Marketing Plan For Cadbury Marketing Essay

Marketing Plan For Cadbury Marketing Essay Cadbury is the icon of the British confectionary industry, with a heritage which dates back to 1824. Since then, Cadbury has expanded its business throughout the world, through both organic and acquisition led growth. Today Cadbury is a leading global confectionery company, operating in over 60 countries. Cadbury has an outstanding portfolio of Chocolate, Gum and Candy brands. In 2008, Cadbury enjoyed a 10.5% market share of the global confectionery market, with revenue of GBP5.4 billion. The company employs about 50,000 people and work with around 35,000 direct and indirect suppliers globally. Cadbury manufactures markets and sells unique brands which give pleasure to millions of people around the world every day. Cadburys Vision is to be the biggest and best confectionary company in the world. One of Cadburys Strategic goals for 2009 to 2011 is to increase market share of the global confectionery market, with revenue growths of 4% to 6% annually. Cadbury believes that the confectionery business still has significant unused potential. By exploiting the strengths of its innovative products/brands, it believes it can continue to grow its market share and returns, and achieve its Vision of becoming the biggest and best confectionery company in the world. Vision The Vision into action (VIA) plan embodies all aspects of our strategy. Our governing objective is to deliver superior shareowner returns by realizing our vision to be the worlds biggest and best confectionery company. Cadburys Philosophy Cadburys philosophy of Vision into Action (VIA), a strategic plan for 2008 to 2011 is an example of how business strategy is translated to a Marketing plan to deliver positive impact to its revenue and margin performance. Cadburys growth ambition is based on the following:- Strengths of its brands and market position Increased investment in Innovation, Marketing Sales Greater exposure to faster growing categories (e.g. gum) and markets (e.g. emerging markets) 1.2 Product, Market Operational Characteristics Cadbury is a leading global confectionery company with an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands. Cadbury created few famous brands like Cadbury, Trident and Halls. Flakes Green Blacks Halls Hollywood Stimorol Eclairs Cadbury featured brands are: Cadbury featured brand: Bubbaloo Cadbury Crà ¨me Egg Cadbury Dairy Milk Clorets Dentyne Born in 1824 when John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham selling cocoa and chocolate. Since then Cadbury have expanded their business throughout the world by a program of organic and acquisition led growth. On 7 May 2008, the separation of the confectionery and Americas Beverages businesses was completed creating Cadbury plc with a vision to be the worlds BIGGEST and BEST confectionery company. Cadbury operates in over 60 countries and worked with around 35,000 direct and indirect suppliers. Cadbury have employ around 50,000 employees all over the world. Cadbury plc  is managed by the Cadbury plc Board of Directors which delegates day-to-day management to the Chief Executives Committee (CEC). Cadbury business is segmented to four main regions and they are:- America Britain, Ireland, Middle East and Africa Europe Asia Pacific Cadburys Values Cadbury team is performance driven, values led. Throughout changing times, our constant values have inspired us to be pioneers in business and in corporate responsibility. They help ensure we are proud of our company and are critical to our core purpose of creating brands people love. Cadburys values are: Performance, Quality, Respect, Integrity and Responsibility to social, economic and the environment Our Business Principles  are our code of conduct and also take account of global and local cultural and legal standards. They confirm our commitment to the highest standards of ethics and business conduct. 02. Task One 2.1 Marketing Planning Principals Analysis of the Market Being in the confectionery business and dealing with consumers, Cadbury has always been a market and consumer focused organization. It consistently conducts market studies to determine the positioning of its brands, in current, new and future markets. This forms the foundation of the Marketing Plan. Setting the Marketing Objectives In order to deliver growth, Cadbury conducts many marketing programs for its brands every year. Each marketing program is accompanied with a Marketing Plan. Each marketing plan has clearly defined objectives for the project team to deliver. Establishing the Strategies Tactics Based on the market analysis and set objectives, each Marketing Plan will contain strategies and tactics which will be necessary in delivering the desired outcome. Developing an Action Plan This is one of Cadburys key philosophies, making things happen. Therefore, every Marketing Plan in Cadbury has specific actions to be implemented by a person responsible, and within set time targets. Monitoring of Progress In Cadbury, every Marketing Plan is monitored monthly by the Senior Management Team of the respective SBU, to track the progress of the plan, as well as to make any necessary improvements or changes. Resource Financial Management Once a marketing program has been approved by the Senior Management Team of Cadbury, the necessary resources will be provided in order to deliver the objectives set in the Marketing Plan. As in the case of providing the necessary resources, Cadbury also provides an appropriate financial budget for the project to deliver the objectives set in the Marketing Plan. Measuring Success Cadbury continuously measures the success of each of its marketing projects, and compares the results achieved vs. the objectives set in the Marketing Plan. 2.2 Marketing Audit / Situational Analysis 2.2.1 Market Environment Conducts a complete external marketing audit which includes both the macro and micro environment of the confectionary industry and how these may have an impact on Cadburys Chocolate, Gum and Candy businesses. From this audit, the company will be able to identify the key issues impacting each business, and how the business can develop an effective plan with tactics and strategies to tackle these issues and ultimately achieve the Marketing Objectives. 2.2.1.2 Macro Environment Macro factors are factors that we totally have no or extremely little control off. It is not just looking at a segment of the industry, but the effects these factors have on the whole industry. An example of an audit tool is the PESTEL analysis, which identifies the opportunities and threats of the external environment, which then helps the Company to develop appropriate plans. Political Being in a confectionary industry, political factors have little impact on Cadburys business as chocolates, gums and candies are well established consumer products, and available everywhere. There are no political factors which restricts consumers from purchasing these products. However, in Singapore, the Government has banned the sale of gum, as it is seen as a nuisance to the environment. Therefore, in the UK, Cadburys businesses have no impact politically. Economic The state of the economy has an impact to most businesses. The credit crunch and slow down of economic growth, as we are currently experiencing, does effect consumer buying power, and hence Cadburys businesses. However, the reduction in interest rates does help consumers, as it creates consumer spending, and hence Cadburys businesses may have minimal impact. Social In terms of social factors, there are many consumer groups which voices their own opinions and sometimes this have a major impact on regulations and legislations. Consumer businesses are highly impacted by social factors. As an example, Cadburys chocolate business may be impacted by health reasons, such as sugar and obesity, which will influence the sugar and ingredient content of its product, and ultimately the formulation and taste. The introduction of sugar free gums and dark chocolates are good examples of how the gum and chocolate industry has evolved over the past 2 decades. Technological The increase use of internet has impacted businesses worldwide. Consumers are more aware of product offerings, have greater access to information and knowledge about products and can make more educated choices of products. The internet has also brought consumers closer to companies such as Cadbury, who now have faster feedback from consumers about their products. All of this has both positive and negative impact to Cadburys businesses. Advancement in manufacturing technology has also influenced the confectionery industry in terms of cost of production, shapes, sizes, packaging etc. All of these do affect Cadburys businesses in many ways. Environmental As the world experiences greater environmental challenges, such as global warming, environmental legislations do impact Cadburys manufacturing, product and packaging. As a responsible company, Cadbury practices a zero discharge to the environment, which increases the companys manufacturing costs. It also uses bio-degradable packaging material, which is a requirement in the EU. Legal The confectionery industry is a highly regulated industry. In each country, as in the UK, it is governed by legislations and monitored by the Food and Drug authorities. Influences from Environmental and Social groups, may introduce changes in legislations, which in turn impacts the confectionery business. As an example, the use of artificial colors, additives deemed to increase hyperactivity in children, has forced Cadbury and other confectionery companies to find alternatives, at higher costs. The increasing manufacturing standards for food products have also impacted Cadburys businesses. Tighter standards means higher costs to manufacturers. Whilst this is good for society, it has a negative impact to Cadburys businesses. 2.2.1.2 Micro Environment Analysis of the micro environment is equally important. These are the issues relating specifically within the organization and it is crucial that we clearly understand this in order to plan and develop the marketing plan. There are 6 factors and we use a simple tool SPICC Supplier The Supplier is important to any business, as they can either support or destroy value. In the case of Cadbury, due to its economy of scale, and long standing partnerships with suppliers, it is able to obtain good support from its suppliers. This provides Cadbury with the necessary competitive advantage it requires. Public In general the consumer and public at large tend to support a well established and responsible company such as Cadbury. However, there will always be minority groups who voice their concerns about products and companies, and these have to be handled with sensitivity. Intermediaries The retailers and stores tend to have less power to negotiate when it is dealing with a company as big and well known as Cadbury. Every store wants to have the Cadbury brands on their shelves and would tend to agree with terms offered by Cadbury due to the pull of consumers this brand brings to their shop. Customers Customers do play a big part on the success of a company or its brands. As there are many choices in the market, the customer determines the value of a brand. 2.2.2 Industry Analysis Porters Five Forces is very useful in this analysis; Treat of Substitutes Bargaining power of Buyer Rivalry Bargaining power of Supplier Threat of new Entrants Each of Porter Five Forces model contributes to the competitive environment in an industry: Threat of new Entrants With the confectionery industry showing good growth potential, new players may enter the market to get a small market share of a very large industry. However, due to high entry barriers, such as establishing a renowned Brand, as well as high manufacturing standards, the threat of new entrants remains low for the confectionery industry. Threat of Substitutes With new entrants in the market, a group of existing or new competitor may introduce new products/brands, for the chocolate sector, claiming the same consumer satisfaction, but at lower costs, e.g. Ice-creams, puddings which claim to be cheaper and healthier. The threat of substitutes is moderately high for the chocolate sector. Bargaining power of Suppliers As a long established player in the confectionery industry, Cadbury has the economics of scale to bargain for low cost raw materials. It works with the best suppliers in the world in order to ensure consistent quality and low cost materials. Therefore, the bargaining power of Cadburys suppliers is relatively low. Bargaining Power of Buyers In todays world consumers have many choices, due to the intense rivalry in the confectionery industry. However, Cadbury has a number of established brands which command a relatively stronger pull, hence the bargaining power of buyers (eg wholesalers and supermarkets, B2B) is low but the bargaining power of the consumer is moderately high. (B2C) Rivalry among Existing firms The confectionery industry is a crowded, with many players. Some are well established players, such as Nestle and Mars, who have equally strong brands as Cadburys. Some have carved out sectors, e.g. in-house brands of Tesco, Marks Spenser and Sainsbury. There are also many small players who have good positions in small sectors of the industry. Hence the rivalry among existing players is moderately high. However, Cadburys well established brands do provide some level of edge in the industry. 2.2.3 SWOT Analysis There are factors within a company which affect the internal environment and these should be addressed. Being a global leader in the chocolate business, the product, Brand and Corporate image, service, value of the product and quality is inseparable. Therefore an audit of the internal environment is also important. The SWOT analysis is a useful method in determining the key issues of a company, and will the company to develop a plan to mitigate threats and focus on opportunities. SWOT analysis of Cadbury Strengths Well established company since 1824 Global brands and innovative products One of the top 4 leading confectionery companies in the world Only focuses on confectionary products. Products available in almost all distribution Channels. Financially strong, with continued revenue And profit growth annually. Weaknesses Too many products and brands Highly dependent on confectionery market High cost base when compared to some Smaller confectionery companies. Relatively small presence in emerging Markets. Opportunities Entry into new markets (e.g. India China) with its established Brands. Ability to introduce new product extensions in existing markets using its established Brands Acquisitions of other confectionery companies. Threats New legislations and regulations which may increase costs Social impact from consumer groups on health related issues New entrants into the confectionery industry Products could be easily copied by competitors (carbon copy) 2.2.4 Value Chain Analysis Support Activities Firm Infrastructure Formation: Includes general management, planning management, finance, legal, accounting, quality management, public affairs, etc . Human Resource Management Personal activities: All activities that links with recruiting, development (training, education), retention and compensation of employees, manager, etc . Technology Development R D, etc : Include the technology development to support the value chain activities, i.e., Process automation, Research Development, design and redesign, etc. Procurement Purchasing inputs: The role of purchasing inputs i.e., procurement of raw materials, machines, spare parts, servicing, buildings, etc . Primary Activities Inbound Logistics Receiving inputs : Activities that associates with receiving, storing, transportation scheduling, inventory control Operations Building the product/ providing the service : Includes packaging, assembly, machining, maintenance, testing, activities that transform the final input into final product Outbound Logistics Distributing the product to buyers : Activities that involved the finished product to get to the customers; warehouse, orders, transportation, distribution, etc Marketing Sales Pre-sale support : Activities associated with getting buyers to purchase the product including channel selection, promotion, advertising selling, pricing, retail management, etc Customer Service Post-sale support : the activities that maintain enhance the products value, including customer support, repair services, installation, training, spare parts management, upgrading, etc Task 02 3.1 Marketing Objectives As the business still has significant untapped potential both in terms of top line growth and returns. By exploiting the strength of our leadership positions to continue to grow their market share and significantly increase the margins and returns, cadbury aim to achieve their vision of becoming the biggest and best confectionery company in the world. Vision into Action (VIA) plan for 2008 to 2011 aligns the energies and efforts of the teams around the world behind a number of priorities which will make the most impact on our revenue and margin performance. In order to generate superior returns for our shareowners, our VIA will deliver six financial targets. These are set out in our financial performance scorecard below: Organic revenue growth of 4% 6% every year Total confectionery share gain Mid-teens trading margins by 2011 Strong dividend growth An efficient balance sheet Growth in Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) To achieve these financial goals, have a growth and efficiency strategy which aligns behind our focus on fewer, faster, bigger and better. This focus is being applied to all aspects of our business. Corporate objective: Achieve sales of min. GBP25 Mil in 2009 UK Market Achieve sales of GBP80Mil in 20011, UK Market Functional objective: To increase 6% by end 2009 Operational objective: Achieve min of 80% consumer awareness of CCE Twisted within 12 months of launch Marketing Products, price, place promo, people, process, physical evidence Director Or CEO 3.2 Strategy The strategy for any marketing project is the key to the success of the project. It should map out what needs to be done, targeting which consumers, and providing them with what value, through the product offered. 3.2.1 Segmentation of Market Cadbury segments the UK Chocolate market based on Geography, Demographics and Psychographics to identify the target market segments for their Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted. Geography Cadbury geographically segments the UK chocolate market by:- Urban market (Cities) e.g. London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester, etc Suburb markets (Towns) e.g. Barnstable, Abingdon, Stamford Others (Villages) e.g. Sawston The company identifies the size of the chocolate market, per capita consumption, growth trends, as well as analyses each segment in terms of Cadburys market share, Cream Egg lovers and chocolate bar consumption. This will provide Cadbury the necessary information to target the right market for Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted. Demographic Demographic segmentation allows Cadbury to understand the chocolate market by age, gender, income group, etc. This allows Cadbury to identify which groups are the chocolate lovers, which group prefers Cream Eggs, which group prefers bar chocolates, etc. Psychographic Psychographic segmentation is based on consumer lifestyle, attitudes and motives. Cadbury segments the UK chocolate market, based on consumers who prefer branded goods, those who prefer taste, texture or shapes. By doing this, the company is able to identify the target segment which will best suit the Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted product. 3.2.2 Targeting the market After establishing the market segmentation, the next step is to evaluate each segment and choose which possible segments should the company target and offer Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted in order to meet its marketing objectives. Based on the segmentation analysis, Cadbury is targeting the following groups:- All locations around UK, with greater focus on urban markets. Across all channels, especially super and hyper markets, and convenient stores, where the chocolate consumption per capita is high. Children, teenagers and females, who are seen to be lovers of Cadbury Chocolate bar lovers, the group which Cadbury is hoping to switch from traditional bars to the Cadbury 3.2.3 Positioning Cadbury Cadbury is having broader ranges targeting many segments. Youth segment should position as Love and entertainment. Teenagers can attract through adventure aspiration. Childrens mind goes to various tastes and small gifts they are getting. Therefore should do the positioning accordingly. 3.2.4 BCG Matrix The BCG or Boston Consulting Matrix is a tool used to analyze the portfolio of a company. It classifies business units or product ranges into four categories based on a matrix of market growth rate and market share position. The market growth rate determines the attractiveness of the industry and the relative market share shows the competitive position of the business. Below is the BCG Matrix. Details about the 4 categories are as follows:- Cash Cows business units that have large market share in a mature, slow growing industry. Cash cows require little investment and generate cash that can be used to invest in other business units. Stars- business units that have large market shares in a fast growing industries stars may generate cash, but because the market is growing rapidly they require investment to maintain their lead. If successful, a star will become a cash cow when its industry matures. Question Marks business units that have small market shares in high growth markets. These business units require resources to grow market share, but whether they will succeed and become stars is unknown. Dogs business units that have small market shares in mature industries. A dog may not require substantial cash but it ties up capital that could better be deployed elsewhere. Unless a dog has some other strategic purpose it should be liquidated if it has little prospect for it to gain market share. In summary, the BCG matrix provides a framework for allocating resources among business units within a company, and it will be useful for us to review the portfolio of our Chocolate Business. 3.3 Marketing Mix The marketing mix is a combination of critical factors that make up the marketing strategy for a product, which helps the company to successfully achieve the set marketing objectives. 3.3.1 Product Cadbury UK emphasizes on the need for strong brand image, and therefore all the decisions they make with regards to its products are in line with the brand image. The product and packaging are designed to project and communicate the brand image reflecting Cadbury as who they are. The product reflects the innovation, high quality and nutritional value it provides to its customers, whilst the packaging clearly reflects the familiar purple corporate brand color and corporate brand logo, associated with reliability and quality. Cadbury maintains the original Cream features and taste, which is a well loved product. Uses no artificial colorants or banned additives, and meets all EU food standards. Product is in a twisted bar form to attract chocolate bar lovers. Personality of the Brand is fun and novel to target the young trendy and female market segment. Specially lovers Packaging is colorful, to attract the children, teenage and young adult market. 3.3.2 Price Pricing of products is key in reflecting the image of a brand. This is why Cadbury carefully considers the image of the product, the value it offers to the consumer and who is the target consumer, before it determines the price of any of its products. It is obvious that different Cadbury products, targeted at different segments of the market are priced differently. The decision on pricing does have an impact to the brand. For example Cadbury offers its bar chocolates at a premium price compared to Tescos or Sainsbury bar chocolates, for the mass market. Cadbury also sells some of its high end products to reflect a luxury image, and can command good premiums, example Cadbury Milk Tray, Cadbury Roses and Green Blacks. The price of a product is also dependent on customers perception of the brand which Cadbury takes into account before it prices its products. However, with the current economic scenario, Cadbury gives special deals, for example Cadbury Dairy Milk bars 20% more (means big ger size) at the same selling price without reducing the price and affecting the brand image. Cadbury priced to competitive price GBP per gram it is cheaper than the Cream, which allows differentiation. 3.3.3 Placement Cadbury chooses carefully the distribution channels it places its products based on the brand image of the products. For example for its Cadbury Dairy Milk bar range of products, because it is targeted to the mass consumer, this range of products are accessible across all channels, in all super and hypermarkets, chain retail outlets, other convenience stores and even in the mom and pop shops. For the premium products, eg Green Blacks brand, Cadbury carefully places them at high end outlet, such as Selfridges and Airports. Cadbury will be available across all distribution channels in the UK market. Focus will be in Hyper and Supermarkets as well as convenient stores, at prominent locations within the stores. Greater visibility will be provided at urban segments (both cities and towns). 3.3.4 Promotion Depending on the brand image, the target consumer and market, Cadbury carefully chooses its communication strategy to meet the objectives of increasing awareness and ultimately pulling the consumer to purchase its products. Every promotional activity has its own strategy and this can can vary from increasing brand awareness, maintaining the brand value, educate consumers about a new product, increasing seasonal purchases, or campaigns such as choose Cadbury to highlight the positive emotional value of the brand. However, due to the current economic downturn, Cadbury carefully selects its promotional activities; such that it has maximum returns for its promotional spend. With the advent of the electronic media, Cadbury has created a number of websites for its popular brands for consumer/members to be active. These websites have education information, games, good associates such as purple goes green, cocoa partnership and fair-trade. Cadbury has recently agreed to partnership with the 2012 Olympic, which will give its brands, global recognition. Websites are www.cadbury.co.uk, www.cadburycremeegg.co.uk. www.aglassandahalffullproduction.com, etc. Above the line promotion via TV, Radio and print media. Advertising will focus on target groups, e.g. children, teenagers, young adults and females. Below the line activities will be carried out at urban markets at high traffic outlets, such as Hyper and Supermarket concourses. Special standees will be appropriately designed to portray the fun and novel personality of the product, and placed in major outlets. Task 03 4.1 Key Issues faced by Cadbury and Implications to the Marketing Plan Key Issues Implication to the Marketing Plan The economic slowdown and credit crunch Possibility that the market will shrink Competition will be intensive driving prices to be more competitive. Pressure from consumer groups on health related issues Need to have more PR with consumer groups Need to educate consumers on ingredients used in products Higher legislations and standards for industry To support this in order to create higher barriers to entry for new entrants into the industry Too many products and brands To implement a rationalization program to weed out older and low margin brands Consumer awareness to create pull To conduct effective AP programs to bring awareness to consumers. Conduct market research to establish consumer needs and trends Growing in a challenging market Introduce new products in existing markets using established Brands Introduce existing Brands in new markets Understanding the Competition Conduct market research to determine level and position of competitors in the market 4.2 McKenzies 7S Framework The McKenzies 7S framework is a value based management model, which looks at all the key elements which make up an organization, and it enables us to evaluate the effectiveness of our Marketing organization. An effective organization achieves a fit between all these 7 key elements, and should any element change, it affects all other elements and hence the organization as a whole. The McKenzies 7S framework is made up of hard and soft elements. Hard elements are those which are easily identifiable and visible, whilst the Soft elements are those which are less visible and are below the surface. Most organizations tend to focus on the hard elements, and ignore the soft ones, which tends to be an ineffective way of diagnosing and solving an organization issue. The 7S framework is a useful tool used to analyze the current state of an organization. Below is a pictorial view of the McKenzies 7S framework showing the Hard elements (green) and Soft elements (yellow) Hard Elements Strategy plans for the allocation of a firms scarce resources over time to reach identified goals. Structure the way the organizations units relate to each other; centralized, functional divisions (top-down); decentralized (the trend in larger organizations), matrix, network, holding etc. Systems the procedures, processes routines that characteri

Representation of Political Scandals in the Media

Representation of Political Scandals in the Media Political Scandals Interim Submission The question that I have chosen to answer for my essay is: ‘How fair and balanced has the coverage of political scandals been in the British media?’ By selecting this question I can explore the different political affiliations in the British press during times of scandal and how each news media reported on it depending on their relationship with the political party at the centre of the controversy. Firstly, to begin my essay I will provide some background information on how the press functions in UK politics for which I have conducted some research on for the interim submission using the chapter titled Judging the Media: Impartiality and Broadcasting in the book Politics and the Media Harlots and Prerogatives at the Turn of the Millennium (chapter written by Eric Barendt and edited by Jean Seaton). I have found that it is common knowledge that UK newspapers are, of course, free to support whichever party its editor or proprietor, chooses, and to take sides on political issues. With this power they are not expected to be impartial or balanced in their coverage of contentious political matters such as General Elections and political scandals. For example, The Sun itself claimed credit for the surprise victory of the Conservatives in the General Election of 1992 with the notorious front-page headline Its The Sun Wot Won It on Saturday 11 April 1992, according to John Curtice in hi s research piece: Was it the Sun wot won it again? The influence of newspapers in the 1997 election campaign (http://www.crest.ox.ac.uk/papers/p75.pdf). Because of this ahead of the 1997 election, Tony Blair in opposition assiduously courted Rupert Murdoch and the editors of his newspapers. It is unlikely that the Labour majority in 1997 would have been so large, had the Sun not decided to support it six weeks before polling day. These freedoms are essential aspects of the traditional British understanding of ‘press freedom’, also constitutionally guaranteed in many other nations including the USA by the First Amendment (http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment). To show that I know what I am writing about and avoid misinterpretations by settling on a single understanding of key terms I will define terms such as: ‘fair’, ‘balanced’ ‘media’, ‘power’ ‘popular’, ‘success’, ‘failure’, ‘disaster’ and of course ‘scandal’. Defining terms ensures that I am talking about the same things as the reader. For example, I could define ‘fruit salad’ as containing, pineapples, yellow apples and bananas. By doing this, the reader will not object when I later write that fruit salad has vital red deficiencies. By defining ‘power’, I would demonstrate that I am aware of other interpretations of the term. It will actually often not be essential to state what the other explanations are, except if the distinction is an essential aspect of the argument. I will be structuring my essay chronologically covering seven scandals over a ninety-one year period in Politics from the Marconi scandal in the summer of 1912 to the Iraq War and the apparent suicide of Dr. David Kelly in July 2003. Furthermore, one of the scandals I will be researching will be an overseas scandal: the Lewinsky scandal, which involved former US president Bill Clinton. I will use the scandal for comparison with the John Profumo sex scandal. In addition, I am going to use a wide range of sources for the essay including: books, newspaper articles, journals, academic research and blogs. All these historical scandals have their own historiography. I will look at the way that they have been written in the press over time (during the scandals and during the present day), the occasional conflicting objectives pursued by journalists and academics on them over time, and the way in which such details form peoples understanding of the scandals. These different sources are important because they will help me: To gather information so that I can develop and enhance on my own political knowledge and understanding of particular scandals and how they were reported in the British media. To identify, build and support arguments or research in the essay which will help demonstrate the understandings that I have acquired. I have listed the scandals that I will be covering, the scope of research that I have conducted for them, the different sources that I have referred to for my research and a provisional list of sources that I plan to use in the final essay below. Moreover, I have included a rough word count for each scandal. THE MARCONI SCANDAL 1912 Centered around allegations that members of the Liberal Government, under Herbert Asquith’s premiership, had profited by inappropriate use of information about the Governments plans with respect to theMarconi Company: knowing that the government was about to issue a lucrative contract to the British Marconi company for theImperial Wireless Chain, they had bought shares in an American subsidiary. The allegations included the fact that Isaacs brother,Godfrey Isaacs, was managing director of the Marconi company. Although the political repercussions were in fact minor, theNew Witnessdrew conclusions about fraud in British politics. SUEZ CRISIS 1956 Anthony Eden becomes Prime Minister in 1955 high sense of optimism. Hailsham – ‘a real post-war government, led by a PM who represented contemporary manhood, rather than the pre-First World War generation.’ Optimism about: progressive ideas in domestic affairs, his belief in property owning democracy and industrial partnership. However, all Eden’s career had been foreign affairs and not domestic politics. Ironically his downfall was foreign affairs Suez Crisis. Ends in disaster, military operation called off in humiliating circumstances as Britain withdraws due to American pressure due to economic reasons. Outcomes: Political crisis – Eden seemed weak, lost in a policy he was supposed to be the master of. Came under heavy attack from Labour in parliament and sections of national press e.g. Manchester Guardian. By lying to Parliament about collusion with France and Israel, Eden had tarnished his image and prestige. Chancellor Harold Macmillan leading the campaign with Eden’s cabinet for Britain to abort Suez. Demise of Eden – never recovered from Suez (though resigns due to poor health in 1957). Replaced by Macmillan. PROFUMO AFFAIR 1963 Scandal which was a personal disaster for Harold Macmillan. Given sensational treatment by the press. Political impact of the affair was actually short lived but the image of Macmillan as old and out of touch was reinforced. Significance: Ideal excuse for press to go after every detail Press became less deferential, more intrusive previous tactics used by government to prevent publication of sensitive or embarrassing information no longer worked. Booker – â€Å"after years of uneasy indulgence, the people were restless and dissatisfiedwild rumours of strange and wild happenings in the country villas, of orgies and philandering..brought the capital into a frenzy of speculation and contempt aroused by the Government in the hearts of the great mass of the people† LEWINSKY SCANDAL 1998 (USA) [COMPARISON] 1995—Monica Lewinsky hired as a White House intern. Series of 10 sexual encounters. Kenneth Starr investigates. Michael Isikoff, Newsweek reporter, investigates, but magazine delays publishing. First public report of the scandal seen on Drudge Report. Clinton denies allegations. Extremely detailed Starr Report released. Lewinsky allegations dismissed in Paula Jones case, but coverage is still pervasive. Rumors circulate on the internet. 24/7 cable news networks. Decline of gatekeeping sensationalist journalism. Salience and dumbed-down news. Pressure on news outlets to report on rumors. Public’s â€Å"right to know†? Drawing the line between news and drama/entertainment. JOHN MAJOR AND SLEAZE 1990s Growing internal divisions in the Conservative Party after 1992 Major – an ‘unlucky PM’? Exhausting battles began to drown out the positive achievements in a sea of party infighting and political setbacks. Between Black Wednesday and the 1997 election, Major suffered a slow political death. Major’s tribulations can be summed up as: Easy target for satirists and cartoonists: Private Eye, Rory Bremner, Spitting Image’s grey man. None of this Satire vicious and Major remained personally more popular than his party, but the image of Major as a well-meaning but bumbling and inadequate leader stuck to him. Blatant actions by anti-Europe elements in own party 1993 Maastricht Treaty was initially blocked by rebel MP’s. Major won the vote in the end but authority was damaged. â€Å"Do we want 3 more of the bastards† accidentally recorded press, e.g. Daily Mail, speculating as to whom Major was referring to speculation as to whether a leadership challenge would occur. It did not but the threat was damaging enough. Major tried to reshuffle his cabinet in 1994 with little impact. Press speculation continued about possible challengers for leadership from disaffected cabinet members 1995 Major called for leadership election so that he could be re-elected to do his own job (Back me or sack me). Sleaze – press coverage key here: sensationalist and intrusive and a contrast with Major’s ‘Back to Basics’ campaign 1993 (call for return to traditional moral values). Examples include Yeo and Mellor (sex scandal, resigned), Scott Enquiry 1994 (illegal selling of arms investigation, Tory’s ‘economical with truth’), Archer and Aitken (perjury). Major became easy target, respect declined – gave press fuel. Sleaze similar impact as Profumo Affair on Macmillan 1962. Seen as out of touch, untrustworthy, too preoccupied with own traumas than those of Britain in comparison to a reinvigorated Labour. Further press and opposition hostility due to ammunition – easy target. Sleaze ran all way to 1997 election – factor in Labour’s 1997 victory? POLITICAL IMPACT OF IRAQ/ DEATH OF DR. DAVID KELLY 2003 Iraq War and Blair-Bush relationship is argued to be the defining issue of Blair’s second term. Blair had to fight two wars over Iraq one against Saddam Hussein one to win over political and public opinion at home Media: initially supportive. Continually supportive of â€Å"our lads† but not of the governments/countries who led Britain into Iraq. Method: Intelligence dossier on weapons of mass destruction idea Hussein had biological and nuclear weapons. Failed to convince those who though WMD had been exaggerated/overrated. Questions over why Alastair Campbell played such a large role in drafting dossier – ‘sexed up dossier’ (Gilligan, 2003) to exaggerate the threat from Saddam and that it was intended for political purposes. Accusations dossier was about political presentation rather than hard evidence. Impact of WMD: No WMD were found. Death of Dr. David Kelly (weapons expert at MoD) further damaged the governments reputation as the case dominated the national news, rocked the government, and put the doubt into the British public’s mind about whether this dossier had indeed been exaggerated. The role of critical and sensationalist press had a profound effect Lord Hutton’s Enquiry– absolved the government from blame and criticised the BBC but the damage was done.

Drug Dealer :: essays papers

Drug Dealer Street Pharmaceutical Distributor â€Å"Yes I’ve known of police officers who sell drugs,† Cain says in response to the question. â€Å"They are worst than I am because they are supposed to uphold the law!† There are many types of drug dealers, from the behind the scenes Caucasian white collar and government criminals, to the overexposed black street corner thug. The early twenties, corn-roll braided male, that I will call Cain, was at ease as we sat in his newly purchased home. Besides what most people think, the majority of drug dealers do work. Lower scale drug dealers that is. Cain explained that selling drugs is not something he wanted to do, but a lack of necessities and opportunity led him to that path. â€Å"Television influence and poor guidance â€Å" didn’t help either he added. â€Å"Do you know of career drug dealers and do you plan on becoming one?†; he nodded and said yes to both questions. After confirming that he knows no one that has been dealing for at least five years and have never been incarcerated, I asked does he feel he will be an exception. â€Å"No, but I don’t care about the future, just now.† I normally would have felt this was ludicrous, but understanding the mind set of a mentally dead individual, I comprehended it all to well. Cain admitted that he feels remorse for the destruction that drugs cause, but that he also feels his drug dealing is necessary for now. â€Å"Do you have to deal violently or aggressively with individuals often?† I asked. â€Å"Sometimes, but after respect for you is established, it’s usually not necessary,† he responded. He explained that he knew of at least seven people who had lost their lives because of a drug related incident, but even more that were incarcerated. â€Å"Does the United States government play a role in drug distribution?† â€Å"Certainly! I may have purchased drugs from government officials, you never know who your actually dealing with, but I know of dealers who purchase their drugs from the Feds.† â€Å"Who do you consider the major drug dealers to be?† â€Å"The U.S. government, and the C.I.A.† We discussed briefly the recent discovery of the C.I.A. dealing drug in South Central L.A., and then using the money to fund the CONTRA war.

Anthrax and Bioterrorism :: Biological Terrorism Terrorist Homeland Security

Bioterrorism, in the last decade, has become a real threat to the world. Since the anthrax attacks on American soil in 2001, the world has become aware of the potential risk of an anthrax attack. Anthrax is the disease caused by the Bacillus anthracis bacteria. Ever since early history, anthrax has occurred in livestock animals and in humans. The bacteria prevent the macrophages from communicating with the rest of the body. Thus, the body cannot fend of anthrax and slowly organs begin to deteriorate. However, a series of antibiotics and vaccinations are available in case of an exposure to anthrax. Bacillus anthracis, or anthrax, has recently become a greatly feared pandemic. The breakout of anthrax on American soil in October of 2001 opened the world's eyes to the possibilities of bioterrorism of anthrax. Since then, government associations, such as the CDC and EPA, have taken precautions in case of another bioterrorist attack, particularly an anthrax attack. The history of anthrax dates back to biblical times in ancient Egypt (Anthrax Info 1). In 16th Century B.C., the Israelites were under the control of powerful Ramses II. According to Bible, a series of plagues fell upon Egypt in attempt to free the Israelites. One of these plagues involved the death of the cattle, sheep, and goats. Many historians believed the cause of death was due to anthrax inhalation. The first non-livestock case of anthrax occurred in the early 19th Century (Anthrax Info 4). After coming into contact with anthrax infected animals, many farmers were cutaneously inoculated with anthrax. This outbreak sparked the scientific research of anthrax. 2 Written documentation of anthrax began with Robert Koch's discovery of the bacteria that caused anthrax. Koch performed experiments that explained the attributes of anthrax. Using the spleens of anthrax infected animals, Koch inoculated mice (Elsevier 3). The mice later died and Koch concluded that anthrax could be transferred through the bloodstream. Koch also grew Bacillus anthracis in a culture to further his research. During the incubation process, Koch noticed that the bacteria formed spores when faced with a harsh environment (Elsevier 4). He later discovered that such spores could still cause the anthrax disease. Because of his revolutionary findings, Koch is credited with discovery of anthrax. Using Koch’s discoveries, 20th Century scientists began developing weaponized anthrax. Due to the spores’ durability, anthrax has been a very favorable biological weapon. The first incident of weaponized anthrax was recorded during the First World War.

Movie: The Caine Mutiny - Evaluating The Performance Of A Government :: essays research papers

Movie: The Caine Mutiny - Evaluating the Performance of a Government Governments are an essential and important part to our everyday life, and without, there would be no control or leadership. Governments are sanctioned to constitute and systemize the interrelationships of the people with their divisional bounds, the relations of the people of the community as a whole, and the arrangements of the community with other political entities. In the movie, "The Caine Mutiny", a form of government plays an important role to everybody aboard the ship. There were certain hardships with the configuration of the government, and in this case, the government was the captain. Although the captain didn't go directly against the Naval Regulations, the crew thought that he was incapable of holding this position as captain. With all of this happening, it was hard for the sailors aboard the ship to appreciate the form of government and their leader. The constitution for many countries, hold the rules (may be written, or not written) to which a government must obey. In this scenario, the Naval Regulations were intended to be followed upon and consented to. If a government is fulfilling its basic functions, then it is properly following the constitution, but if it isn't ensuing the constitution, then the fundamental purposes aren't being achieved. Within the constitution, there is power granted to impeach the leader if he/she is not implementing their primary services. In the movie, we see captain Queeg as one who is incompetent of achieving his job as the leader. Captain Queeg can be easily compared with Charles III—king of England during the Revolutionary War. He was old, and powerful, and with authority, but also wrong. Captain's new position angered many sailors aboard the old battle ship with his strict and reserved mannerisms, and the way he handled many situations gave the sailors fair reason to be easily infuriated. Overall Queeg portrayed a very futile leader as head of the government on the ship. There are many possible risks that one can come upon if they decide to change governments. There is always the risk of a failed government which could be at the worst disadvantage to anyone and everyone. Once a government fails, it can easily be trampled over and picked upon by another country. The power can be lost by everyone in their country and can be difficult to gain back. The change in governments can also effect the people of the country, because it will most likely be at a disadvantage to some people because not everyone is easily satisfied. The support of people in a country can readily be lost and gone

Cause or Effect of Gambling

Cause or Effect of Gambling â€Å"Che-Ching! † â€Å"Yes! Jackpot! † shouted the man as he jumped up and down. However, will his happiness last forever? The nest time the man gambled, the money in his pocket completely turned to dust. From that day onwards, like a broken glass, his life is destroyed and almost impossible to bring back happiness. From this man’s case, clearly there are several negative effects of gambling. First of all, gambling will cause a person to have bankruptcy. Luck is not always by our side.When a person grasps a lot of money, he will have more urge to gamble and eventually lose all of his money in the end. Following up by bankruptcy, gamblers will face many hard times with loan shark. Most of them are unable to pay back as the interest rate gradually increases. Time after time, loan shark will disturb their lives and force them to pay back in any chance. Reports review that loan shark can be so inhumane that they will wreck and destroy th e victim’s house, kidnap and blackmail any family members, or even strangle them to death.Subsequently, gamblers will have a broken relationship with their family. Their action brings disgrace on the whole family due to bankruptcy and being hooked by loan sharks. More trouble will occur and family members have to leave them alone, desolated and unwanted, those gamblers are led to only one road, suicidal. In conclusion, gambling can ruin and even ends a person's life. So before one choose to gamble, one must consider the deadly effects of gambling, before thinking of being filthy rich.

Essay on the the Secret Book Essay

According to recent studies, self-help books – non-fiction books that offer advice for behavior modification and make explicit promises for positive change – have doubled as a percentage of all book titles since the 1970s. The increasing popularity of self-help books is an indicator of the modern society’s quest to maximize personal happiness through a process of self-discovery. Self-help books are a response to a real and genuine hunger for psychological understanding and self-improvement and are part of the larger market of advice media. Readers buy self-help books seeking self-control – both as a good-faith attempt to increase their self-control and to elicit a temporary sensation that, in fact, the first step toward self-control has already been taken. And of recent years, one of the increasing self-help or spirituality books involve the teachings of New Age-ism. The New Age is a decentralized Western social and spiritual movement that seeks â€Å"Universal Truth† and the attainment of the highest individual human potential. It includes aspects of Occultism, astrology, esotericism, metaphysics, alternative medicine, music, collectivism, sustainability, and nature. New Age spirituality is characterized by an individual approach to spiritual practices and philosophies, and the rejection of religious doctrine and dogma. New Age practices and philosophies sometimes draw inspiration from major world religions: Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism; with particularly strong influences from East Asian religions, Gnosticism, Neopaganism, New Thought, Spiritualism, Theosophy, Universalism, and Western esotericism. New Age spirituality has led to a wide array of literature on the subject and an active niche market: books, music, crafts, and services in alternative medicine are available at New Age stores, fairs, and festivals. And one of the most phenomenal publishing successes in the self-help/New Age teachings is a book called The Secret. ABOUT THE SECRET Product Details The English-language 6. 9 x 5. 7 x 0. 9 inches hardcover book is fairly lightweight at 198 pages. It was first published in November 28, 2006 by Atria Books in Australia. In the United States of America, the book is published by Beyond Words and in United Kingdom by Simon & Schuster UK. Product Description Fragments of a Great Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation that will be life-transforming for all who experience it. In this book, you’ll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life — money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world. You’ll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that’s within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life. The Secret contains wisdom from modern-day teachers — men and women who have used it to achieve health, wealth, and happiness. By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bring to light compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible. Content of The Secret 1. Foreword 2. Acknowledgements 3. The Secret Revealed 4. The Secret Made Simple 5. How to Use The Secret 6. Powerful Processes 7. The Secret to Money 8. The Secret to Relationships 9. The Secret to Health 10. The Secret to the World 11. The Secret to You 12. The Secret to Life 13. Biographies The Secret Revealed The first thing you need to know is that The Secret isn’t really a secret. The secret is actually â€Å"The Law of Attraction† that asserts what you think creates what you feel, and these feelings flow from your body as magnetic energy waves over vast distances, which then cause the universe around you to vibrate at the same energy level as your feelings. The idea dates back nearly 3,000 years to early Hindu teachings that â€Å"like attracts like. † The law of attraction, which the author Rhonda Byrne says is the most powerful law in the universe, states that people experience the logical manifestations of their predominant thoughts, feelings, and words. This gives people direct control over their lives. A person’s thoughts (whether conscious or unconscious) and feelings bring about corresponding positive or negative manifestations. Positive thoughts bring about positive manifestations while negative thoughts bring about negative manifestations. The theory is very simple. Because it is an absolute law, the law of attraction will always respond to your thoughts no matter what they are. Thus your thoughts become things. You are the most powerful power in the universe simply because whatever you think about will come to be. You shape the world that exists around you. You shape your own life and destiny through the power of your mind. To quote some of the teachings in this book are â€Å"Thoughts are sending out that magnetic signal that is drawing the parallel back to you. †Thus there is no such thing as accident or coincidence; it is you, the individual, who brings misery on yourself because of your toxic thinking. But the good news, if you can alter your thoughts, and therefore your feelings, you can actually cause the universe around you to vibrate at a positive energy level and the desires of your heart will come to be realized! All you have to do is Ask — Believe — Receive. You just have to visualize what you want, feel good about it, and then ask the universe — and whatever you can imagine can be yours. It is like having the universe as your catalogue and you flip through it and go, ‘Well I’d like to have this experience and I’d like to have that product and I’d like to have a person like that’ †¦ It is you just placing your order with the universe. The law of attraction was the power, the author argues, behind geniuses such as Plato, Newton, Beethoven and Einstein. In this book too, she has also gotten quotes, experiences and support from the who’s who of the self-help industry, including John Gray, author of â€Å"Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus,† and Jack Canfield, who wrote â€Å"Chicken Soup for the Soul. â€Å"Jack Canfield, provides an excellent example of the ask-believe-receive system where he tells us that he visualized earning $100,000 (even writing the desired amount on a bill worth far less and tacking it to the ceiling above his bed) and focused his mental energy only on the goal of attaining the money. He tells us that he had absolutely no idea how he was going to get the money — he simply focused on believing that he would get the money, somehow. But how? For four weeks he had no breakthrough ideas but then, one day in the shower, he remembered that he had written a book and, if it was published (particularly if he sold 400,000 copies and he made a quarter on each) he just might achieve his financial goals. Of course the book was published, and the results were only a few thousand dollars shy of 100,000 dollars. And this is just one of the many testimonials in this book called The Secret. The Story Behind The Secret It is not a secret now that The Secret is a publishing phenomenon of recent years especially for in the non-fiction & self-help category. This small book, with a parchment-brown cover engraved with the image of a red wax seal, debuted in 2006 and since then it has sold over four million copies worldwide and has been translated to 38 different languages. The Secret began as a DVD which came out end of 2004. Rhonda Byrne was a television producer in Australia in 2004 when the death of her father led her to discover ‘the secret’, which is her term for what is commonly known as the law of attraction. Her discovery was mainly caused by the 1910 book The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles. Wattles’s book struck such a chord with Byrne that she plunged into a crash course in Western, Eastern, ancient and modern thought, devouring hundreds of books and articles in just two and a half weeks. Inspired, she flew to the States in July 2005 and began lining up people to interview; the film was finished six months later and she began trying to find an Australian network to air it. The top-rated Nine Network was intrigued by her proposal, but the finished film struck Len Downs, the program manager, as just â€Å"a whole range of talking heads giving their basis of the secret of life. † It eventually ran in Australia just a few weeks ago, and, says Downs, it didn’t do all that well. But armed with the law of attraction, Byrne was confident things would work out. A Web company situated just blocks away from her office in Melbourne had a technology for distributing streaming video over the Internet. In March 2006, her site (http://thesecret. tv) began selling downloads and DVDs, one of which found its way to Cynthia Black, president of the New Age-oriented publishing house Beyond Words saw its potential and by late November the book was in the stores and the rest as they say, is history. PURCHASING THE SECRET The Secret books are available at all major bookstores, online bookstore and through its official website. It is usually placed in the Health, Mind & Body -> Self Help category or Religion & Spirituality -> New Age category. At most of these major bookstores, The Secret books are placed most prominently on the shelves. Due to it being constantly on worldwide bestseller lists for non-fiction books thus the title is prominently displayed in the bookstores should the bookstore have a bestsellers display section. Its average retails price for cash & carry stores are $23. 95 in the United States; ? 12. 00 in United Kingdom; and MYR79. 90 in Malaysia. While its average retail price for online purchases are $14. 00 and ? 12. 00 in United States and United Kingdom respectively. PROMOTING THE SECRET After the phenomenal success of the The Secret DVD, it made sense for it to be turned into a book and what better way for the marketers to embark on promoting the book than playing up the hype of the movie and using the popular internet marketing tool such as the viral video site YouTube. The book was marketed with an online viral video campaign focusing on wealth enhancement. The short video clips showed testimonials from readers of the book and practitioners of â€Å"the secret† claiming that the technique brought them wealth, cured sickness, and brought about a general life-change. The video clips do not disclose what â€Å"the secret† is, where it originated from or how it can be practiced, but rather pointed viewers to the website for both the book and film. Thus hooking the viewers and made them all the more intrigue by the claims made by the author in the book. As for packaging and promotional material, the book also played into the consumers’ senses by trying to showcase that â€Å"the secret† originates from the cosmos. The cover prominently displayed a parchment-brown cover engraved with the image of a red wax seal (see Appendix 1) to indicate it is somewhat a book from the olden days and in the inside pages, the background design are a field of stars, and various shots of the universe thus adding mystique to the claims and the practice. However, the most savvy and most probably the ultimate gambit of the book is to call it ‘The Secret. To quote Mr Donavin Bennes, a buyer who specializes in metaphysics for Borders Books, â€Å"We all want to be in on a secret. But to present it as the secret, that was brilliant. † Thus the name evoke a sense of intrigue to readers who are looking for something magical or perhaps easier tool for them to understand and to fully live their lives. Another smart marketing move made by the publisher was to have it endorsed by well-known and highly popular worldwide celebrities. The book got its first break in the US when Ellen DeGeneres featured it on her show. And when Oprah Winfrey decided to run a show on it, although it was already a big success, the sales ballooned up much more. Oprah Winfrey first featured it on Feb. 8 2007 and according to Nielsen BookScan, the book had sold 18,000 copies the week before. During the week of the show, sales rocketed to 101,000 and when the show did a follow-up on Feb. 16 2007, the sales that week reached 190,000. With the success of the book, the publishers decided to create more spin-off titles, which they call The Secret tools. There are now The Secret to Teen Power (see Appendix 2), The Secret Daily Teachings (see Appendix 3) and The Secret Gratitude Book (see Appendix 4). Not only that, at its official website there are also ‘gifts’ for the readers such as visualization tools, The Secret memory game, wallpapers, ebook and blank checks (see Appendix 5) which goes hand-in-hand with the teachings of the book. THE SECRET S. W. O. T ANALYSIS Strengths 1. The intriguing title. As elaborated above, the title play a major role in inciting readers’ interest in the book. 2. The cover design. Alongside its intriguing title, the odd-shaped book with its olden-days personification invoke a sense of mystery that is definitely eye-catching and surely pique a person’s interest while browsing the shelves at a bookstore. 3. The content is an easy read with its simple language and peppered with inspiring testimonials from many men & women who has experienced the use of the secret plus personal experience & quotations from the the who’s who of the self-help industry. 4. The savvy marketing ideas of the publishers that has created the hype that constantly raise awareness of the book. 5. Endorsement by high-profile & influential personalities that are recognized world-wide certainly helped boosted its sale internationally. 6. Constant high-placing in best-selling charts, most probably due to the savvy marketing ideas of the publisher and as the  long-term effect of the celebrity associated to the book especially Oprah Winfrey. Weaknesses 1. The selling price in Malaysia of RM79. 90 is definitely a setback to potential buyers as the price is rather steep for many people especially for books in the self-help category. 2. The book is not available in paperback form thus some book buyers are not keen on buying hardback cover books due to its steeper price or its slightly heavy weight. 3. The content is not something that is unique and there are many similar teachings that one can get in many other books thus it does lack a little originality. 4. As typical with many New Age teachings, the content of the book has garnered much criticism which try to debunked the book’s teaching as merely hype, mumbo-jumbo or just plain illogical. 5. The book has to complete with many other form of self-help books available that are cheaper, more accessible and from much more renowned authors (Paulo Coelho, Eckhart Tolle, Anthony Robbins) Opportunities 1. Publishers could promote to younger readers especially The Secret for Teens book first and therefore will garner their interest in the main book The Secret. 2. Use the The Secret movie to lure potential readers as there are those who would like to have to book in hand as a way to look back or do revision which is harder to do with the dvd. 3. Offer a cheaper paperback form, thus the book is able to be sold at a cheaper price and therefore garner many more readers. Threats 1. With the easy access to internet, potential readers might decide to check out what the book is about online and thus stumbling on the many critics that the book has garnered. This in turn can make them believe the critics before actually reading the book, thus will result in loss of sales. 2. Like many other things in life, people are apt to stumble upon a new idea for a book or a belief that could help the world, thus there will be brand new books in the future that will probably come with a much more savvy marketing approach and thus will affect the interest of the people about The Secret! THE SECRET CONCLUSION The Secret is a phenomenon and it is likely to become one of the best-selling self-help books of all time. Venture into your local bookstore or look around you while waiting at an airport, and you’re bound to see people reading it and absorbing it. They will not just be people who consult astrologers and who listen to Tony Robbins tapes, but normal, average people like the ones who live next door to you. There are almost 1400 reviews of the book printed at Amazon with an average rating of 3. 5 out of 5. The breakdown of those scores is interesting: fifty-two percent of them are 5-star, thirteen percent are 4-star and twenty-one percent are 1-star. This means that the majority of people, the great majority even, believe in at least some aspects of the book’s premise and teaching. They believe in the law of attraction. The one problem that The Secret poses is that it simplifies and speculates way too much and there are a quite a significant level of moral defects, the lack of scientific backing, and the various philosophical shortcomings, how is it that a significant number of people still believe there’s something to The Law of Attraction? Part of the reason must certainly be the powerful testimonials coming from celebrity figures such as Oprah Winfrey, a woman who attributes her success to her mighty powers of attraction. Of course, that’s a long way from the simple model of Ask-Believe-Receive. In most people’s lives, positive thought leads to success only through the transforming medium of action. But as the author Rhonda said in an interview, she just wants to bring happiness to everybody. That’s the reason it all began. And to her credit, she does bring happiness to many people worldwide and surely there is nothing, in principle, wrong with thinking about what makes you happy.