Models of Celebrity Endorsement Strategy

Models of Celebrity Endorsement Strategy The selection of celebrity endorsers is not an easy task; many scholars have tried to create models in order to help for the right selecting of celebrity endorsers. Hovland et al (1953) conceptually contributed one of the earliest models, which is Source Credibility Model. Afterwords, the Source Attractiveness Model (McGuire, 1985), the Product Match-Up Hypothesis (Forkan, 1980; Kamins, 1989, 1990), and the Meaning Transfer Model (McCracken, 1989) was presented through empirically researchers in turn. The Source Credibility Model and Source Attractiveness Model are categorized under the generic name of Source Models since these two models basically show and reflect research of the Social Influence Theory/Source Effect Theory, which argues that various characteristics of a perceived communication source may have a beneficial effect on message receptivity (Kelman, 1961; Meenaghan, 1995). The source credibility model is based on research in social psychology (Hovland and Weiss, 1951-1952; Hovland, Jani, and Kelley, 1953). The Hovland version of model present that a message depends for its effectiveness on the expertness and trustworthiness of the source (Hovland et al., 1953, p.20; Dholakia and Sternthal, 1977; Sternthal, Dholakia, and Leavitt, 1978), which means that information from a credible source (e.g.celebrity) can influence beliefs, opinions, attitudes, and/or behavior via a process called internalization, which occurs when receivers accept a source influence in terms of their personal attitude and value structures (Erdogan, 1999). Expertness is defined as the extent to which a communicator is perceived to be a source of valid assertions and refers to the knowledge, experience or skills possessed by an endorser. Hovland et al (1953) and Ohanian (1991) believed that it does not really matter whether an endorser is an expert, but all that matters is how the target audience perceives the endorser. However, Aaker and Myers (1987) advocated a source/celebrity that is more expert to be more persuasive and to generate more intentions to buy the brand (Ohanian, 1991). Hence, expert sources influence perceptions of the products quality (Erdogan, 1999). Meanwhile; Speck et al (1988) found that expert celebrities produced higher recall of product information than non-expert celebrities, even though the difference was not statistically significant. Moreover, celebrities professional accomplishments and expertise may serve as a logical connection with the products, and consequently make the endorsement more believable to co nsumers (Till and Brusler, 2000). Trustworthiness refers to the honesty, integrity and believability of an endorser depending on target audience perceptions (Erdogan, 1999). Advertisers capitalize on the value of trustworthiness by selecting endorsers, who are widely regarded as honest, believable, and dependable (Shimp, 1997). Smith (1973) argues that consumers view untrustworthy celebrity endorsers as questionable message sources regardless of their qualities. Friedman, et al (1978) addressed that trustworthiness is the major determinant of source credibility and then tried to discover that likability was the most important attribute of trust. Thus, they recommended advertisers to select personalities who are well liked when a trustworthy celebrity is desired to endorse brands. However, Ohanian (1991) found that trustworthiness of a celebrity was not significant related to customers intentions to buy an endorsed ethnic status could affect endorser trustworthiness and brand attitudes, because people trust endorsers who are similar to them. Their findings implied that when targeting particular ethnic groups such as Africans and Asians, ethnic background should be carefully evaluated. Measuring source credibility in selecting celebrity It is quite reasonable to make sense that a sources credibility is totally subjective, but research shows that in spite of individual preferences, a high degree of agreement exists among individuals (Berscheid et al, 1971). Patzer (1983) developed the Truth-of-Consensus method to assess a sources credibility and attractiveness. The method is based on the foundation that individuals judgments of attractiveness and credibility are naturally subjective, but these judgments are shaped through Gestalt principles of person perception rather than single characteristics. Notably, on the basis of extensive literature review and statistical tests, Ohanian (1990) constructed a tri- component celebrity endorser credibility scale, (see figure) which assumes that credibility and effectiveness of celebrity endorsers is associated with given characteristic dimensions, even though McCracken (1989) argued that the celebrity world consists of much more just attractive and credible individuals. Table 2: Source Credibility Scale Attractiveness Trustworthiness Expertise Attractive-Unattractive Trustworthy-Untrustworthy Expert-Not Expert Classy-Not Classy Dependable-Undependable Experience-Inexperienced Beautiful-Ugly Honest-Dishonest Knowledgeable-Unknowledgeable Elegant-Plain Reliable-Unreliable Qualified-Unqualified Sexy-Not Sexy Sincere-Insincere Skilled-Unskilled Source: Ohanian, R (1990) Construction and validation of a scale to measure celebrity endorsers perceived expertise, trustworthiness and attractiveness, Journal of Advertising, p39-52 The Source Attractiveness Model Advertisers have chosen celebrity on the basis of their attractiveness to gain from dual effects of celebrity status and physical appeal (Singer, 1983). Meanwhile, research showed that physically attractive endorsers are more successful at changing beliefs (Baker and Chrurchill, 1977; Chaiken, 1979; Debevec and Kernan, 1984) and generating purchase intentions (Friedman et al, 1976; Petroshius and Schuman, 1989; Petty and Cacioppo, 1980) than those unattractive individuals. Hence, McGuire (1985) conducted an empirical research to contend that the effectiveness of a message depends on similarity, familiarity and liking for an endorser. The McGuire (1985) model holds that sources that are known to, liked by, and/or similar to the consumer are attractive and, persuasive. The source attractiveness model also rests on social psychological research (McCracken, 1989). Meanwhile, Cohen and Golden (1972) suggested that physical attractiveness of an endorser determines the effectiveness of persuasive communication through a process called identification, which is assumed to occur when information from an attractive source is accepted as a result of desire to identify with such endorsers. Petty and Cacioppo (1980) conducted attractiveness of endorsers in terms of a shampoo advertisement to comprehend effectiveness of advertising message types. In 1983, Petty et al replicated the earlier study in 1980. Their findings emphasize the interaction between involvement level and endorser type. Under low-involvement conditions, the endorser type had a significant impact on attitudes towards the product even though no impact was found on behavioral intentions. With respect to recall and recognition measures, findings indicated that exposure to celebrity endorsers increased recall of the product category only under low-involvement conditions. Besides, the endorser type manipulation revealed that celebrities had marginally significant impact on brand name recall over typical citizens. Patzer (1985: p30) stated that physical attractiveness is an information cue; involves effects that are subtle, pervasive, and inescapable; produces a definite pattern of verifiable differences; and transcends culture in its effects. Patzer argues that people usually inflate their own attractiveness so that attractive endorsers should be more effective than average looking endorsers. Kahle and Homer (1985) operated celebrity physical attractiveness and likability and measured attitude and purchase intentions on the same product: Edge razors. Findings indicated that participants exposed to an attractive celebrity liked the product more than participants exposed to an unattractive celebrity. Recall for the brand was greater both in attractive and likeable celebrity conditions. However, unlikeable celebrities unexpectedly performed better on recognition measures than likeable and attractive celebrities. Meanwhile, findings proved that an attractive celebrity created more purchase intentions than unattractive celebrity, but conversely an unlikeable celebrity produced more intentions to buy the product than a likeable celebrity. Quite significantly, studies by Cabalero (1989) and Till and Brusler (1998) demonstrate that positive feelings towards advertising and products do not necessarily translate into actual behavior or purchase intentions. A possible reason for the lack of celebrity endorsers effect on intentions to purchase is that celebrity endorsement seems to work on the cognitive and affective components of attitudes rather than the behavioral components (Baker and Churchill, 1977; Fireworker and Friedman, 1977). In terms of gender impact between endorsers and target audience, Debevec and Kernan (1984) found that attractive female model generated more enhanced attitudes than attractive male models across both genders and particularly among males. Conversely, Cabalero et al (1989) found that males showed greater intentions to buy from male endorsers and females hold greater intentions to purchase from female endorsers. Furthermore, Baker and Churchill (1977) found a rather unexpected interaction among female models, product type and intentions to purchase products among male subjects. For instance, when the endorsed product was coffee, an unattractive female model created more intentions to buy the product than her attractive counterpart among males, whereas when it was perfume or aftershave, male reacted more positively to an attractive female model. However, Petroshius and Schulman (1989) found that endorsement gender had no impact on attitudes towards advertisements and no major impact on i ntentions to buy products. Consequently, based on above disparate and controversial arguments, there is no consistent and coherent direction in terms of gender interactions between endorsers and target audiences to aid practitioners. In brief, it is apparent that attractive celebrity endorsers enhance attitudes and recall towards advertising and brands than unattractive celebrity endorsers, however there is no consistent agreement in relation to creating purchase intentions, even though a few studies found that celebrities can create purchase intentions. Multiple celebrity endorsement Millions of dollars are spent per annum on celebrity endorsement contracts on the basis that source effects play an important part in convincing communications. Although traditional advertising knowledge suggests the meaning of an elite product contract with the celebrity, uniqueness comes with a high price label. As a result, it is becoming familiar for companies to share stars (Elliott, 1991; Sloan and Freeman, 1988). For example, former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan has endorsed products for 14 companies (Lipman and Hinge, 1991), and golfer Lee Trevino has had endorsement contracts with Cadillac, Motorola Cellular Phone, Spalding Top-Flight, and La Victoria Salsa (Shatel, 1991). Multiple product endorsements set up new questions relating to our understanding of how consumers react to celebrity endorsements. If as McCracken (1989, p.311) suggests, the celebrity endorser takes on meanings that carry from ad to ad, does endorsing multiple products affect those assigned meanings such that the consumer perceives the celebrity to be less credible and less likable (Kaikati, 1987)? Do consumers have less positive approaches toward ads and brands if multiple product endorsements are involved? What consequence do multiple product endorsements have on consumers buying aims? Does the number of products endorsed restrain the effect of frequent publicity to the celebrity endorser (Tripp, 1994)? Practical proof concerning how consumers react to multiple product endorsement is restricted, leaving unanswered issues in an important research ground. It is known the act of multiple product endorsements guides to certain impressions about celebrity. Early studies (i.e. Mowen and Brown 1981; Mowen, Brown, and Schulman 1979) suggest that simply knowing that a celebrity endorses multiple products is satisfactory to decay consumers insights of endorser honesty, as well as a brand and ad evaluations. Given a limited knowledge of how the endorsement process works (McCracken, 1989), these are clearly issues with theoretical value. The current study independently manipulated the number of exposures to a celebrity in a way different from previous studies in order to investigate the effects of continual exposure to the multiple product endorsers on consumer responses. The apply of actual stimulus is important since exposure to multiple product endorsers (vs. knowledge only) may result in effects different from multiple product endorsement effects. For example, attribution theory (Kelley, 1973) suggests that assumptions may result in consumers evaluating multiple product endorsers less favorable than single product endorsers. According to Kelley, observers identify an actors action to be characteristic when it happens in the presence of a unit and does not occur to its absence. In the case of endorsements, single product endorsements (even if viewed multiple times) compose characteristic actions since spokesperson endorses one brand and not other brands or products. In contrast, multiple product endorsements compose non distinctive actions because the endorsements take a broad view across products with the celebrity constant. Limited of the number of exposures to the endorser, this non distinctiveness may result in consumers concluding that the nature of the spokesperson was the reason for the endorsement, not the nature of product. Although multiple product endorsements (i.e. non distinctive actions) influence perceptions of the spokespersons credibility (i.e, internal attributions), the spotlight of external attributions for single product endorsements (i.e.. distinctive actions) is not obvious. Witnesses of a spokesperson who endorses only a single product may or may not trait the endorsement to the product itself (e.g. product quality). The product repr esents only one cause for the endorsement. Other potential causes for the endorsement exist (e.g., popularity of the endorser; endorsers ties to the product, company, or advertising agency; money paid to the endorser) (Tripp, 1994). In this respect, multiple product endorsements may lead to attribute suggestions about nature of the spokesperson (e.g. traits such as greediness) and, in turn, pressure such manifestations of affect as credibility and likability (Weiner, 1985). Moreover, affect may lead to comparative preferences or be short of of preferences toward associated stimulus (Bara and Ray, 1985) such as the ad or brand. Attribution theory may be used to make clear consumers assumptions about the reasons for a product endorsers support (Folkes, 1988). Commonly, when exposed to a single endorsement, consumers attribute the support to an external cause (e.g. a financial reason). However, the frequency of an action and the actions with which it co varies form the basis of many attributions (Folkes, 1988). Since a multiple product endorser is seen repeatedly and in different contexts, examination of the relationship between the number of exposures to the celebrity, endorser likability, and credibility is a critical consideration. Berlynes (1970) two-factor paradigm suggests that increased exposure to a stimulus results in a more favorable response initially due to a learning factor. At some higher number of exposures, however, a negative response (possibly due to tedium) begins to predominate. Taken together, these two theoretical ideas suggests that the number of products endorsed and the number of expo sures to the endorser may interact such that the number of products endorsed moderates the effect of number of exposures. Thus, inclusion of actual exposure allows for the first tests of any multiple product endorsement effects on both dimensions of credibility and likability beyond that due to repeated exposure to the endorser (Tripp, 1994). The product Match-Up hypothesis Forkan (1980) and Kamins (1990) conducted empirical experiment to test the Product Match-up Hypothesis, which contends that messages conveyed by celebrity image and the product message should be congruent for effective advertising. The determinant pf the match between celebrity and brand depends on the degree of perceived fit between brand such as brand name and attributes and celebrity image (Misra, 1990). Advertising a product via a celebrity who has a relatively high product congruent image leads to greater advertiser and celebrity believability (Levy, 1959; Kamins and Gupta, 1994; Kotler, 1997). Importance of proper match-up between celebrities and products has been emphasized. From practitioners perspective, a senior vice president of a leading beverage company states that celebrities are an unnecessary risk unless they are very logically related to products (Watkins, 1989). Another practitioner quoted by Bertrand and Todd (1992) argued that if there is a combination of an appropriate tie-in between the companys product and the celebritys persona, reputation or the line of work that the celebrity is in, advertisers can get both the fame and the tie-in working for them. Meanwhile, many studies report that consumers also expect congruity between celebrity endorsers perceived images and their endorsed products (Callcoat and Phillips, 1996; Ohanian, 1991; OMahony and Meenaghan, 1997). Otherwise, Evans (1988) argued that if celebrities do not have a distinct and specific relationship to the product they endorse, the use of celebrities could produce the Vampire effect which happens when the audience remembers the celebrity, but not the product or service. Meanwhile, the absence of connection between celebrity endorsers and products endorsed may lead consumers to the belief that the celebrity has been bought to endorse the product/service (Erdogan, 1999). Significantly, the proper match-up between a celebrity and a product has been based on celebrity physical attractiveness, and the match-up hypothesis predicts that attractive celebrities are more effective when endorsing products used to enhance ones attractiveness (Kahle and Homer, 1985; Kamins, 1990). Research also identifies that characteristics of a celebrity interact positively with the nature of the product endorsed (Friedman and Friedman, 1979; Kamins, 1990; Lynch and Schuler, 1994). Choi and Nora (2005), who used a cognitive approach that focuses on consumers attributions of celebrity endorsement motives, emphasized that the level of celebrity and product congruence will influence celebrity endorsement effectiveness through the process of consumer attributions of the celebritys motive for associating him or herself with the particular product and the subsequent effect of these attributions on the consumer evaluations of the endorser, the advertising, and the brand involved in the endorsement. Surprisingly, Kamins and Gupta (1994) found that the match-up between a celebrity endorser and the endorsed brand also enhances the celebrity endorsers believability and favorable attitudes (Till et al, 2006). Friedman and Friedman (1978) found that celebrity endorsers are more appropriate where product purchases involve high social and psychological risk. Meanwhile, Kamins (1989) and Kamins, et al (1989) found that celebrity endorsers were able to generate desired effects on high financial and performance risk products/services such as management consultation and computers. Conversely, Callcoat and Phillips (1996) reported that consumers are generally influenced by endorsers if products are inexpensive, low-involving and few differences are perceived among available brands. As a result, these contradictory arguments lead to the conclusion that advertising is a powerful mechanism of meaning transfer that virtually any product can be made to take any meaning (McCrackens 1987; OMahony and Meenaghan, 1997). The almost studies in terms of evaluating celebrities endorser and endorsed products/brands are using consumer samples. Only one study by Miciak and Shanklin (1994) investigation considered advertising practitioners when choosing celebrity endorsers based on a small sample including 21 agencies and 22 company practitioner. Remarkably, more recently, Erdogan et al (2001) investigated a larger sample that is the 300 largest British advertising agencies (Campaigh, 1997) to consider important celebrity characteristics from the practitioners perspective when selecting an endorser by conducting exploratory interviews and a mail survey. Their findings provide implications for both theory and practice. At the theoretical level, the research firstly shows that managers do not see celebrities as undimensional individuals such as attractive and credible when selecting celebrity endorsers, because celebrities are different unknown endorsers as they represent a variety of meanings that are drawn from the roles they assume in television, film, politics, and so on (McCracken, 1989). Secondly, managers have implicitly incorporated the findings of product match-up hypothesis research in their decision-making. On the other hand, for practitioners, as none of the advertising agencies had any written documentation regarding celebrity endorsement strategy, Erdogan et al (2001) set the criteria through providing a possible check list of factors in Table 3 below, when practitioners select celebrity endorsers. However, DeSarbo and Harshman (1985) argue that neither the source credibility and attractiveness nor the match-up research is adequate in providing a heuristic for appropriate celebrity endorser selection, although the Match-Up Hypothesis extends beyond attractiveness and credibility towards a consideration and matching of the entire image of the celebrity with the endorsed brand and the target audience. The Meaning Transfer Model McCracken (1989) organized an empirical research evaluating effectiveness of the endorser depends upon the meaning the person brings to the endorsement process in part. McCracken (1989) and Brierley (1995) pointed out that the number and variety of the meanings contained in celebrities are very large, which includes status, class, gender, and age and personality and lifestyles types, more importantly, the cultural meanings existing in a celebrity go beyond the person and are passed on to the products. Fortini-Campbell (1992) argues that products just like people have personalities, and claims that people consume brands with personality characteristics like their own or ones they aspire to possess in celebrities. Similarly, according to Fowles (1996), advertisers rationale for hiring celebrities to endorse products is that people consume images of celebrities, and advertisers hope that people will also consume products associated with celebrities. Celebrity endorsement actually is a special instance of a more general process of meaning transfer (McCracken, 1989). This process is a conventional path for the movement of cultural meaning in consumer societies through formation of celebrity image, transfer of meaning from celebrity to product, and from product to consumers. McCracken (1988) defined that meaning begins as something resident in the culturally constituted world, in the physical and social world constituted by the categories and principles of the prevailing culture. Furthe rmore, McCracken (1989) found that several instruments facilitate this transfer. Firstly, the movement of meanings from the culturally constituted world to consumer goods is accomplished by advertising and the fashion system. Then, the movement of meanings from consumer goods to the individual consumer is accomplished through the efforts of the consumers. Hence, meaning circulates in the consumer society. Besides, McCracken (1986) argued that advertising is one of the instruments to move meanings from culture, to consumers, to goods; this movement is accomplished by the efforts of promotional agencies. Similarly, Domzal and Kerman (1992) claimed that advertising is an integral part of social systems, whose function is to communicate the culturally constructed meaning of products to consumers. As the figure 1 shows, the meaning that begins in the dramatic role of the celebrity resides in the celebrity themselves in stage 1. In stage 2, this meaning is transferred when the celebrity enters into an advertisement with a product, and some of the meanings of the celebrity are now the meanings of the product. In the final stage, the meaning moves from the product to the consumer. Notably, celebrity endorsement makes a very particular contribution to each of these three stages in meaning transfer process. In sum, as McCracken (1989) suggested, the meaning transfer model presented is intended to demonstrate that the secret of the celebrity endorsement is largely cultural in nature, and that the study of the celebrity endorsement is improved by a cultural perspective. Consequently, advertisers should assess the culture that encompasses a celebrity to determine whether these meanings are feasible for brands/products in order to achieve effectiveness of the endorser. Definition of celebrities Celebrities are people who enjoy public recognition by a big share of a certain group of people. Whereas characteristic like attractiveness, amazing lifestyle or special skills are just examples and specific common characteristics cannot be observed, it can be said that within a analogous social group celebrities generally vary from the social standard and enjoy a high degree of public awareness. This is factual for classic forms of celebrities, like actors (e.g. Meg Ryan, Pierce Brosnan), models (e.g. Naomi Campbell, Gisele Buendchen), sports athletes (e.g. Anna Kournikova, Michael Schumacher), entertainers (e.g. Oprah Winfrey, Conan OBrien) and pop stars (e.g. Madonna, David Bowie) but also for less obvious groups like businessmen (e.g. Donald Trump, Bill Gates) or politicians (e.g. Rudy Giuliani, Lee Kuan Yew). Celebrities appear in public in different ways. First, they appear in public when satisfying their profession, e.g. Pete Sampras, who plays tennis in front of an audience in Wimbledon. Furthermore, celebrities appear in public by attending special celebrity events, e.g. the Academy Awards, or world premieres of movies. In addition, they are present in news, fashion magazines, and tabloids, which offer second source information on events and the private life of celebrities through mass-media channels (e.g. Fox 5 news covering Winona Ryders trial on shoplifting, InStyle). Last but not least, celebrities work as spokespersons in advertising to endorse products and services (Kambitsis et al. 2002, Tom et al. 1992). Advantages and disadvantages of celebrity endorsement strategy Potential Advantages Potential Disadvantages Preventive Tactics Assisting product  marketing and  increased attention Overshadow the brand Pre-testing and careful planning Image polishing Public controversy Buying insurance and putting  provision clauses in contracts Brand introduction Image change and  overexposure Explaining what is their role and  putting clause to restrict  endorsements for other brands Brand repositioning Image change and loss of  public recognition Examining what life-cycle stage  the celebrity is in and how long  this stage is likely to continue Underpin global  campaigns Expensive Selecting celebrity who are  appropriate for global target  audience, not because they are  hot in all market audience Source: Erdogan, B.Z (1999) Celebrity endorsement: A literature review, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol 15, p295 Mathur et al (1997) state a variety of reasons that firms use celebrity endorsers including that firms may feel that the life experiences of endorsers fit the advertising message, that the endorser has high appeal with the firms target consumer group, or that the endorsers universal appeal makes the advertising universal. Celebrity endorsement can bring out several positive effects. They are that advertisements become believable (Kamins et al, 1989), message recall is enhanced (Friedman and Friedman, 1979), recognition and perception of brand names is improved and attitudes about products with low purchase involvement are affected (Petty et al, 1983; Till et al, 2006), positive attitudes about brands results (Kamins et al, 1989), and distinct personalities and appeals for products and brands are created (McCracken, 1989; Dickenson, 1996). Moreover, celebrity endorsements are believed to generate a greater likelihood of customers choosing the endorsed brand (Heath et al, 1994; Kahle a nd Homer, 1985; Ohanian, 1991). As a result the use of celebrity endorsement is an advertising strategy that should enhance the marginal value of advertisement expenditures and create brand equity by means of the secondary association of a celebrity with a brand (Keller, 1993). Meanwhile, research indicates that celebrity endorsements can result in more favorable advertisement ratings and product evaluations (Dean and Biswas, 2001). Some of the most difficult aspects of global marketing to gasp are host countries cultural roadblocks such as time, space, language, relationships, power, risk, masculinity and femininity (Mooij, 1994; Hosfsted, 1984). Under this situation, celebrity endorsements are a powerful device by which to enter foreign markets; and celebrities with world-wide popularity can help companies break through many such roadblocks (Erdogan, 1999). On the other hand, there are also many potential disadvantages and hazards in utilizing celebrities as endorsers as a part of marketing communication strategy. Firstly, benefits of using celebrities can reverse markedly if they for example, suddenly change image, fall popularity, get into a situation of moral turpitude, lose credibility by over-endorsing or overshadow endorsed products (Cooper, 1984; Kaikati, 1987). Secondly, negative information about a celebrity endorser not only influences consumers perception of the celebrity, but also the endorsed product (Klebba and Unger, 1982; Till and Shimp, 1995). Thirdly, another common concern is that consumers will focus their attention on the celebrity and fail to notice the brand being promoted (Rossiter and Percy, 1987). Fourthly, celebrities who are blamed for negative events such as accidents can have detrimental influence on the products they endorse (Louie and Obermiller, 2002). Besides, Mowen and Brown (1981) argue that if a celebritys image ties in with many brands/ products, impact and indentify with each product may reduce since the relationship between the celebrity and a particular brand is not distinctive. This can not only compromise the value of the celebrity in the eyes of stars fans (Graham, 1989), but also can make consumers to think the real nature of endorsement that has less to do with the brand/product attributes, and more to do with generous compensation for the celebrity, leading consumers to overt doubt about their motives, so as to cause the negative influences on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions among the multiple products endorsed by celebrities (Cooper, 1984; Tripp et al, 1994). The f

Global Warming and Drought in The Southwestern U.S. Essay

Pumphrey (2008) rightly observed that until fairly recently, no one would bought the idea that the world’s climate was changing, let alone that it was been influenced by human activities. The first insight into what is today known as global warming was first conceived by the Swedish scientist Arrhenius, who, late in the 19th century, suggested that the activities of the rapidly developing industries could cause the planet to warm up. Such ideas were often ignored, but over the course of the 20th century, opinions about climate change, â€Å"even rapid climate change† were becoming more apparent (Pumphrey, 2008, p. 1). As things stand now, there appears to be a growing pile of irrefutable evidences that point to the fact that human activities are affecting the heat/energy exchange between the earth, the atmosphere and space (Justus and Susan, 2006). The primary cause of global climate change has been attributed to the accumulation of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants in the earth’s atmosphere. These ‘green house gases’, as they are now known, form a blanket over the earth atmosphere, thus trapping the sun’s heat inside the planet and causing it to warm up (National Resources Defense Council, 2007). A substantial population of the world’s scientist have agreed that human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels, have increased atmospheric â€Å"concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) by 36% from pre-industrial levels of 280 parts per million (ppm) to 380 ppm over the past 150 years, leading to an increase in global average temperature of 0. 9oF over the past 100 years†. Consequently, there has been considerable increase in global average temperature and sea levels, decreases of sea ice in the Artic and melting of the planet’s continental ice sheets and mountain glaciers (Justus and Susan, 2006). More frightening, however, is the assertion by scientists that if green house gases continue to accumulate at the present rates, more rapid and devastating consequences could result within a short period of time. While scientists largely agree on the evidences pointing to a warming planet, the severity and ramifications of its consequences is often a subject of controversy, doubts and heated debates. The drought in the Southwestern U. S presents one such example of the controversies and uncertainties surrounding the consequences of global warming. In the history of the Southwestern U. S. , drought has been a relatively periodic occurrence, due to climate variability that characterizes this region. For example, after reviewing the history of climate changes in the region, Thompson and Anderson (2005) concluded that over the long term, the climate of the region is constantly changing and that in the â€Å"18,000 years since the last glacial maximum the southwestern United States has experienced conditions that ranged from much colder to somewhat warmer than today. Moisture conditions have also varied, both through time and across the region† (Thompson and Anderson, 2005). However, despite these assertions, scientists through several studies have pointed out that the present multi-year drought in the region is not another result of climate variability but a consequence of climate change. They assert that the present climate situation might be the new climate of the region and that drier and more sever droughts lies ahead if urgent measures are not taken. The proposed study intends to support and add weight to the contention that climate changes is already impacting the region and that increasing global warming will increase the severity of drought in the Southwestern U. S. Purpose Statement McNab and Karl (2003) observe that drought is a complex phenomenon that can be very difficult to define. They contend that the problem with defining drought derives partially from the fact that the term could be approached from different perspectives. That, notwithstanding, the central theme that underlie any definition of drought is the absent or deficiency of water. However, they point out that to completely define drought, the â€Å"component(s) of the hydrologic cycle affected by the water deficit and the time period associated with the deficit, must be specified†. The Southwestern U. S is a region vulnerable to droughts due to its variable climatology that derives from its peculiar topography. The entire Southwestern states of the United States fall into a climatic region generally known as the ‘subtropics’. These regions are known to be dry and susceptible to drought because the atmosphere moves water ‘out of those regions into higher planes’ (Thompson, 2007). It is argued that the evaporation is higher in subtropics and the moist air from here is transported to temperate regions at higher latitudes. This climatic condition sometimes causes excessive ‘dryness’ (drought) in these regions. The infamous dust bowl conditions of the 1930s and the severe droughts of the 1950s are typical examples. Pointing out the vulnerability of the region, Davis (2007) observe that â€Å"in some years, â€Å"exceptional drought† has engulfed the entire Plains from Canada to Mexico; in other years, crimson conflagrations on weather maps have crept down the Gulf Coast to Louisiana or crossed the Rockies to the interior Northwest† (Davies, 2007). Based on this argument, it is convenient to describe the present drought in the region as a result of such climatic variability. Unfortunately, recent data on global warming indicate otherwise. Scientists have shown that this time, the drought in the region is not just a passing phase in climatic conditions, it is a reality that has come to stay. It is evident that this time, it is the base climate that is changing and dire consequences looms ahead. Supporting the argument that the aridity in the Southwestern U. S is different this time, Davis (2007), point out that â€Å"Lake Powell had fallen by nearly eighty feet in three years, and crucial reservoirs along the Rio Grande were barely more than mud puddles. The Southwestern winter of 2005-06, meanwhile, was one of the driest on record, and Phoenix went 143 days without a single drop of rain†. Noting that some scientists have regarded the present situations as the worst drought in 500 years and with the several scientific evidences showing the link between global warming and severe drought, Davis concluded that the present climate condition is not â€Å"simply episodic drought but the region’s new ‘normal weather'† (Davies, 2007). Statement of the Problem Both global warming and droughts portend grave dangers for both the region and the world at large. Despite the sometimes dissenting voices in the science world, there is unanimous certainty that the planet is warming up. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its 2007 report stated that it is ‘unequivocal’ that the planet is heating up and that, with utmost certainty, the warming is caused by human activities. It is clearly understood that increased global temperatures will facilitate the propagation of certain deadly bacteria and the spread of diseases. For example, Kolivras and Andrew (2004) carried out a study that revealed that the presence and spread of four diseases; hantavirus, plague, dengue and coccidioidomycosis in the Southwestern U. S could be attributed to the increased in temperature in this region. Again, it is clear that higher global temperatures will lead to increase in the incidence and severity of droughts which will affect agricultural production, causing global food crisis. Also, the melting of continental and Artic ice, due to global warming, will cause flooding and other devastating problems that will affect millions of people globally. Persistent drought, on the other hand, also severely impacts a society. Besides the shortage of food and water that characterizes drought conditions, Davis (2007) also point out that drought rapidly destabilizes the natural ecosystem. Buttressing this fact, he observed that, without sufficient moisture to produce protective sap, â€Å"millions of acres of pinyon and ponderosa pine have been ravaged by plagues of bark beetles; these dead forests, in turn, have helped to kindle the firestorms that have burst into the suburbs of Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Denver, as well as destroyed part of Los Alamos† (Davies, 2007). However, despite the frightening consequences of droughts and/or global warming, the real issue here is the misunderstanding of the problem at hand. A clear understanding of the real cause and nature of the drought in the Southwestern United States will greatly help in containing the problem before it get out of hand. In a study for the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Richard Seager and other scientists point out that all the models used for the third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicated a general decrease in rainfall in the subtropics during the 21st century and gradual drying up of the region with increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (Seager et al, 2007). The present drought in the region is therefore, evidently a consequence of a much bigger problem, the realization of this fact is important in shaping public attitudes and opinions required for finding a lasting solution to the problem. Theoretical Framework The states of the Southwestern United States fall in a climatic region known as the subtropics. The climate in these regions is characteristically dry because the atmosphere moves water out of these regions. Moist air from these regions is often transported to temperate regions at higher latitudes. This phenomenon is referred to as the â€Å"Hadley cell† (Thompson, 2007). This flow of moist air away from subtropics induces rising air over the equator and descending air over the subtropics. The descending air over the subtropics suppresses precipitation, which further increase dryness of the regions. With global warming, the blanket of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere heat up the air over the subtropics enabling it to carry and transport more moisture away from the region. Furthermore, with increasing global temperatures, ‘Hadley cell’ (the flow of air out of the subtropics) expands pole ward, bringing the United States Southwestern region under the increasing influence of descending air, further compromising precipitation and further worsening drought. The link between reduced precipitation and drought was established by McNab and Karl (2003) who asserted that â€Å"precipitation can be considered to be the carrier of the drought signal and stream flow and ground-water levels can be considered to be the last indicators of the occurrence of a drought† (McNab and Karl, 2003). It has been argued that whilst past droughts in the region was because La Nina brought ‘cooler ocean temperatures to the equatorial Pacific, which resulted in drier conditions over North America’, the present drought is caused by changing climatic conditions characterized by increasing global temperatures that enable more moisture to be transported out of the region and suppressed precipitation.

Marketing Plan for Smoothie Drink - 5556 Words

FruitLift’s Marketing Plan Picture of various fruits Picture of various fruits Yesenia Haro, Gabi Radanava, Dylan Nein Marketing 230 Section 1 Introduction to Marketing Professor Gary L. Hunter April 15, 2012 Illinois State University Executive Summary The following report analyzes the product FruitLift that we created for this project. The purpose of this project is to determine what factors influence successful marketing. We also determine if marketing successfully in one environment means can be translated into success in another environment. We will first introduce the product. Following that we will describe the situation analysis of FruitLift: we will describe the internal and external environments of FruitLift. We also explain†¦show more content†¦Our prospective customers are 20 to 35 year old middle class people. These people tend to be health conscious and may be in college. With peoples growing health concerns and shortage on free time, FruitLift can emerge as a popular product for people who attend health and fitness clubs. College students are becoming be aware about their health, so FruitLift will emerge as a late night drink when they study. The tough part about FruitLift’s external environment will be the resources. We are very limited on available funds for this project. When starting off it will be difficult to afford the proper ingredients to make a wide variety of our product. We will have to grow the revenues of our product before we can span out to making more varieties of FruitLift. Since we will be limited on funds starting off our most valuable resource will be our employees and the way we get our product known. The biggest part of technology that we will use will be the internet. Social Networking is a free way to market towards millions of people. We will create a Facebook and Twitter page for this product, and offer random coupon awards to the people who are fans of the pages. We also plan to create a cellular phone application that keeps track of the nutrients that you consumer through drinking FruitLift. S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths | Weaknesses | * Healthy Alternative to Gain Energy * Innovative Marketing Team | * Intense Competition in Energy Drink and FruitShow MoreRelatedFacilities And Equipment Plan For An Organization1112 Words   |  5 PagesFacilities and Equipment Plan Our goal at Smoothie King is to provide an environment that is fully functional and welcoming for our customers. We are making smoothies to assist people with various health purposes and preferences. In order to do that we must have a facility that encompasses all of our needs to provide our customers with the best service possible. 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Truth or Lie - 1230 Words

In 2008, 21% of adults in America aged 18 and older were current cigarette smokers while another 21% had been former smokers and 58% had smoked less than 100 cigarettes in their life, according to a CDC survey (Pleis 10). These statistics result in almost half of the United States population being smokers at one point in their life. The tobacco industry is huge in order to provide cigarettes to the quarter of Americans that currently smoke. The statistics that resulted from the survey did not even include other types of tobacco products, which are just as harmful. However, even realizing the harm that tobacco products can cause, tobacco companies use a variety of devious methods to draw people in to buy their product, especially younger†¦show more content†¦The most important message that the ad conveys through the colors is the white color of the scalpel and the little bit of white background that shows beside the person’s head. The white color is important because w hite signifies â€Å"transcendence and purity† (Gude). Purity is the attribute that the campaign is looking to associate itself with because they offer the truth, and from the truth, the reader is able to decide for himself or herself what their future should be. The white background is interesting because it could be a way of telling the audience or reader that if they seek the truth and visit the website, they will have found pure and transparent facts. This salvation from the evil lies directly supplements the few cuts made by the scalpel on the sutures because it shows the reader that the truth does exist and there is hope. Another major component of these truth campaign ads is the fear that is evoked when looking at the picture closely. While the sutures themselves could cause the fear by how they look, I think it is more reasonable to say that the thought of the person pictured being dead is what would cause the most fear. Why are they dead? Why are they stitched up? Th e unknown answers would cause fear and intrigue in the reader to find out what is actually going on. These advertisings were successful because of their appeal to fear. Communications using fear appeals are designedShow MoreRelatedThree Truths And A Lie975 Words   |  4 Pages Three Truths and a Lie Brianna K. Slone’s poem â€Å"Through the Eyes of a Child† serves to convey her recollection of the divorce of her parents with the underlying question of, why? Slone employs pathos, an artistic use of language, and chronology to allow her emotions to permeate, not only to herself, but also to her audience. At the same time, the poem â€Å"Three Truths and a Lie† aims to convey the life story of an active duty Coast Guardsman who has been subjected to circumstances that mimicRead MoreThe Truth And What Is A Lie?2365 Words   |  10 PagesIn life you will come across many obstacles, some of these you may have caused, others you may have not. 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In the article, Collins thesis state``s, â€Å"Should doctors tell patients the truth?   Where I, on the witness stand, am obli gated to answer the question with â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no,† I should answer inRead MoreThe Truth Is Often A Great Lie1829 Words   |  8 PagesBenjamin Franklin understands the fine line between the truth and lie, as he says, â€Å"Half the truth is often a great lie.† In the novel Ragtime, author E.L. Doctorow tells a story that blurs fact and fiction masterfully, often suspending the readers’ ability to discern historical narrative and fictionalized tales. Ragtime follows the lives of two fictional families in the Progressive Era; their roles in the novel develop in relation to their frequent interactions with real historical figures, in additionRead MoreLie Hurts Than Bitter Truth1151 Words   |  5 PagesLie Hurts Than The Bitter Truth Truthfulness is a fundamental moral value within a society. 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He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion.  Art is exactly the same: it portrays the truth in the form of a camouflage of words, colour, and speech. People say that art is an imitation of reality; however, it is in fact the total opposite. Reality is restricted