Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Photography Is The Human Experience - 1212 Words
It is truly amazing to see how far photography has come. With practical cameras only being 1800s when they were extremely large to now where everyone has one in their pocket as part of their phone. To make it even more incredible photos taken now can be shared across the world in the matter of seconds with the simple push of a button. There are even social media applications dedicated to only sharing pictures as a quick glimpse into your life. However, what is truly incredible about a picture is the emotions it can evoke, and the change that it can start. Photography can do so many things for human lives as well as the human experience. To start, photography can force us to act. Every day, millions of people across the world hope to make an impact. They want to help those who need it, these unsung heroes strive to improve the lives of those in need. How can they spread their message or their cause to those who have no idea it exist? They could go to the news and tell the story of what they are trying to do, and get help for those in need. But to truly make an impact, they can share a picture. This picture makes the plight of those in need real. You can see the suffering on their faces, the desolate surroundings, and the help they truly do need. Pictures bring to light what we may not see, or may never hear of. Another major influence of photography is how it allows us to document events and influences how we perceive things. When you look at some of the most influentialShow MoreRelatedArt As A Common Subject Of Visual Art1631 Words à |à 7 PagesHuman form for many years has been discussed and always been a common subject of visual art. The earliest known representations of the human body come from Europe and date to between 25,000 and 12,000 years ago. Current attitudes recognize the beauty and artistry in these objects and make the initial categories of classification obsolete. The objects are now all grouped together as ââ¬ËHuman Form in Artââ¬â¢. They display enormous diversity in materials, techniques, function, beliefs, and notions of beautyRead MoreAnalysis : The Jazz Photography931 Words à |à 4 Pages Introduction Jazz photography is an unending experience in discovering motion, feelings, light and interconnection of the human form with musical instruments and each other. Some rules of photographing a portrait apply to it, but the unpredictability of movements, emotions and the need for working with available light make it more similar to the practice of candid photography. Also, the human aspects of it ââ¬â who to shoot and when, the question of photographerââ¬â¢s courage to cross boundaries and getRead MoreHow The Signs That Can Be Present Within These Phenomena874 Words à |à 4 PagesPhotography in itself, is a means of communication, it can be used in a variety of ways in order to narrate the world around us [Campbell, D (2010)]. As a species, humanity itself has proven to be visual beings, creating pictures across a variety of mediums in order to express ourselves and represent what is happening in the world around us. Images, whether they be paintings, drawings, or photographs, have played and continue to play a very important part in our society, as everyone is able to understandRead MoreThe Digital Possession Of Human Since The 19th Century1154 Words à |à 5 Pagesadvancement of publishing text, but also imagery, and I will focus on photography. Photography is the common possession of human since the 19th century. The purposes of creating photographs are numerous. The distinctiveness of photo taking creates different meaning, which had its power to influence the society. 3. This essay will aim to identify and compare two publication technologies, which is the 18th century photography publishing technology, Daguerreotype, and generally used mobile cameraRead MoreThe Effect Of Photography On My Leisure Time927 Words à |à 4 PagesEvery day, I use this device in a pastime known as photography. Photography is a hobby I enjoy in my leisure time because it allows me to express my artistic creativity, it utilizes technology, and it is timeless. Photography is a great pastime because it allows me to express my artistic creativity. Many see photography as an easy way to take a picture with a camera. However, it is actually one of the most complex forms of art. In general, photography is using a device to freeze time and pile all theRead More Progression of Photography Essay1691 Words à |à 7 PagesPhotography is an affection, a craving and an addiction. It is impossible to explain why people love taking photos, but once people are engaged in photography professionally, nothing will stop them. It has always been a great magic and momentous secret which opens the world to the people, which makes us look at the things used to be taken for granted with special attitude, which makes us ponder over the existing problems. Photography can truly be considered a magical act ââ¬â here is a little blackRead MoreFashion as fine art, American fashion photographer George Platt Lynes enjoyed a high reputation at1600 Words à |à 7 P agesfashion photographer, his photographs of human body, the casual style, action figures showing strong character traits, with an unusual gorgeous sheen. Although he also took images of female nude, but the real cause is that people resonate with his make nudes works. Its make nude photography, a form of passion in the male body fully exposed to even let people think male nudes ancient Greece, with a timeless enduring charm. Until today, his fascination for photography has always been a mystery no one couldRead MoreTalent Not Left Undiscovered : A Great Impact On The Preservation And Conservation Of Nature1243 Words à |à 5 PagesAdams is most known for his breathtaking landscapes, both in black and white and in color, and his great impact on the preservation and conservation of nature in the United States. Born in San Francisco, California, Adamsââ¬Ës first real experience with photography took place in 1916 in Yosemite National Park, where his parents took him on vacation (ââ¬Å"Ansel Adamsâ⬠). He hiked all over the park and fell completely in love with it, as he saw and captured its beauty through the lense of his No. 1 BrownieRead MoreThe World Of Anthropology : An Anthropological Perspective913 Words à |à 4 PagesIn the world of anthropology, the study of human societies and their cultures or development, the people that study those topics often turn to scientific field notes rather than photography. Anthropologists are supposed to maintain objective and impartial conclusions when studying cultures or societies and for years the only consistent way of doing so was to only consider unbiased field notes, or simply scientific notes or observations. However, over time anthropologists came to realize that theRead MorePhotography Has An Alternate Point Of View On Photograph y1355 Words à |à 6 PagesPhotography is commencing to wind up as the world s most popular pastime. Because photographs surround us, we are able to utilize photography to explore the world. Susan Sontag, author of On Photography, has an alternate point of view on photography. When Sontag implies that photography lets us know how we think about the world, we acknowledge it as the camera records it; this is essentially what photography is all about, but it involves the photographer s view utilizing a camera to record both
Monday, December 16, 2019
Is It Better to Study in Arts or Science Stream Free Essays
Question: Is it better to study in Arts or Science stream? Discuss Nowadays, the level of education is very important in an individual because the world is rapidly developing and required people to have high intellectual capabilities in order to cope with the development. Art and science streams are two fields that offer jobs in many countries in this world. People question that art stream people are usually better in social skill and they help a lot in boosting the economy of a country. We will write a custom essay sample on Is It Better to Study in Arts or Science Stream? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Others, however, believes that science stream have more stable pay and contribute a lot in humanity apart from financial benefits. Firstly, people in art streams tend to socialize more with people as their field usually need them to work with other people in order to ensure the success of their career. Communication skill also can be developing as they communicate with others a lot. For instance, in business field, businessmen or businesswomen need to meet their clients to discuss about their business progress. This required them to have good communication skill to make sure the clients can have a clear view about the business in which they are working. Business professions also make the entrepreneur to meet new people and make friends with them as business professions requires them to explore a lot and not to do the office works only. This will open their mind towards new things that happen around the world. Next, the arts and creative industry has the potential of generating high income and making the Malaysian economy more dynamic or boost industry economy, whereby in 2008 from Malaysian statistics, it contributed RM 9. billion, besides providing many jobs available. Realizing the importance of this industry, the government has allocated millions for the Creative Industry Fund to finance activities like arts, film and drama production, music, animation, advertising and developing local content. The funding in the form of loans is managed by financial banking. The development of countries such as Singapore and even the US has been helped greatly by arts and creative industry to boost their economy. An additional point is that the influx of foreign investors can put pressure on services such as marketing, and these costs can be used to increase the production in arts and creative industry. Besides that, with participation of private companies, government linked companies and involvement of investors from many countries; it can ensure that the Malaysian creative product brand names are accepted in the local market and able to compete at the regional and international levels through continuous promotions. All these factors can result in boosted of economic for the government. On the other hand, science stream have variety scopes of learning such as the biology, chemistry, physical and many more. With this different kind of learning, the opportunity of jobs becomes wider. In comparison with the art stream, one with the knowledge of biological studies can even work in engineering field even though they are in different fields. Furthermore, jobs in this stream have more stable pay instead of the art stream. The definite example is the work of a doctor. They receive same payment for every month either they work for the whole month or simply for sometimes. They can also live their life happily without even worried about having shortness of money in this develop country. In addition, this field of study contributes to humanity in many ways. In medical field, the new discovery of various drugs and treatment methods helps to increase the lifespan of humans. Justice can be served through forensics as samples collected from the scene of crime can be traced to any perpetrators. Biotechnology and genetic engineering have the potential to make stem cells transplant a success in the near future. Engineering provides humans with the latest and trendiest technology with the aim of making life more comfortable. Last but not least, research by scientists help to confirm any suspected hypothesis such as gravity and effectiveness of antibiotics. There are equal advantages in studying arts and science field. Hence, this solely depends on different individualââ¬â¢s interest and attitude. One may argue that science stream provides a stable pay but if one is not interested in that field, it brings no meaning at all in studying that particular field. Likewise, if one is motivated and inspired to succeed, it does not matter which field he is studying because regardless of science or arts stream, as long as he is has the motivation and interest, he is bound to succeed. In a nutshell, interest and attitude play an important role in determining which field is more suitable for oneââ¬â¢s choice of study. How to cite Is It Better to Study in Arts or Science Stream?, Papers
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Utilisation of the Three Energy Systems-Free-Samples for Students
Question: Analyse the utilisation of the three Energy Systems of your chosen Sport or Position. Answer: The three energy system for a basketball player Three energy systems - normally referred as metabolic pathways - are in charge of the reactions inside cells and tissues at the time of exercises and games. These energy systems incorporate the phosphagen, glycolytic and oxidative pathways. For a basketball player, all of these energy systems are fundamental during rivalry. Seeing the majority of the energy system and how they cooperate is critical for the training of basketball and performing on the court. The glycolytic and phosphagen pathways are viewed as "anaerobic" while the oxidative pathway is viewed as "aerobic." During a basketball game, around 85 percent of the energy of athlete originates from the phosphagen framework, trailed by around 15 percent from the glycolytic framework and a little rate from the oxidative framework. The phosphagen framework deals with the performance powerfully, the glycolytic framework deals with the moderate exercises, and the oxidative system deals with low-skilled sports ("AIS Home : AIS : Australian Sports Commission"). ATP-PC System For basketball game which lasts for 10 and 30 seconds, the phosphagen system utilizes adenosine triphosphate-creatine phosphate for energy. The ATP-PC gives speedy blasts of quick energy. Test plays incorporate quickening and running here and there the court, evolving headings, bouncing back, hop shots and playing safeguard. This energy framework requires around 30 to 90 seconds of rest for a full recuperation because of the nonattendance of oxygen amid the conveyance of energy. Anaerobic System Game lasting for 30 and 60 seconds require the glycolytic framework to supply energy. During this energy generation, the body attracts on anaerobic glycolysis to discharge ATP and create lactic acid. The energy source can be utilized for moderate exercises, however, require around 60 to 240 seconds for a full healing. Test plays utilizing the glycolytic energy framework incorporate quick breaks, full-court cautious weight or hostile plays (Bompa and Buzzichelli 2015). Aerobic System The oxidative energy framework is less used, however, it is the most critical for basketball achievement. The oxidative framework, or aerobic system, is basic for constant play over the span of a whole diversion. While the phosphagen and glycolytic frameworks are discharging ATP and lactic corrosive, the oxygen-consuming and oxidative frameworks are recharging these energy stores that enhance the recuperation times for those energy frameworks. Aerobic training for basketball player Basketball training requires a large number of abilities, elevated amounts of focus and top-level physical wellness. High-impact practices like running, bicycling, swimming and jumping rope are a portion of ideal approaches to fabricate your quality and stamina and enhance your oxygen framework with the goal that you'll have the continuance and train to play each amusement at greatest power until the last ringer sounds (Milioni et al. 2017). Running Start each practice by running a couple of laps around the gym or inside the court. To make the run less tiresome, consider spilling a basketball while you run, as you would do when spilling upcourt in a game. Similarly continuous practicing a couple ball taking care of moves, similar to hybrids, through-the-leg and behind the back alters the direction (Fink and Mikesky 2017). Stationary Bicycles Stationary bicycles offer the upside of perseverance preparing without the drawback of high-effect weight on knees and different joints. They're a decent device for chilling off after practice, or a bland exercise in the middle of recreations. Spend around 30 minutes to an hour on the cycle, and exchange your by and large consistent exercise with a couple of higher-rhythm arouses to work in a touch of substantial effort anaerobic preparing (Pereira et al. 2016). Elliptical Machines Elliptical machines merge the exercises of a treadmill and stair climber, offering the advantage of expanded resistance preparing for fortifying your shins, lower legs, calves, biceps, pecs and lower arms, while as yet letting you musically start to sweat and lift your cardio. Bouncing Rope Bouncing rope is an amazing approach to construct cardio wellness and work on your calf and lower leg muscles. Make sure to remain on your toes, and don't escape with speed and destroy yourself too rapidly. The objective is to enhance your continuance and manufacture quality, not charge yourself as far as possible. Swimming Swimming is another superb low-affect oxygen consuming activity for basketball players. Swimming works all muscle gatherings, and the odds of pulling a muscle or putting unnecessary weight on a joint are significantly lessened. Try not to confine yourself to swimming while in the pool, be that as it may. Some mentors advocate utilizing the pool for plyometric activities to improve the briskness and responsiveness of your muscle work. All the standard plyometric activities, for example, squat, split squat, tuck and sidelong can be directed in the water, with far less strain on your back, knees, feet and lower legs than similar moves performed at sea shore. Basketball Practice Structure At Basketball, the coaches can breakdown the practice sessions into 5 sections Dynamic Warm Up/Body Movement Skill Work Team Strategies Scrimmage/Small Sided Games Cool Down In this section firstly it has been discussed about the each section and then it will be discussed that how much time a player will be spending on each sections (Mackenzie 2017). Dynamic Warm Up/Body Movement This area of practice is immediately prohibited by numerous adolescent basketball coaches. Before doing game practice, the players used to do a 2 minute quick warm up. It's critical that we enable players to build up an athletic establishment at earliest. With this establishment set up, it turns out to be substantially less demanding to learn new basketball techniques as they advance (Fliess-Douer et al. 2016). This segment for practice will help the players with considerably more rather than their playing abilities. It will help avoid wounds and help them in all games and developments of life on the grounds that players shouldn't be practicing exclusively in a basketball game at a young age. Skill Work During the time of training, an individual player must give a lot of time for the practice of basketball game. The drills must be interesting with full of fun also including the skill of the players.This incorporates drills that show players how to play the skills development effectively, alongside the drills that help them to realize when to utilize the skill.Drills that enable the player to realize when to utilize the ability are generally skipped over (Chaudhary and Sharma 2015). A lot of mentors will tell the players to practice v-cuts to get open on the border. They'll demonstrate to the players the best way to cut in, the footwork to pass through their defender, and reach out to get the ball. Then the coach will test them and will decide that they are able to play the game or not. If they qualify then they will be able to play the game. Although they are able to do the footwork quite well, the players don't seem to play well. This was because they dont have the experience to play with a defender team. So it is needed to include drills and techniques which will help the players to gain experience Team strategies The team strategies training includes how to defense, offense, how to set the game, and how to deal with special situations. Scrimmages Scrimmages and small sided game are very important for every practice. There are many benefits to using small-sided games. They help the players by giving more chances to touch the ball, more space for practicing the moves, more opportunity to score and much more (Delextrat and Martinez 2014). Cool down The cool down section of the training consist of slow jogging for a couple of minutes, hen walking for a few time and then a few minutes of static stretching. This helps the body temperature to decrease and release all the waste products (Aoki 2017). Given below is the time division of 90 minutes training plan: Dynamic Warm Up/Body Movement 15 Minutes Skill Work 45 Minutes Team Strategy 10 Minutes Scrimmage/SSC 15 Minutes Cool Down 5 Minutes Technology and its contribution to basketball Nowadays many of the technologies are used for the development of sports. In the basketball, a new technology is used known as Replay systems. These systems are frequently utilized as a part of Basketball to ensure a shot was discharged before the last bell. This XOS HD Replay framework is a type of innovation for basketball that allows the authorities to view the game in HD quality. The XOS superior quality Replay System for Basketball just needs a portable workstation and one individual to work (Stevenson et al.2015). Replay frameworks initially began and utilized as a part of the NBA in the 2002-03 season. In Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals, Los Angeles Lakers forward Samaki Walker made a three-point goal from the half court toward the finish of the second quarter. In any case, the replay demonstrated that Walker's shot was late and that the ball was still in his grasp when the clock lapsed. The utilization of moment replay was organized a while later (Thomas et al. 2017). Replay Systems are a significant change to basketball. It makes it simpler for the arbitrators and different authorities before settling on an official choice which makes the basketball game significantly more exact. It can likewise help the mentors and players, the players can see what they can improve and not to make the mistakes again. Yes, replay system is not only just utilized for basketball, it is also demonstrated all around the world. A lot of different games utilize the replay system just like basketball to enhance their performance and make refereeing significantly more precise. It is utilized for ice hockey, rugby, baseball, cricket and much more. These games are also viewed by the peoples of the other parts of the world which demonstrates that moment replay is utilized all through the entire world, not simply Australia. Replay systems are utilized when the referee is uncertain of what has occurred in the match. For example, a player could have shot the ball just before the ringer and the authorities are uncertain on the off chance that it was out of his hands just before the bell. Instant replay is accessible to NBA players as they are at an extreme level of competition and the games are much intense at the lower levels too. References Mackenzie, Brian. "Brianmac Sports Coach".Brianmac.co.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 June 2017. "AIS Home : AIS : Australian Sports Commission".Ausport.gov.au. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 June 2017. Milioni, F., Zagatto, A.M., Barbieri, R.A., Andrade, V.L., dos Santos, J.W., Gobatto, C.A., da Silva, A.S., Santiago, P.R.P. and Papoti, M., 2017. Energy systems contribution in the running-based anaerobic sprint test.International Journal of Sports Medicine,38(03), pp.226-232. Bompa, T. and Buzzichelli, C., 2015.Periodization Training for Sports, 3E. Human kinetics. Fink, H.H. and Mikesky, A.E., 2017.Practical applications in sports nutrition. Jones Bartlett Learning. Delextrat, A. and Martinez, A., 2014. Small-sided game training improves aerobic capacity and technical skills in basketball players.International journal of sports medicine,35(05), pp.385-391. Pereira, R.N., Abreu, M.F.R., Gonalves, C.B., Corra, W.F.S., Mizuhira, D.R. and Moreno, M.A., 2016. Respiratory muscle strength and aerobic performance of wheelchair basketball players.Motriz: Revista de Educao Fsica,22(3), pp.124-132. Chaudhary, N. and Sharma, S.K., 2015. Effects of Basketball Skill Based Drills Practice with Aerobic Training on Leg Explosive Power of Basketball Players.International Journal of Physical Education Sports Management and Yogic Sciences,5(4), pp.36-38. Aoki, M.S., Ronda, L.T., Marcelino, P.R., Drago, G., Carling, C., Bradley, P.S. and Moreira, A., 2017. Monitoring Training Loads in Professional Basketball Players Engaged in a Periodized Training Program.The Journal of Strength Conditioning Research,31(2), pp.348-358. Stevenson, J.H., Beattie, C.S., Schwartz, J.B. and Busconi, B.D., 2015. Assessing the Effectiveness of Neuromuscular Training Programs in Reducing the Incidence of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes A Systematic Review.The American journal of sports medicine,43(2), pp.482-490. Thomas, G., Gade, R., Moeslund, T.B., Carr, P. and Hilton, A., 2017. Computer vision for sports: Current applications and research topics.Computer Vision and Image Understanding. Fliess-Douer, O., Mason, B., Katz, L. and So, C.H.R., 2016. Sport and technology.Training and Coaching the Paralympic Athlete, p.150.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
William Buttler Yeats Essays - Irish People, Horse Racing
William Buttler Yeats William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin Ireland. From the start Yeats had artistic influences, due to the fact that his father Jack Butler Yeats was a noted Irish painter. He had no formal education until he was eleven, at that time he started at the Godolphin Grammar School in Hammer*censored*h England and later he enrolled in Erasmus Smith High School in Dublin. Throughout his schooling he was considered disappointing student, his studies were inconsistent, he was prone to day dreaming, and poor at sports. In 1884 Yeats found his way to the Metropolitan School for the Arts, here he met a poet by the name of George Russell. Yeats and Russell sheared the same dreams, visions, and the enthusiasm for them. Russell and Yeats soon founded the Dublin Hermetic Society for the purpose of conducting magical experiments. They promoted their idea that "whatever great poets had affirmed in there finest moments was the nearest we could come to an authoritative religion and that their mythology and their spirits of wind and water were but literal truth." This sparked Yeats's interest in the study of the occult. After his experience in the hermetic society he joined the Rosicrucians, Madam H.P. Blavavtsky's Theosophical Society, and MacGregors Mather's Order of the Dawn. Yeats consulted spiritualists frequently and engaged in the ritual of conjuring the Irish Gods. The occult research Yeats made was apparent in his poetry. The occult was a source of images to use in his poems, and evedence of this is in all of his works. In1885 Yeats met John O'Leary an Irish Nationalist and Fenian leader. O'Leary played a large role on getting Yeats's his work first published in The Dublin University Review and directing Yeats's attention to native Irish sources for inspiration. The influence of O'Leary caused Yeats to take up the Irish writer's cause. England was trying to destroy all Irish literature in an attempt to anglicize Ireland through a ban on the Gaelic language. O'Leary's nationalism and opposition to violence impressed many people including Yeats. These views helped shape political views that Yeats would hold for the rest of his life. In 1889Yeats met Maude Gonne, a woman he loved unrequitedly for the rest of his life. Yeats asked Gonne to marry him many times but she always turned him down. Gonne was an Irish patriot and an inspiration to Yeats. Yeats frequently accompanied here to political rallies even though he usually disagreed with her extremist tactics. Their relationship went through a lot including Gonne's short-lived marrige to John McBride. Most of Yeats's poetry is addressed to her. Yeats associated her with Helen of Troy, whose capriciousness led to the destruction of a civilization. In 1986 Yeats became friends with Lady Isabella Augusta Gregory, a nationalist playwright. Together Yeats and Lady Gregory helped to found the Abbey Theater. As the director and dramatist Yeats helped to turn it into a leading theatrical company of the world and a center of the Irish Renaissance. Near the Turn of the century Yeats fought to abandon his old style of writing, at this time his writing became less mystical and symbolic and it became clearer. Yeats eventually got married in 1917, at the age of 52. His wife was Georgie Hyde-Lees, while on their honeymoon she discovered that she had mediumistic abilities. Through automatic writing she could communicate with a visionary realm. In Yeats's later years he became more involved in politics. From 1922 ? 1928 he was a senator for the Irish Free State. In 1923 Yeats received the Nobel Prize for literature, and died on January 18 1939 in Roquebrune France. Yeats was buried in Sligo Ireland. A Drunken Mans Praise of Sobriety Come swish around my pretty punk And keep me dancing still That I may stay a sober man Although I drank my fill. Sobriety is a jewel That I do much adore, And therefore keep dancing Though drunkards lie and snore. O mind your feet, O mind your feet Keep dancing like a wave, And under every dancer A dead man in his grave. No ups no downs, my Pretty, A mermaid not a punk; A drunkard is a dead man And all dead men are drunk. This is a lyrical poem, which Yeats wrote in 1938. The title sounds like it's a poem about a recovering alcoholic, but it seems that the person that Yeats is talking about is drunk. It also appears that he is such an alcoholic that he is drinking to feel normal. The line "Sobriety is
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
The final mother-daughter relationship Essay Example
The final mother The final mother-daughter relationship Essay The final mother-daughter relationship Essay Essay Topic: The Winters Tale Jeanettes mother is a powerful woman in her home and church and forcibly puts forward her views. She is selfish and ruthless and sulks if God does not concur with her will for destruction making her an outside target for mockery. Jeanette is a pawn in her mothers tag match against the rest of the world (p. 3) She does not let her maternal role hinder her career in the church. It is only with Jeanettes shock revelation of Lesbianism that her mother seems to change a little nearer the end of the novel: Her awareness that oranges are not the only fruit seems to suggest she has changed her one mindedness, especially as she becomes more like Elsie in the end and is able to express love and acceptance to Jeanette; However she will always be at war with the world and homosexuality with always be demonised and could never be accepted in the eyes of the lord I love you almost as much as I love the Lord. We see the constraints in Jeanette and her mothers relationship when Miss Jewesbury has forced Jeanettes mother to get medical attention for Jeanettes deafness. Her mother has little comfort and simply writes her a letter prods (p. 27) and leaves her alone. Her mothers devotion and infatuation with the missionary has forced Jeanette to originally believe she was filled with the Holy Spirit however, when medical authority overrules this Jeanette feels her mothers abandonment. Jeanettes mother offers little maternal care and brings oranges as a substitute for the maternal longing Jeanette wants and the short, bluntness of So I was alone. emphasises the isolation Jeanette feels. The lack of involvement and emotional distance in this familys personal relationship is iterated by the fact that Jeanettes mother could not attend and would send her husband usually with a letter and a couple of oranges (p. 29) The use of the word husband also could be an expression of Jeanettes sense of her fathers insignificance in terms of his influence in the family, or source of support. The final mother-daughter relationship we are made slightly aware of is that of Rubys and her little nut-brown girls (p. 381) Ruby as a mother in present generation is able to rule her individual life, the expectance of womens roles through the generations are all contrasted here as Ruby gains her own confidence to be the mother figure she always aspired to be, and has the courage to, when she realises shes leading the wrong life (p. 360) completely start again and thus not become the foolish mother (p. 381) bringing the whole cyclic focus of the book to an end the endless repetitive cycle of family history is finalised with the notion that women now have the chance to change roles from a martyred wife (p. 170) to ending the novel on a strong confirmation of personal identity; I am alive. I am a precious jewel. I am a drop of blood. I am Ruby Lennox. (p. 382). In OANTOF the main character, Jeanette, and her mother are engaged in a quest to attain a sense of identity beyond the limitations placed on them as relatively poor women in a male dominated, class prejudiced society. Both women are put in a place of lesser importance and unaware segregation Jeanette for her sexuality and her mother because of her faith. This indifference from society causes them to be almost in exile also seen in BTSATM but their sense of being called to be apart (p. 42) simultaneously enables them to forge an identity for themselves in defiance of the culturally, compulsory prescribed roles for women of the time. Jeanette and her mother could be said to be orphaned as her mother was abandoned by her middle class family when she marries Jack, and Jeanette is given up for adoption. This seems the opportunity for self-creation, as it does for many of the orphaned characters of nineteenth century fiction, among them Jane Eyre, whose life story seems to echo that of the real and imagined stories of Jeanette and her mother. The tale of Jane Eyre is essential in understanding the key themes and meaning of OANTOF as Jeanettes mother is able to revise the plot to perfection, it seems, however we later learn how this account is a flawed perception in order to shelter Jeanette from the realities of sin outside the missionary Jane Eyre (in Jeanettes mothers version) marries the ambitious missionary St John Rivers rather than the passionate almost Byronic hero Rochester, this could be interpreted as Jeanettes mothers plan for a devoted life to the missionary for Jeanette. The opening of the book immediately engages the reader and makes us aware of the strong sense of Jeanettes mothers personality and outlook on life; my mother liked to wrestle; it didnt matter what. She was in the white corner and that was that (p. 3) this quote suggests that the novel will deal with typical issues of growing up in a nuclear family. The dual narrative Winterson uses here mocks Jeanettes mothers doctrinaire, narrow minded views and is expressed through a typically childlike list of friends an enemies reducing Jeanettes mothers status and importance. Jeanettes mothers confrontational attitude is demonstrated by the fact she wanted the Mormons to knock on the door (p. 3) so that she could wrestle with them. Automatically we realise Jeanettes mothers struggle with the Rest of the World to assert her devout convictions. We see the difficulty in Jeanette and her mothers relationship in that we are, significantly, not only told that Jeanette was on her mothers list of friends only at first, but the layout of the text reinforces Jeanettes relegation of me predictably to the enemies list; It is this anticipation of the plot that prepares the reader for mother-daughter conflict. Jeanette will only stay on the friends list if she conforms to her mothers plan for her to become a missionary. Her mothers desire for power and influence is mocked here as she aspired to be the first virginal pregnancy; she was very bitter about the Virgin Mary getting there first (p. 3). There is much irony directed against Jeanettes mother due to the comparison between her bitterness and selfishness against the sympathetic qualities of the Virgin Mary. Winterson uses the Bible to undermine its authority and her mothers views; We had no wise men because she didnt believe there were any wise men, but we had sheep (p. 4). Both novels employ an immediacy structurally to highlight the nuclear dysfunctionality for example both books start the central theme on their first pages, even by a Foetal Ruby. Ruby in BTSATM illustrates her fathers drunkard like qualities and unloving routine like quality to the act of making love with her mother as he rolls off her mother and plunges into a dreamless sleep thanks to the five pints (p. 1). This structural immediacy is seen in OANTOF also as the first page sets out the tone for the rest of the novel and includes humorous narrative in order to mock her mother and her innate combative nature. Jeanettes father, Jack, contrasts his wife strongly in that he is the Joseph to her Virgin Mary. He occasionally will rebel against his wifes authority, for example watching the wrestling on a Sunday however he is still presented as a passive figure to her mother. Jeanette feels sympathy for her poor dad (p. 11) and realises his dissatisfaction and inferiority to her mother, he was never quite good enough (p. 11) and did not push himself (p. 8). His absence from the majority of the novel illustrates the unimportance of him as a source of paternity. Both fathers are rarely mentioned in both novels, representing the authors feelings as fathers being the lacking role, the two books can almost be seen as feminist in this respect. In conclusion both texts have obvious similarities in relation to the representation of family relationships, as both Atkinson and Winterson use two mothers struggles with society to exaggerate their dysfunctionality within their family and both mothers also suffer from the yearning for another man, with Jeanettes mother wanting Pastor Spratt and Bunty wanting the life she was about to have before being deserted by her fianci. However there are differences also in that Jeanette learns from her mothers authoritative confidence in qualities to help herself with her lesbianism whereas Ruby learns from her mothers mistakes, and vows to change her life unlike her mother did.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Jonathan Edwards - Colonial Clergyman of the Great Awakening
Jonathan Edwards - Colonial Clergyman of the Great Awakening à Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was an extremely important and influential clergyman in the New England colonial America. He has been given credit for beginning the Great Awakening and his writings provide insights into colonial thought.à Early Years Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut. His father was Reverend Timothy Edwards and his mother, Esther, was the daughter of another Puritan clergyman, Solomon Stoddard. He was sent to Yale College at the age of 13 where he was extremely interested in natural science while there and also read widely including works by John Locke and Sir Isaac Newton. John Lockes philosophy had a huge impact on his personal philosophy. After graduating from Yale at 17, he studied theology for two more years before becoming a licensed preacher in the Prsbyterian Church. In 1723, he earned his Master of Theology Degree. He served a New York congregation for two years before returning to Yale to serve as a tutor.à Personal Life In 1727, Edwards married Sarah Pierpoint. She was the granddaughter of the influential Puritan minister Thomas Hooker. He was the founder of theà Connecticut Colony following a dissent with the Puritan leaders in Massachusetts.Together they had eleven children.à Heading His First Congregationà In 1727, Edwards was given a position as the assistant minister under his grandfather on his mothers side, Solomon Stoddard in Northampton, Massachusetts. When Stoddard passed away in 1729, Edwards took over as the minister in charge of a congregation that included important political leaders and merchants. He was much more conservative than his grandfather.à Edwardseanism Lockes Essay Concerning Human Understanding had a huge impact on Edwards theology as he tried to grapple with mans free will combined with his own beliefs in predestination. He believed in the need for a personal experience of God. He believed that only after a personal conversion instituted by God could free will be turned away from human needs and towards morality. In other words, only Gods grace could give someone the ability to follow God.à In addition, Edwards also believed that the end times were near. He believed that with the coming of Christ, each person would have to give account of their lives on earth. His goal was a pure church filled with true believers. As such, he felt that it was his responsibility to ensure that his church members lived according to strict personal standards. He would only allow those he felt truly accepted Gods grace could partake of the sacrament of the Lords Supper in the church.à The Great Awakening As previously stated, Edwards believed in a personal religious experience. From 1734-1735, Edwards preached a number of sermons about justification of faith. This series led to a number of conversions among his congregation. Rumors about his preaching and sermons spread to surrounding areas of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Word spread even as far as Long Island Sound.à During this same period, traveling preachers had begun a series of evangelist meetings calling on individuals to turn away from sin throughout the New England colonies. This form of evangelism focused on personal salvation and a correct relationship with God. This era has been called the Great Awakening. The evangelists produced huge emotions. Many churches were disapproving of itinerant preachers. They felt that the charismatic preachers were often not sincere. They didnt like the lack of propriety in the meetings. In fact, there were laws passed in some communities to ban preachers the right to hold revivals unless they had been invited by a licensed minister. Edwards agreed with much of this but did not believe that the results of revivals should be discounted.à Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Godà Probably Edwards most well-known sermon is called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. He not only delivered this at his home parish but also in Enfield, Connecticut on July 8, 1741. This fiery sermon discusses the pains of hell and the importance of devoting ones life to Christ to avoid this fiery pit. According to Edwards, There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God. As Edwards says, All wicked mensà painsà andà contrivanceà they use to escapeà hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, dont secure em from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security....à But the foolish children of men do miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in their confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow.à However, as Edward says, there is hope for all men. And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners... As he summed up, Therefore let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come... [L]et everyone fly out of Sodom. Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed [Genesis 19:17].à Edwards sermon had a huge effect at the time in Enfield, Connecticut. In fact, an eyewitness named Stephen Davis wrote that people were crying out throughout the congregation during his sermon, asking how to avoid hell and be saved. In his today, reaction to Edwards was mixed. However, there is no denying his impact. His sermons are still read and referred to by theologians to this day.à Later Years Some members of Edwards church congregation were not happy with Edwards conservative orthodoxy. As previously stated, he enforced strict rules for his congregation to be considered part of those who could partake in the Lords Supper. In 1750, Edwards attempted to institute discipline on some of the children of prominent families who were caught looking at a midwives manual that was considered a bad book. Over 90% of the members of congregation voted to remove Edwards from his position as minister. He was 47 at the time and was assigned to minister to a mission church on the frontier in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He preached to this small group of Native Americans and at the same time spent the years writing many theological works including Freedom of the Will (1754), The Life of David Brainerd (1759), Original Sin (1758), and The Nature of True Virtue (1765). You can currently read any of Edwards works through the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University. Further, one of the resid ential colleges at Yale University, Jonathan Edwards College, was named after him. à In 1758, Edwards was hired as the president of the College of New Jersey which is now called Princeton University. Unfortunately, he only served for two years in that position before he died after he had an adverse reaction to a smallpox vaccination. He died on March 22, 1758 and is buried in Princeton Cemetery.à Legacy Edwards is seen today as an example of revival preachers and an initiator of the Great Awakening. Many evangelists today still look to his example as a way to preach and create conversions. In addition, many descendants of Edwards went on to be prominent citizens. He was the grandfather of Aaron Burr and an ancestor ofà Edith Kermit Carow who was Theodore Roosevelts second wife. In fact, according to George Marsden in Jonathan Edwards: A Life, his progeny included thirteen presidents of colleges and sixty-five professors.à Further Reference Ciment, James. Colonial America: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History. M. E. Sharpe: New York. 2006.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Fed May Cut Rate Below Inflation, Risking Bubbles Essay
Fed May Cut Rate Below Inflation, Risking Bubbles - Essay Example As noted by Mishkin (2006), the interdependence of international monetary systems has created a situation which no economy can be considered an island on its own insulated from developing situations in other economic regions of the world. The interest rate reduction by the Federal Reserve has caused shockwaves across the oceans and financial markets around the world have been forced to reduce their interest rates as well (Torres and Kennedy, 2008). Additionally, as interest rates are reduced, investors can consider it more feasible to invest in securities which carry more risk since the rewards for investing in banks seems less attractive (Mishkin, 2006). This means that stocks become more desirable due to the higher returns on investment provided by them. The interest rate cuts has helped the stock markets as reported by the article where Standard and Poorââ¬â¢s 500 Index rose almost a full percentage point and even the global stock markets showed a positive turn as the MSCI World Index also displayed an increase of 0.8 percent (Torres and Kennedy, 2008). However, there does appear to be some conflict between what is happening in the economy as compared to what the Federal Reserve is doing since the steps being taken by them are usually taken during a recession. While some signs in the economy are recessionary, it is difficult to say that alarm bells should start ringing so quickly in the offices of the Federal Reserve (Torres and Kennedy, 2008). Perhaps a more cautionary approach would be more justifiable since such levels of interest rates could create economic bubbles where many investors could lose billions. Such a warning is given quite clearly in the article itself which warns that credit seekers would get a very good bargain at the moment but this could lead to over lending by the banks in effect leading the country towards another stream of consumer credit problems (Torres and Kennedy, 2008). With rising levels of unemployment and increasing costs
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Modern Political Ideologies Seminar Journal Essay
Modern Political Ideologies Seminar Journal - Essay Example During the interwar period, which is considered to be a not so positive time for Conservatism in Britain, the ideology has been seen as inclined towards the defense of class privileges and of the status quo, a negative opposition to Socialism, and a interest centers commercialist approach to the rising Nazi menace in the 1030s (Fair, 1987, p. 549). The difference between conservative ideology and ideational ideologies has led to non conservatives to deny any intellectual content to conservatism which led to conservatives attacking all the other ideologies. In Huntingtonââ¬â¢s view, both parties are wrong because they have minimized its intellectual significance. He explained that the conservative ideology as an intellectual rationale of the permanent prerequisites of human existence (Huntington, 1957, p. 168). It has a high and necessary function. As a case in point, when a society is under threat, the conservatism acts as a reminder to men of the necessity of some institutions and the desirability of the existing ones. As he had said, conservative ideology is not the absence of change; rather, it is the articulate, systematic, theoretical resistance to change (Huntington, 1957, p. 168). The term conservative ideology is different from one society to the other. For one, the aristocrats are the conservatives in Prussia in the 1820s; slave-owners are the conservatives in the South in the early 1850s while the liberals are considered the conservatives in America and other parts of the world. As seen in history, American liberals have been idealist, lobbying goals of greater freedom, social equality, and more meaningful democracy. Conservatism can also be seen as shaping mechanism of events rather than merely reactionary as can be seen in Disraeliââ¬â¢s foreign policy wherein it focused on the necessity for Britain to act constructively as a moderating and mediating power and to maintain its interest in the whole empire (Rayner 1995, p.
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Theory Nike Essay Example for Free
Theory Nike Essay Moreover , decentralization is a matter of degree, since all organizations are decentralized to some extent out of necessity. At one extreme, a strongly decentralized organization is one in which even the lowest-level managers and employees are empowered to make decisions. At the other extreme, in a strongly decentralized organization, lower-level managers have little freedom to make decisions. On the other hand, in a centralized organization, the decisions are made by top executives or on the basis of pre-set policies. These decisions or policies are then enforced through several tiers of the organization after gradually broadening the span of control until it reaches the bottom tier. Centralization is said to be a process where the concentration of decision making is in a few hands. All the important decision and actions at the lower level, all subjects and actions at the lower level are subject to the approval of top management. According to John R. Schermerhorn(2002) , ââ¬Å"Centralizationâ⬠is the systematic and consistent reservation of authority at central points in the organization. The difference between a centralized and a decentralized system of organization is that in a centralized structure all the decision making and authority are focused on the top tier of management. These few people are the ones that dictate company policy and make all the crucial decisions. A decentralized system, on the other hand, delegates authority throughout the organization and to all levels of management. Advantages of centralization include an organizationââ¬â¢s ability to be able to keep a tight grip on all aspects of the business.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
The Pursuit of Social & Religious Justice :: Essays Papers
The Pursuit of Social & Religious Justice The pursuit of social and religious justice has been part of our societal structure since the beginning of time. The most recent, large scale, attempt at the ââ¬Å"purificationâ⬠of the human race, in the ââ¬Ënameââ¬â¢ of social/religious justice, was put into motion by Osama bin Laden, who caught the eyes of the world by having some of his followers kill thousands of American civilians. This event was a life changing experience for me. Watching an airplane crash into the second twin tower, before anyone had any idea what was happening on September 11, 2001 opened my eyes, and many othersââ¬â¢ eyes, to the outside world; it made me wonder, ââ¬Å"why?â⬠It made me think about how the world sees America. This paper will not delineate why there are lunatics intent on the extermination of certain races, religious followers, or any other group of people; what it will do is explore the basic teachings of the most influential prophets of the three main mo notheistic religions, as well as discuss historical ââ¬Å"Holyâ⬠wars, in an attempt to show that these proclaimed ââ¬Å"Holyâ⬠wars are in fact political wars ââ¬â and not within the practices of the basic religious beliefs. It will then offer some suggestions as to implementing positive future strategies for social/religious justice. In the very beginning, men did not worship any God, but merely envisioned some higher force, which influenced much of their life. As Karen Armstrong puts it,ââ¬Å"...he is strangely absent from their daily lives: he has no special cult and is never depicted in effigyâ⬠[1]. As man evolved, so did his belief system. Before monotheism entered their lives, they worshipped idols, demi-gods and many gods who were believed to be a part of a unity shared among the gods, nature and mankind. The development of the three monotheist religions occurred in a sequential order. The first believed prophet was Moses, born around 800BC. Moses had lived a privileged life as the son of a royal Egyptian family. He was not originally accustomed to the worship of one God, known to some as Yahweh, but that changed one day as he herded his father-in-lawââ¬â¢s sheep.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Six Flags
Confidential For Internal Use Only Team __ TEAM __ ââ¬â Marketing Plan (Sample) MKTG 649, Fall 2009 Prepared for: Professor Mahmood Hussain Prepared By: Your Name Your Name Your Name Your Name Your Name 1 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 Executive Summary Six Flags has had great success over a number of years through providing a one-stop entertainment destination complete with thrilling roller coaster rides and an exciting atmosphere. In recent years, however, Six Flags has been struggling and is now in dire need of a boost to help regain its success in the Theme park industry.We focused our secondary research on past and current articles on Six Flags as well as the theme park industry as a whole. Databases and websites were utilized in gathering this information. In addition, we delved into previously conducted research regarding the theme park industry and Six Flags. This further allowed us to gather exactly how Six Flags arrived at its success, and ultimately to its f ailure over the past few years. This is information that could have been obtained through interviewing Six Flags employees; however, we chose to proceed with the more efficient choice of secondary research.The biggest issue Six Flags faces is its huge debt of over $2 billion dollars. The firm is on the verge of bankruptcy and has been pulled from the NYSE due to their shares falling below the $1 requirement. The firm needs to pay $300 million dollars to preferred stockholders, and lacks the capital to do so. Another key issue they face is their narrow target market. Six Flags has decreased their focus down to the youth, or teen market with less emphasis placed on appealing to families. This represents a huge loss of potential customers for Six Flags.Furthermore, there is a demand for thrill rides and rollercoasterââ¬â¢s that Six Flags can continue to benefit from. In order to meet both of these issues head on, Six Flags must not only expand their demographic target, but also thei r product offerings. Revenue must be generated as quickly as possible through increased traffic to the parks and product diversification. The marketing objectives we aim to address, execute and accomplish are to increase revenue through diversification and pricing methodologies, and to increase the target market to include families, teens, and young adults.Increased guest spending is a major component of what target markets we are trying to reach. We want to move away from the teen market, which does not spend much if any money in the park beyond admission. The two new target markets Six Flags is going to cater to are families and 21+ young adults. Six Flags will differentiate itself by providing both of these sources of entertainment in one location. We want Six Flags to be a place like no other in the country. In order for Six Flags to stay competitive, we need to diversify our means of revenue.That will be done with the introduction to two new ventures, Motion Simulators and Boul evard Six. Six Flagsââ¬â¢ current pricing strategy for their online daily tickets is proving to be successful in terms of attracting more visitor attendance. Extended hours for special events can also deliver an extra added value to 21 and over patrons who are willing to pay a 25 percent increase on top of regular one-day admission. Being open until 12 midnight for such events would grant exclusivity to a smaller crowd with less falling in line.Another feature would be to have hard liquor and beer priced at a premium to further maximize profits. The first sales promotion will be a yearly engagement, every Fourth of July where all guests get in for free. We will call this promotion ââ¬Å"FREEdom Dayâ⬠. Another frequent promotion will be called Fun in the Sun. We anticipate an increase in Six Flags performance through the execution of our Marketing Plan. 2 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team __ Table of Contents Introductionâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦ Research Methodologyâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦ 1 Situation Analysis SWOT Analysisâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.. 2 Competitor Analysisâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦ 3 Customer Analysisâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦. 4 Company Analysisâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦. 4 Marketing Problems and Opportunitiesâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â ¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦5 Managerial Recommendations Market Focus Marketing Objectivesâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.. 8 Target Marketâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.. 8 Differentiationâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.. 8 Positioningâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦9 Marketing Programs Product Strategyâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦. 9 Pricing Strategyâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦. 0 Promotion Strategyâ⬠¦ â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.. 10 Distribution Strategyâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦. 11 Implementation and Control Financial Dataâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦. 11 Financial Projectionâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦11 Financial Controlâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦. 12 Conclusionâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.. 12 Appendixâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â ¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦. 14 3 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team __ Introduction Six Flags has had great success over a number of years through providing a one-stop entertainment destination complete with thrilling roller coaster rides and an exciting atmosphere.In recent years, however, Six Flags has been struggling and is now in dire need of a boost to help regain its success in the Theme park industry. The amusement park industry offers a variety of attractions to a very large and diverse market. With everything from high-flying roller coasters to cartoon and movie character based offerings, theme parks have created a very successful market that has been on the rise for many years. However, like everything else, companies have seen their good times as well as their bad. It seems as though Six Flags may be on the decline in an exhausted market.Notwithstanding increased attendance on an annual basis, inclu ding the sharp decline of their teen market, the amusement park industry has been affected greatly by harsh economic times. Six Flags, Inc. specifically has become the epitome of this trying industry. Despite an increasing attendance rate over the years, Six Flags has seemed to dig itself into a hole that it cannot seem to get out of. Their debt-load has handcuffed them to the verge of bankruptcy. Their inability to increase attendance to the point of improved profitability and debt-reduction has helped lead this company toward potential failure.The significance of an increased attendance rate in 2008, (up to 25. 3 million from 24. 9 in 2007) yet still reporting a net loss of $207 million for the fourth quarter of 2008 is very big. 1 This signifies the tremendous amount of trouble Six Flags is currently in as their biggest point of profitability, attendance, has not been enough to dig this company out. This indicates that a drastic change of direction is in need for Six Flags, Inc. Although the numbers are bad for Six Flags, a marketing initiative may help bring this dying company back to life. Research MethodologyDue to lack of resources and low participant count, we have decided to focus our research on secondary research only. While we do believe it may be beneficial to gather information and suggestions through primary research, there are many resources available through secondary research that will sufficient. As the theme park industry is large, a vast amount of literature and information is available. Through researching readily available information, we are able to gather both positive and negative options and research from very credible sources. Although the utilization and execution f primary research is ideal and extremely beneficial, particularly for marketing initiatives, its overall implementation is not a simple task. The type of primary research required to make sound marketing decisions, especially for a depressed company like Six Flags, would need to be on a much larger scale than we are capable of handling in such a short period of time. We focused our secondary research on past and current articles on Six Flags as well as the theme park industry as a whole. Databases and websites were utilized in gathering this information.In addition, we delved into previously conducted research regarding the theme park industry and Six Flags. This further allowed us to gather exactly how Six Flags arrived at its success, and ultimately to its failure over the past few years. This is information that could have been obtained through interviewing Six Flags employees; however, we chose to proceed with the more efficient choice of secondary research. 1 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team __ Situation Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths Six Flagsââ¬â¢ main strength in the present state of the U. S. economy seems to be its ââ¬Å"free fallingâ⬠prices.For instance, everyone who buys a daily ticket online for Six Flags Discovery K ingdom (Vallejo, CA) pays the kidsââ¬â¢ price of $29. 99. This has directly increased attendance. Next to its attractive prices is Six Flagsââ¬â¢ internationally recognized brand name. The name, along with its wide array of entertainment products and experiences, has built enduring equity for 48 years. To refocus and re-energize its brand, Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro and his marketing and entertainment teams have worked to make the theme park more family-friendly while still maintaining its ignature reputation for record-breaking thrill rides. The parks are cleaner, there is more broad-based entertainment, an enforced code of conduct for guests, and better trained employees who can deliver more quality service. As a result, key satisfaction scores were at or above all time highs for the company. Six Flags advocates special causes by holding annual walk-a-thons in the park, joining the fight to help cure childrens cancer. They further support the ââ¬Å"green movementâ⬠by using biodegradable commercial trash bags throughout the companyââ¬â¢s 20 locations in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.Location is another strength of Six Flags. The theme park is located in major metropolitan areas making it a probable, convenient drive away from home. Weaknesses Although Six Flags is now showing an increase in visitor attendance due to advertisements showcasing low ticket prices and an increased value offering, its number one weakness seems to be leveraging their massive debt load of over $2 billion dollars. It must also pay $300 million dollars to preferred stockholders in which it has no way of paying.The creation of new thrill rides can cost up to $20 million dollars each while consumer spending remains low. This debt will continue to stifle Six Flagsââ¬â¢ growth and may lead them to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Since admission is up, the lines for each major attraction will also increase. This may make impatient patrons waiting in the hot summer sun to go elsewhere for entertainment. Another weakness is the retention rate of teenagers and young adults has continued to lessen because they claim ââ¬Å"thereââ¬â¢s nothing new for us. Disappointingly, a major weakness that the theme park is also trying to control is its fatal freak accidents. In June 2008, a 17-year-old was decapitated by the Batman roller coaster when he scaled two six-foot fences and entered a restricted area at Six Flags Over Georgia. The year before, a girlââ¬â¢s feet were cut off when a freefall thrill ride malfunctioned at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. A cable had snapped and wrapped around the 16-year-oldââ¬â¢s feet, severing them at her ankles. Opportunities Six Flags is limited in opportunities as they have no cash on hand and an overwhelming debt load.However, to attract back the decreasing retention rate of its young adult market which as a result can leverage the debt, perhaps Six Flags can open a 21 and over nightclub. The club can hav e different elaborate themes each night, such as a ââ¬Å"Batmanâ⬠or ââ¬Å"Terminatorâ⬠party. A sports bar and restaurant can attract a new demographic of sports fanatics. Guest appearances by sports icons in these restaurants can also drive traffic through the park. Ride simulators in malls, introducing new and upcoming thrill rides, may also convince prospects to try the ââ¬Å"real thingâ⬠at a 2 Confidential For Internal Use OnlyTeam 8 theme park. Six Flags can also try to sell some of its land that it owns surrounding its parks to help lessen their debt. It can even hold more events ranging from special causes to entertainment and extend its operational hours to the 21 and over crowd so as to increase ticket sales. Joining more strategic alliances internationally such as Dubai Holding to build a Six Flags in Dubailand can also prove to be profitable. Most importantly, Six Flags needs to get to the root of the problem and come up with a restructuring agreement that will satisfy both its stockholders and the company.Filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy may inadvertently decrease attendance as visitors may perceive that operations, including safety on rides and the cleanliness of the premises could be affected (although Six Flags confirms that these will not be affected if they do file). Thus, bankruptcy could ruin Six Flagsââ¬â¢ image and limit more of their opportunities to expand. Threats Threats mainly include other major theme park competitors such as Disneyland and Universal Studios and indirect competition with more affordable fun activities such as miniature golfing or watching a movie.Other threats include the current swine flu that has spread rapidly throughout several states in the U. S. from its origin in Mexico. Some families may think twice before going to a theme park with hundreds or thousands of other persons in which any may be infected with the deadly virus. Severe weather conditions can even temporarily close down the par k. In 2005, it was necessary for Six Flags New Orleans to close down in preparation for Hurricane Katrina. Katrinaââ¬â¢s heavy winds and floods left an estimated $32. 5 million worth of damages. The park has since been closed. Competitor AnalysisThe major competitor of Six Flags Inc. is the Walt Disney Company. In comparison, the Disney Company focuses on attracting visitors from across the world to visit its parks while Six Flags targets its local demographic and does not seek to advertise internationally. Although Disneyland offers the magical experience that families have grown up to know and love through its flagship characters and movies, Six Flags is seeking to be the alternative getaway in a downward economy. First off, Six Flags is just a drive away for those who live in close radius to metropolitan areas.At Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA), as mentioned earlier, everyone can pay the online daily kidââ¬â¢s price of $29. 99. Disneyland and Disney World mainly r equire a whole vacation package, including airplane flights and a hotel stay. To visit Disneylandââ¬â¢s entire theme park in one day, a patron will have to shell out as much as $94 per day. In 2008, Six Flags even reported a 5 percent increase in revenue with reduced costs from the previous year while Disneyland recently reported an 8. 2 percent drop in revenue and increased costs for this yearââ¬â¢s first quarter.Universal Studios movie-theme park, known for simulating their top rated movies into rides and other experiences, is another competitor that also requires a vacation package. Its general admission is $67. 99 a day. Last year, the park underwent attendance downturns due to construction and visitors holding off on vacations until the new rides were complete. However, even in a troubling economy families are willing to pay a premium to visit such parks as Disneyland and Universal Studios to go to a place ââ¬Å"where dreams come trueâ⬠and to get the ultimate Holly wood experience as seen through television and movies respectively.These are deemed to be more affordable when comparing it to a family trip to Europe or Asia. Six Flagsââ¬â¢ other competition includes the experience of shopping at a mall, going out to the movies, or even staying home and obtaining thrills through Sony Playstation or Nintendoââ¬â¢s Wii. Consumers feel like ââ¬Å"getting awayâ⬠once in a while and if they are restricted to a budget, they may consider the cheaper activity that they can repeat more than once during closer periods of time. 3 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 Customer Analysis Approximately 25 million guests attend Six Flags annually.The park appeals to a broad demographic in which seventy-five percent of its customers live within 100 miles. Its main customer focus is its family unit. Most of its parks are limited to being open during the spring and summer seasons and only on weekends during off-seasons (due to weather factors). In th is case, generating revenue from the family unit is crucial while still trying to retain its core audience of teens and young adults who are drawn to extreme rides. Thus, Six Flags is providing a wider product offering to increase its overall visitor attendance.It is also remaking its image into a wholesome, highly-branded, family-friendly place similar to that of Disney. There are more rides and attractions not only for a young demographic, but also for families. Six Flags has also given these customers more to do and spend money on by bringing in brands such as Johnny Rockets, Papa Johnââ¬â¢s, Cold Stone Creamery, and Kodak. The parkââ¬â¢s attendance has gradually declined in recent years but started to pick up again in 2008 and is showing great promise this spring season. For instance, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom had its largest attendance since 2003 during their two-week spring break period.The family unit is price sensitive; therefore with daily ticket prices being fairly low along with current low gas prices, Six Flags seems like an affordable trip. The company is projecting 55 percent of its total revenues to come during the months of July and August. More families and higher disposable income families are expected to contribute to these revenues. Also, seventy-five percent of Six Flags consumers claim that their primary reason for attending the park is to spend time with friends and family. Company Analysis Six Flags, Inc. is the largest regional theme park company in the world providing a national brand with regional focus.The firm has 20 parks total, 18 of which are in the United States, with the other 2 located in Mexico and Canada. The entertainment destinations in the U. S. comprise theme, water and zoological parks with over 900 rides, including 130 rollercoasterââ¬â¢s. Six Flags, Inc. is headed by CEO Mark Shapiro and is a publicly-traded corporation headquartered in New York City. The first Six Flags theme park, Six Flags Over Texas, w as opened in 1961 by Angus Wynn. The parks name came from the six themed sections, modeled after the culture of the six countries whose flags flew over Texas during the state's colorful history. Todayââ¬â¢s parks offer a complete one-stop diversified entertainment destination for all ages. 3 Thrill rides, restaurants, games, themed areas, childrenââ¬â¢s areas, parades, concerts, shows and much more are available for the customersââ¬â¢ enjoyment. Business Model Six Flags operates as a seasonal business ââ¬â over 85% of park attendance and revenues are generated between the second and third quarters of the calendar year. 4 Its business model is comprised primarily of making money through ticket sales, in-park food and merchandise sales, and sponsorship revenue. 5 4 ConfidentialTicket Pricing For Internal Use Only Team 8 Ticket pricing covers a broad range, with tickets available for a single day park visit to season passes. There are 3 types of tickets available: â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ Single day 1 park (general and children admission) Single day 2 park pass (general and children admission) Season Pass Single day 2 park passes are for locations that have both a Six Flags theme park and water park located next to each other. Please note that some theme parks have a water park inside of them, but do not require a 2 park pass. General admission prices range from $29. 9 ââ¬â $69. 99. Children admission prices range from $20. 99 ââ¬â $29. 99. These ranges cover Single Day 1 and 2 park passes for theme, water, and animal parks. Season Pass prices range from $39. 99 ââ¬â $125. Season Passes may be purchased for single park admission or dual park admission. Season Passes include: â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ Unlimited visits Free tickets for guests Over $300 in park savings Access to Rise and Scream early openings and private Season Passholder Day Accepted at 15 Six Flags locations including La Ronde, Montreal Season passes are Six F lags core value offering.Passes cost little more than a dayââ¬â¢s regular admission ticket price, and provide Six Flags visitors with added benefits and savings. Six Flags also offers a premium pass ââ¬â the FLASH Pass ââ¬â that serves as a ride reservation system. A limited number of FLASH Passes are available each day of operation and are valid the day of purchase only. There are 2 tiers for the FLASH Pass, Regular and Gold, with different stipulations for each. Regular FLASH Pass â⬠¢ Avoid lines by making a reservation â⬠¢ Wait as long as everyone else is waiting, but not in line â⬠¢ Prices: $27. 9 for 1 person to $117. 99 for 6 people Gold FLASH Pass â⬠¢ Enjoy discounted wait time of up to 75% â⬠¢ Prices: $37. 99 for 1 person to $177. 99 for 6 people In-park Merchandise and Food Six Flags has various licensing and partnership agreements with other firms. Six Flags has held a licensing agreement with DC Comics and Warner Bros. Consumer Products enab ling Six Flags to utilize the rights to the cartoon characters. Six Flags has used the licensing agreement to create character programs including meet and greets, meals, photograph and autograph opportunities. 6 5 ConfidentialFor Internal Use Only Team 8 Six Flags has further utilized the charactersââ¬â¢ likeness for merchandise sales including toys, souvenir items, apparel, and more. In addition, cartoon themed rides have been constructed after both DC Comic and Warner Bros characters. Six Flags employs in-park and out-park alliances with restaurants and food manufacturers. Past and current out-of-park alliances have included promotions with Coca Cola, Kraftââ¬â¢s Lunchables product line, and Papa Johns Pizza. 7 In-park alliances have included the implementation of restaurant chains within Six Flags parks.Johnny Rockets, Papa Johns Pizza, and Cold Stone Creamery can be found within the parks, and Tyson chicken has become the official chicken supplier to all parks. 8 Additiona l Partnerships Other promotional alliances have been implemented as well. One such example is the sale and availability of Kodak products in Six Flags paks. Moreover, Six Flags and Nintendo have collaborated by offering free Wii game plays to the Six Flags visitors standing in-line, thus allowing them the opportunity to sample the Nintendo DS games.Six Flags also promotes its brand through American Express, Chase, Blue Green, Panda Express, and The United States Army. 9 American Express and Six Flags have a promotional offering for park visitors in the form of a VIP tours. Patrons may book their Six Flags VIP Tour Presented by American Express for participating theme parks. Please note that the VIP Tour is for theme parks only and does not include water slides and other waterpark attractions. Tours are given to groups or families by an experienced tour guide and can be customized.Tours are priced at $299 and include: â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â ⬠¢ â⬠¢ Private guided tour for your family or group Front-of-the-line ride privileges Preferred parking Theme park admission Reserved show seating Private autograph session with select LOONEY TUNES or The Justice League characters Lunch and dinner with reserved seating at restaurants Unlimited snacks Souvenir ride or character photo Expedited access to most rides in the park American Express cardholders gain an additional offer by receiving 20% off each VIP tour booked when they pay with any American Express card. Six Flag ParksCalifornia Six Flags Magic Mountain, Los Angeles ââ¬â theme park Six Flags Hurrican Harbor, Los Angeles ââ¬â water park Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo ââ¬â theme and animal park 6 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 Georgia Six Flags Over Georgia, Atlanta ââ¬â theme park Six Flags White Water, Atlanta ââ¬â water park Illinois Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor, Chicago ââ¬â theme and water park Kentucky Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, Lousiville ââ¬â theme and water park Maryland Six Flags America, Baltimore/Washington DC ââ¬â theme and water park Massachusetts Six Flags New England, Springfield ââ¬â theme and water park Missouri Six Flags St.Louis ââ¬â theme and water park New Jersey Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson ââ¬â theme park Six Flags Hurrican Harbor, Jackson ââ¬â water park Six Flags Wild Safari, Jackson ââ¬â animal park New York The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom, Lake George ââ¬â theme and water park Six Flags Great Escape Lodge and IndoorWaterpark, Lake George ââ¬â lodge and water park Texas Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington ââ¬â theme park Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio ââ¬â theme and water park Canada La Ronde, Montreal ââ¬â theme park Mexico Six Flags Mexico, Mexico City ââ¬â theme park Six Flags will be opening a third international location in the United Arab Emirates, Dubailand, which will open its doors to c ustomers in 2011. Marketing Problems and Opportunities The biggest issue Six Flags faces is its huge debt of over $2 billion dollars. The firm is on the verge of bankruptcy and has been pulled from the NYSE due to their shares falling below the $1 requirement.The firm needs to pay $300 million dollars to preferred stockholders, and lacks the capital to do so. Another key issue they face is their narrow target market. Six Flags has decreased their focus down to the youth, or teen market with less emphasis placed on appealing to families. This represents a huge loss of potential customers for Six Flags. Furthermore, there is a demand for thrill rides and rollercoasterââ¬â¢s that Six Flags can continue to benefit from. In order to meet both of 7 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 these issues head on, Six Flags must not only expand their demographic target, but also their product offerings.Revenue must be generated as quickly as possible through increased traffic to the parks and product diversification. Managerial Recommendations Market Focus Marketing Objectives The marketing objectives we aim to address, execute and accomplish are to increase revenue through diversification and pricing methodologies, and to increase the target market to include families, teens, and young adults. We seek to create promotional offers that affect price and new product offerings, and to re-position Six Flags theme parks as an entertainment destination that appeals to all ages, and more importantly families.Value communication is extremely important in the current economic situation we are experiencing. Six Flags is a one-stop entertainment destination that offers very low admission prices along with numerous attractions and activities. It is a park that price-sensitive consumers can enjoy and afford. Six Flags needs to increase its revenue to become viable. These additional revenue streams are to include diversification and promotions. The largest project to create more revenue is the creation of Boulevard Six.It will create the opportunity to have in review stream all year long, rather than just the summer months. It will have a diverse collection of food and entertainment to please the target markets of families and young adults. This will include well known restaurants and entertainment companies, as well as new and excited ventures. Next would be the introduction of Motion Simulator rides located in malls around the nation. These would bring in additional revenue as well as bring awareness of Six Flags. At these locations, the rides would be of the most popular attractions from across all the Six Flags.Promotions could also increase traffic to the parks and increase the revenue during these times. Boulevard Bash is a Saturday night event for those 21 years and older with live entertainment. Six Dollar Sundays would increase visitors to the parks and would bring in more repeat customers. Too Hot to Resist Days would entice people to come to park s on days when it is warm out. They could partake in the water rides to stay cool during these times. And ââ¬Å"Freeâ⬠dom Day would increase traffic to the park, however there would be revenue from ticket sales there would be from parking, food, and Boulevard Six.Target Market Increased guest spending is a major component of what target markets we are trying to reach. We want to move away from the teen market, which does not spend much if any money in the park beyond admission. The two new target markets Six Flags is going to cater to are families and 21+ young adults. Six Flags current target market is ââ¬Å"mass-market blue-collar, with average income $50,000 per year, and probably split between teens and young adults on the one hand, and families on the 8 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 ther. ââ¬Å"10 These families are not the type that are/were taking international family vacations. These families are ââ¬Å"trading from a three-day, four-figure trip to Disney to a one-day, three-figure trip to Six Flags. â⬠11 A trip to Six Flags is not cheap, but it is cheaper than. ââ¬Å"A typical Six Flags visitor in 2007 spent $36 for the day, including parking, the price of a ticket, and meals. So, the company says, a day at Six Flags for a family of four costs less than $175. â⬠12 Young adults are another target market Six Flags is looking into.They are a segment that had more disposable income than teens do, possible even more than families. ââ¬Å"Young adults in the U. S. spend 52% of their money on clothing, 22% on food, and 13% on music. â⬠13 With the addition of Boulevard Six, there is the opportunity to bring in more of the young adults, who would normally go to the local mall. Differentiation Six Flags has a lot going for it right now and with our marketing strategy, it may have the ability to differentiate itself from all the competitors. We aim to focus our differentiation based on the style of entertainment it offers.Six Flags will be a place people can go to have a day of excitement like no other theme park can offer. Without having to spend lots of money, people can have a great deal of fun during the day at an exciting theme park, and at night can cruise the Boulevard (Discussed below). There are obviously many places where one can go and enjoy a day at a theme park, however, they may have to travel a great distance if they desire to cap off the day with a night on the town. Six Flags will differentiate itself by providing both of these sources of entertainment in one location.Positioning We want Six Flags to be a place like no other in the country. In order to do this, we seek to position Six Flags in two ways. Due to the different offerings from Six Flags we donââ¬â¢t want to position ourselves in just one way. First, we aim to position ourselves as safe, family-friendly, lowcost form of entertainment. This position will be targeted to families and younger guests. We will advertise through d ay-time television and kidââ¬â¢s programming. Second, we will position ourselves as cool, fun, energetic and young-hearted.This position will be targeted to teens and younger adults (over 21) who would be interested in the Night of Fun as described below. We will hope to utilize different types of social media to target this demographic and project this type of positioning for Six Flags. Marketing Programs Product Strategy Six Flags has been providing their visitors products through their main channel, theme parks, during their existence. In order for Six Flags to stay competitive, we need to diversify our means of revenue. That will be done with the introduction to two new ventures, Motion Simulators and Boulevard Six.The motion simulators will be distributed throughout all major metropolitan malls that will be in close proximity to a Six Flags park. Malls are a choice location as they allow us to reach the broad demographics we target ââ¬â families, teens, and young adults. The rides will have a selection of popular rides from Six Flags 19 parks. After the ride is over, it will ââ¬Å"spit outâ⬠a 50% off admission coupon good for any Six Flags park, and must be redeemed within one month. This tactic is expected to drive sales up dramatically. 9 Confidential For Internal Use OnlyTeam 8 Boulevard Six will be an outdoor shopping district located outside of Six Flags larger parks. Its intention is to help produce revenue all year long, even while the parks are closed for the season. Boulevard Six will have a mix of food, shopping and entertainment for all ages. Restaurants will include California Pizza Kitchen, P. F. Changs, Johnny Rockets and more. Shopping will include Fossil, Gap, Abercrombie and more. Entertainment will come from the Comcast Sports Bar, nightclubs, live concert stages, Lucky Strike Bowling and movie theaters.Boulevard Six will also be the location of Boulevard Bash. Pricing Strategy Six Flagsââ¬â¢ current pricing strategy for their online daily tickets is proving to be successful in terms of attracting more visitor attendance. A great example is Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA). As a price bundle, the theme park can also offer online daily tickets with one-day discounted parking at 20 percent to further raise attendance. For its Discovery Kingdom park, visitors will pay $29. 99 plus $12 for one-day parking totaling $41. 99.If paid separately, parking would cost $15. For its season pass holders, Six Flags can give an automatic 10 percent on all meals and merchandise simply by presenting their season passes at point-of-sale. Vouchers and coupons do not need to be redeemed for the sake of customersââ¬â¢ convenience. In addition to perks such as free tickets for your friends on select days, and free special events, season pass holders who are 21 and over will also pay a discounted price of $15 to get into Six Flagsââ¬â¢ exclusive nightclub in Boulevard Six (mentioned under ââ¬Å"Promotionâ⠬ ).Season parking passes also purchased online can be reduced by 20 percent and bundled with their appropriate season passes to increase the affordability and convenience of visiting Six Flags respectively. The V. I. P. tour requires a 4-person minimum and can cost up to $299 per person. This may seem like an extravagant and an unnecessary option. However, American Express cardholders with more discretionary income can enjoy this option at a 20 percent discount. To appeal towards more price-sensitive families who still want to get the ultimate V.I. P. experience, online specials should include a 20 percent discount on select days regardless of what credit card is being used. Extended hours for special events can also deliver an extra added value to 21 and over patrons who are willing to pay a 25 percent increase on top of regular one-day admission. Being open until 12 midnight for such events would grant exclusivity to a smaller crowd with less falling in line. Another feature wo uld be to have hard liquor and beer priced at a premium to further maximize profits.Ride simulators (mentioned in opportunities under ââ¬Å"SWOT analysisâ⬠) will cost the consumer $9 for a four-minute edge-of-your-seat excursion! (These will be located in all major metropolitan malls that will be in close proximity to a Six Flags park. ) After the ride is over, it will ââ¬Å"spit outâ⬠a 50% off admission coupon good for any Six Flags park, and must be redeemed within one month. This tactic is expected to drive sales up dramatically. Promotion In order for our marketing efforts to be successful, we need to attract customers to the previously discussed new park and activities.This is where the use of promotions will come into play. With exciting new attractions offered by Six Flags, we will need to engage more people through various type of promotions. We suggest by starting with sales promotions. The first sales promotion will be a yearly engagement, every Fourth of July where all guests get in for free. We will call this promotion ââ¬Å"FREEdom Dayâ⬠. By incorporating the Independence Day 10 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 theme, every Six Flags park will be the most enjoyable place to be on the Fourth of July.This will be a day where families can come to experience the rides and attractions, all themed accordingly, and can end the day with a 45 minute long firework display coordinated to a serious of popular current music hits. We want this promotion to help Six Flags become the leading place to be during the Fourth of July. Due to capacity constraints in each of the parks, attendance will be limited to the maximum capacity the park can handle. We will let more people in as other leave, and while everyone waits, we will have activities and entertainment out in the waiting area.Even though the guests are not in the park yet, they should still be able to have an enjoyable time while they wait. Since one of our main goals is to impro ve loyalty among our guests, we also want to have promotions on a more frequent level. One of these frequent promotions will be Six Dollar Sundays. We will offer admission to all Six-Flags for only $6 every Sunday. Another frequent promotion will be called Fun in the Sun. Anytime the temperature hits above a certain temperature (depending on the location of the park) admission will be half-price.This will help entice the people that are reluctant to come to the park if it is too hot outside. This next promotion will give free admission to people on their Birthday. We will call this our Birthday Club and promote keep records of every personââ¬â¢s Birthday so every year we can send them reminders to entice them to come back. Our final promotion will be called Boulevard Bash. This will be for the 21 and older crowd and will be priced at $25 per person. We will block off our Boulevard Six (described below) and admit only persons of age.We will provide alcohol and bring in musical tal ent to perform every Saturday night. Distribution The main channel of distribution will continue to be Six Flags parks. The majority of our marketing plan is focused around promotional and pricing methodologies, with the promos taking place in Six Flags. Through the price promos we execute, we anticipate an increase in sales of in-park merchandise as consumers will have more disposable income due to their savings on park admission. There will be one other channel of distribution, however, for the thrill Motion Ride simulators.The ride simulators will be distributed throughout all major metropolitan malls that will be in close proximity to a Six Flags park. Malls are a choice location as they allow us to reach the broad demographics we target ââ¬â families, teens, and young adults. Implementation and Control Financial Data Six Flags is in financial distress, which might lead Six Flags to file chapter-eleven for bankruptcy. Furthermore, in October of 2008, the New York Stock Excha nge penalized Six Flags since its stockholder equity had fallen below $75-million, and the stock price had fallen below one-dollar violating the New York Stock Exchange standards. 4 If Six Flags does not increase its stock price 11 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 and market capitalization, it risks being removed from the NYSE. 15 Six Flags will not be able to continue operating without finding a plan to restructure the debt. Six Flags lost $113 million in 2008, which is compared to $253 million in 2007. However, the most recent forth quarter its reported loss is $201 million, which is compared to 2007 forth quarter $127 million. 16 The projections for Six Flags are concerning. First, by August 15th of 2009, Six Flags must pay $287. million in Preferred Income Equity Redeemable Shares to the shareholders. However, if Six Flags failed, the amount would reach in excess of $318 million. 17 Second, the financial situation is very critical further complicating Six Flags ability to continue operating. Due to major banks being in financial trouble, there is no access to adequate capital resources and lending procedures are more stringent. In order to obtain capital, our group is projecting the possibility of Busch Entertainment Corporation, a competing theme park operator in the United States, to acquire Six Flags.Busch Entertainment Corporation is a subsidiary of Anheuser- Busch. Busch Entertainment Corporation operates nine-theme parks across the nation including the Sea World and Busch Garden Parks. The companyââ¬â¢s financial performance has been generating revenue of $1. 3 Billion and a positive earned income on the revenue. 18 Therefore, by reaching such a deal, Six Flags can have access to capital to meet the financial obligations and payoff the creditors. On the other hand, it will diversify its risk portfolio, and the advantages to share assets of both Six Flags and Busch Entertainment Corporation.Financial Projection Financial Control Six Flags CEO has been proactive in restructuring the Six Flags itself, and not only the debt. For instance, by making some major changes, Six Flags can survive these crucial economic circumstances. Therefore, CEO Mark Shapiro has used his private equity firm, Red Zone Capital, for purchasing the restaurant chain Johnny Rockets in order to integrate the chain into all parks. In addition, Red Zone Capital bought Dick Clark Productions, television home of the Golden Globe Awards, and the Academy of Country Music Awards.This was done with the intention of featuring celebrity and music events in the parks to generate revenue and stimulate and increase foot traffic. 19 Financial control over the Six Flags situation is still valid, by both restructuring the debt, and the theme parks. In addition, to potential of gaining access to some financial resources from a possible merger or consolidation with the Busch Entertainment Corporation is valid as the firms have similar revenue models and Busch has e xperienced more successful financial performance than Six Flags. ConclusionSix Flags financial situation is extremely dire and the firm is currently floundering to stay afloat. We believe that with our Marketing Plan, we may enable them to greatly increase foot traffic and sales revenue. The pricing promotions will bring people to the park and cause them to spend the money they save on ticket sales, on in-park food or merchandise. The promotions for young adults featuring 21+ nights will provide a great source of income through food and alcoholic beverage sales. The Boulevard will further create a diversified source of revenue.The re-positioning of Six Flags as a fun, low-cost entertainment destination for the family will further increase their target market and communicate value to price-sensitive consumers. Six Flags is an enjoyable theme park where all of your family entertaining needs may be met. We anticipate an increase in Six Flags performance through the execution of our Mar keting Plan. 12 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 McCann, Kyle. ââ¬Å"Rough Year Recorded at Six Flags. â⬠ABC2News. com. 12 March 2009. 7 May 2009 . 2 ââ¬Å"Six Flags ââ¬â Investor Relations. â⬠Six Flags. 10 May 2009
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