City Branding of Dubai

Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on City Branding of Dubai specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction Different scholars seek to determine why governments and private investors engage in a complete overhaul of a city. Breitenoder (2009, p. 104) argues that like a product, a city requires branding, rebranding, and marketing. It requires a strategic plan, and an effective communications plan to achieve the city objectives. Prior to the development of a branding strategy, it is important to come up with a consumer oriented research proposal. A research-oriented proposal understands that the recipient of the product is very important throughout the phases of product development. Different theories of making including sales, production, marketing company, and other models apply differently. According to Kanna (2011, p. 75), the marketing analyst, branding is an all-encompassing aspect of product launch, which i nfluences long-term consumer perception in relation to the product or service. He further reinforces that the most important elements for a marketer include consumers and the capital requisite for launching a successful Ad campaign. The intention of any marketer is to transform the unique selling proposition into tangible consumer benefits. In order to achieve this, it is significant to understand and change consumer attitudes and behaviour through excellent branding techniques. People brand products to increase their aesthetic value to the customers. During city branding, important features to incorporate are elements of city planning that deter investors from associating with the metropolis. City branding Attwood (2014), a marketing professional and a columnist with Arabian business suggests that sometimes countries have to take major risks in order to create a city brand that will have long-term impacts on the population. Before branding a city, the government, the investors, and the citizens play different roles.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As suggested by the name, branding refers to an appraisal and upgrading process of an existing product. Attwood (2014) establishes that upgrading a product, service, or city increases consumer appeal on the commodity. There are different reasons that make branding important for different commodities. Giesen (2014) complements the study by mentioning that one of the most hectic tasks is the successful branding of a city. Unlike a product, the face value of a city lies in the eyes of the investors and the citizens. The government only responds to the calls of improvement because it can provide oversight of procurement and expenditure for the exchequer. (Attwood 2014) mentions that Saudi took an equally bold step in investing in its King Abdullah Economic City in order to increase access to the U.A.E and the rest of Europe. Business interests influence the decisions made towards upgrading cities. Besides commercial interests, there is an ardent need for countries to ensure that their cities are sustainable, tourist-friendly, and accessible to different regions across the world. Targeting and segmentation of consumers during city branding One of the most difficult branding ventures to achieve is the inability to describe a product. How then is it possible to dispense the right approach to city launch and marketing if the brand does not affiliate to a particular product? Dubai’s H1 2013 visitor stats top the charts (2014) strives to answer the question using the most intellectual approach to marketing. According to the author, the product is the cutting edge that determines the initial attitude of the target consumer. The brand’s packaging and positioning make it possible for a consumer to make a first purchase and to make a repeat purchase. Brands build loyalty or cons umer defection depending on the effect they have on the target consumer. Dubai’s H1 2013 visitor stats top the charts (2014) takes a particular interest in Dubai as the product requisite of branding. The scholar explores its infrastructure, tourism, economic system, law, technology, and education and the list is endless. In at least each element identified in the research, the author found out an element that required improvement or emulation. Dubaization: Brand-Dubai (2011) singles out Dubai from other U.A.E countries. The article complements the country’s transport infrastructure and the real estate business. However, Dubai’s H1 2013 visitor stats top the charts (2014) shows concerns for the increasing costs of the skyscrapers and the near real estate bubble that might influence the way people see and acquire the product. The same author identifies that the education system requires an overhaul in order for the children to understand English before they are 15 years old.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on City Branding of Dubai specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This way, they can get temporary employment before joining college. They can contribute towards economic development while promoting economic growth. Dubai Branding Process (2014) shows optimism for Dubai’s economy since in the past 2 decades, the U.A.E countries display solidarity and tremendous economic growth. Oil and gas should not be the only element that the countries entirely depend on in order to progress economically. Consumer behaviour When carrying out research, each marketer aims at developing a positive hypothesis in which the results will match the questions raised. Parkerson and Saunders (2005, p. 242) provide different types of consumer behaviour and the factors that influence such actions. Customers choose to remain loyal to a product, they defect, or they make a repeat action. The b ehaviour depends on their expectations and the achievement of the same through the unique selling proposition. In the U.A.E, it is difficult to notice a country unless it explores diverse markets in a unique way. The customers in this case are foreign countries especially in East Asia, and Europe. The close business ties developed between the continents during the fight for the Persian Gulf remain relevant to date.   Each country in the U.A.E seeks to establish a long-term business network in order to invest in other countries, contribute effectively to economic growth, and to provide jobs to the citizens. To determine consumer behaviour, product developers focus on four marketing elements including place, product, promotion, price, and people.  Consumers are the people that the product targets, and proximity or farness of a place determines whether a consumer will make a repeat sale or not. Attwood (2014) mentions that Dubai has a port along the Red Sea’s shore, which li nks it to other western countries and the U.A.E. In 2005, it showed prospects of rechanneling the seaport to link Saudi Arabia through the short King Abdullah Economic City port. The new seaport offers better business prospects as opposed to other seaports within the region. The intention is to reduce time spent in shipping, and to woo customers who give much value to place and price. Naturally, when the distance travelled with commodities is limited, the cost of production and distribution reduce, and this influences the price of the product. An assessment of the consumer behaviour has a direct link to the way foreign countries respond to the branding of a city.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Dubai’s H1 2013 visitor stats top the charts (2014) argues that once a city decides to improve its transport network, the foreign governments that relate to it perceive good economic relations. On the other hand, countries, which focus on improving the tourism sector, aim at wooing foreign direct investment through entertainment. In essence, city branding is largely more productive as opposed to consumables. As such, customers visit cities that offer tangible product benefits evidenced by political, social, technological, and social development. The U.A.E countries including Qatar and Saudi Arabia enjoy good relations with Dubai because Dubai delivers the consumer expectations through a stable political environment of investment and good economic policies. As a brand, the city has it foreign policies that influence relationships within and outside the U.A.E. Dubai’s significance in the UAE framework The U.A.E countries came together in the 1980s after acquiring the Per sian Gulf from colonialist powers. Known as the Trucial States, the U.A.E countries had to fight for the rich oil and gas belt along the Red Sea shore. By 1853, Dubai had to sign the Perpetual Maritime Truce, which earned the Great Britain the responsibility of securing the Trucial States. The Great Britain was difficult to trust with such magnitudes of political responsibility. Hourani (2002, p. 20), notes that an anthropologist keenly studies Bur Dubai as an oil rich resident of most Arabs stricken by smallpox. He also shares the stories of Deira, a place of refuge in which the Dubai citizens sought in order calm from the pandemic. The same place caught fire leading to the death of many Dubai citizens, but it was business as usual. It was in 1841 that Dubai realised its potential among the Trucial States. The country made it possible to embark on commercial activities irrespective of the two major bouts that affected its economy. The U.A.E requires countries that show an obvious i nterest for economic development and resilience even in the most difficult socioeconomic difficulties. According to Breitenoder (2009, p. 103), Dubai still upholds the pace of economic growth by always incorporating new elements that can increase access to the country from the West. Currently, the country invests in internet technology to support its commercial ventures.  Technology is fast and ubiquitous, and unlike physical transport, people can carry out business transactions over long distances in a limited period. Unlike the conservative Middle East economies, Dubai strives to incorporate capitalist principles of marketing and business management in order to increase access to new business frontiers across the world. Buhalis and Darcy (2011, p. 38) show concerns for religious and civic culture, which are likely to influence brand positioning of Dubai to the rest of the world. Excellent branding of its tourism and the real estate sectors are very important in erasing the ideol ogy from the minds of the target consumers. It also make Dubai different from other U.A.E countries including Bahrain since it is the sole state that attracts foreigners from the west to the U.A.E. Breitenoder (2009, p. 103) analyses the significance of oil and gas to the U.A.E. But he mentions that non-English speaking countries have difficulties in relating with foreigners. Dubai supports English as a second language for its expatriates, which remains very significant for the development of the U.A.E at large. The history of Dubai and its need for branding Each city is a brand like any other product. Its face value reduces through history and it is very important to focus on strategies that would make the product appealing to the target audiences. Cozmiuc (2011) argues that the history of product development determines the response it will have in the market and its significance to the target consumers. When the Trucial States existed, there were different caliphates that strived for recognition. Islamic periods characterised by the introduction and the fall of the Umayyad Empire gave a completely new view of the religion and the principles it supported. Cozmiuc (2011) mentions that countries associated with the Islamic period had to fight for recognition, and it explains the increase in Muslim extremist cases. Breitenoder (2009, p. 113) traces Dubai’s inception to 1905, and the first activity associated with the country is fishing, which generates income. Cozmiuc (2011) establishes that the first function of a product becomes its signature strength and it becomes very difficult to dissociate the product from its functionality. Historical artefacts determine that the people of Dubai majorly depended on trading activities for survival.  After forming the United Arab Emirates in 1971, Dubai made the best decision for joining the act of union with other member states including Abu Dhabi and Fujairah among others. The transition is also part of a brandi ng strategy that sought to make Dubai independent from the British rule (Smith and Abu 2013). In marketing, a product that operates independently wins consumer goodwill because various authorities can take responsibility for any losses or gain. A series of activities make Dubai one of the best tourist destinations in the 21st century. The country channelled most income from the oil and gas business into tourism and economy building. Commerce is the backbone of Dubai, and many people would actually go to the country on a shopping spree or holiday.  Cozmiuc (2011) agrees with Peng (2014, p. 10) that product history defines its future, but during product development, the strategic plan should also address risks. Dubai has many skyscrapers including the worlds’ tallest the Burj Khalifa. However, building the economy and the stable monarchy was not easy. The country faced criticism for boundary disputes during its establishment. The U.A.E countries each want to develop and dispu tes are likely to occur in relation to border encroachment. For instance, the disputed Jebel Ali port created conflicts between the U.A.E states and Dubai over encroachment of import and export activities of Dubai into other nations. Consequently, the Gulf War and Invasion into Iraq form some historical transitions that made Dubai the rich country it is today. Dubai uses communication and religious policies to solve its conflicts. Effective and efficient communication remains very significant during product development, packaging, and branding. Peng (2014, p. 12) talks about communication, but Morgan, Lugosi, and Ritchie (2010, p. 63) reinforces on the significance of developing a comprehensive communication plan when branding. Dubai is still in the process of transformation even when it seems perfect to the rest of the world. The way the country interacts with people through the various foreign policies and commercial ventures determine the reception it receives from the rest of th e society. Arguably, Dubai cannot survive without effective communication. People depend on in-house communication to know the new productions they should expect in the market. Irrespective of the insignificance of a stakeholder, communication is critical for project progress. Morgan et al. (2010, p. 60) mention that the project coordinators often accomplish effective communication through relevant procedures and tools. The author accredits computer-mediated communication since it serves the purpose of effectiveness in the current day and age. He also compliments face-to-face communication, which seems to lose relevance in the 21st century.  According to morgan et al. (2010, p. 63), a comprehensive communication plan covers many areas including a Communication Plan Matrix, a Stakeholder Analysis, a conflict resolution plan, and communicational methods. The tools and methods of communication have to align to the project and company objectives, vision, and mission. The stakeholders have different capabilities, expectations, and interests in the project. To fulfil the unique interest, it is important to face each phase of the project with the right communication tool. Initially, Dubai had an overwhelming interest in improving its real estate sector. Today, much focus is on tourism, which complements the oil and gas industry. Critics do not fail to recognise the deterrents to progress including labour disputes as recorded by various expatriates who seek job opportunities from third world states to the U.A.E (Dinnie 2011). In essence, a comprehensive communication plan serves different functions for products because it markets, creates, and brand positions the product in the target market. Dubai has a worldwide reach meaning that the effective communication should be capable of branding its tourism sector beyond the East Asian region, the Persian Gulf, and the Middle East to the rest of the world. Case studies Different countries across the U.A.E and other contin ents undergo different phases of improvement in order to generate a unique appeal to the target populations. Saudi Arabia and Indi are in the process of improving their transport infrastructure while developing contemporary economic cities to accommodate the growing citizen populations. Besides reducing the physical space of occupation, the projects aim at brand positioning the countries of the rest of the world. Dubai has many things to learn from different countries including Singapore, Saudi, and China. Branding Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is in the process of branding both the economy and the geographic surrounding through a megaproject. Each U.A.E city rivals the other in order to have access to the greatest number of foreigners transiting through the Red Sea ports. While Dubai responded to the call for the 2020 exposition of countries across the world in November 2013, Saudi began a rebranding project in 2005. King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) is a contemporary project that mig ht end in 2020 and it will cost between USD $86 billion and USD 100 billion. KAEC will open up Saudi to Jeddah, Mecca, and the UK. To the North, KAEC borders Jeddah and it takes about 1 hour to move from one end to the other. According to (Bouee 2011, p. 49), the project will occupy about 173 km2. Currently, the team is in the process of finishing the first stage of the project that King Abdulaziz flagged off 9 years ago. The King Abdullah Port (KAP) has links from other U.A.E countries including Dubai, Bahrain, and Kuwait among others. Political, civic, and economic factors influence each stage of product development, but the Saudi government displays optimism in the successful completion of the KAEC by the end of 2020. Matters of religion and culture are under discourse because the project aims at creating a communal meeting place for the people of the U.A.E and the rest of the world. In the residential, retail businesses, and industrial ventures, the Saudi community seeks to infl uence the attitudes of investors towards the country. In each strategic management plan, consumer oriented products always succeed because the marketers seek the opinions of the consumers prior to product launch (Smith and Abu 2013). Dubai is in the course of linking Jebel Port to KAP because Dubai only has economic interests in the country. Dubai has to learn marketing tactics from the Saudi government, which employs expatriates for purposes of enhancing foreign relations. The country should consider developing economy cities for the growing youthful population. JKAP is like any other project in Dubai’s expo 2020 and Dubai has an opportunity to explore such markets and understand the principles they use to attract huge number of tourists even when they do not have excellent technological or transport infrastructure. Waltz Disney in Singapore and China The austere commercial environment of Singapore seeks to open up to new ventures in the future. Currently, plans are underway for the country to embrace one of the largest production houses in the world. First, the country deals with challenges of reinforcing the English culture while ensuring that people do not lose their religious and social values. Dubai also has similar concerns even though the country is less likely to accommodate foreign investments. All it tries to do is to place itself as the best destination for the rest of the world through imports, exports, and virtual businesses instead of hosting foreign businesses. Ahead of Singapore, Kula Lumpur, and Bangkok, China decided to embrace the Disney Walt culture in the late 1990s. In 2002, the same company sought to venture into the Singaporean government, which was a very difficult step. However, after establishing a niche market in China, Disney would not have a hard time succeeding in China. China remains a very conservative market completely dependent on the doctrines of Eastern religions. The Orthodox Church had a difficult time operating i n China for a similar reason. China decided to create an environment in which both locals and foreigners could share the popular culture.  Breitenoder (2009, p. 83) argues that Waltz Disney introduced the Hollywood culture to the people of China and Singapore while the communities shared their Eastern religions. Singapore was a good target market because Singaporeans speak English as a second language. In addition, the country participates in renowned socio-cultural expositions to market the country, its people, and commodities. The movie and song production industry is an excellent form of medium of marketing because the industry has a global outreach. The marketing technique assumes a relationship-based model in which Singapore takes its culture to the rest of the world through multimedia (LEWIS 2003, p. 24). Dubai can take a similar opportunity by embracing movie production and the animation culture supported by technological advancements in the U.A.E. Dubai has an established economic and political structure, and it only needs an excellent marketing avenue to place its Burj AL-Arab brand to the right market. Through a good communication plan and an excellent marketing plan, Dubai can achieve its brand prospects without duress. Creating value in Dubai Marketing tools are vital for brand positing products across the world. Alavi, Kayworth, and Leidner (2006, p. 192) argue that marketers have the responsibility of conducting a situational analysis in order to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of product launch. Its strength in the construction industry faced a bout during the 2008 and 2011 global crises that affected other areas of the country’s economies. Dubai had to embrace the opportunity to showcase it tourist destinations to the world in attempt to find an activity that would complement its oil and gas industry. In summary, Dubai is a rich country, but it also needs to brand position itself in the competitive globa l markets in order to get returns for its investments. Tepeci (2009, p. 131) analyses the tourism sector in Dubai. According to the scholar, the country invests in excellent transport infrastructure, recreational sector, and wildlife including the hospitality industry. On the other hand, it does not approach the target markets by launching some of the best hotels it has in other countries. Instead, it has the best constructions and airport services, but the country waits for consumers. Alavi et al. (2006, p. 196) take a professional approach to the issue. He establishes that Dubai creates brand that aims at attracting people. The brand seeks recognition by staying within the confines of the country. Countries like Singapore and Malaysia constantly carry out tourism expos in order to expose their curios, tourist destination sites, and hotels. Dubai is in the process of packaging a brand while waiting for its 2020 expo, which will determine how strong the Dubai brand remains within an d outside the U.A.E. Dubai’s Burj AL-Arab brand Brand designers always support the development of a unique brand in order to ensure survival in a rivalled market. Dynamism and diversity are inevitable when dealing in a competitive environment. Burj AL-Arab uniquely identifies Dubai in the U.A.E because normally a five star hotel attracts people to other countries. Dubai’s Burj AL-Arab is a 7 star hotel whose strategic plan is to extend boundaries beyond the U.E. A. Morrison (2013, p. 29) acknowledges that tourism in the 21st century largely depends on the highest level of luxury a facility can offer at the most affordable price in the market. Consumer needs keep changing, and it is important to respond to such concerns. In the recent past, one of the favourite socialite family members visited Dubai on vacation, and this created a very different view of the country. From the U.S. Miami to Dubai for shopping and tourism was sufficient reason for the renowned Kim Kardashi an. Morrison (2013, p. 31) mentions that uniqueness and consistency in delivery are the secrets of dealing with suppliers, rivals, and customers. In essence, it is important to reduce the costs of procurement and increase the amount the customers spend when purchasing a product. Dubai’s Burj AL-Arab mostly targets the affluent tourists who visit Dubai. Morrison (2013, p. 34) also theorises the situation in Dubai through the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Audience identification and segmentation in Dubai mostly focuses on the consumers that have prospects of achieving self-actualisation. Dubai perceives a transformation of its tourism sector into a major income generator, and game-changer of the 21st century. Almost everyone wants to have access to the Burj Khalifa and Burj AL-Arab, but the facilities have expensive hotel suites and accommodation costs. Peh and Low (2013, p. 62) discuss the development of a functional strategic plan to address the different problems faced by tourism sectors across the world. The author mentions that a marketer should be capable of distinguishing between the needs and wants of the consumers. Consumer oriented hospitality sectors across the world are capable of providing unique and diverse services to customers. Factors that drive the changes in service delivery include quality, price, place, people, product, and sales promotion. When the sales promotion consumers a lot of resource, then the additional costs have to complement the product packaged for consumption. According to Peh and Low (2013, 67), the country has different products and services to offer in its tourism package. The seven star group of hotels invested in parts of the U.A.E mostly target the affluent families within and outside the Middle East. The hotels target consumers who prefer 5 to 7 start hotels in the region, but most clients come from foreign countries. Dubai has a long way to go in terms of brand positioning especially on matters of diversif ication and improvement of the hospitality industry. Dubai City Branding Dubai remains the most renowned city of the U.A.E. Its capital Abu Dhabi is home to many facilities including the Etihad Airways, Boeing, Burj Khalifa, and Strata Manufacturing among other conglomerates and sceneries. Dubai chose to brand itself using Burj AL-Arab because it needs to extend its business ventures beyond the U.A.E. Strata’s aerospace hub (2014) affirms that Dubai enjoys a stardom status within the U.A.E., and it needs to explore foreign ventures in order to gauge its performance at the global level. Burj AL-Arab is a good brand, but it is very expensive because most Dubai manufactured products are naturally costly. As a product, Dubai has all the qualities of marketing such as people, place, and promotion, but it lacks the element of price. In sales and marketing, it is important to create a marketing mix in order to achieve the best results during branding. Strata’s aerospace hub ( 2014) recognises Burj AL-Arab as the only product that brand positions Dubai in the rivalled tourism environment. The product is unique and of high quality, and it would probably attract the quality driven consumers. However, price sensitive customers would opt for Kuwait and Bahrain that offer relatively affordable tourist destination sites and facilities. Bhaskaran and Sukumaran (2007, p. 55) envision Dubai, which offers exquisite and affordable tourism services. Besides offshore and hotel services, Dubai seeks to explore wildlife as an income generating tourism venture. The intention is to influence consumer perception towards product delivery through its 2020 expo. This notwithstanding the possibility of changing country logo to suit consumer needs. Dubai has strict anti- pork eating and non-alcoholism policies. It means that visitors have to adhere to such policies irrespective of their socio-economic lifestyles and the freedoms they tourists enjoy in their countries of origin (Martinez 2011, p. 369). Additionally, Dubai’s conservative religious culture discourages some non-Muslims from visiting the country for fear of extremist Muslims who would harass them while on vacation. Stringent religious doctrines known to affect tourism require proper legal and religious attention from relevant authorities. In Dubai, the Sharia law and the Khadhi courts protect the sanctity of each citizen. It means that the foreigners also need protection from strict principles governing the land. Foreigners need protection because they earn Dubai income through tourism. Bhaskaran and Sukumaran (2007, p. 67) further investigate the impact of Dubai’s association on the tourism sector. According to the scholar, the U.A.E has a lot of growth potential. Two years ago (2012) the cities recorded commercial profit of about USD $ 130 million. Normally countries suffer from debts from the IMF and the World Bank including other credit facilities. Dubai is the richest, but t he most debt bound among the U.A.E countries and it needs to connect interpersonally with other cities in order to manage its debt effectively. Three years ago in November, entered the 2020 U.A.E trade expo, which seeks to exposition different countries globally for the efforts they make towards sustainable business practices. The activities under scrutiny include transport, education, tourism, technology, and governance among some elements of culture. Dubai’s involvement in the 2020 exposition will be of great significance to the country. According to the Bureau International des Expositions Dubai has a good infrastructure that would make its economy flourish through tourism. Janssens, Wijnen, Pelsmacker, and Kenhove (2008, p. 18) argue that branding occurs after market identification and complete product development. Dubai is a product that is ready for consumer use, but one significant factor stands out. Dubai is an expensive place to promote FDI and to visit on a tourist mission. Dubai has a master’s plan for the 2020 expo, which will place the product to the right market. Inability to link a product to the right market affects the product performance. If Dubai takes advantage of the expo rolled out in 2013, it will be capable of understanding its target market perfectly in order to avoid any losses (Govers and Go 2009, p. 90). Opportunities for growth and brand sustainability Moore (2004, p. 196) investigates the processes that either propel or deter the growth of Dubai as a product requisite of brand positioning. Besides investment in quality housing and transport infrastructure, Dubai offers transit between the Persian Gulf and the UK. Hong Kong and the UK depend on the Jebel seaport in order to access other regions of the U.A.E for business ventures. Moore (2004) mentions that Dubai should take advantage of the opportunity to promote its tourism sector to the rest of Europe. The terminals along the Red Sea across the shores link over 60 m illion Europeans and East Asian residents every year. With this in mind, Dubai can transform its tourism into a lucrative business venture. Across the world, Dubai is the sixth most populated country by cargo ships meaning that many people visit the Jebel port for commercial purposes. Janssens et al. (2008, p. 19) complement Moore (2004) and she insists that Dubai had the best link between Africa and the West until China took advantage of the opportunity to market its technology and tourism to Africa. Africa has a great growth potential with target markets. Inexhaustible opportunities exist in Africa and only China had the boldness to explore the open economic system. Bazerman and Don (2009, p. 16) take an interest in brand positioning Dubai through software development, the movie industry, and biotechnology. The U.A.E has the potential of investing in movie production in order to expose its skyscrapers and other tourist destinations through the media. Like Singapore, the country ca n take advantage of ABC Ltd, Walt Disney, or Paramount. Hollywood became a renowned destination for movie production and Disney World enjoys the status it has because of extensive media coverage. According to Sirkeci (2013, p. 27), a marketer understands his or her product perfectly. In order to attract mass attention, the marketer incorporates multimedia. The U.A.E already invests in excellent technology and movie production industry, which Dubai should embrace. People rarely relate with Arabic songs and movies because there are limited efforts made towards translation and increment of awareness to the rest of the world. Ordinarily, no consumer would buy a strange product or service. Tourism destination branding Cross selling is the objective of any marketer who places a product in a competitive environment. Marketing experts incorporate different strategies in brand positioning a product in the target market. According to Isaac, marketers in the tourism and hospitality industry ha ve no other option, but to engage in relationship marketing. Known for its transactional marketing technique, there is little that Dubai can do to achieve its objective because the style of marketing only recognises a short-term encounter between a product and the customer. Branding Dubai as a tourist destination is a collective function of the government, the ministry of tourism, and the residents of Dubai. Sirkeci (2013, p. 28) mentions that each strategic plan has marketing approaches that are in line with the expectations of the target market in relation to the product benefits. According to the author, Dubai should maximize on its tourism potential in order to win the goodwill of people beyond the U.A.E. For instance, Burj al-Arab is a unique product developed by costly resources. It took an equally long period to construct the costly Jebel port, but it does not guarantee expensive service delivery. In marketing, companies assume different approaches that suit the needs of the target population.  Peng (2014, p. 9) supports Sirkeci (2013, p. 31) who promotes the development of high-end hotels that remain affordable to the middle-income earners across the U.A.E. region. At the end of the day, Dubai needs to focus on the price and place strategy. In essence, it should take the tourism benefits to the target population instead of waiting for customers to visit the country. It includes provision of the Burj al-Arab brand in different parts of the world while ensuring that the cost of enjoying the services of the hospitality industry correlate with the income levels of the target population. For instance, Burj al-Arab in Bahrain should capture the income levels of the community before setting the prices. The same should happen to the brand in China and South Africa. The authors agree that at different stages of human development, each person seeks to acquire self-actualisation, which is difficult to attain. Price sensitive customers also seek to enjoy the exc ellence in service delivery from the brand, whose prices should range from one region to another. Destination branding concerns relationship marketing in which the product has to reach the target consumer irrespective of the obstacles involved in the marketing process. Management of tourist destinations and meeting customer expectations Each brand sells within the region of establishment, and its success within the small region gives optimism for the product success in other countries. Burj al-Arab brand is successful in the U.A.E., and Dubai should change from the transactional to relationship marketing strategy in order to capture the greatest audience attention. In a rivalled environment, quality delivery remains inevitable. Timely delivery and observance of consumer aesthetics also form part of the branding process. Clearly, each brand needs a level of recognition in order for it to perform independently in a competitive environment. The author suggests that separation of a bran d from the rival products or services is important because it offers an opportunity for the target consumers to relate with the product or service at an interpersonal level. Customers require effective communication through social media, news releases, and foreign direct investment, which Dubai rarely considers important for growth.  Dubai’s tourism sector needs to learn from other game changers in the market because confining projects such as Burj al-Arab brand within the U.A.E only poses harm than good to the country. Customers are always right and they deserve the requisite attention from marketers and product manufacturers. Dubai’s ministry of tourism should understand that when people use the UAE ports for transit during business, they expect to stay in the cities for a particular period before going back home. Without affordability or respect to other socio-cultural values of the visitors, it becomes almost impossible to woo tourists and the large investor comm unity. Dubaization: Brand-Dubai (2011) approaches the topic from a different angle. The article has an interest in the way different customers respond to products that meet their expectations. According to Dubaization: Brand-Dubai (2011), there are visitors that are naturally difficult to impress. It means that the Dubai government and ministry of tourism have to work extra hard and finance different even organisers who will take an interest in the activities of foreigners within the U.A.E. Dubai is home to sports personalities, business personnel, and tourists among other people. They need accommodation; gym facilities, entertainment, and cuisine that make them feel the difference of being in a new country. In addition, the visitors do not expect many cultural changes in terms of religious bias or interference with their social lives. Transforming into world’s most sought tourist destination Lee (2009, p. 235) does not dispute Dubai’s ability to change its logo, but s he reinforces on the significance of strategy change as opposed to image transformation. First, Dubai cannot operate well if indebted to banks and the public through investment in treasury. An element of the strategy change that can help Dubai overcome its challenges is the incorporation of public relations during branding. Public relations, which is still at its infancy in the country assists many countries in establishing good political and social relations. The marketing element is equally helpful in creating links between individuals and corporate organisations. The service oriented hospitality industry requires Dubai to assess the 4Ps of marketing while employing all the elements of the marketing mix. Kennedy (2004, p. 182) supports the development of a support system for the existing infrastructure in Dubai, which includes an international airport offering transit between the U.A.E. and London. In summary, Dubai needs a behaviour and attitude change in order to transform the t ourism sector into a masterpiece for subsequent generations. Attitude change mostly has a lot to do with changing consumer perception about the austere religious environment in Dubai. Consequently, it is important to conduct civic education so that the locals will learn to be friendly to visitors since it would lengthen their stay in Dubai. The authors find a lot of potential for Dubai to deal with the national debt by maximising on the tourism industry. It does not have to borrow to pay debts; rather, it has a good tourism network, an oil pipeline, and an excellent real estate infrastructure that will propel the economy of the country. References Alavi, M., Kayworth, T. R., and Leidner, D. E 2006, ‘An empirical examination of the influence of organizational culture on knowledge management practices’, Journal of management information systems, vol. 22, no. 3, pp.191-224. Attwood, E 2014, Game changer: King Abdullah Economic City, http://www.arabianbusiness.com/game-chan ger-king-abdullah-economic-city-552956.html Bazerman, M. H., and Don, A. M 2009, Motivational and emotional influences in decision making: Judgment in managerial decision making (7th ed.), Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Bhaskaran, S., and Sukumaran, N 2007, ‘National culture, business culture and management practices: consequential relationships?’, Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 54-67. Bouee, C 2011, Green growth, green profit: How green transformation boosts business, Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire. Breitenoder, A. F 2009, The impact of cultural characteristics on international web design in marketing communications an analysis, Diplomatic-Verl, Hamburg. Buhalis, D. and Darcy, S 2011, Accessible tourism, Channel View Publications, Bristol, UK. Cozmiuc, C 2011, ‘City branding-just a compilation of marketable assets?’, Journal of economy transdisciplanarity cognition, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 426-436, h ttps://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-pjINI_eWbcWnpuOVhsZlpTYlk/edit Dinnie, K 2011, City branding: theory and cases, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke. Dubai Branding Process 2014, http://www.thedubai.org/bd.html Dubaization: Brand-Dubai 2011 http://dubaization.wordpress.com/op-eds/brand-dubai/ Dubai’s H1 2013 visitor stats top the charts 2014, http://www.meetmiddleeast.com/articles/show/dubais-h1-2013-visitor-stats-top-the-charts Giesen, M 2014, The Branding of a City – Lessons from Dubai, http://www.martingiesen.com/assets/articles/02.pdf Govers, R., and Go, F 2009, Place branding, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke. Hourani, A. H 2002, A History of the Arab Peoples, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.. Janssens, W, Wijnen, K, Pelsmacker, P D, and Kenhove, P V 2008, Marketing Research with SPSS (1st ed), Pearson Education Limited, London. Kanna, A 2011, Dubai, the city as corporation, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. Kennedy, P. D 2004, Doin g Business with Kuwait (2nd ed.), Kogan Page, Sterling, Virginia. Lee, H. J. J 2009, ‘Dubai’s brand assessment: success and failure in brand management’, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 234-246. Lewis, M 2003, Singapore, Rough Guides, London. Martinez, M. N 2011, ‘City marketing and place branding: a critical review of practice and academic research’, Journal of Town City Management, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 369. Moore, P. W 2004, Doing Business in the Middle East: Politics and Economic Crisis in Jordan and Kuwait, Cambridge University Press, New York. Morgan, M., Lugosi, P. and Ritchie, J. R. B 2010, The tourism and leisure experience, Channel View Publications, Bristol. Morrison, A. M 2013. Marketing and managing tourism destinations, Routledge, New York. Parkerson, B., and Saunders J 2005, ‘City branding: can goods and services branding models be used to brand cities?’, Place branding, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 242-264. Pe h, L. C., and Low, S. P 2013, Organization design for international construction business, Springer, Berlin. Peng, M. W 2014, Global strategy, South-Western, Mason, Ohio. Sirkeci, I 2013, Transnational marketing and transnational consumers, Springer, Berlin. Smith, L., and Abu, A. M 2013, Higher education in Saudi Arabia: Achievements, challenges and opportunities, Springer, Dordrecht. Strata’s aerospace hub 2014, http://www.hexagonmetrology.com/Strata-Manufacturing-PJSC—UAE_1675.htm#.VFms0UApddg Tepeci, M 2009, Person organization fit in the restaurant industry the effect of personal values, organizational culture, and person organization fit on individual outcomes in the restaurant industry, VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, Saarbrücken. This dissertation on City Branding of Dubai was written and submitted by user Coen Carrillo 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.

Civic Responsibilities and Individual Rights essays

Civic Responsibilities and Individual Rights essays Are our civic responsibilities as important as our individual rights? In a politically liberal society no issue can be more important than what amount of attention should be devoted, to our duties as members of a society or our own individual rights and liberties. Each individual, their surrounding society and the government responsible for overseeing them must ask this question. Which of these spheres should be granted more devotion, the society or our own individual selves. Individualism became an issue when we as people began increasingly to demand more individual freedom and started to place more value on self-chosen individual achievement over mandated national achievement. Ever since these ideas were formed into governmental ideology, as John Locke first did, conceptions of individual and civil rights and duties have come into conflict in matters of public policy. They have not so much conflicted on the grounds of their incompatibility. More frequently they have caused disputes as to where the respective boundaries of each should lie, and/or w hich should be given greater respect by people and their governments. Before continuing I would like to state that this is not an important issue in all societies, rather it is the issue of liberal societies, almost always democratic ones. The issue as I address it in this paper is one based on ideas almost, but not completely, unique to the western world, Europe and the Americas. Here I will inspect the American perspective. Several issues arise whenever attempting to address the question at hand. The Most important the issue is that of rights and duties. What are rights and duties? Are they related? What are the different kinds of rights that exist in a Liberal society, which ones are more important, and who should be given these rights? What determines eligibility for receiving these various rights, how does this relate to the issue of equality? One must first address ...

The Ruth Moore Act Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Ruth Moore Act - Research Paper Example The bill christened the Ruth Moore Act 2013 or H.R 671 was introduced by Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine and Senator Jon Tester ( D-MT) on February 13, 2013. Following the amendment, the bill H.R 671, would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit a report every year to the congress on the disability benefits claims given for people who are covered under the mental health conditions following allegations of incurred or aggravated by military sexual trauma for the time ranging from 2014 to 2918. The amendment will transform sense to the Congress as to the Veterans Affairs needs to update and improve the rules pertaining to the military sexual trauma (Otto, 2013). It would also require specific reporting to the Congress as well as to the Veteran claimants every month, the first of such coming fifteen months after the date of enactment of the bill following the amendment. The duration of reporting would be as long as the secretary makes the necessary updates, wh ich will improve the veteran’s affairs regulations with regard to military sexual trauma. H.R 671, as amended, extends the prevailing authority of two rounds down to the nearest dollar percentile increment in the rates of particular assistance relating to educational benefits that changes depending on the annual cost-of-living regulations and adjustments. Operational Definition of Terms Military sexual trauma; the term is used on a military veteran, regarding psychological trauma that is following the judgement of a mental health expert, was brought by a physical or mental assault of sexual type, a series of sexual nature, and sexual harassment that occurred to the victim when in active naval, military, and the air force. Covered mental health condition; This refers to the post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and or a mental health diagnosis explained in the modern version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders which is a journal publishe d by the American Psychiatric Association and determined by the Secretary as regards the military sexual trauma (Ruth Moore, Act of 2013). Covered claims; These are claims seeking for disability compensation submitted to the Secretary following a process of covered mental health condition where the survivor claims to have incurred the disability while on duty and aggravated by military sexual trauma. Ruth Moore- The brainchild Ruth Moore is a former navy officer who joined the disciplined forces in the mid nineteen eighties at the age of eighteen. Having come from a humble background and a family whose financial strength was meagre, she never made it to college. Ruth Moore was sexually assaulted by her immediate supervisor while stationed in the Azores. Things got worse when she reported the matter because, the officer raped her once more as a way of retaliating towards her efforts to get justice. Surprisingly, no charges were brought towards the supervisor instead, the administrato rs discharged her from hospital claiming that she was mentally unwell. It took twenty-three years for Moore to fight for her disability benefits. All through that period, Ruth Moore suffered from a sexually transmitted infectious disease caught from the supervisor. She also went through a depression from what she went through and finally lived in her van. However, in two thousand and nine, a veteran Affairs investigator got a glimpse of her medical records and after perusal discovered that the records had been tampered with by both medical and military officers. The veteran affairs officer went to help her win a seventy percent rating on the disability scale consequently

Evaluation of Batman Begins Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluation of Batman Begins - Essay Example Plot summary The plot revolves around Bruce Wayne’s past (childhood and life in exile), his return to Gotham City to achieve his aim. He joins Carmine Falcone’s group and gets trained at the League of Shadows. When he came to realize that the evil forces are trying to destroy Gotham City, he decides to save the same. With the help of Lucius Fox, Bruce Wayne transforms himself to Batman, a superhero. The following events include Batman’s fight with evil forces like Dr. Jonathan Crane, Ducard, and his ultimate victory. Three criteria and its importance to evaluate the movie Three criteria used to evaluate the movie Batman Begins are: Story Line, Light effects and Sound effects. This standard to evaluate the movie is important because it helps to have deeper understanding of the same, beyond a typical superhero film. Julian Darius describes the sound effects of the movie Batman Begins as â€Å"echo that of horror movies† (82). In the movie Batman Begins, the director gave ample importance to the Storyline (human beings with superhuman powers, fight between good and evil and the ultimate victory of good over evil), Light Effects (to portray a virtual real environment) and Sound Effects (to portray a superhuman world).

Healthcare in Developing Countries

Healthcare in Developing Countries Kyle Barber Healthcare in Developing Countries For any country to make the transition from developing to developed, there are many factors that must work in unison in order to achieve this transition. These development goals cover a wide spectrum of factors that are simultaneously unrelated and interlocked [LL2]with one another. Although there are many different factors that push a country towards development, the provision, and societal access to, healthcare [LL3]is almost unanimously agreed to be one of the most important signifiers in a countries transition. [LL4] Most economic problems in developing countries are largely due to a high majority of the population living in poverty[LL5]. In these countries, there are at least one billion people living on less than one US dollar a day[LL6]. There are two and a half billion people living on less than two US dollars a day. Regarding healthcare, just over one third of the population of the entire world lacks what we consider to be adequate health care (Bale). At its most basic root, the cost, access to, and availability of healthcare, like every other economic signifier we study, is determined by basic supply and demand. Simply put, we [LL7]have a distinct lack of adequate health care being supplied in these developing nations. Not only that, but those that need it most are not seeking out, or demanding, the healthcare they need to flourish[LL8]. There are many factors that lead to these shortages [LL9]of supply and demand, as well as many theories and policies aimed at correcting these market ineff iciencies. While everyone [LL10]is essentially working towards the same goal, there exist a multitude of different policies and interventions designed to achieve this goal. The problems on the supply side facing developmental healthcare in these countries can be attributed to a few underlying factors. One of these factors can be boiled down to the same issue that causes most all economic issues: lack of resources (ODonnell). The problems that face facilitating change without adequate resources inevitably leads to the misallocation of these resources and not utilizing them in the most effective, efficient way possible[LL11]. This misallocation of resources can take many forms, including concentrating said resources in improper geographic areas such as large, urban cities that do not necessarily require these economic interventions[LL12]. Unfortunately, the majority of public health expenditure is still absorbed through hospital based care, which is virtually impossible for the poor, rural population of these developing countries to utilize (Peabody, Taguiwalo and Robalino). The insufficient resources at play affect the supply side of healthcare in that t he capital required to actually get the train rolling is just not available to provide the adequate facilities, medicine, and proper personnel necessary to facilitate radical change in as many locations as needed (Peters, Garg and Bloom). The early years of the fight for improved healthcare worldwide consisted of many different types of policies aimed at reversing this trend, but even though some of them differed, one main goal persisted through each: accessibility of healthcare for the poor. As the years have gone on and the accessibility of these benefits has risen dramatically, the goal has shifted from correcting the lack of accessibility to improving the inadequate quality of said healthcare (Peabody, Taguiwalo and Robalino). [LL13] In these developing countries, obtaining and providing the facilities and supplies can go a long way toward achieving our healthcare goals[LL14], but these issues represent only part of the problem. The real problem is then convincing those in poverty and in need of aid to utilize these resources. Clinics and medicine do no good, and as such represent further insufficient allocation of resources, if these interventions do nothing to foster demand for these services[LL15]. Once again, [LL16]the extreme poverty that these people are forced to live in become is the main factor that dictates that lack of demand. But besides just that broad, all-encompassing, underlying reason of poverty, [LL17]we can look at two, more specific, factors that can suppress demand of all types across the economic landscape. These two factors are the outside constraints put on the consumer, in this case those without adequate healthcare, that limit their respective ability to consume, as well as the personal preferences of any individual that will lower their a willingness to consume (ODonnell). The outside constraints on these families and individuals that limit demand, especially in developing countries, are also influenced by a variety of factors that all work cohesively to make it so that those in poverty remain in poverty. Evidence shows that amount of household income earned has a strong positive relationship between standard of living and utilization of healthcare (Bale). Basically, the more money a family brings in, the more likely they are to utilize healthcare. This all comes back to resources, though this time it is the resources of the family as opposed to those of the intervening party[LL18]. This makes sense though, as it stands to reason with the high price of healthcare, that some may start to view maintaining health and wellness as a luxury more than a necessity.[LL19] When you are living day to day and struggling as it is to put food on the table, certain things become prioritized over others[LL20]. While relative income plays a large role, the actual price of receiving treatment becomes another huge deterrent in seeking out adequate healthcare (Peabody, Taguiwalo and Robalino). Many of these countries, and especially the poor population, do not have any sort of medical insurance. So all of these visits and trips to the doctor end up coming out of their own pockets[LL21]. The high price of visits, in addition to a variety of different user fees possibly associated with treatment, make those living in poverty much more price sensitive than those that are better off. So while those that need it most remain in poor health, those that are well off may seek treatment for much less serious ailments. In addition to the actual costs associated with treatment, there exist costs outside of formal charges that may effectively filter out potential patients. Costs [LL22]associated include foregone earnings that would have been made that day, travel costs for treatments, as well as distance, time, effort, and poor road conditions all deter potentia l patients (ODonnell).[LL23] Even if one [LL24]is financially able to pay treatment costs, there are a variety of preferential [LL25]factors that may prevent them from doing so. Cultural and gender issues can lead to a lower demand of healthcare, even if readily available. There is a great deal of history and tradition in developing countries, so much so that many people in these countries still utilize traditional therapies of the culture rather than modern medicine. This trend to use traditional therapies is negatively related to income and education (Peters, Garg and Bloom). Helping these people to gain knowledge and further educate themselves is [LL26]one of the first steps in solving this issue. Education can assist in just being able to recognize illness and the potential benefit of the modern treatments for these illnesses. Many of these societies culturally do not employ much gender equality, and as such, access to maternal, reproductive, and child health care has proven difficult (ODonnell). Because so many people are ill, and there is not adequate treatment, rampant illness almost becomes the norm and severe illnesses become harder and harder to recognize[LL27]. A continued push for education would go a long way in alleviating some of these symptoms. All of these factors regarding inadequate healthcare necessitate the introduction of financial interventions and aid[LL28]. Because there are so many underlying causes, there have been many theories and policies enacted in order to reverse this negative trend[LL29]. Raising the utilization of effective interventions requires a multitude of different things. First, any raise in utilization is not possible without first introducing more capital[LL30], and then directing [LL31]the spending of this capital towards the most effective programs[LL32] in order to maximize efficiency. These interventions should also me [LL33]geographically proportional to population and need (Peabody, Taguiwalo and Robalino). Opening up a new facility in a large city that doesn’t need one does not good. [LL34]Management of these operations must also be reformed to maximize efficiency[LL35], and regulatory and political incentives must be introduced and provided in order to promote utilization. Some of the more specific goals include extending health insurance coverage to more users (Bale). Although this is more of a long-term policy, growing this number will provide a great incentive for treatment. [LL36]Policies that aid the poor, such as subsidies and fee waivers, will greatly cut back on individual costs of treatment [LL37]and promote care as well (Peters, Garg and Bloom). Most of the surface issues associated with healthcare in developing countries can be attributed to an access problem and a quality problem. When we look closer though, we can see that these are just a few factors that can hold us back from achieving our MDG’s. We now need to move towards alleviating some of the educational and income disparity issues, and the solving of these two problems, while by no means a clean, absolute fix, can provide great strides we may have yet to even see[LL38]. Works Cited Bale, Harvey E. Proposal Improving Access to Health Care for the Poor, Especially in Developing Countries. n.d. Global Economic Symposium. ODonnell, Owen. Access to Health Care in Developing Countries: breaking down demand side barriers. (2007). Peabody, John W., et al. Improving the Quality of Care in Developing Countries. Disease Control Prioritites in Developing Countries. 2006. Peters, David H., et al. Poverty and Access to Health Care in Developing Countries. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 25 July 2008. Word Count: 1513 [LL1]Good start. But a few issues linger. Grammar (esp. overuse of commas) makes following some of your writing challenging. Missing some opportunity for critical/economic analysis. Grade: 75 – 10 (late): 65 [LL2]These seem like opposites. How is this possible? [LL3]Grammar/punctuation is not right [LL4]Strong claim†¦ citation? [LL5]Citation? [LL6]Which countries? Citation [LL7]We? [LL8]Why do you suppose? Citation? [LL9]Is there a shortage? Sounds like you just said supply is low, but so is demand. [LL10]? [LL11]Wording? [LL12]Examples? Why is this bad? Isn’t this where most of the people live? [LL13]Why the switch in objectives? What were the results? [LL14]Which are what? [LL15]Really really strong claim†¦ citation? [LL16]? Does this tie into the previous supply discussion? [LL17]wording [LL18]? [LL19]Not sure about this luxury vs necessity language†¦ (also Discussion from Poor Economics applies here) [LL20]Yes [LL21]Who ultimately pays when insurance is involved? [LL22]Opportunity costs [LL23]Possible solutions to the problems (and can you clarify†¦ what are the problems? High prices? What if the costs or provision are high. Are high prices a problem?) [LL24]Who? [LL25]? [LL26]Is? Citation? [LL27]? [LL28]Strong claim†¦ Citation? [LL29]Examples? [LL30]From where? [LL31]Who will direct it? Where? [LL32]How will we know what these are? [LL33]? [LL34]? [LL35]What do you mean by efficiency? [LL36]What do you mean? [LL37]Subsidies lower the costs? TANSTAAFL. [LL38]More (economic) discussion is warranted†¦ What are the incentives resulting in the status quo? The discussion regarding education is good, but can you be any more specific about how to address it? Are the advantages and disadvantages for the solutions or only advantages?

Cell Phones – Boon or Bane

Is a knife useful instrument or a perilous weapon? It depends on how it is used. Same implies with the case of technology. The greatest invention are those which affect the mass of people; and of those greatest invention is cell phones . It would be very ungrateful on our parts not to recognise how imperative are they to us. Cell phones have revolutionised the human existence . This is possible only because they are getting cheaper and cheaper day by day. Discounted cell phones accessories have made it even easier to keep the phone intact and give it a longer life. Undoubtedly , if cell phones are in right hands ,then they are a marvel ! Firstly they are proved to be a gratuity on the account of uniting not only the country but the entire planet as a â€Å"global village†. No matter how far we are sitting we can gossip anytime anywhere! In fact it’s bliss to the parents as well as children . Parents can every time monitor their children and children are also safe. If anyone is in any kind of danger s/he can call for help immediately . It arrests mishaps. The delight of watching favourite tv shows, songs, etc is unmatched; as now cell phones are embedded with all high tech features. Also discounted cell phone accessories have added cherry on the top. Accessories such as wireless Bluetooth handset (can be used to talk without even locating the cell phone ) , cases and pouches (keeping the phone intact and out of harm's way ) , charger ,adapter battery covers ,screen protectors are so easily available that they help people to uphold their cell phone with an ease. There are always two sides of a coin . The Time creation aspect of technology has posed a peril which we keep ignoring . The cell phones have progressed rapidly at the rate of knots. Also at the same time they have provide us with a cushion to challenge more task than what we would have attempted if cell phones would have gone on a French leave! This invites element of multitasking. This deprives a person of enjoying his own hard earned money! Also when a person is multitasking rather than completing a single task he merely juggles between a huge number of tasks. This causes burden and hence results in Stress . Stress is a bane to the modern era. Due to our ill capacities of not understanding the correct usuage of resource, our life has turned into a Frankenstein’s movie! Also cell phones have made terrorist attacks in the world very easy. This has become a global matter of concern . Not going far beyond and viewing things aerially and focusing solely on our lives children are growing in precocious manner ,which is again a big matter of concern for parents . Also discounted cell phone accessories have made it easier for children to buy them and keep them unnoticed! They burn their time to ashes by playing games on it, listening songs etc. Instead of going out and playing, they stick to their easy chairs or couches and play games on their phones , which turns their reflexes into slow responses! We have heard of batteries blasting when they were put to charging. This is again on the account of using discounted cell phone accessories . The retailers replace the original piece with duplicate ones, to which customers are totally unaware of. Over utilisation of any resource is harmful . Now mobile phones have interweaved into our lives so much ,that some have started considering it as an inevitable part of their lives. They are addicted to it like a drug addict is addicted to drugs and some have gone even worse! This has consequently given rise to new phobias! Such as Nomophobia (the fear of being out of cell phone) ,Phantom ring (imagining call phone to be ringing when it is actually not) , Human antenna (holding phone high up in the air so that it can catch signal! )and so on. Not only this usage ,of cell phones driving have contributed 10% to the road accidents. We should always remember , that there lives a wise man between the valley of two mountains. Plain and pleasure are a result of modern technology . Usage of cell phones as a boon or a bane ; the answer lies in our hands!

What is Earthquake Essay

An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault. The tectonic plates are always slowly moving, but they get stuck at their edges due to friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earth’s crust and cause the shaking that we feel.( readanddigest.com/what-is-an-earthquake) The April 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake)[6][9] killed more than 8,800 people and injured more than 23,000. It occurred at 11:56 NST on 25 April, with a magnitude of 7.8Mw[1] or 8.1Ms[2] and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of IX (Violent). Its epicenter was east of the district of Lamjung, and its hypocenter was at a depth of approximately 15 km (9.3 mi).[1] It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake.[10][11][12] The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 19,[13] making April 25, 2015 the deadliest day on th e mountain in history.[14] The earthquake triggered another huge avalanche in the Langtang valley, where 250 people were reported missing.[15][16] Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless with entire villages flattened,[15][17][18] across many districts of the country. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley, including some at the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Squar, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan Temple and the Swayambhunath Stupa. Geophysicists and other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture.[19][20] [21] A major aftershock occurred on 12 May 2015 at 12:51 NST with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.3.[22] The epicenter was near the Chinese border between the capital of Kathmandu and Mt. Everest.[23] More than 200 people were killed and more than 2,500 were injured by this aftershock Geology M6+ Himalayan region earthquakes, 1900–2014 Nepal lies towards the southern limit of the diffuse collisional boundary where the Indian Plate underthrusts the Eurasian Plate,[31][32] occupying the central sector of the Himalayan arc, nearly one-third of the 2,400 km  (1,500 mi) long Himalayas. Geologically, the Nepal Himalayas are sub-divided into five tectonic zones from north to south, east to west and almost parallel to sub-parallel.[33] These five distinct morpho-geotectonic zones are: (1) Terai Plain, (2) Sub Himalaya (Sivalik Range), (3) Lesser Himalaya (Mahabharat Range and mid valleys), (4) Higher Himalaya, and (5) Inner Himalaya (Tibetan Tethys).[34] Each of these zones is clearly identified by their morphological, geological, and tectonic features.[34] The convergence rate between the plates in central Nepal is about 45 mm (1.8 in) per year. The location, magnitude, and focal mechanism of the earthquake suggest that it was caused by a slip along the Main Frontal Thrust.[1][35] The earthquake’s effects were amplified in Kathmandu as it sits on the Kathmandu Basin, which contains up to 600 m (2,000 ft) of sedimentary rocks, representing the infilling of a lake.[36] Based on a study published in 2014, of the Main Frontal Thrust, on average a great earthquake occurs every 750  ±Ã¢â‚¬â€°140 and 870  ±Ã¢â‚¬â€°350 years in the east Nepal region.[37] A study from 2015 found a 700-year delay between earthquakes in the region. The study also suggests that because of tectonic stress buildup, the earthquake from 1934 in Nepal and the 2015 quake are connected, following a historic earthquake pattern.[38] Intensity Isoseismal map for the Gorkha earthquake annotated with values on the Mercalli scale According to â€Å"Did You Feel It?† (DYFI?) responses on the USGS website, the intensity in Kathmandu was IX (Violent).[1] Tremors were felt in the neighboring Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Gujarat [39][better source needed] in the National capital region around New Delhi[40] 11 June 2015, 311 aftershocks had occurred with different epicenters and magnitudes equal to or above 4 Mw and more than 20,000 aftershocks less than 4 Mw.[6] Aftermath Disastrous events in very poor and politically paralyzed nations such as Nepal often become a long drawn out chain of events, in that one disaster feeds into another for years or even decades upon end. Casualties Nepal The earthquake killed more than 8,600 in Nepal[7][83] and injured more than twice as many. The rural death toll may have been lower than it would have been as the villagers were outdoors, working when the quake hit.[84] As of 15 May, 6,271 people, including 1,700 from the 12 May aftershock, were still receiving treatment for their injuries.[54] More than 450,000 people were displaced.[57] India A total of 78 deaths were reported in China 25 dead and 4 missing, all from the Tibet Autonomous Region.[59] Bangladesh 4 dead.[60] Avalanches on Mount Everest This earthquake caused avalanches on Mount Everest. At least 19[86] died, including Google executive Dan Fredinburg,[87] with at least 120[86] others injured or missing. Damage The Dharahara tower Before the earthquake After the earthquake Thousands of houses were destroyed across many districts of the country, with entire villages flattened, especially those near the epicenter Kathmandu Durbar Square Before the earthquake After the earthquake Building damage as a result of the earthquake Several pagodas on Kathmandu Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, collapsed,[26] as did the Dharahara tower, built in 1832; the collapse of the latter structure killed at least 180 people,[101][102][103][104] The top of the Jaya Bageshwari Temple in Gaushala and some parts of the Pashupatinath Temple, Swyambhunath, Boudhanath Stupa, Ratna Mandir, inside  Rani Pokhari, and Durbar High School have been destroyed.[108] In Patan, the Char Narayan Mandir, the statue of Yog Narendra Malla, a pati inside Patan Durbar Square, the Taleju Temple, the Hari Shankar, Uma Maheshwar Temple and the Economic loss Road damage in Nepal Concern was expressed that harvests could be reduced or lost this season as people affected by the earthquake would have only a short time to plant crops before the onset of the Monsoon rains.[109] Nepal, with a total Gross Domestic Product of USD$19.921 billion (according to a 2012 estimate),[110] is one of Asia’s poorest countries, and has little ability to fund a major reconstruction effort on its own.[111] Rajiv Biswas, an economist at a Colorado-based consultancy, said that rebuilding the economy will need international effort over the next few years as it could â€Å"easily exceed† USD$5 billion, or about 20 percent of Nepal’s gross domestic product.[111][112][not in citation given] Rescue and relief Nepal Army and Turkish disaster relief aid workers working together About 90 percent of soldiers from the Nepalese Army were sent to the stricken areas in the aftermath of the earthquake under Operation Sankat Mochan, with volunteers mobilized from other parts of the country.[117] Survivors were found up to a week after the earthquake.[119][120][121] As of 1 May 2015[update], international aid agencies like Mà ©decins Sans Frontià ¨res (Doctors Without Borders) and the Red Cross were able to start medically evacuating the critically wounded by helicopter from outlying areas, initially cut-off from the capital city, Kathmandu,[17] and treating others in mobile and makeshift facilities.[122][123] There was concern about epidemics due to the shortage of clean water, the makeshift nature of living conditions and the lack of toilets.[124] Emergency workers were able to identify four men who had been trapped in rubble, and rescue them, using advanced heartbeat detection. The four men were trapped in up to ten feet of rubble in the village of Chautara, north of Kathmandu. An international team  of rescuers from several countries using FINDER devices found two sets of men under two different collapsed buildings.[125] Volunteers used crisis mapping to help plan emergency aid work.[126] Public volunteers from around the world added details into online maps.[127][128][129] Information was mapped from data input from social media, satellite pictures[130] and drones[126] of passable roads, collapsed houses, stranded, shelterless and starving people, who needed help, and from messages and contact details of people willing to help.[131] On-site volunteers verified these mapping details wherever they could to reduce errors. First responders, from Nepali citizens to the Red Cross, the Nepal army and the United Nations used this data. The Nepal earthquake crisis mapping utilized experience gained and lessons learned about planning emergency aid work from earthquakes in Haiti and Indonesia.[132] Reports are also coming in of sub-standard relief materials and inedible food being sent to Nepal by many of the foreign aid agencies.[133][134] A United States Marine helicopter crashed on 12 May while involved in delivering relief supplies. The crash occurred at Charikot, roughly 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of Kathmandu. Two Nepali soldiers and 6 American soldiers died in the crash.[135] International aid UNICEF appealed for donations, as close to 1.7 million children had been driven out into the open, and were in desperate need of drinking water, psychological counsel, temporary shelters, sanitation and protection from disease outbreak. It distributed water, tents, hygiene kits, water purification tablets and buckets.[138] Numerous other organizations provided similar support.[139] India was the first to respond within hours, being Nepal’s immediate neighbour,[140] with Operation Maitri which provided rescue and relief by its armed forces. It also evacuated its own and other countries’ stranded nationals. The United Kingdom has been the largest bilateral aid donor to Nepal following the earthquake.[141][142] The United States, China and other nations have provided helicopters as requested by the Nepali government.[143][144] On 26 April 2015, international aid agencies and governments mobilized rescue workers and aid for the earthquake. They faced challenges in both getting assistance to Nepal and ferrying people to remote areas as the country had few  helicopters.[145][146] Relief efforts were also hampered by Nepalese government insistence on routing aid through the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund and its National Emergency Operation Center. After concerns were raised, it was clarified that â€Å"Non-profits† or NGOs already in the country could continue receiving aid directly and bypass the official fund.[145][147] Aid mismatch and supply of â€Å"leftovers† by donors,[148] aid diversion in Nepal,[149] mistrust over control of the distribution of funds and supplies,[150][151][152] congestion and customs delays at Kathmandu’s airport and border check posts were also reported.[153][154] On 3 May 2015, restrictions were placed on heavy aircraft flying in aid supplies after new cracks were noticed on the runway at the Tribhuvan airport (KTM), Nepal’s only wide-body jet airport.[155][156][157]