressing different social issues and long-term commitment. BMW Childrens Traffic Safety Education (CTSE) is one an interesting initiative that is taken by the organization. This project mainly helps in targeting the learning of road safety by children in China. It mainly helps in improving the children as well as the adults road safety awareness. This is done by fixed experiential center adventures, simulation-based learning, different media as well as interactive teaching methods lime combined playing and learning. Another is the BMW Joy home that is actually established by the organization as an exclusive stakeholder engagement program. This initiative provides help to left behind children in the different underdeveloped areas of China (Schimtz Schrader, 2015). They are using the Joyful Sorts model that is integrating extensive participation, resource sharing, and extensive participation and integrating curriculum innovation to provide equal development opportunities for the left behind children in the nation. Conclusion: The different organization discussed in the report has been seen to provide considerable support in saving the environment and helping in sustainable development of the nations. They had been successful in integrating social as well as environmental concerns in their different business ventures, operations and interactions with the stakeholders. Lego, Microsoft, Google, Walt Disney as well as BMW had contributed their utmost in developing sustainability and had successfully achieved a proper balance between economic, social as well as environmental imperatives. Other organizations would set them as examples and try to develop strategic business management concept, charity, sponsorships and philanthropy ensuring corporate social responsibility. References: Berlan, A. (2016). Whose business is it anyway: Children and corporate social responsibility in the international business law agenda.Children Society,30(2), 159-168. Hirose, K., Lee, S. H., Matsumura, T. (2017). Environmental corporate social responsibility: A note on the first-mover advantage under price competition.Economics Bulletin,37(1), 214-221. Isaksson, I., Kiessling, T., Harvey, M. (2014). Corporate social responsibility: Why bother?.Organizational Dynamics,43(1), 64-72. Janssen, C., Sen, S., Bhattacharya, C. B. (2015). Corporate crises in the age of corporate social responsibility.Business Horizons,58(2), 183-192. berseder, M., Schlegelmilch, B. B., Murphy, P. E., Gruber, V. (2014). management perceptions of corporate social responsibility: Scale development and validation.Journal of Business Ethics,124(1), 101-115. Pai, D. C., Lai, C. S., Chiu, C. J., Yang, C. F. (2015). Corporate social responsibility and brand advocacy in business-to-business market: The mediated moderating effect of attribution.Journal of Business Ethics,126(4), 685-696. Rainey, H. J., Pollard, E. H., Dutson, G., Ekstrom, J. M., Livingstone, S. R., Temple, H. J., Pilgrim, J. D. (2015). A review of corporate goals of No Net Loss and Net Positive Impact on biodiversity.Oryx,49(2), 232-238. Schmitz, J., Schrader, J. (2015). Corporate social responsibility: A microeconomic review of the literature.Journal of Economic Surveys,29(1), 27-45. Strauss, K. (2018).Top 10 companies Showing CSR - Forbes Welcome. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2017/09/13/the-10-companies-with-the-best-csr-reputations-in-2017/#aaa086c546bf [Accessed 2 Feb. 2018]. Tai, F. M., Chuang, S. H. (2014). Corporate social responsibility.Ibusiness,6(03), 117. Wang, H., Tong, L., Takeuchi, R., George, G. (2016). Corporate social responsibility: An overview and new research directions thematic issue on corporate social responsibility.Academy of Management Journal,59(2), 534-544. Westermann-Behaylo, M. K., Rehbein, K., Fort, T. (2015). Enhancing the concept of corporate diplomacy: Encompassing political corporate social responsibility, international relations, and peace through commerce.The Academy of Management Perspectives,29(4),

Monday, December 2, 2019

Marketing to the Bottom of the Pyramid

Is it exploitation for a company to profit from selling soaps, shampoo, personal computer and ice cream, and so on, to people with little disposable income? As markets in developed countries reach saturation point, international marketers have been increasingly shifting focus to markets in the third world countries. Such moves have been targeted to a class of people consisting of the wealthy elite and the expanding middle class in such countries.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Marketing to the Bottom of the Pyramid specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is rare cases where the marketing efforts have been endeared towards the masses in these developing countries, which represent 65 percent of the world’s population. The reason as to why international have not embarked on a strong marketing campaign to these â€Å"aspirational poor† at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP)-as they are usually called- is that the group is very delicate. In deed, a different strategy is needed to tap the potential offered by this category of people. The conventional ‘western’ marketing mix offered by international marketers does not work with the BOP, and as such, these potential markets require an extremely tailored approach. Buyers at the BOP behave differently not only form their counterparts in the first world country markets but also from the upper and bourgeoisie customers in their community. This paper is a case study of the strategies and guidelines that international marketers should keep in mind while targeting the BOP. The paper’s position is that marketing to the BOP is a strategy that should be endorsed by companies. Wealth distribution in the world can is taken to exist in the form of an economic pyramid. At the top of the pyramid are the wealthy that have many chances for generating incomes while at the bottom of the pyramid are those who live on less than $2 daily. This last group consists of more than four billion of the world’s population. These people have been living under the mercies of the World Bank, and more recently, civil society organizations. This is the group of people who are the focus of this case study. Recent efforts It is important to note form the onset that the fact that this case study provides guidelines on how to approach marketing at the BOP does not imply that a number of successful advances have not been done in the past. In deed, as the paper progresses, a number of examples will be cited of how some companies have succeeded in the endeavor.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Educative campaigns and effective products assist these companies to eradicate such diseases. Others are organizations aiding the handicapped and small-scale farmers bond with the rest of the globe. Banks have not lagged behind as they conforming to the fiscal needs of the poor while power companies reach out to meet energy needs of the masses. Further, construction companies have been doing everything in their capacity to house the poor in dignified but affordable ways. In addition, the availability of many stores all over, assist in understanding and serving the needs of the poor people. All these innovative approaches have been geared towards creating gateways for the poor by offering them alternatives and fostering a sense of worth. Preparing the ground: Key concepts that marketers targeting the BOP should put in mind International marketers who have not embarked on significant marketing efforts targeting the BOP might wonder how the exercise is possible. There are a number of things that such organizations need to understand from the onset. To begin with, although there are instances of multinational companies (MNCs) who have undermined the efforts of the BOP to build dignified livelihoods, the great est harm such firms have done is to ignore the poor in entirety. The poor represents a potential market for goods and services. Active engagement of private firms at the BOP is a crucial component in creating inclusive capitalism. This is because competition for this market encourages awareness of the poor as consumers. It creates alternatives for them are they are not required to rely on the goods and services available in their villages. The bazillion dollar question that needs to be considered is why international marketers have not realized the potential in BOP markets and tapped. The answer lies with them. It is all in the mind. Everyone is a captive of his or her socialization. The lenses through which we view the world are manipulated by own beliefs, experiences, and existing management practices. Each of the dominant groups who have been on the forefront in fighting the good fight of eradicating poverty is inured by its own overriding logic. For instance, some countries like India, poor as it is, have been treating the private sector with much suspicion due to a perceived exploitative nature. Some charitable organizations also hold that the private sector is inconsiderate and uncaring and that organizations cannot be entrusted with the trouble of eradicating poverty among the masses. All these stakeholders have unanimously presumed that market-based solutions cannot lead to poverty eradication and economic development. For international marketers to succeed in marketing at the BOP, they have to break these implicit ideologies.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Marketing to the Bottom of the Pyramid specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The nature of the BPO market Before providing a blueprint for guidelines on marketing at the BOP, it is important to consider the nature of the BOP market. This is because the BOP market has unique features that must be considered while engaging in mar keting endeavors. One of the most defining characteristics of the BOP markets is that there is money at the BOP. The overriding presumption among many international marketers is that the poor have no buying capacity, hence, do not represent a viable market. This is a gross misconception. This can be illustrated with the case of China, one of the developing countries. It has a population of 1.2 billion and an average GDP of $1000. Its current economy is estimated at $1.2 trillion. If the GDP-based figure were to be converted into its dollar buying capability equivalent, China would be already a $5.0 trillion economy, hence making it the second largest economy after the U.S. If the estimates extend to a sample of eight other developing countries including Mexico, Indonesia, India, Turkey, Brazil, Thailand, Russia and South Africa, the GDP would stand at $12.5 trillion. This GDP is greater than that of the so-called world’s super powers consisting of Japan, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, all combined. By all standards, the developing nations are not a market to ignore. Another characteristic of the BOP markets is accessibility. One again, the overriding misconception is that BOP markets are difficult to access, hence posing a major impediment to the participation of large firms and MNCs. This presumption does not take into account the expanding nature of the urban areas in the developing countries. For instance, it is expected that, by 2015, there will be more than 368 cities in the third world countries each with more than a million people. Together, these cities will account for about two billion people with more than 40 percent of these urban concentrations being BOP consumers. The density of these settlements will offer intense distribution opportunities. In the case of rural consumers, the BOP is not restrained to one distribution solution. A number of innovations have proved successful in the past. One such experiment is the Project Shakti at Hindustan Lever Ltd in India. The company created direct distribution network in inaccessible areas. This was done through the selection of entrepreneurial women from the villages and training them to become distributors. The project was a big success because the women understood the village needs and products that were in demand. International marketers interested in the BOP markets may have to borrow a leaf from such innovations.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Guidelines to be used when marketing to the BPO After looking at some of the defining characteristics of the BOP markets and demystifying the existing myths about them, it is time now to provide the essential guidelines that international marketers should consider while targeting this vulnerable group. One of the essential requirements in targeting the BOP is that international marketers have to create the capacity to consume among the ‘aspirational poor’. In order to convert the BOP into a consumer market, there is a need to access the cash-poor and those with a low level of income differently. The conventional approach in creating the capacity to consume among the BOP has been to provide products or services free of charge. This move has a philanthropic nature but hardly offers a lasting solution. One of the means of creating the capacity to consume is through making unit packages that are small, hence affordable. This is because the poor have unpredictable income str eams. In most cases, they subsist on daily wages and have to use the cash conservatively. In addition, they only buy when they have cash and when necessary. As such, single-serve innovation is extremely handy in the BOP markets. Some MNCs like Unilever have realized the logic in this approach and are living to tell the story. Another way of creating the capacity to consume is via innovative purchase schemes. This strategy has been proved a success in countries like Brazil where Casa Bahia provides credit to consumers making them able to purchase high-quality appliances. The strategy of creating the capacity to consume is founded on three principles. These include affordability, access, and availability. The logic in this scheme is to create the capacity to earn more in order to for BOP consumers to consume more. Another factor that companies should consider while targeting the BOP is that this group of people need new goods and services. Companies that have realized this logic have lived to tell their success story. These include Amul, which is a daily cooperative in India. The company introduced good quality ice cream, which was very affordable. The product is not only a source of enjoyment but also nutritious. The logic behind providing new products and services is to help the BOP develop economically, as well as promote good health. This helps boost their self-esteem as they acquire the dignity of attention and choices from firms that were initially a privilege of the middle calls and the rich. As stated earlier in this paper, marketing at the BOP involves more than the conventional western marketing mix programs. It requires a change in the philosophy for developing products and services. In order to adopt a successful principle of marketing at the BOP, companies need to consider a number of principles. The first principle is that marketing at the BOP requires focus on price performance of products and services. Serving BOP markets is more than just lower prices. It entails creating a new price-performance strategy. Another principle is that marketing at the BOP requires innovation. This innovation needs hybrid solutions. This is because BOP consumer problems cannot be remedied with outdated technologies. In addition, given that BOP markets are large, the remedies that are created ought to be scalable and transportable across countries, cultures, and languages. Solutions must be tailor-made for ease adaptation in similar BOP markets. Another principle that should guide companies targeting the BOP is that innovations ought to be centered on conserving resources. They should be geared towards eliminating, reducing, and recycling waste materials. If the ordinary BOP consumer were to use packaging as any other American or Japanese consumer, the world would soon have no room for resources used. To add, deskilling is also critical in coming up with products and services for the BOP markets. This is because most of the BOP consumers are poo r in skills. The design of products and services should, therefore, put into account the skill levels, poor infrastructure, and inaccessibility for services in remote locales. Another essential principle that should guide companies wishing to target the BOP is that the BOP market opportunity cannot be justified by outdated technology solutions from the developed world. The market should be addressed by the most superior technologies ingeniously coupled with established and evolving infrastructure. In addition, any innovations should be sustainable and ecologically friendly. To add on, innovation in BOP markets requires vital commitment in enlightening customers on the suitable use and the advantages of definite products and services. Conclusion In conclusion, the question of exploitation for a company profiting from selling soaps, shampoo, personal companies and ice cream to people with little disposable income does not arise. This paper is pro-BPO marketing. This presumption is bas ed on the myth that the BOP is a basket of compelling needs but not a market. Every market wishing to direct their efforts to the BOP must primarily do away with this notion. The marketing strategy should be grounded on the principles of design, demand, distribution, development and dignity. It should also be tailored towards creating a unique business model suitable to the local market that is both culturally sensitive and economically viable. Marketing at the BOP should include developing ways of overcoming the infrastructure impediments faced by these consumers. Although this paper may not have exhausted all the considerations that companies must put into place, any marketing efforts at the BOP that fall short of the guidelines outlined in this case study are not only bound to fail, but also inclined to be costly to the companies undertaking them. This case study on Marketing to the Bottom of the Pyramid was written and submitted by user Kinsley Booker to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.