Sony- Digital Media Convergence Essay Example

Sony- Digital Media Convergence Essay Question of Concern Choose a specific company and evaluate its organization’s performance in the market with reference to digital media convergence. Explain the organization’s relationship with the different media segments and discuss how this affects the company’s operations and sales. Sony: Company Background What better company to select that one that possesses all forms of media, and even technology that converge all media types into a single device (multi-media devices). Sony is the world’s fifth largest media provider, standing at USD 78. 88 billion in 2008. An amazing feat considering that the company had only originated as a radio manufacturer in WWII Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, and is now pioneering some of the most advanced technology in the world. Sony currently has a wide selection of a product line-up (including their unique innovations), such as: * HDTVs * Play Stations (1, 2 ,3 and portable) * Universal Media Disks * Blu- Ray disks * LCD TVs * HandyCams * PCs and Laptop (Vaio) Radios * Personal MP3 Players * Cellular Phones (Sony Ericsson) With such a diversification of products and different media forms, collision with one another is inevitable. I especially selected Sony, so that I may also enlighten you on some aspects of the gaming industry, used as an advertising tool. Sony: Case Study Case 1 Pre-launch of the PS3 (Play Station 3) in 2005, Sony had hired special graffiti artists (and the walls of store owners) to spray-paint b uildings of hired establishments, eliciting people playing the PS3. We will write a custom essay sample on Sony- Digital Media Convergence specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sony- Digital Media Convergence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sony- Digital Media Convergence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer They also done the same by hiring artists to draw similar art and upload onto their blogs and peer networking sites (MySpace, Friendster, etcetera), hoping that the power of art and peers would inspire the want for the users to purchase their upcoming product. The success of this unique form of guerilla tactics were questionable, since this sparked much controversy. Many viewers realized that this was a marketing tactic and expressed their distaste to the graffiti that they even placed their own additions (Such as â€Å"Advertising directed at your counter culture† or â€Å"Fony†). And on the web format, although slightly more subtle, many caught on and also wrote their repulse in the comment boxes and forums. Case 2 Approaching Christmas in 2006, Sony attempted an online viral marketing campaign; it was named, â€Å"All I want for Xmas is a PSP†, a blog written by a teenager named â€Å"Charlie†, confessing his ultimate desire to acquire the upcoming Play Station Portable (PSP). â€Å"He† even provided links to iron-on t-shirts, Christmas Cards and â€Å"himself† rapping, all associated to the PSP. It wasn’t long until this ruse was discovered by the public as well, leading a massive exposure of the project through YouTube and blogs. Sony admitted the sites origin and then converted the sight, providing details and facts on the PSP. Case 3 After a user purchases the Play Station 3, there is a feature wherein you can create your own avatar and immerse yourself into a digital community as the character. Able to select your own facial features, hair, clothing and trinkets; coincidentally many of the trinkets you may select are existing and up-coming Sony products. Wouldn’t be uncommon to see a character walking around with the Sony HandyCam or a house forum containing Sony’s HDTV. A very successful advertising tool, considering that many PS3 users are also their current market for many of their other products. This helped spread awareness amongst its users, and it even provided some details of the products in-game to educate them on their functions and advantages. Not to mention, this was a cheap and easy way to advertise. Case 4 In a lot of Sony PlayStation games, especially ones that are focused on sports. One would encounter advertisements of other products (and including Sony’s own), during the half-times and breaks. It helps create the feel of an actual game, but this also serves as product placements (and not to mention cheap advertising, with additional income). But this was not only limited to sports games, once in a while if you look hard enough you’d see the game’s protagonist (whom children often admire and look up to), using a Sony device, such as the Sony Mp3 player. Although not efficient at capturing new markets, it helps develop awareness in its current market. But one of the most â€Å"deadly† aspect of this marketing scheme, is that it targets children and teenagers who are the most susceptible to influence, potentially developing long-term loyalty. Case 5 With many of the Sony Products, apart from the typical cross media advertising; where you see the HandyCam advertised on TV, or the Blu-Ray disk on the internet, or the mp3 player on the radio, or the HDTVs in the newspapers. Sony tries to advertise in more subtle ways that user can relate more towards (as you may notice in the previous cases). Such as: * Getting newspaper/ magazine/ blog authors to write â€Å"reviews† on their products * Getting â€Å"users† to post videos on the internet of them using the products (or even singing about the product in some cases) * Posting their TV/radio advertisements onto the internet * Providing trials to their users in exchange of sharing their experience on their blogs or peer networking sites Case 6 The Sony Bravia television, a TV with the niche of providing a large variation of vibrant colors, one problem, how do you advertise a television with colors superior to that most common household TVs and computers. Instead they filmed 600 people shooting 7,000 liters of paint onto a huge canvas in 30- seconds. Then provided a copy for each person to bring home, to show friends/ upload or play in their stores; and of course also advertised themselves this video on the internet and TV. Analysis of the Cases amp; Conclusion Because of their wide selection of products, Sony cannot show any real preference in advertising with any digital media, mainly because they also carry a wide variety in target markets. This asks for a lot from the sales and promotional teams. As we can see Sony truly utilizes all forms of media, they advertise on our television commercials, radio commercials, internet banners, in between our newspaper pages, just like many other companies. But Sony looked for and utilized less conventional methods, methods that truly relate and get â€Å"personal† with the consumer. Be it through, viral marketing, guerilla tactics, street- advertisements, in-game advertising, fake blogs and articles. Many times company’s think that creativity ends after the shooting ends, but they fail to realize that creativity can also lie in how you communicate that advertisement. With such a large variation of digital products, it would be extremely expensive to advertise for each one separately (sometimes even cluttering one another for key advertising spots), and although each product may be recognized as their own SBU (strategic business unit). Sony truly succeeds at finding that synergistic effect and discovers ways that allows for their products to advertise together and on another, not to mention- in a creative manner. References Sony Main Website, http://www. sony. net/SonyInfo/technology/ â€Å"Sony Unveils Movies for Memory Sticks†, Alexander DeFelice, Tech News World, http://www. technewsworld. com/rsstory/51805. html Sony, Wikipedia http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sony â€Å"Sony Advertising Campaigns†, Sony Website, http://www. sony. co. id/section/advertisingcampaign â€Å"On Sony Advertisement†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , Stan M, Sony Insider, ttp://www. sony. co. id/section/advertisingcampaign â€Å"Advertising for Sony†, Article Base http://www. articlesbase. com/advertising-articles/advertising-for-sony-1908654. html â€Å"Sony: Advertising Like No Other†, Gadgets Weblog http://www. gadgets-weblog. com/50226711/sony_advertising_like_no_other. php â€Å"Sony Admits Advertising Arrogance†, P lay. tm http://play. tm/news/29763/sony-admits-advertising-arrogance/? utm_source=feedburneramp;utm_medium=feedamp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+playtm+%28play. tm%29 â€Å"Sony’s little Charlie†, EDGE, http://www. next-gen. biz/index. php? ption=com_contentamp;task=viewamp;id=4397amp;Itemid=2/ Sony USA Website, http://www. sony. com/index. php â€Å"Sony Affiliated Companies†, Sony Website, http://www. sony. net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/Subsidiaries/index. html â€Å"Sony: Product amp; Technology Milestones†, Sony Website, http://www. sony. net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/History/sonyhistory. html â€Å"Sony Draws Ire With PSP Graffiti†, Ryan Singel, Wired, http://www. wired. com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/12/69741 â€Å"Graffiti ads spark debate in US†, BBC News, http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/americas/4567236. stm

Causes of Shoreline Erosion

Causes of Shoreline Erosion Free Online Research Papers There are many causes of shoreline erosion. Most of them are natural. These are currents, storms, earthquakes, winds, waves, tides, and also the gradual movement of tectonic plates. Some beaches are also destroyed by men when harbors and dams are built, or any other structures that disrupt the fragile balance of nature. There are several different ways that the ocean can cause erosion: hydraulic action, wave pounding, abrasion, corrosion, and attrition. Hydraulic action takes place when air in a joint is suddenly compressed by a wave closing the entrance of the joint causing the joint to crack. Wave pounding is when the sheer energy of the wave hitting the cliff or rock breaks pieces off. Abrasion or corrasion is caused by waves launching seaload at the cliff. This is by far the most rapid form of shoreline erosion . Corrosion is the dissolving of rock by carbonic acid in sea water. Limestone cliffs are the most vulnerable to this kind of erosion. Finally, attrition is where particles carried by the waves are worn down as they hit each other and the cliffs. This then makes the material easier to wash away. Sediment is transported along the coast in the direction of the current. When the incoming current amount of sediment is less than the amount being carried away, erosion occurs. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the most important cause of humans include the disruption of sediment sources with seawalls, revetments, and bulkheads, and the interruption of longshore sediment transport by the construction of groins and jetties. Research Papers on Causes of Shoreline ErosionOpen Architechture a white paperBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationTwilight of the UAWWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is ArtGenetic EngineeringThe Spring and AutumnComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Project Managment Office System

How to use your time effectively when youre in between jobs

How to use your time effectively when youre in between jobs For most of us, our career paths are not a simple straight line. Instead, there are multiple twists and turns- some planned and others unexpected- along with diversions, reroutes and new and unexpected directions that appear as time goes by. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average time people spend at their jobs is now only about 4.2 years. Our paths also include times in which we’re gainfully employed and times at which we find ourselves in between jobs, either by choice or circumstance. For most people, filling the time in between jobs can be a real challenge. We want to make sure that we’re using this time to our advantage, but figuring out how to do so effectively- especially if it’s a longer time period than we’d like it to be- can be difficult. With all of this weighing on your shoulders, it’s really in your best interest to try to structure and use your time effectively when you’re in between jobs- both for yo ur long-term health and happiness as well as to help set you up for your next job.Build and maintain your networkIn today’s job market, cold calling and responding to general job ads is way less effective than it used to be. These days, a significant percentage of new jobs are obtained by leveraging your network, which includes your personal and professional contacts. That said, are you taking full advantage of your network? While you’re in between jobs, building and maintaining your contacts is an invaluable use of your time, and who knows- it may not be long before one of your connections comes up with a job opening that perfectly fits what you need and can offer.Look for contract/freelance workJust because you’re between full-time jobs doesn’t mean your time has to be completely work free. In today’s job market, many companies utilize contract and freelance staff for a wide range of projects. Consider seeking out opportunities in your field or i n an area that fits your background and skill set; not only will it provide you with some income, it will also help fill in any lengthy time gaps on your resume- and who knows, if you do a particularly good job on a project you might be considered for a longer-term position when one becomes available.Take a classKeep your mind and skills sharp while in between jobs by taking a class. You can pursue a subject in your professional field- which may help you during your job hunt- or you can take a class in a completely unrelated subject that interests you. Either way, your time will be structured, educational, and well spent.VolunteerAnother good use of your time and energy in between jobs is to volunteer- not only will you be helping to support a worthy cause, you’ll also be keeping active and may possibly even acquire some new skills. Also, you may discover some completely new interests, which may help reshape your career aspirations.Create a backup planIf things just donâ€⠄¢t seem to be going your way and the amount of time that you’re unemployed is becoming a real issue, then it may be a valuable use of your time to come up with a backup plan. Take some time to research alternate fields of interest, industries where your existing background and skills may be easily transferable, and jobs that seem hot right now and have an abundance of openings. It may turn out that your backup plan pans out and makes you happier and more fulfilled than you previously were.Just because you’re in between jobs doesn’t mean that your time can’t be well spent. Use the strategies and advice presented here to make sure you’re using your time effectively.

Trading Financial Risks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Trading Financial Risks - Essay Example Studies by Center for Immigration Studies show that the number of illegal immigrants in the US dropped from 12.5 million in 2008 to 11 million in 2007. The studies also show that Mexican immigrants constitute 56% of the immigrants, the Latin Americans and Africans form the remaining fraction (Hoffmeier, web). People have a negative attitude towards immigrant, and this contribute to the problem of the immigrants. Most people feel threatened by foreigners and have developed negative attitude towards them. This essay will give a discussion on why people need to change their attitude towards immigrants with relation to US case. All are illegal immigrants There is no country in the world without immigrants, in most cases immigrants contribute equally to the country’s development. The united state is not an exception since immigrants have contributed a lot in the country’s development. Contributions by immigrants are evident across the social, political, and economic fields i n the country. The United States leads the globe in terms of economic, political, and social strengths. This implies that there is a close relationship between the country’s developments and the large number of immigrants. Being the leading country is not a difficult issue for to the United States however, maintaining its global position is a problem. As stated by Kesselman, Krieger, and Joseph, despite the US being the most powerful country, it has a problem of maintaining its superiority (18). The country should, therefore maintain the people who led or contributed to its development. The immigrants are the main contributors of these developments therefore, the country should consider revising its policies on immigration. Law is not sufficient solution The United States uses its law to divide its citizens in to legal and illegal citizens. The law goes on to prescribe consequences on the later group in order to discourage illegal immigration into the country. From history, n one of those people who claim to be legal US citizens came to the country legally since the first immigrants from Europe invaded the country. Kivel confirms this argument by stating that the US citizens are themselves illegal immigrants, and hence  unable to decide on which immigrants are legal or illegal (60). Kivel goes on to argue that racism is the main tool that is applied in determining illegal and legal migrants (60). From this argument, it is clear that most people in US are referred to as illegal immigrants based on their racial background. From his argument, Kivel finds the link between the legality of the invasion of North America by Europeans settlers and the illegal immigration issue. In his argument, Kivel takes the issue to a personal level and asks the question; â€Å"why do not we say the Europeans invaded North America?† (Kivel 60). Kivel goes on to state that in most time the term invasion is used by the Americans to describe the invasion of the countries by Japanese and Chinese investors and Haitian refugees, and this is not correct. His analysis on the matter proves that the law is not sufficient in determining who is a legal or an illegal immigrant of United States, and it should not be used to victimize other people. In addition, the law of a country should be just and respected and therefore, it should give all its people equal opportunity as well as reward them with equal measures for any mistake they commit. From this statement if we will continue to claim that immigrants

Reconstruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reconstruction - Essay Example The above mentioned scenario, as well as the events that followed in the attempted reconstruction of the American South by the Republican Party, were catalogued by several historians, with each historian instilling their own perspective into their recording of events. For the purposes of this paper an elucidation of the views of the views of four historians and their texts will be provided. These include: Reconstruction by Thomas Wilson, The Negro in Reconstruction by Carter Woodson, The Ordeal of Reconstruction by Thomas A. Bailey, and Reconstruction: Unfinished Revolution by Mary Beth Norton. Overview The views expressed by the different authors are to an extent the products of their particular time and prevalent historical school of thought and as such are reflective of it in terms of the language used. Each text is also characterized by the amount of words dedicated to each issue depending on the particular perspective of each author. Wilson is generally extremely critical of the Northern carpetbaggers and derisory of the competence of the â€Å"negroes† while being wholly sympathetic to the plight of the Southern White. Woodson on the other hand, is focused primarily on the role of the â€Å"Negroe† and in attempting to absolve him of the corruption and mismanagement that plagued the era. Bailey highlights the incompetence and illiteracy of the â€Å"negroes† while painting a bleak picture of the government and policies of time, keeping in line with the other authors. Norton, is perhaps the only author to portray reconstruction and the Northern immigrants in a positive light, while being highly critical of the role of the Southern White gentry. Carpet Baggers Thomas Wilson in his piece Reconstruction places the blame for the failure of reconstruction solely on the carpetbaggers or opportunistic Northern immigrants and dedicates the majority of the piece to the exploitative activities of the above. Wilson states: â€Å"These men, mere â€Å"carpet baggers† for the most part, who brought nothing with them, and had nothing to bring but a change of clothing and their wits, became the new masters of the blacks.† Wilson’s implication here is that all Northern immigrants were â€Å"carpet baggers†, individuals who had little wealth to offer the South and instead came to exploit its resources. There is no mention of Northerners who may have possibly arrived to assist in the improvement of the conditions of African Americans. Another inference that can be drawn from the above statement is that Wilson had beliefs that the â€Å"carpet baggers† were perpetuating the system of slavery, albeit indirectly by manipulating the â€Å"blacks. Carter Woodson while taking a critical view of the role of the â€Å"carpet baggers† also accepts that some of them did have principled intentions: Referring to the â€Å"carpet baggers† he states: â€Å"They were in many respects selfish men , but not always utterly lacking in principle.† However, he does acknowledge that much of wholesale corruption during the era was a result of the greed of the â€Å"carpet baggers†: â€Å"Being adventurers and interested in their own affairs, the carpet baggers became unusually corrupt in certain states.† Thomas Bailey is for the most part silent on the role of â€Å"carpet baggers† but he does state: â€Å"Graft and theft ran wild, especially in states like Louisiana and South Carolina,

Organizational Change Essay Example for Free

Organizational Change Essay An organization is a social system that consists of individuals with a common or agreed objectives (Barzilai). The study of the kinds of systems involved in an organization, which help it meet its different concerns, refers to organizational theory. Organizational theory consists of â€Å"individual processes, group processes and organizational processes (Barzilai).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When an organization wants to entertain changes in its operations as a result of poor performance, or a gap between the desired performance and actual performance as in the given example, the stakeholders affected should be a major consideration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In many organizations, shrinking the budget is a common remedy, in order to better allocate scarce resources while at the same time ensuring the productivity of the organization (Tjosvold Poon, 1998). One way of cutting costs in an organization is by reducing personnel, which can be challenging to implement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the major challenges that an organization desiring to implement changes would have to face is the general attitude of resistance to change, common to employees or members in the lower rungs of the organization (Piderit, 2000). This is especially true in the given scenario because it has been a long time since the organization implemented changes in its structure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While resistance to change is often viewed negatively as a form of disobedience or unwillingness to support the management, management should see such resistance to change as the employees’ means of showing their concern and expressing their views to the management (Piderit, 2000). Therefore, as studies suggest, the whole organization must learn how to adapt to change, mainly by gathering employee support to organizational changes (Piderit, 2000). References Barzilai, K. Organizational Theory. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.case.edu/med/epidbio/mphp439/Organizational_Theory.htm Piderit, S. K. (2000). Rethinking Resistance and Recognizing Ambivalence: A   Ã‚   Multidimensional View of Attitudes toward an Organizational Change. [Electronic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   version]. The Academy of Management Review 25(4), 783-794. Tjosvold, D. Poon, M.   (1998). Dealing with Scarce Resources: Open-Minded Interaction for Resolving Budget Conflicts. Group Organization Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   23(3): 237-255

How Does The ?surround-sound? :: essays research papers

How does the â€Å"surround-sound† technique work?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Surround Sound which was introduced by Dolby Laboratories Inc to position sound around the audience so that the effects within movies would make them feel as though they were really there. The use of directional sound from different points in the room according to their depth, sharpness and clarity was the main goal. Starting off from a standard called Dolby Stereo, two separate channels were introduced, both left and right, so that other speakers could in turn double-up to provide a multitude of left and right channels all around the audience. The input of a effects channel (later called Surround channel) was implemented so that a sense of ambience and spatiality could be experienced from the audience. This surround channel was positioned behind and to the left and right of the audience provided the sound depth that the audio engineers were looking for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This then gave way to a standard, which was known as Dolby Surround, soon followed by Dolby Surround – Pro Logic. This standard incorporated the original two channels for sound, but had an in-built decoder so that the surround channel, and also a center channel (positioned to the direct front of the audience) could be played back to enhance this surround feeling. A many number of speakers could be connected up to enhance the feeling associated with the different types of audio sources, and in turn provide more depth and realism to the audio source.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dolby Digital was incorporated into the home cinema as well as movie theatres to provide the ultimate audio reproductive source. The use of individual speaker components positioned around the audience comprising of a front left, front right, surround left, surround right, center, and subwoofer speaker were given their own audio input. This was called Dolby Digital 5.