Why are immediate rewards more effective in inducing consumer behaviour desired by the marketer Essay Example

Why are immediate rewards more effective in inducing consumer behaviour desired by the marketer Essay Example Why are immediate rewards more effective in inducing consumer behaviour desired by the marketer Paper Why are immediate rewards more effective in inducing consumer behaviour desired by the marketer Paper Essay Topic: Marketing Immediate rewards are categorised as product based promotions, this includes three groups; bonus packs, multi packs and free-gifts. Bonus packs are special factory packs that offer consumers more of a product at the same price (e.g. 10%, 20%, 50% extra product free) or offering a large pack for the price of the small pack. Multi packs are two or more packs banded together and offered at a reduced price; the super deal in multi pack promotions would be the BOGOF (buy one, get one free) and 3 for 2 offers. Cross promotions can be classified as an immediate reward (buy pasta sauce and get pasta free).Free-gifts can be made available in a variety of ways; the on-pack free-gift, the in-pack free-gift, the with pack free-gift, and the pack itself being the free-gift. There are also some contests such as the Walkers crisps à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20 and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 notes and free pack coupons giveaway in a form of a potential immediate reward as not all bags of Walkers contain these prizes. Promotions similar to the Boots Advantage Card whereby bonus points are accumulated to save money off the next purchase or a free-gift depending on how many points have been collected; (even though the procedure of collecting points may be lengthy) the procedure of redeeming the points at a moment in time can be considered as an immediate reward. Bonus packs, on-packs, in-packs, with packs and speciality containers all make products more appealing to consumers. They appear to reward them for their purchases, thereby possibly generating positive feelings toward the brand. Crossruffed premiums that consist of samples of other products made by the same manufacture may cause people to try those brands, which may result in future demand for them. Non-immediate promotions such as coupons, self liquidating premiums (SLP) and free mail ins (FMI) have minimal trade interest, coupons may be removed from the pack and misredeemed or malredeemed, they can appeal to a limited audience and have a high drop-out rate if not targeted at strong prospects. High value coupons can equal high risk of coupon abuse and are less attractive at low face values, it can easily be countered by the competition with the same or stronger reward level and redemption levels are uncertain. There is a low participation rate, they can cause difficulties of premium stock control and have minimal sales effect. Unlike non-immediate promotions, immediate rewards are attractive as they present an immediate gain to the consumer at the point of purchase; it has a direct impact. The promotions make the consumer feel good about themselves; the warm tingly feeling of getting a bargain and generates a positive feeling towards the brand. The packaging is usually eye catching, visual and exciting and the perceived value is higher than the cost to provide to the consumer; these offers have considerable on-shelf impact and high visibility and are a strong trial motivator as risk to consumer is removed. They allow consumers to make up their minds on complex or expensive propositions and can draw in applicants who would have declined otherwise, a strong gift can tempt even new users. Product based offers can generate high levels of motivation and participation and stimulate purchase; these promotions are instant. In regards to the brand immediate rewards may gain display space, especially if off-pack, as extra point-of-sale material will be needed to announce the offer, they can produce high incremental sales and a good offer can make a statement about the brands qualities. It can be economical for manufactures than money-off, it adds value to the brand and some promotions require no changes to the basic packaging (multi-pack), carrier products offer added value and the carried product offer brand awareness and trial. The promotion can drive loyalty and lock in portfolio buyers and strong offers may encourage immediate multiple purchases and so drive volume. Brands want to create a positive aura about themselves, sales promotion can help enhance the qualities of the brand; as well as a product based promotion being executed, if it is tied in will a cause related promotion (e.g. every unit bought 15p will go to charity) this can help increase a positive image of the brand. According to Lenard C. et al., (1998) consumers like promotions, they provide utilitarian benefits such as monetary savings, added value, increased quality, and convenience, as well as hedonic/pleasure benefits such as entertainment, exploration, and self-expression. Diamond and Sanyal., (1990) suggests that consumers perceive deals that are framed as presenting gains (buy one get one free') as more attractive versus those that are framed as reducing losses (get 50 percent off). Inman et al., (1997) found that deals with restrictions such as Limit 2 per customer or Offer good until certain date elicit higher evaluations from consumers than the same deals without such restrictions. According to Seibert., (1997) even within diverse forms of equivalent extra product (known as bonus-pack or volume) promotions, 91 percent of surveyed consumers appeared to favour the deal when it (the identical deal) was stated as percent more free rather than percent free and units free. These results are important as they can emphasize the impact that framing of the promotional offer has on consumers deal evaluation. Many of these types of immediate reward promotions can trigger the consumer to stockpile the product, and that alone can keep them away from the market place and competitors cannot have the chance to woo these consumers into buying a rival brand. The more the consumer has the more they will utilize or devour the merchandise; their consumption level increases, consequently, they will become familiar with the brand, which can ultimately result in brand loyalty. Research conducted by Ehrenberg et al., (1994) suggests that price promotions do not generally encourage people to trial a new brand, this works in portfolio markets (frequently bought goods such as groceries, petrol, cosmetics and toiletries, etc). Immediate rewards can be seen to work in the same way as price promotions in that they can encourage consumers to switch between brands that are already in their portfolio (i.e. they have bought them in the past), accelerate purchases, stockpile the promoted product and expand overall sales. To distinguish why immediate rewards are effective through consumer perception tools such as perceptual mapping and consumer surveys are useful. To observe whether immediate rewards are effective in regards to the company, sales data, AGB market research, Nielsen marketing research and tracking devices all provide a view of whether a promotion was successful/will be successful in the future. There can be many factors effecting consumer perception; Grewal et al., (1996) found that consumer perceptions of transaction value will be greater under positive mood than under negative mood. Further more, shoppers in a positive mood are likely to attend more to the favourable side of discount offerings (e.g. obtaining products at lower costs) or they may retrieve positive toned material from their memory at the time of judgement. Consequently, even a small extra discount may add to their pleasure. (Grewal et al., (1996) model of the effects of comparative price advertising on perceptions of value and proposed mood effects on perceived transaction value are on page 10-11). Free-gifts can often be linked to pester power; Kelloggs, McDonalds, Burger King are big users of free-gift items. Pester Power is the name given to marketing techniques which encourage children to nag their parents to purchase a particular product. For instance, advertisers use famous pop stars such as S Club 7 and footballers such as David Beckham to entice children into wanting their products. Link-ups with childrens films and cartoon characters are another enormous money-spinner. In July 2002 McDonalds Happy Meal, came with a free Smurf character one of nine characters which children are encouraged to collect. Children love collecting toys and McDonalds in particular have made this a key element in encouraging children to eat their food. Therefore, in large part, understanding the childrens market necessitates knowledge of the complex inter-relationship between parents, primarily mothers, as purchasers and children as end users. Even though the children may not pay for the items, the growth in the appreciation of pester power is indicative of the fact that children, like their adult counterparts, are becoming accomplished consumers at an even younger age. In recent years, pester power has been one of the buzzwords of the children marketing industry. Harnessing its power has become a holy grail for those who believe it to be the key to parents purse strings. The shortcomings with immediate rewards are as follows: bonus packs require changes to packaging and this is not available to all brands, it may be very costly to short-run and can present shelving problems to trade, bonus packs can have drawbacks in terms of production capability, warehousing, shipping, inventory, and shelving. Some oversize containers need significant modifications in the filling process. In some cases, the bonus pack bottle may be an inch higher or the buy-one-get-one-free pack twice as big, and so will not fit on the shelf. Multi packs can also cause shelving difficulties, they may be costly to run as banding is labour intensive (especially for smaller manufacturers) and requires considerable lead-time (manufactures do not produce the normal amount of their product when banding them together, the amount decreases). Free-gifts can be potentially expensive, merchandise is subject to pilferage, if the item is missing the consumer is less likely to buy the product, i t can be difficult to identify suitable products and may affect brand image if the gift is not of an adequate quality. When stockpiling occurs companies need to ensure that there is enough of the product available to suit demand as this can result in the consumer buying a rival brand and in bad publicity for the company that can consequently effect the brand image. Additional promotion to the trade may need to be implemented in return for efficient stocking of shelves/a point of sale/extra shelving space/allowing wobblers or footprints leading to the promoted product to be used in-store; meaning more money spent by the company, the more a company wants to be noticed the more money is needed to do so. Promotions are not as profitable as when the volume of merchandise is sold normally, after a promotion is conducted it may be difficult for companies to sell their product at the regular price and quantity. If a retailer is providing an immediate reward and the manufacture disagrees with it because it may potentially damage and undermine the brand image problems may occur, such as court hearings, as happened in the past with Levi and Calvin Klein objecting to their product being sold at an inferior price at supermarket chains such as Tesco. Bonus packs are generally unappealing to consumers who do not usually buy the product (if I dont usually use margarine, why would I want an extra 6oz of the product?). Also, in many cases, consumers may not believe that they are getting extra product for their money, suspecting that the price had been raised or that the new quantity offered is actually the regular amount. Can the quotes above really reflect the truth about what consumers think, if we stop to observe a supermarket floor when the store is executing big deals such as buy-one-get-one-free (which in theory is 100% free) and the product is in the consumers portfolio, do we see the majority of consumers not buying into that product? The answer would be a strong no! Stores such as Safeway often put a limit to the amount a customer can buy because the products offered are swiftly purchased, this can be proof enough that consumers tend to be pleased of promotions and stock-up. According to Ehrenberg, (2002 e-mail) 1. If immediate rewards have big effects, they are usually up and then down again (like with promotions). Put another way, immediate reward schemes are usually too costly to sustain over time. 2. Most market changes are slow. At any one time, any effect therefore looks small. Accumulated over time the effect can be bigger. However, it is then likely to be confused by other marketing-mix inputs. Smith et al., (2000) discovered that the results for price points suggested that subjects generally preferred price promotions for higher priced categories; however, they preferred volume promotions for lower priced categories, again demonstrating the importance of transaction value. Sales promotions affect brand sales in numerous ways for instance brand switching, stock piling, purchase acceleration and category expansion. However, not each and every one of these effects need to be present for all types of sales promotions. In the case of a short-term shelf-price reduction valid only for a week, customers will have more incentive to stockpile the product as opposed to a coupon promotion with a longer validity period. Sales promotion activities are by no means going to be uniformly profitable to all players in the market place but almost all companies need to utilize sales promotions as either offensive and/or defensive tools in the never ending battle for markets, Smith et al., (2000). Companies need to weigh out their objectives and link them to the effective type of promotion right for them, what is the promotion that will achieve the factor they want? Sales promotions are unique in their ability to respond in quick, focused, and flexible ways to motivate consumer or trade or counter attack the sales promotion activities of competitors. There are many types of sales promotions, from coupons to contests and sweepstakes, refunds and sampling to continuity programs and trade deals. Blattberg and Neslin,. (1990) summarises the popular sales promotional tools on page 10. Sales promotion is all about getting the brand noticed, to build brand awareness, to induce trial of a new brand or modified brand, to retain previous customers and create brand loyalty. The greater the sample group the brand entices the bigger the number of consumers likely to stay with the brand, the longer the promotion the greater the figure of samplers, however the longer the promotion the more expensive it becomes. An integrated effort of all marketing communication tools can achieve better results for a long-term benefit for the brand, than just singular tools used.

Effects of 2008 Beijing Olympic Tourism Assignment

Effects of 2008 Beijing Olympic Tourism - Assignment Example The methodology to be applied for the present research is mainly based on the analysis of the literary sources related to the topic; another method used in the research is the analysis of the possible effects according to the separate aspects: political, economical, social and business. A strategy of place marketing and urban image construction examined in this paper is the staging of mega events and grand urban spectacles to attract world attention to cities. In the hope of hosting world class media events, public funds are squandered to turn cities into 'stage sets', using spectacular urbanism, monumental architecture, and modern infrastructure to erect images of progress, order and prosperity. Throughout the 1990s, a series of international events and grand political spectacles were held in Beijing to improve global perception of the city. These were accompanied by international marketing campaigns to advertise the city on the world scene and by major social, cultural, and physical beautification programmes intended to reform the city's human and material resources. As the example of Beijing will show, spectacles, festivals, and rituals are not solely directed to an international audience in the hope of attracting visitors and capital, but they also act as important tools of national representation by reviving national pride and unity and convincing local citizens of the beneficence of the system. Urban spectacles are also used to aestheticize local politics. As Wahab & Cooper rightly noted, aesthetics can easily turn an unsavoury political agenda into an intoxicating spectacle (2001). Urban spectacles and mega events can therefore have an important depoliticizing effect by draining politics out of the urban arena, thereby averting political controversy and dwarfing political defiance from the local population (Sinclair & Stabler, 1997, p. 90). Much like the 'bread and circuses' of ancient Rome, the spectacular displays that accompany the staging of important world events often act as instruments of popular pacification and social control. By distracting people from their everyday struggles, the spectacle lowers their social and political awareness and weakens their sense of criticism, thereby promoting complacency and alienation. In Beijing as elsewhere, the preparation for hosting mega events also calls for social beautification programmes, which include complex tactics of social disciplining, 'civilizing' reforms and a tightening of the social control

Johns Gospel and the New Testament Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Johns Gospel and the New Testament - Assignment Example   It would be interesting to note that what the Gospel of John fairly implies would be quite difficult to grasp and understand for early Jews which the Gospel of Luke can compensate. It is probably why the character of Nicodemus found its way in the production of Stevens (The Greatest Story Ever Told) totally unheard in the Gospel of John that most films depict a rendition according to the Gospel of Luke. In this regard, it is clear that directors Kirsch, Sykes and Stevens wish to simplify the storyline rather than dwell on a symbolism that is sometimes hard to decipher for a varied audience. Translation of the Bible particularly in the New Testament for films usually takes on a lot of work to produce a biblically-accurate full-length life of Jesus that will be unbiased and in a well-presented manner. The producers of Sykes and Krisch's(The Jesus Film,1979) made their statements that literally adapted the Gospel of Luke because of "its completeness" according to John Heyman. One go od example that the opening of the film quotes the Gospel of John however interestingly, the omission, in particular, the crown of thorns which was never mentioned in Luke (yet dramatized in the Gospel of John) fought its way in the actual film. The New Testament as a great book of history and literature requires a sharper insight useful for both teaching and training in righteousness. It, however, stands as the subject of numerous rebuttals that requires incessant studies. In the New Testament, it is my belief that the works of John, Luke and Matthew provides a basis for comparison in a theological aspect and an interesting picture that has influenced the works of Milton, Whitman, and Shakespeare among others. College study of the bible and its analysis holds answers to the readings that teenage bible classes have aroused a profound mental picture. Full steam, we push ahead and participate in the strenuous activity of discovering new heights that forever seeks answers to the hypoth etical questions of its depth and meaning. However, Walsh argues that Jesus films tell as much about the changes in American culture as they do about Jesus. This leaves enough room for contention regarding the reality and the human aspect and behavior of Jesus Christ that the Gospel of Luke depicts him to be. In all its simplicity, we wish to see how Jesus lived and behaved through his youth and teenage life that is seemingly lacking in most films and absent in the chronology of the Bible. Enough focus dwells on the last three years of Jesus' adult life that proclaims his divinity in Aland(1982), but the emphasis of his subjectivity as a human being commands a higher interest pertaining to the allegations of his sexual union with a human being. What would also be an interesting feature is the continuance of Jesus teachings that evolved into the present day religion claimed by the Roman Catholicism. As early as childhood, we have learned of Jesus' association as the son of God in the religious aspect. Latest findings regarding his human nature have baffled mere readers and common followers. It would be more helpful to note that Jesus is not a belief system but rather a reality that participates in the redemption of every human being.  There is nothing to delete in the biblical chapters if only to maintain what is written beforehand unlike the pages of history books that forever needs to be rewritten to accommodate new findings. But in all honesty, the truth should be annexed into the end pages of the bible and with any other related book that is created summative or critical.

Three Accomplishments Essay Example for Free

Three Accomplishments Essay Describe your three most important accomplishments to date. You may address Civic Services, Community Services, and Volunteer work, if applicable, as well as work related experience: Three accomplishments: Coming to united States – Career Accomplishment Fulfilling the Family Responsibilities Starting a Charity – Social Accomplishment My childhood dream was to go to United States and study. So, I worked hard to get good grades. Unfortunately, in my second of college, June 1986, I met with a bus accident, which critically damaged my right hand. Subsequently, I completely lost my wrist movement. I could regain the arm movement by going though one year of physical therapy, however. The doctors informed me that I had to take a break from my studies if need be. I was upset, to say the least, though I did not lose my entire self-confidence. I began to practice writing with my left hand instead. Within three months, I was able to accomplish this. I wrote my second year exams and got distinction. Simultaneously attending college and physical therapy, I ultimately graduated without losing a year. Few years later, for the first time, when my feet touched the soil of USA, my joy knew no bounds. As a matter of fact, the feeling of triumph that I regained enabled me to see through any problem whatsoever. During my final year of college, July 1988, my father passed away. At that time, my younger brother and younger sister had not completed their studies, and so I felt that it was my responsibility to provide support to them. Therefore, I began to look for work, putting on hold my dream to go for higher studies. Financially supporting my family until my siblings were old enough to look after themselves; I did not regret my decision at all, despite the fact that many of my friends had obtained their postgraduate degrees from USA by that time. What I had gained was priceless, too: the pleasure of acting responsibly. One of my friends lost his eyes in an accident in Aug 2002. Seeing his misery, I decided to do something useful for blind people. So I actively participated in organizing charities and leading awareness programs for organ donation. I was also fortunate to start a charity in Vizag in Andharapradesh, India, on behalf of my mother in July 2006. At present, I am in talks with Shankar Eye Foundation in India to increase the number of eye surgeries. So long as I am helping myself and society, I believe I am accomplishing something.

Deer Hunting: A Family Tradition Essay -- Personal Narrative

Since the beginning of time man has been hunting animals for food. Even before fire, man needed to hunt, because hunting was the only way to eat. At first man used things such as spears and rocks to kill its prey. As man evolved, they started using bows and arrows. Next came an early model of what we use today, the firearm. It is powerful yet easy to carry around. It puts the animal through less suffering and is a lot more efficient than previous techniques. Hunting was once a necessity, but now it is a tradition, passed on from father to son as a way to spend time together, enjoy the outdoors, and experience what our ancestors went through in hunting their dinner. Since it is considered a sport some think we are killing off the deer population, when in actuality, â€Å"While most other big-game species have declined with the spread of urbanization, the whitetail has been able to adapt to its ever-changing environment. Through the efforts of state agencies and conservati on groups like Whitetails Unlimited, wildlife officials estimate today’s whitetail population to exceed 30 million† (www.whitetailsunlimited.org). For as long as I can remember, the week after Thanksgiving my father would get up even earlier than usual, get all bundled up in his camouflage clothes, and head up into the woods bright and early. I wasn’t exactly sure why this morning routine was so mundane compared to his usual work day routine, but as I grew older I would begin to understand. Time went on and I finally learned where he was going, though I still didn’t exactly know why he was going hunting. At the age of 12 my Dad told me I would finally be able to go hunting with him, if I wanted. Although a pistol can be used, a... ...ns we had plenty of time to talk about things, but I also had time to sit and think about things for myself in the calm outdoors. That first day of hunting proved to me that hunting is one of the most fun and enjoyable things to do, along with an emotional experience, as long as it is done safety. Works Cited â€Å"Ignoring hunter safety can be a fatal mistake.† Times-Picayune. 13 Nov. 2013. 36. Kathman, Margaret. â€Å"A Reluctant Deer Hunter.† September 7, 2013, Blog Web. 4 Dec. 2013. http://margaretkathman.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-reluctant-deer-hunter.html Feinman, Ron. Personal. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. Slinksy, Jim â€Å"The Perfect Deer Rifle.† Web. 4 Dec. 2013. . The Ultimate Hunting Network. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. . Whitetails Unlimited. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. . Deer Hunting: A Family Tradition Essay -- Personal Narrative Since the beginning of time man has been hunting animals for food. Even before fire, man needed to hunt, because hunting was the only way to eat. At first man used things such as spears and rocks to kill its prey. As man evolved, they started using bows and arrows. Next came an early model of what we use today, the firearm. It is powerful yet easy to carry around. It puts the animal through less suffering and is a lot more efficient than previous techniques. Hunting was once a necessity, but now it is a tradition, passed on from father to son as a way to spend time together, enjoy the outdoors, and experience what our ancestors went through in hunting their dinner. Since it is considered a sport some think we are killing off the deer population, when in actuality, â€Å"While most other big-game species have declined with the spread of urbanization, the whitetail has been able to adapt to its ever-changing environment. Through the efforts of state agencies and conservati on groups like Whitetails Unlimited, wildlife officials estimate today’s whitetail population to exceed 30 million† (www.whitetailsunlimited.org). For as long as I can remember, the week after Thanksgiving my father would get up even earlier than usual, get all bundled up in his camouflage clothes, and head up into the woods bright and early. I wasn’t exactly sure why this morning routine was so mundane compared to his usual work day routine, but as I grew older I would begin to understand. Time went on and I finally learned where he was going, though I still didn’t exactly know why he was going hunting. At the age of 12 my Dad told me I would finally be able to go hunting with him, if I wanted. Although a pistol can be used, a... ...ns we had plenty of time to talk about things, but I also had time to sit and think about things for myself in the calm outdoors. That first day of hunting proved to me that hunting is one of the most fun and enjoyable things to do, along with an emotional experience, as long as it is done safety. Works Cited â€Å"Ignoring hunter safety can be a fatal mistake.† Times-Picayune. 13 Nov. 2013. 36. Kathman, Margaret. â€Å"A Reluctant Deer Hunter.† September 7, 2013, Blog Web. 4 Dec. 2013. http://margaretkathman.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-reluctant-deer-hunter.html Feinman, Ron. Personal. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. Slinksy, Jim â€Å"The Perfect Deer Rifle.† Web. 4 Dec. 2013. . The Ultimate Hunting Network. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. . Whitetails Unlimited. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. .

Part Four Chapter IX

IX The Yarvil and District Gazette erred on the side of caution in reporting what had been said during the most acrimonious Pagford Parish Council meeting in living memory. It made little difference; the bowdlerized report, augmented by the vivid eye-witness descriptions offered by all who had attended, still created widespread gossip. To make matters worse, a front-page story detailed the anonymous internet attacks in the dead man's name that had, to quote Alison Jenkins, 'caused considerable speculation and anger. See page four for full report.' While the names of the accused and the details of their supposed misdemeanours were not given, the sight of ‘serious allegations' and ‘criminal activity' in newsprint disturbed Howard even more than the original posts. ‘We should have beefed up security on the site as soon as that first post appeared,' he said, addressing his wife and business partner from in front of his gas fire. Silent spring rain sprinkled the window, and the back lawn glistened with tiny red pinpricks of light. Howard was feeling shivery, and was hogging all the heat emanating from the fake coal. For several days, nearly every visitor to the delicatessen and the cafe had been gossiping about the anonymous posts, about the Ghost of Barry Fairbrother and about Parminder Jawanda's outburst at the council meeting. Howard hated the things that she had shouted being bandied about in public. For the first time in his life, he felt uncomfortable in his own shop, and concerned about his previously unassailable position in Pagford. The election for the replacement of Barry Fairbrother would take place the following day, and where Howard had felt sanguine and excited, he was worried and twitchy. ‘This has done a lot of damage. A lot of damage,' he repeated. His hand strayed to his belly to scratch, but he pulled it away, enduring the itch with a martyr's expression. He would not soon forget what Dr Jawanda had screamed to the council and the press. He and Shirley had already checked the details of the General Medical Council, gone to see Dr Crawford, and made a formal complaint. Parminder had not been seen at work since, so no doubt she was already regretting her outburst. Nevertheless, Howard could not rid himself of the sight of her expression as she screamed at him. It had shaken him to see such hatred on another human's face. ‘It'll all blow over,' said Shirley reassuringly. ‘I'm not so sure,' said Howard. ‘I'm not so sure. It doesn't make us look good. The council. Rows in front of the press. We look divided. Aubrey says they're not happy, at District level. This whole thing's undermined our statement about the Fields. Squabbling in public, everything getting dirty †¦ it doesn't look like the council's speaking for the town.' ‘But we are,' said Shirley, with a little laugh. ‘Nobody in Pagford wants the Fields – hardly anyone.' ‘The article makes it look like our side went after pro-Fielders. Tried to intimidate them,' said Howard, succumbing to the temptation to scratch, and doing it fiercely. ‘All right, Aubrey knows it wasn't any of our side, but that's not how that journalist made it look. And I'll tell you this: if Yarvil makes us look inept or dirty †¦ they've been looking for a chance to take us over for years.' ‘That won't happen,' said Shirley at once. ‘That couldn't happen.' ‘I thought it was over,' said Howard, ignoring his wife, and thinking of the Fields. ‘I thought we'd done it. I thought we'd got rid of them.' The article over which he had spent so much time, explaining why the estate and the Bellchapel Addiction Clinic were drains and blots on Pagford, had been completely overshadowed by the scandals of Parminder's outburst, and the Ghost of Barry Fairbrother. Howard had completely forgotten now how much pleasure the accusations against Simon Price had given him, and that it had not occurred to him to remove them until Price's wife had asked. ‘District Council's emailed me,' he told Maureen, ‘with a bunch of questions about the website. They want to hear what steps we've taken against defamation. They think the security's lax.' Shirley, who detected a personal reproof in all of this, said coldly, ‘I've told you, I've taken care of it, Howard.' The nephew of friends of Howard and Shirley's had come round the previous day, while Howard was at work. The boy was halfway through a degree in computing. His recommendation to Shirley had been that they take down the immensely hackable website, bring in ‘someone who knows what they're doing' and set up a new one. Shirley had understood barely one word in ten of the technical jargon that the young man had spewed at her. She knew that ‘hack' meant to breach illegally, and when the student stopped talking his gibberish, she was left with the confused impression that the Ghost had somehow managed to find out people's passwords, maybe by questioning them cunningly in casual conversation. She had therefore emailed everybody to request that they change their password and make sure not to share the new one with anybody. This was what she meant by ‘I've taken care of it'. As to the suggestion of closing down the site, of which she was guardian and curator, she had taken no steps, nor had she mentioned the idea to Howard. Shirley was afraid that a site containing all the security measures that the superior young man had suggested would be way beyond the scope of her managerial and technical skills. She was already stretched to the limits of her abilities, and she was determined to cling to the post of administrator. ‘If Miles is elected – ‘ Shirley began, but Maureen interrupted, in her deep voice. ‘Let's hope it hasn't hurt him, this nasty stuff. Let's hope there isn't a backlash against him.' ‘People will know Miles had nothing to do with it,' said Shirley coolly. ‘Will they, though?' said Maureen, and Shirley simply hated her. How dare she sit in Shirley's lounge and contradict her? And what was worse, Howard was nodding his agreement with Maureen. ‘That's my worry,' he said, ‘and we need Miles more than ever now. Get some cohesion back on the council. After Bends-Your-Ear said what she said – after all the uproar – we didn't even take the vote on Bellchapel. We need Miles.' Shirley had already walked out of the room in silent protest at Howard's siding with Maureen. She busied herself with the teacups in the kitchen, silently fuming, wondering why she did not set out only two cups to give Maureen the hint that she so richly deserved. Shirley continued to feel nothing but defiant admiration for the Ghost. His accusations had exposed the truth about people whom she disliked and despised, people who were destructive and wrong-headed. She was sure that the electorate of Pagford would see things her way and vote for Miles, rather than that disgusting man, Colin Wall. ‘When shall we go and vote?' Shirley asked Howard, re-entering the room with the tinkling tea tray, and pointedly ignoring Maureen (for it was their son whose name they would tick on the ballot). But to her intense irritation, Howard suggested that all three of them go after closing time. Miles Mollison was quite as concerned as his father that the unprecedented ill-humour surrounding next day's vote would affect his electoral chances. That very morning he had entered the newsagent's behind the Square and caught a snatch of conversation between the woman behind the till and her elderly customer. ‘†¦ Mollison's always thought he was king of Pagford,' the old man was saying, oblivious to the wooden expression on the shopkeeper's face. ‘I liked Barry Fairbrother. Tragedy, that was. Tragedy. The Mollison boy did our wills and I thought he was very pleased with himself.' Miles had lost his nerve at that and slipped back out of the shop, his face glowing like a schoolboy's. He wondered whether the well-spoken old man was the originator of that anonymous letter. Miles' comfortable belief in his own likeability was shaken, and he kept trying to imagine how it would feel if nobody voted for him the following day. As he undressed for bed that night, he watched his silent wife's reflection in the dressing-table mirror. For days, Samantha had been nothing but sarcastic if he mentioned the election. He could have done with some support, some comfort, this evening. He also felt randy. It had been a long time. Thinking back, he supposed that it had been the night before Barry Fairbrother dropped dead. She had been a little bit drunk. It often took a little bit of drink, these days. ‘How was work?' he asked, watching her undo her bra in the mirror. Samantha did not answer immediately. She rubbed the deep red grooves in the flesh beneath her arms left by the tight bra, then said, without looking at Miles, ‘I've been meaning to talk to you about that, actually.' She hated having to say it. She had been trying to avoid doing so for several weeks. ‘Roy thinks I ought to close the shop. It's not doing well.' Exactly how badly the shop was doing would be a shock to Miles. It had been a shock to her, when her accountant had laid out the position in the baldest terms. She had both known and not known. It was strange how your brain could know what your heart refused to accept. ‘Oh,' said Miles. ‘But you'd keep the website?' ‘Yeah,' she said. ‘We'd keep the website.' ‘Well, that's good,' said Miles encouragingly. He waited for almost a minute, out of respect for the death of her shop. Then he said, ‘I don't suppose you saw the Gazette today?' She reached over for the nightdress on her pillow and he had a satisfying glimpse of her breasts. Sex would definitely help relax him. ‘It's a real shame, Sam,' he said, crawling across the bed behind her, and waiting to put his arms around her as she wriggled into the nightdress. ‘About the shop. It was a great little place. And you've had it, what – ten years?' ‘Fourteen,' said Samantha. She knew what he wanted. She considered telling him to go and screw himself, and decamping to the spare room, but the trouble was that there would then be a row and an atmosphere, and what she wanted more than anything in the world was to be able to head off to London with Libby in two days' time, wearing the T-shirts that she had bought them both, and to be within close proximity of Jake and his band mates for a whole evening. This excursion constituted the entire sum of Samantha's current happiness. What was more, sex might assuage Miles' continuing annoyance that she was missing Howard's birthday party. So she let him embrace and then kiss her. She closed her eyes, climbed on top of him, and imagined herself riding Jake on a deserted white beach, nineteen years old to his twenty-one. She came while imagining Miles watching them, furiously, through binoculars, from a distant pedalo.

The French Revolution - 890 Words

By providing a mostly chronological style to her text, Neely seeks for her book to act as an â€Å"introduction to the French Revolution† by acquainting â€Å"the reader with the most important events, the prominent people, and the essential terms (xvi).† In her introduction, Neely discusses how the Revolution is still a hot-topic discussion amongst French-people and even how at the Bicentennial, there was still no definitive answers as to the â€Å"how† and â€Å"why† of the Revolution. Neely’s text is a great supportive source for a typical undergraduate French Revolution survey course. Neely utilizes a variety of general history sources, such as the Oxford History of the French Revolution and dictionaries such as Samuel Scott’s and Barry Rothaus’ 1984 text Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution. She also utilizes a variety of sources focusing purely on King Louis XVI, the French armies, and the various revolutionaries. I bel ieve this combination of general and specific sources allowed for Neely to provide the reader with the most complete introductory narrative of the French Revolution. Class is the primary theme that is explored through the first three chapters of Neely’s text. She begins the book with chapter one introducing the reader to the Ancien Regime, providing the reader with the much needed background information of understanding how things were in France until the Revolution discussing issues such as Salic Law (1), the three estates, and how the Estates’ General functionShow MoreRelatedThe French Revolution And French Revolutions2006 Words   |  9 PagesAlthough the American and French revolutions both took place in the late 18th century, both fought for independence, and both portrayed patriotism, the revolutions are markedly different in their origins; one which led to the world’s longest lasting democracy and the other to a Napoleonic Dictatorship. Political revolutions in America and France happened because people felt dissatisfied with the way their country was run. In North America they rebelled against rule from a foreign power, they wantedRead MoreThe French Revolution And The Revolution1523 Words   |  7 PagesThe French Revolution was a time rife with violence, with many revolutionaries using extreme actions to overturn the French Monarchy and create a government based on equality and justice, rather than tyranny and despotism. This violence reached gruesome and terrible heights throughout the revolution, but was justified by the revolutionaries, who believed that their goals of total equality, the end of tyranny, and the return to a virtuous society, allowed them to use means necessary to attain theseRead MoreThe French Revolution And The Revolution1336 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis The French Revolution was such an important time history. 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While it changed the social structure in France it also affected many different countries across the world. â€Å"the treeRead MoreThe French Revolution And The Revolution1640 Words   |  7 Pages The French Revolution is often seen as one of the most influential and significant events in world history (Voices 9). The surge of rebellion present in those against the old regime, or Ancien Rà ©gime, inspired reformers for generations to come. Nevertheless, the French Revolution would not have occurred without the aid of the Enlightenment Thinkers, or Philosophà ©s. These Philosophà ©s’ ideas sparked the French Revolution. Prior to the French Revolution, France was radically different. It was theRead MoreThe French Revolution And The Revolution1321 Words   |  6 Pages The French Revolution The French Revolution was an iconic piece of history that help shape the world. It was a time were great battles occurred. Blood sheds happen almost every day. The streets were red by the blood of bodies that were dragged from being beheaded. The economy was in bad shape. But before all of this the French had a few goals but there was one goal that they all wanted and that was to get rid of the monarchy. This idea did not arrive out of nowhere, the commoners were influenceRead MoreThe French Revolution And The Revolution1223 Words   |  5 Pages French Revolution As the Enlightenment began in the middle of the 17th century, people began to use reason rather than stick to tradition. New Enlightenment ideas spread throughout Europe such as ideas on government. Enlightenment thinkers such as Rousenan believed that the best government was one formed with the general consent of the people. Other Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire and Montesquieu believed in freedom of speech and a separation of power within the government. All of theseRead MoreThe French Revolution And The Revolution1221 Words   |  5 PagesWhen people think of the French Revolution, they immediately think of the country of France and how the Revolution affected it. What most people do not think about however, is how the Revolution affected other countries, specifically the country of England. England was affected positively and negatively by the Revolution in that there was an increase of political involvement, but there was a collapse in the economy due to war declared by France. The French Revolution created a battle of conflictingRead MoreRevolutions And The French Revolution956 Words   |  4 Pages Revolutions are a common occurrence throughout world history. With the amount of revolutions in history, there are those that get lost and those that are the most remembered or well known. One of the well known revolutions is the French Revolution which occurred in the years 1789 to 1799. Before the French Revolution, France was ruled by an absolute monarchy, this meaning that one ruler had the supreme authority and that said authority was not restricted by any written laws, legislature, or customsRead MoreThe Revolution Of The French Revolution1636 Words   |  7 Pageswas an old fortress that had served as a royal prison and in which gunpowder was stored. This will be the place where Parisian crowds will lay siege on and use the gunpowder for their weapons, and this will become a great turning point in the French Revolution. 3) The Great Fear was the vast movement that the peasant insurgency of sacking nobles’ castles and burning documents would blend into. This attack was mainly because of seigneurial dues and church tithes that weighed heavily on many peasants