Understanding the Statistics of Visual Learners

FACT: Approximately 65 percent of the population is visual learners. FACT: The brain processes visual information 60,000 faster than text. FACT: 90 percent of information that comes to the brain is visual. FACT: 40 percent of all nerve fibers connected to the brain are linked to the retina. FACT: Visual Literacy is the ability to encode (create a visual language) & decode (understand a visual language).FACT: Visual aids in the classroom improve learning by up to 400 percent. FACT: Students who are twice exceptional (2e) are often visual learners. 1. It is a lot less time consuming to watch a movie than it is to read a book plus you can do it all at once. When reading a book you have to keep stopping and starting where you left off. 2. In a movie you can see exactly what is going on (i. e. action, drama, romance); whereas in a book you really have to use your imagination.Time is of the essence – I read a lot and I read fast but if I were to spend my entire weekend doing not hing but reading I’d be pushing to finish three novels (admittedly I read fantasy and they tend to be huge but still). If I spend the entire weekend watching movies (unless I’m watching Lord of the Rings or something equally epic) I can probably knock over about twelve movies. Movies skip out a lot of detail that appears in books, plus they don’t need to describe scenes to you, they just flash a picture and move on.They are quicker in conveying the story. Special Effects – Now it has been pointed out that our imagination has no limitations and special effects do so things that sound really good in books sometimes look quite ridiculous in movies. However, my imagination is limited by my sense of reality and so when a book has a car crash I see a little ding and a bit of broken glass, where as a movie will usually just blow the car up in a spectacular show of carnage.Logically I know the car probably wouldn’t blow up but watching it on the screen I c an go with it. Reading about it, I will usually tone it down. Action sequences – yes you can read action sequences but I find them quite dull. Particularly sword fights. Please do not describe everything single thrust and parry to me if you expect me to still be reading by the time the battle is over. However, in movies†¦ they define the show don’t tell theory. It is a lot more exciting to watch a sword fight than to read a blow by blow commentary on a sword fight.

Father of Modern Management Essay

The satisfaction of social needs is something that is achievable for most individuals. People can meet others who share similar interests by joining relevant clubs or associations and can mix with peers by attending relevant social functions. There are also dating agencies and dinner clubs for those who are seeking companionship. Where ‘social services’ are often required to assist is when a person is unable to easily or practically address these social needs, for example, someone who is elderly or housebound. Organisations such as Age Concern provide facilities like luncheon clubs and day centres, where individuals can benefit from company and conversation. They also collate information on other available resources like reminiscence and friendship groups (Age Concern, 2008). There are many routes to satisfying esteem needs. These include finding challenges of a vocational or academic nature or becoming part of a community group to gain a sense of achievement and social inclusion. For some, actively satisfying their own esteem needs can be a daunting process. Where ‘social services’ can assist is in providing accessible services in a variety of formats. One example is the Gateway Team, part of Poole Social Services (Borough of Poole, 2008) who list their aim as: â€Å"To enable adults in Poole to achieve, maintain and enjoy emotional and social well-being through the provision of a specialised service. † This includes free psychology and counselling services and workshops aimed at addressing anxiety and depression or providing assertiveness training. It also focuses on actively helping individuals to attain social inclusion by providing ideas for getting involved in the local community. Additionally, help is given by sourcing self-help material in the form of books or online resources. The Gateway Team is merely one localized example to highlight available support but this picture is replicated throughout the country with the provision of services available from local authorities, charities, volunteer groups and private organisations. Moving on to self-actualisation, it is important to differentiate between this level and the others within Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. As it is concerned with a constantly evolving set of ambitions rather than a basic set of needs, self-actualisation does not require a ‘safety net’ provided by social services. However, the social services framework can be utilised by enterprising individuals to help realise their potential. For example, undertaking volunteer work can build confidence, increase social networks and heighten the sense of well-being. Additionally, career prospects can be significantly enhanced as â€Å"73% of employers would employ a candidate with volunteering experience over one without† (TimeBank, 2008). In conclusion, this essay has demonstrated that social services, in the widest definition of the term, provide a wide range of facilities to address the Hierarchy of Needs as set out by Maslow. Although society is far from perfect and the eradication of neither poverty nor suffering is likely to be achieved, the assistance available in this country to those in need is comprehensive. Imagine what life was like for those most in need before the welfare state was established and before charities and other caring organisations became widespread. Consequently, the aim should be to bolster this supportive network and make it the very best it can be. Just like people, social services must continue to strive to fulfil its potential. Reference List Abraham Maslow – Father of Modern Management (2007) Available from: http://www. abraham-maslow. com/m_motivation/Hierarchy_of_Needs. asp [Accessed: 4 October 2008]. Age Concern Kingston upon Thames (2008) Social Activities [online]. Available from: http://www. ageconcernkingston. org/whatwedo_socialactivities. htm [Accessed: 5 October 2008]. BBC News Online (2004) Homeless Face More Violent Crime [online]. Available from: http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/uk/4099727. stm [Accessed: 5 October 2008].

Standing Tall: Japan’s Resilient Luxury Market

McKinsey Consumer and Shopper Insights June 2012 Standing Tall: Japan’s Resilient Luxury Market Brian Salsberg Naomi Yamakawa Photograph: Abbie Chessler 2 In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster that hit Japan last year, killing 19,000 people and battering the nation’s already shaky confidence, it was hardly surprising that people didn’t feel like shopping. At the time, the conventional wisdom was that such restraint was likely to last.People would still have to shop for essentials, of course, but the market for things like high-fashion apparel and luxury handbags was surely bound to suffer long-term damage. Such thinking made eminent sense – except it didn’t happen. Fifteen months on, today’s luxury market looks a lot like the luxury market that existed the day before the Great East Japan Earthquake, much as we anticipated in last year’s report. 1 Our findings at the time were necessarily tentative, coming as they did less than three months after the disasters.Today, we can assert this with more confidence. When asked if the disasters had changed their attitudes, for example, fewer than 20 percent of the 1,450 Japanese consumers we interviewed were less interested in shopping for luxury goods than they were before the disasters (Exhibit 1). The Cabinet Office’s Consumer Confidence Survey report from May 15, 2012, shows that consumer confidence has risen strongly since March 2011 (to 40. 3) and is back to up to levels last seen in 2010. Moreover, in a small but telling sample, when we asked 20 Japan-based luxury company CEOs about their sales outlook, every single one said 2012 would be better than 2011, and almost three-quarters said that the disasters of 2011 had no effect (63 percent) or, counter-intuitively, had a positive effect (10 percent) on company performance. Seventy percent of CEOs Exhibit 1: A vast majority of consumers still have strong interest in luxury Wh ich best describes your own attitudes towards shopping for luxury goods since the earthquake and tsunami on March 11?Percent selecting â€Å"Somewhat less interested,† or â€Å"Less interested† on a 5-point scale Less interested 20s n = 224 30s n = 497 40s n = 414 50s+ n = 323 4. 6 5. 8 10. 4 Somewhat less interested 7. 8 14. 6 22. 4 8. 2 12. 8 21. 0 12. 5 15. 7 28. 2 SOURCE: McKinsey Japan Luxury Consumer Survey 2012 were optimistic about the near future and the prospects for Japan’s luxury market (Exhibit 2). Japan’s luxury market rings up between $10-20 billion a year in sales (depending on how the market is defined).That figure is unlikely to grow much, given Japan’s shrinking population, slow economic growth, and cost-conscious consumer attitudes. Strictly from a sales ratio perspective, Japan’s luxury market will continue to wane in importance for most luxury manufacturers. A case in point is LVMH. Just five years ago, Japan accounted for 13 percent of the Exhibit 2: Most executives we surveyed maintain an optimistic view of the future of Japan’s luxury market Which best represents your perspective on the mediumterm future of the luxury goods market in Japan?Percent; n = 20 Somewhat pessimistic 30 35 Optimistic 35 Somewhat optimistic SOURCE: 2012 Luxury CEO survey 1. http://csi. mckinsey. com/Home/Knowledge_by_region/Asia/Japan/japanluxury. aspx 2. Cabinet Office of Japan, http://www. esri. cao. go. jp/en/stat/shouhi/shouhi-e. html 3 â€Å"When it comes to watches, we see customers trading up to higher-end brands and higher-end products. † —Japan president, luxury watch manufacturer company’s global revenue. By 2011, the figure had dropped to 8 percent (and that marked an improvement from 2010).Compare that performance with the rest of Asia, where the company’s sale share rose from 17 percent to 27 percent over the same period. 3 And yet, such figures make it easy to lose sight of one simple reality: Japan remains the world’s third-largest luxury market, after the US and China. more high-end brands than cheaper brands. Not surprisingly, their spending on luxury is not as high as for other age groups, but a higher percentage of them are active in the luxury market (5 percent compared to 2. 3 percent of those age 50 and up).This cohort are more likely to be willing to pay full price and are also more likely to see owning luxury goods as something special. As for men, while they make up a minority of luxury shoppers in Japan, they have stayed more loyal to expensive brands. There are an estimated 3 million men under the age of 34 living alone in Japan. According to government data, average incomes for this group increased by 7 percent Exhibit 3: in 2011, and their spending jumped by 13 percent. Compare this to single women, whose spending grew less than 2 percent, and the average Japanese consumer, whose spending dropped. Young men, it seems, saw the M arch 11 disaster as a good reason to live for the moment, and Japan’s luxury goods market appears to be a beneficiary. Finally, when we look at segmentation by income, Japanese who spend more than a million yen (about $12,000) a year on luxury goods are more than three times as likely to say they are switching to high-end brands than to low-end brands (Exhibit 3). Those who spend less than half as much are reporting the opposite. What we learned Here are some of the most striking insights from McKinsey’s 2012 Luxury Consumer Survey: ?Japan is a market of markets That is, some niches and segments are more promising than others. In terms of products, for example, highend Swiss watches, such as Rolex, Omega, Piaget, and TAG Heuer, have reportedly enjoyed significant growth in the past year. 4 Why? Because luxury consumers seek both emotional and functional benefits. A great watch, they believe, is the kind of item that appreciates in value and can be passed down to the ne xt generation. In terms of behavior, there is opportunity on the sales floor.For reasons that range from a more stable economy to better upselling skills, consumers are trading up in some luxury categories, even as they trade down in others – primarily apparel and similar categories with shorter shelf-lives and greater selections of alternatives. Demographically, younger consumers and men are worthy of particular attention. Twentysomethings are the only group buying Big spenders appear to be â€Å"trading up† to higher-end brands Annual luxury spend (JPY) I am purchasing luxury goods . . . Less often More often Above 1 mil (n = 48) 15 8 I have switched to buying . . More high-end Cheaper brands brands 6 21 0. 5-1 mil (n = 100) 16 5 9 14 Up to 0. 5 mil (n = 953) 22 4 15 5 SOURCE: McKinsey Japan Luxury Consumer Survey 2012 Photograph: Abbie Chessler 3. Wall Street Journal, February 21, 2012. 4. Nikkei Weekly, April 2, 2012. 5. Statistics Bureau of Japan, â€Å"Family In come and Expenditure Survey,† first quarter, 2012. 4 ? Experience is increasingly valued The in-store experience is a key element in enjoying luxury, and it may be particularly important in Japan, whose customers are renowned for their high service standards.Asked what were the key elements that enhanced the buying experience, the top two answers Japanese consumers gave were: 1) The staff was kind, and 2) The staff was knowledgeable. Responses were consistent across categories. Luxury executives tell us that for their best customers, the in-store experience and overall customer relationship are nearly as important as product performance. Luxury brands, by definition, are about high quality and exclusivity; providing an excellent customer experience helps to deliver something extra, and those we spoke with are convinced that doing so is well worth the investment.One executive told us that his company, a luxury automaker, saw tremendous value in closely monitoring the daily cust omer relationship management activities of its sales team and using the information to coach staff, not only on closing a sale, but on upselling various options and features. The value of experience also comes through in what consumers tell us they want. There is clear potential for luxury experiences to become â€Å"the next big thing. † Asked their level of interest in various products, those 30 and up named luxury hotels above all others (it ame in second among those in their 20s). Spas and beauty services also scored highly (Exhibit 4). We also asked one of our favorite questions from previous surveys: â€Å"Imagine you won 300,000 yen (about $3,800) in a lottery today. How would you spend it? † Except for those in their 20s, travel scored highest by a decisive margin (Exhibit 5). ? Digital marketing in Japan has far to go Even the executives we spoke to agreed with this. More than twothirds of them admitted that luxury brands have been â€Å"less successful† Exhibit 4: n capturing the changing behavior of consumers, and just 15 percent called online sales a â€Å"meaningful† part of their business in Japan. At the same time, 90 percent said online marketing and promotion was â€Å"somewhat† or â€Å"very† important. A look at the demographics confirms that digital complacency would be a mistake for most luxury players. For one thing, women are more likely than men Are luxury-branded experiences the next big trend? Very interested Interested Think about the luxury brands you like most. When that brand is associated with the following product or service, what would be your level of interest?Percentage of those who are â€Å"very interested† and â€Å"interested† on a scale of 6; n = 1,458 Total Hotel Perfume Home textiles Cosmetics Furniture Spa and other beauty service Home electronic products 13 10 9 10 8 9 8 26 20 21 19 19 17 17 30 30 29 27 26 25 39 20s 14 16 12 16 9 15 24 23 26 29 25 30 33 38 36 45 40 45 30s 14 11 10 12 9 10 27 21 22 20 20 23 24 32 32 32 29 33 41 40s 15 24 39 50s+ 9 5 6 26 19 19 25 25 35 10 15 25 10 18 29 10 14 23 9 15 24 9 12 21 11 18 29 5 16 21 3 20 4 10 14 22 23 9 15 24 7 17 3 19 SOURCE: McKinsey Japan Luxury Consumer Survey 2012Exhibit 5: Overall, luxury shoppers show an increased appetite for travel Imagine you won 300,000 yen in a lottery today. How would you spend it? Aggregated average by age group; n = 1,458 20s 100% = 244 Luxury goods 26 30s 224 27 40s 497 21 50s+ 414 21 467 22 410 26 257 27 323 22 Travel Hobbies Living expenses Savings Other 27 25 29 32 26 36 37 9 5 20 2 2011 38 12 6 21 2 2012 6 8 32 1 2011 7 7 33 1 2012 9 7 31 3 2011 9 7 30 1 2012 10 8 28 2 2011 11 6 22 4 2012 1 Includes leather goods/bags, shoes, watches/jewelry SOURCE: McKinsey Japan Luxury Consumer Survey 2012 5 We see big tickets becoming even bigger. The level of customization on luxury performance cars has hit a recent high this year: this is where all the money is made. â⠂¬ Ã¢â‚¬â€President, luxury car manufacturer to use digital means on their Consumer Decision Journey;6 this matters because women account for about 75 percent of luxury sales in Japan. For another, almost 16 percent of 20-somethings who had a smartphone or tablet had used it for their last luxury purchase, compared to 5 percent for over-50s; and a full 75 percent of younger consumers had used their device to check prices (Exhibit 6).Capturing the younger consumer is vital, given the looming cloud that is Japan’s relentlessly aging society. As established brands strive to ensure they remain relevant to Japan’s technologically-oriented young people, it is plausible, even likely, that a digital component will be central to those efforts. Likewise social media cannot be ignored. A February 2012 Nikkei survey of Japanese smartphone users showed that about 80 percent of women in ther 20s and 30s, 80 percent of men in their 20s, and 60 percent of men in their 30s and 40s us e social media. 7 ?Old-school rules – by default Because the luxury experience is so important, it stands to reason that both sexes and all ages strongly prefer to do their high-end shopping in person. They still like it best of all in department stores (Exhibit 7). It would be a mistake, however, to conclude that the department store format is thriving. On the contrary: while the sheer number of department stores in prime locations all but guarantees a large audience of shoppers, the tired format has yet to find its place in today’s more dynamic, user-friendly retail landscape.What it all means Based on this research and our experience with many retail clients, we have identified several important implications. ? Own the interplay between digital and in-store touchpoints and embrace social media Just a few years ago, at one of McKinsey’s annual luxury leader dinners in Japan, the consensus in the room was that social media and Exhibit 6: luxury were mutually ex clusive. After all, the thinking went, social media is inclusive by definition, and luxury is exclusive.Today, companies like Burberry are demonstrating just how backward and self-defeating that thinking was. Burberry boasts 12 million Facebook followers, 800,000 Twitter followers, and 12 million views on 250 different YouTube videos. In a statement accompanying Burberry’s results over the sixmonth period to September 30, 2011, Angela Ahrendts, the CEO, Smart phones have become an important tool in purchase process for younger consumers General public Do you own a smartphone or tablet PC? Did you use it for your last luxury purchase?Percent, n = 1,458 Shoppers who used a I used it on my last smartphone or tablet PC on I have smartphone/tablet PC luxury purchase last luxury purchase 20s n = 224 30s n = 497 40s n = 414 50s+ n = 323 12 68 36 53 26 46 20 27 Luxury purchases 23 16 22 12 17 8 19 5 SOURCE: Impress R&D ? Smartphone/mobile use trend survey? , 2012 Luxury CEO dinner re spondent survey Exhibit 7: Department stores continue to play crucial role for the category, but three other channels are also strong Thinking about the past 12 months, what channels did you visit to buy luxury goods? multiple answer) Department Fashion goods n = 296 Leather goods n = 294 Watch/jewelry n = 270 Shoes n = 236 76. 2 58. 1 64. 2 77. 0 Brand shop 35. 5 27. 0 34. 2 39. 2 17. 0 33. 0 Outlet 39. 7 39. 7 Duty Free Shop 35. 4 32. 3 28. 6 29. 7 SOURCE: McKinsey Japan Luxury Consumer Survey 2012 6. The term â€Å"Consumer Decision Journey† refers to the progression from initial consideration, active evaluation, and moment of purchase to post-purchase experience and loyalty, first presented in the McKinsey Quarterly, â€Å"The Consumer Decision Journey,† June 2009. 7.Nikkei Shohi Watcher, â€Å"The ‘Smart’ Set is Mainly Female† (â€Å"Suma-ju† na hitobito shuuyaku wa josei), February 2012, p. 22. 6 attributed the company’s strong r esults to â€Å"continued investment in innovative design, digital marketing, and retail strategies†. Tiffany & Co. has also embraced digital media, with a highly regarded e-commerce site, Facebook presence, and even an iPad app showcasing its famous line of engagement rings. A key to succeeding in social media is to deliver the brand story and heritage consistently across media while tailoring messages to the specific consumer segments that are using each media format.It’s also important to understand the role each medium plays in the Consumer Decision Journey. For example, in cosmetics it can be easier to introduce cosmetic routines (e. g. , how and in what sequence to apply the product) in store, but consumers often seek out additional information and reviews online. For apparel and accessories, customers may go to the store to buy, since they want to be able to touch items and try them on. The initial introduction and attraction often happens outside the store â₠¬â€œ from storefronts, wordof-mouth, or magazines.Winners will be those who can excel at multichannel marketing and sales. ? Make the most of travel retail Japanese consumers love to travel – up to 20 percent of all luxury consumers have shopped abroad in the past 24 months (Exhibit 8). This accounts for the crucial role of dutyfree shops, where a third of luxury consumers have shopped in the last year. Women are particularly prone to stopping by duty-free, with 36 percent of them buying there. As a result of international travel and the Internet, consumers today know what luxury goods cost both inside and outside Japan, and they ay be timing their shopping to take advantage. This is especially poignant for luxury manufacturers – they need to recognize that the consumer relationship with any given brand crosses international borders. That fact has implications for after-sales service, and underscores the importance of maintaining consistency with the face of the brand across both channels and geographies. For a number of years, we have been observing the emergence of â€Å"global tribes†, that is, groupings of consumers who have more in common with their counterparts in other geographies than with their fellow countrymen.Easy access to social media and cheap travel will only deepen this phenomenon. In response, luxury manufacturers will need to do much more than simply accept that today’s consumers are global; they will need to make their brands even more so. ? Manage parallel imports Parallel imports – identical products imported from a foreign country, then sold for much less – cannot be prevented, but can be managed. Some brands are trying to restrict parallel imports by tracking serial numbers to determine where the imports are coming from, and decreasing Exhibit 8: argins for retailers who are caught. Others are putting limits on aftersales services available to parallel imports. Few companies have chosen to move to one global, exchangeadjusted recommended retail price, though that may become a more standard approach. ? Embrace customization and made-to-order luxury Building off a trend popularized by other consumer-goods companies, such as Adidas and Nike in sports footwear, luxury auto manufacturers, and luxury handbag and accessory players are embracing customization.This is consistent with a broader consumer trend in developed markets (the â€Å"My† generation) where niche is replacing mass in many areas and consumers have grown used to customizing everything from their playlists to their iPhone covers. Luxury has always been synonymous with exclusivity, but with so many stores and so many new channels to buy from, we have begun to see a â€Å"commoditization† of exclusivity. In a sense, then, customization is the ultimate in exclusivity. For example, Louis Vuitton recently launched a service in Japan that allows customers to select the leather and then design uniqueJapanes e consumers continue to purchase luxury items abroad 2012 2011 2010 Which of the following places did you make a luxury purchase in last 2 years? Percent of respondents who bought luxury goods in category abroad within last 24 months; multiple answer; 2012 Top 5 Hawaii Korea Europe North America (excluding Hawaii) Hong Kong/Macau SOURCE: McKinsey Japan Luxury Consumer Survey 2011/2012 14 10 12 14 17 17 18 22 21 22 22 25 27 32 19 7 â€Å"We continue to be concerned about the relevance and impact of department stores. We can’t stop experimenting with new concepts. —Japan president, global luxury accessory and apparel player products. Some luxury carmakers tell us their strong revenue growth in Japan has come not because they are selling more cars, but because buyers are loading up on various bells and whistles to create their own personalized, ideal vehicle. Of course, customization comes at a cost to luxury manufacturers, adding complexities to the supply chain and bey ond. It must be reserved primarily for truly high-end products. the number of car-sharers has increased 10-fold, to 170,000, and revenues ould surge to $550 million by 2016, according to estimates from Frost & Sullivan. 9 This shift to value is real and enduring. So, we believe, is the emphasis on discretion. In the wake of the earthquake, the percentage of those who said that showing off luxury goods was in bad taste rose sharply, from 24 percent to 49 percent; this year, it was 51 percent. The quest for value and a desire to avoid the appearance of conspicious consumption are not necessarily antithetical to an appreciation of luxury. These attitudes can co-exist.In fact, that precisely describes the state of the Japanese market: Consumers are ready, willing, and sometimes eager to buy. But they are doing so with rigorous deliberation. Exhibit 9: Brian Salsberg is a principal in McKinsey’s Tokyo office and a leader of the Consumer & Shopper Insights center in Asia. Naomi Yam akawa is a marketing expert in Tokyo. The authors wish to thank Georges Desvaux, Todd Guild, Ryu Iwase, Euljeong Moon, Yuka Morita, and Kohei Sakata for their help. Conclusions Only a little more than a year after the worst crisis to hit Japan since World War II, the Japanese luxury market is stable.Ultimately, it comes down to this: despite deflation and disaster, Japanese consumers continue to want luxury goods and to buy them at a good clip. But – and this has been true since the financial crisis hit in 2008 – they are more cautious about price and more demanding. They do not just want an expensive product to look great and to work beautifully, but to satisfy other needs, whether emotional or even social. Half of luxury car buyers, for instance, say that â€Å"eco-friendliness† is important to them (Exhibit 9). The quest for value, in all its forms, is becoming characteristic up and down the retail chain.As we argued in the McKinsey Quarterly in 2010, many co nsumers have diverted a chunk of their spending away from high-priced prestige. 8 Wal-Mart, Amazon, Costco, Ikea, Daiso, Uniqlo, private-label foods, and the low- to middle-end specialty apparel players are all doing conspicuously well. Then there is carsharing – short-term rentals by the hour. This service barely existed in 2009 (revenues were about $17 million). Today it has become positively mainstream. With many Japanese deterred by the high price of owning and maintaining a car,Photograph: Abbie Chessler What do luxury consumers think of luxury automobiles? 2012 2011 Regarding luxury cars, do you agree/disagree to the below statements? Percent who answered â€Å"strongly agree† and â€Å"agree† within 6 scale; n = 1,458 Luxury cars have characteristics that justify the premium price 20s 30s 40s 50s+ 31 37 33 30 35 33 41 39 9 12 11 11 10 It's worth the money to buy a luxury car for the superb driving experience 13 13 12 Being â€Å"eco-friendly† is as important for luxury cars as design or driving experience 51 47 48 50 56 52 52 44SOURCE: McKinsey Japan Luxury Consumer Survey 2012 About the Japan Luxury Consumer Survey McKinsey conducted this national online survey of 1,450 consumers in April and May 2012, for the fourth year in a row. Focusing on four categories (fashion, leather goods, shoes, and watches/jewelry), we interviewed 250 to 300 luxury consumers (defined as those who have purchased any one of 174 brands in the last two years). We also spoke to 350 â€Å"lapsed† luxury buyers. Two-thirds of the respondents were female. 8. McKinsey Quarterly, â€Å"The new Japanese consumer,† March 2010. ttps://www. mckinseyquarterly. com/The_new_Japanese_consumer_2548 9. Frost & Sullivan, â€Å"Strategic Analysis of the Car-Sharing Market in Japan,† July 2011 8 What McKinsey’s Consumer and Shopper Insights portal has to offer Where do more than 15,000 executives get their daily dose of consumer insights? c si. mckinsey. com. Sign up now. It’s free. ? ? ? ? ? How are China’s hypermarkets different from Western ones? (One clue: those live chickens in the food aisle. ) How is the digital consumer changing? (In six major ways. ) How are Mexican consumers feeling? (Not great. Are global luxury shoppers cutting back? (Not so much. ) Is Poland promising territory for online retailers? (Yes. ) The 21st century has already seen the unimaginable and the improbable. But here is one certainty: The world is about to see the biggest increase in consumption in history. Learn all about it—and be part of the conversation—at csi. mckinsey. com. These are just a few of the questions asked and answered on csi. mckinsey. com. As a global consultancy, McKinsey has the resources, and the desire, to explore the ever-changing, ever-elusive global consumer.To take just one example, we have spoken with more than 60,000 Chinese shoppers to discern what they are thinking, buying and thinking about buying. Here’s another example: Since August 2008, McKinsey has interviewed a representative sample of Americans every six months to track their attitudes and spending. How do the world’s digital consumers spend their online time? We can tell you that, too. While csi. mckinsey. com is a rich forum for McKinsey’s work, we also spotlight the best of others, not only on the site, but on our Facebook and Twitter accounts (@mckinsey_csi).By combining the best of McKinsey and the best of the rest, we add something new to the site almost every day. We believe this makes csi. mckinsey. com the go-to place for those who need the freshest, smartest thinking on why consumers do what they do. What’s next? We want to get our users more involved; we’d also like to diversify how we present our materials. So we hope you will join us as we continue to improve csi. mckinsey. com. Just click the sign-up button on the top right of the site, or emai l us at [email  protected] com. We’ll send you notices of what’s new about twice a month. ttp://csi. mckinsey. com 9 McKinsey Consumer and Shopper Insights You can dowload McKinsey’s previous luxury reports at http://csi. mckinsey. com July 2010 McKinsey Asia Consumer and Retail McKinsey Asia Consumer and Retail Luxury goods in Japan: Momentary sigh or long sayonara? How luxury companies can succeed in a changing market Japan’s luxury consumer: Detecting a pulse? Special Report: McKinsey & Company Japan Luxury Goods Survey 2010 Brian Salsberg Naomi Yamakawa Luxury goods in Japan: Momentary sign or long sayonara? (June 2009) Japan’s luxury consumer: Detecting a pulse? (June 2010) June 2011Consumer and Shopper Insights August 2011 August 2010 CSI Insights Flash June 2010 McKinsey Consumer and Shopper Insights McKinsey Consumer & Shopper Insights Korea’s luxury market: Demanding consumers, but room to grow McKinsey Asia Consumer and Shopper I nsights No seismic shift for luxury in postquake Japan Special Report: Japan Luxury Goods Survey 2011 Understanding China’s Growing Love for Luxury By Aimee Kim and Martine Shin Key themes from the 2011 McKinsey Korea Luxury Consumer Survey Every year since 2006, sales of luxury goods in South Korea have risen at least 12%1, to an estimated $4. billion in 2010. In the first four months of 2011, sales at department stores were up more than 30% compared to 2010. 2 This continues an established trend, as last year’s report on the market showed (see report at csi. mckinsey. com: â€Å"Living it up in luxury. †) Still, insiders are asking whether it can last. For one thing, according to McKinsey’s survey, the percentage of household income that luxury consumers spend on luxury is already higher in South Korea (5%), than in Japan (4%)3—and the Japanese luxury market has been stagnant in recent years.Moreover, the performances of famous brands in Korea ha ve been mixed. For example, LVMH and Ferragamo continued to do well, but others, like Gucci Group and Dior, saw sales drop in real terms in 2010. 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thus, while the headline news is that the luxury market is still growing strongly, uncertainty is also mounting. In this year’s report, McKinsey addresses these concerns, which come in the form of three key questions: Can South Korea keep it up? What’s changing?And what do these trends mean for the players in the luxury industry? To answer these questions, for the second year in a row, McKinsey surveyed 1,000 Koreans who had purchased at least 1 million Korean won ($930) in luxury goods in the previous year across four categories —fashion apparel, leather goods, shoes, and watches/jewelry. Among the respondents were 200 â€Å"heavy purchasers†Ã¢â‚¬â€those who had spent at least 10 million Korean won ($9,300). We also interviewed 24 senior executives of luxury-goods companies. Here’s what we found. 5Let’s start with the proposition that not all consumers are created equal; to a startling degree, it is mainly the heavy purchasers who are keeping the Korean luxury market rolling with such force. For example, Lotte department store estimated that the number of â€Å"Most Valuable Customers†Ã¢â‚¬â€those who spend 15 million won ($14,000) or more a year—rose 14. 4% in 2010, compared to 9. 2% for other kinds of luxury consumers. The number of VIP customers at Shinsegae department store —those who spend more than 8 million won ($7,400) —grew 35%, compared to 12% for other consumers. 6 Shopping at the high end also appears to be habit-forming.McKinsey found that heavy purchasers are much more likely to say that they enjoy their goodies â€Å"as much as I always have† vs. non-heavy customers (33% to 12%). This difference in attitude was reflected in their actual spending: The big-spenders indicated that they had spent more on all four luxury categories in the previous 12 months. Non-heavy buyers were pickier: While they spent more on watches and leather, they spent less on South Korea: Living it up in luxury Special Report: 2010 Luxury Goods Survey McKinsey & Company South Korea Brian Salsberg Naomi Yamakawa 1. Can South Korea keep it up?Yes. A number of trends, small and large, are creating a model of sustainable growth for the next three to five years. McKinsey Insights China Euromonitor Ministry of Knowledge Economy McKinsey analysis Financial Supervisory Service The report surveyed at least 200 luxury consumers for each product category; luxury consumers were screened based on purchase history of select luxury brands (ranging from affordable â€Å"masstige† brands to â€Å"super premium† brands) and included 85 luxury fashion apparel brands, 57 luxury leather goods and shoes brands, and 47 luxury watch/jewelry brands.Asia Economy, â€Å"VIP customers have increased at department stores,† August 28, 2010 No seismic shift for luxury in post-quake Japan (June 2011) Understanding China’s growing love for luxury (March 2011) Korea’s luxury market: Demanding consumers,but room to grow (August 2011) South Korea: Living it up in luxury (August 2010)

Location, Location, Location Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Location, Location, Location - Essay Example Once the business starts, that money can be spent on other income-increasing investments. The next important advantage is the tax advantages in the form of reduced AMT (Doosan Global Finance, 2008). However, there are disadvantages too. First of all, leasing gives no ownership, and hence, returning the product or upgrading the product as one wishes will not be easy. Even if the thing goes into disuse, it will not be possible to dispose off the same, and till the termination of the contract, one will have to pay according to it. The second point is that when the expenditure over a long period is considered, it will cost more than actually owning the property. However, considering the low initial cost, possibility of open credit sources, chances of relocation and modification, it is wise to have property leased of owned (The top 10 reasons, 2012). The very first advice for the friend is to have the mobile home as office instead of building a permanent structure. This is so because not building a permanent structure at this beginning stage has financial advantages. First of all, the cost is spread over a number of years, and this, undoubtedly, helps in controlling the problem of cash flow. In addition, if the decision is to use the mobile home instead of permanent structure, it is easy to get the best location as there is no extra expenditure involved. Another problem is the issue of undercapitalizing. Here, one has to remember the fact that many businesses face failure because of undercapitalizing the business. This takes place because they spend the money on not so important investment. Doing this, especially when there is uncertainty regarding future cash flow, is disastrous. What is required is the strategy of staging investment. In the first stage, the business should not invest in building a permanent structure. In fact, there are a number of benefits as associated with not constructing a permanent structure, especially in accounting terms. They are: it

Introduction Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Introduction Speech - Essay Example Ronaldo was so influential that he helped his country, Brazil, lift the 2002 world cup. Brazil won 2 nil against Germany. The two goals were entirely scored by Ronaldo. Though he is now retired, Ronaldo, remains a football legend who greatly influenced my liking of the beautiful game and ever since then I have never looked back. I have been an ardent admirer and follower of mainstream teams as well as clubs, especially the English Premier League. I will briefly talk about soccer in the US which is governed by the US Soccer Federation, popularly referred to as US Soccer. This is the organization that is charged with the governing of soccer at all levels in the country; professional leagues, national teams as well as the amateur game. Soccer is the 3rd most played team (behind only basketball and baseball/softball) sport in the US having more than 13 million Americans playing it. Soccer popularity has been rising since the 60s and 70s and especially got a considerable boost when the US played host to the 1994 World Cup. Wangerin in his book; Soccer in a Football World, claims that the term football in the US refers to the sport of American football with the sport of association of football being referred to as â€Å"soccer† (Wangerin, 2006). In the US the highest professional soccer league is the Major League Soccer (MLS) which is an equivalent of the English Premier League.MLS started playing with 10 teams in 1996 and has grown to the current 20 teams (17 in the US and 3 in Canada) with more expansion in the pipeline. The MLS begins in March and runs up to December, with the overall season winner being awarded the Supporters’ Shield. The post-season winner gets the MLS Cup. Having an average attendance of more than 18,000 for every game, MLS has the highest average turn out of any sports league in the US. It is also the 7th attended professional soccer league in the world. In conclusion,

Write a report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Write a report - Essay Example Quality needs to go upstream because of the shared responsibility of every player in the supply chain. Deming’s TQM philosophy encompasses not just the visible aspects of the sales process but also the unseen tasks that contribute towards the quality of a product. The traditional method of quality control was laborious and unproductive because it slowed down output and was also very unreliable at getting rid off defective products. The new way of thinking is to locate defective products earlier in the supply chain, which saves valuable time and resources. Increasing quality upstream only works to a point. Quality needs to be located all throughout the supply except with an emphasis upstream. Rework can not only be expensive for a firm, but it can demoralize employees because their efforts are seen to go to waste. Communication between top management and workers is crucial to ensure that rework is only used when it is vital to the objectives of the organization. Crown Audio has recognized the effect that rework can have on employees, and so the company has attempted to make everyone throughout the organization focus on producing high quality products, and if products need to be reworked, then employees are informed about

Should we have the Good Faith Exception extended to searches and Research Paper

Should we have the Good Faith Exception extended to searches and seizures - Research Paper Example ditions. The Fourth Amendment is limited to governmental searches and seizures made by the federal government and also state governments through the Due Process Clause, Justice Felix Frankfurter said in the case â€Å"The security of one's privacy against arbitrary intrusion by the police is basic to a free society† (Wolf v. Colorado [1941])). But in order to understand what an unreasonable search and seizure is, we must fist understand the concept or definition of â€Å"search†. In the landmark case of Katz v. ... Any evidence that are taken in violation of the Fourth Amendment is inadmissible as evidence in any criminal prosecution in a court. The Fourth Amendment protects man from unreasonable government interference in his daily life, although several Supreme Court cases have provided certain exceptions to this general rule. One of this exceptions established by the Supreme Court was made in the landmark case of United States v. Leon (1984) is the â€Å"good faith rule†. The fact of the case was based on a drug case that was under surveillance by the police authority in Burbank, California. Based on the information given by the officer taking the said surveillance, a certain Officer Rombach filed for an application of a search warrant for three residences upon the review and approval of the District Attorney. A state court judge after reviewing the request, issued a search warrant. Hence, a search ensued and the suspects were indicted for federal drug offenses. Upon trial, respondent suspects moved that the evidence taken in the search be inadmissible as evidence stating that the affidavit lacked sufficient proof of probable cause. Officer Rombach replied in his defense that his reliance on the search warrant was based on good faith, believing that the officer that gave the information was based on his personal knowledge that would in effect lead to a proper probable cause. The Courts accepted the defense and thereafter established good faith reliance on a defective search warrant by the court, as an exception to the exclusionary rule in violating the Fourth Amendment. As Justice Brennan and Justice Marshall dissented in the case, I also agree that the good faith exception is a dangerous decision that can violate the civil liberties protected by the

Examine and explain the connection, both political and social, between Essay

Examine and explain the connection, both political and social, between American territorial expansion and the issue of slavery - Essay Example On the other hand, slavery affected the social development of the Americans greatly, most individuals affected were Africans, and thus slavery brought up many consequences. Generally, slavery is one of the consequences of the territorial expansion that the Americans aimed at when wedging the war against France and Britain. The main intention of the America was to stop the two countries, France and Britain, from disrespecting their territory and rights. Therefore, the war against France and Britain has resulted in the political and social development of America. After Madison came into power, he decided to declare war against the Great Britain from France and Britain had refused to respect America’s rights. The American Revolution started 29 years before the United States of America wedged war with the Great Britain (DBQ #7, DOC. #7). The Americas leaders kept quiet for a long time but France and Britain kept on stopping and seizing Americans ships and cargos, and kidnapped the American sailors. This articulated the American leaders, especially Madison, who came later into power, to declare war against them because he wanted them to respect the rights on the high seas. The Foreign Relations Committee of the House of Representatives of the United States gave a report on the widening conflict of the United States against France and Britain (From Annals of the Congress of the United States, Twelfth Congress). The report indicated that the United States claimed their right to the use of the ocean for transporting their vessels, their product, and in the acquisition of the raw materials for their industry (DBQ #7. Doc.1). Following the speech presented by John Randolph of Virginia, one of the congressman, he stated that when the people go to war they do should not just go to fight for the maritime rights but for farmland since the Gentlemen from the North have been instructed to go to the land (DBQ #7. Doc.3). Therefore, president Madison had at last to declar e the war against France and Britain since they had complained but the two countries did not take any actions towards their complaints. President Madison declared that they behold the war against the Great Britain for withholding their vessels from lawful destinations and for not taking any actions on the victims of lawless violence (DBQ #7. Doc.4). On the other hand, slavery affected the social development of the Americans greatly, most individuals affected were Africans, and thus slavery brought up many consequences. Slavery in America started during the revolution of the America (Lord Dunmore’s proclamation, Virginia, 1775). Lord Dunmore continued to state that he requires people who are capable to bear arms to join his army or they will become the traitors to his government (DBQ #9. Doc.1). Most Africans became victims of slavery. Slavery resulted in deprivation of Africans to enjoy the profits of their labor and they were denied to inherit property from their parents as the white people did. The black people were denied the right to vote as the rest yet they were supposed to enter the defense force. The slaves had the determination to be free one day. According to the Letter to ministers from the Vermont Colonization Society, 1820, slaves had a right to be free and the society owned the colony of Liberia for harboring slaves (DBQ# 9. Doc.10). The African Americans also received harsh slavery treatment and as a result some of the African American citizen like Prince

Pfizer Macroeconomics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pfizer Macroeconomics - Term Paper Example Unemployment is also another macroeconomic variable that affect the company’s’ supply and demand. When the percentage of the unemployed is high, the market for medicines is low. This is because the unemployed will prefer buying the cheaper and the local medicines that are available in their location. Thus, unemployment leads to low sales in Pfizer pharmaceuticals (Gupta, 2004). Inflation also has affected the supply and demand of Pfizer pharmaceuticals. This happens when the economies of the countries that the firm supplies its products grows and pushes all prices significantly over a particular time above the actual utility value of goods and services. When there is cost-push inflation, the company is forced to pass the cost to the consumers leading to increased prices. The result from the cost-pull inflation is that there is low demand for our products and usually our competitors take advantage of the situation. Also, interest rate is another variable that affect the demand and supply of our medicines. When the interest rate is high in a particular country the demand tend to be low as the cost of obtaining credit is high. This hinders those people who want to start chemists business to not demand our products as they cannot access funds to boost their purchasing ability (Barro, 2007). The chart shows data during a period of five years. When the GDP of France is high it is evident that the unemployment rate is low. Thus, the Pfizer get to make more sales as the demand is high. When the interest rate is high the demand of the product tends to reduce (Marthinsen, 2014). In conclusion, the observation that I make from the movement of microeconomics variables in the Pfizer’s pharmaceuticals is that they affect the supply and demand of the company’s product. A variable like the inflation tend to increase the price of the drugs in the market. This is evident due to an abrupt growth of a country GDP which makes the

The cornerstones of character Essay Example for Free

The cornerstones of character Essay Challenges are the cornerstones of character. They are natural parts of life that not only support change, but they also strengthen the mold of which we are made. Of the many forms challenges that appear, two challenges (one of which is inevitable and the other that is self-imposed) do their parts to alter who we are for the better. Though a natural part of life, death, in any form, evokes and arouses many conflicting emotions. Experiencing my grandmother’s death at the age of sixteen marked the first time I attended a funeral. The fact that it was the funeral of someone very dear to me made my first attendance extremely difficult. The black dresses and solemn looks mirrored the emotions I felt inside. The beautiful remarks about my grandmother did little to comfort me or provide supplement for the inner loss I felt. Moreover, knowing I had to let go continuously battled the potent feeling of not wanting to let go. While old enough to realize that death is a natural end to life that must come at some point, I was also cognizant of the fact that death had marked an end to a very valuable friendship. My grandmother was the epitome of wisdom. Though her words of wisdom will forever resonate in my mind, I will deeply continue to miss her reassuring voice and still harbor a bit of resentment towards death for permanently depriving me of time in the future that I could have spent listening and learning from more of her valuable advice. One lesson learned from my grandmother’s death is to seize and savor each present moment. A newspaper article said that the present is so appropriately named because it is a â€Å"gift†. Gifts are meant to provide pleasure on more than one occasion. Thus, I have learned to assume and appreciate the times with my grandmother as invaluable and lasting sentiments. Approximately one year after my grandmother’s death, my idol and role model announced that life was too hard for him to continue. Working full time and attending medical school proved to be too challenging for my brother. He would go to classes during the day, take short naps, and whisk off to his night job. Though his goals were noble and definitely attainable, my brother failed to recognize his limits. Going to class required usage from the mental power source, for which a couple of hours of sleep could not replenish. The job required more mental effort as well as physical effort. As a result of his self-imposed ideals, my brother reached a point of exhaustion that threatened his logic and life. Between the two demands, my brother cracked under the pressure. He had simply stretched himself too thin. Witnessing my brother’s breakdown taught me that having high goals is acceptable, but that reasonable planning to reach those goals is just as important. When pursued logically and strategically, high goals will still challenge, but they will also prompt growth. On the other hand, pursuing elevated goals irrationally results in unnecessary stress, which results in a despondent state of mind and eventually death. Though one goal takes precedence over the other, my brother did not have to completely abandon one for the sake of the other. School was definitely a priority that could not be compromised. On the other hand, his job could have been part-time instead of full-time. Obviously, my brother was not going to make a sufficient amount of money working his current job; therefore, the number of hours were not as important as school. By continuing to pursue school as a full-time endeavor and reducing his work hours, my brother found a functional medium that allowed him to better balance both endeavors. Life is a gift of challenges that condition and a reward that serve as reminders. The challenges are there to strengthen us and aid in our growth to become better individuals. In addition, those challenges help us to recognize and appreciate the rewards. Though each serves in a different capacity, both should be taken with great care. Without either, we would be stuck in a stagnant pool of convenience surrounded by false senses of hope and security.

Freedom Of Speech And Expression Study On China Media Essay

Freedom Of Speech And Expression Study On China Media Essay Almost every country in the world has a constitution, which outlines the basic laws and political principles of a government. Within this constitution are the freedoms, rights and liberties of its people. One such freedom is the freedom of speech and expression, which is the fundamental right to express your thoughts, views, concerns and ideas. This privilege includes communication through speech and writing and non-verbal forms of communication, such as picketing or demonstrating to convey discontent. There is truth to the adage that actions often speak louder than words. Freedom of speech and expression is not absolute. There are boundaries that must be observed. For example, you cannot destroy or otherwise damage the reputations of other people with untruths or distortions of the truth. As every individual has the right to speak ones mind, so then do we have the right as well as the obligation to hear what others have to say, and one must be tolerant of what the message is. As George Orwell said, If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they dont want to hear. Censorship is an ugly reality. In the media, we often see it portrayed on posters and placards as an angry slash across a mouth or perhaps a hand covering the mouth or the eyes. The truth of the matter is that it is persistent and insidious throughout the world, not just in countries notorious for repressing its citizens but in our own back yard. Freedom of speech can never totally manifest itself, as censorship is always nearby. One must ask the question, then, are people truly free to express their thoughts? The Peoples Republic of China is the worlds most densely inhabited country with roughly 1.3 billion inhabitants. In terms of world economies, it is second only to the United States, and, assuming it continues to modernize at its present rate, will have the worlds largest economy by some point in the twenty first century (Bloomberg). It is a nuclear power, occupies one of the five permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council, has achieved very high and sustained rates of economic growth and has managed to pull hundreds of millions of its own citizens out of poverty. Regardless of these achievements, China still has a number of significant problems to deal with, such as inadequate health care and environmental protection and the significant issue of ethnic tensions between China and Tibet. As for its government, despite attempts to amend Chinas political system, it remains a steadfast communist state. The Chinese Empire united a huge territory and many different peoples. During the more than two thousand years of imperial rule, China developed a mode of government that was highly dictatorial, willing to use violence to suppress dissent, and which stressed the value of the group over that of the individual. The Republic of China was established on January 1, 1912, and was then replaced by the Peoples Republic of China on October 1, 1949. Censorship in the Media This rigid form of government is still in place. In an article written for Reporters Sans Frontià ¨res, an undisclosed Chinese technician reported that it has a great deal of power and is highly controlling, using most of the traditional news media such as radio, TV, and print to maintain its unbending power over its citizens and policies. The Communist Party of China, abbreviated to CPC, has forbidden autonomous news and independent information. When a brand new source of information surfaced, called the Internet, the same level of control that the government once had was somewhat lost. The Internet is the first avenue to present an immediate method of sharing and expressing personal views to the public, and within China, these views are often oppositional to the governments perspective. (Journey to the Heart of Internet Censorship) Merriam-Webster defines censorship as the suppression or deletion of anything that is considered to be offensive, immoral or harmful to society. It follows, then, that Internet censorship is the suppression of any and all information available via the Internet that may be considered to be offensive, immoral or harmful to society. The Communist Party of China heavily supervises this accessible information in order to protect itself and to ensure that its citizens are not armed with any rebellious or otherwise contrary ideas. Any commentary that does not adhere to the official government position must be amended or the reporter is fired. All internet service providers operating in China must practice self-censorship or risk the loss of their license to operate. This stranglehold that the government has over these private websites is the countrys best form of censorship. The keystone of the censorship system in China is that basically ownership is censorship. If you own something Web site editor, newspaper editor, press group owner you are responsible for what is there. (Bequelin) It has been suggested by various western reporters that a further motive for Chinas Internet censorship is so that the government may be able to coerce its population to buy local, so to speak, as the open market is not readily available. This practice therefore may be an artificial boost to its own e-commerce industry. Although this censorship exists all over the world, China practices it at an extreme level. The Paris based organization Reporters Sans Frontià ¨res, RSF, has China on its Internet Enemy List, ranking it 171st out of 178 countries (2010) in terms of press freedom. China has implemented the worlds most complicated information barrier to monitor the Internet material coming into China from outside the country. They screen the constant stream of information, watchful of certain key words, blocking out harmful sites. This barrier has been coined The Great Firewall of China. Nearly all Internet data enters or leaves China via fiber-optic cables at three points, and the Chinese government has ordered Chinese Internet carriers to install routers there, which act as gatekeepers by filtering out material deemed illegal. The government provides carriers with a list of all the banned sites, identified by their Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and URL (uniform resource identifier), and these are simply fed into the filters. (Petley, p. 104) This Great Firewall of China was built primarily by Cisco, an American-based multinational corporation that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking and communications technology and services. When the Internet search engine Google launched a special version in early 2006 that would censor searches for topics that the Chinese authorities did not wish its citizens to discuss, it was widely regarded as a concession by the company to a regime unwilling to allow free speech. Google maintains that the only way they could remain in China and be competitive with domestic search engines was to offer Google.cn. Yahoo, Microsoft and Skype all justify their censored versions of their product offered to China by claiming that these modified editions are necessary for them to be able to participate in the worlds largest market. In 2008 the eyes of the world fell on Beijing, as it hosted the summer Olympic Games. This was an opportunity for China to show the world how far it had come since the reforms of 1978 in terms of economic, political, and social development. The infrastructure, planning and the games themselves were a huge success, generating enormous global television audiences. However, early on in the Games it became clear that the Chinese government was censoring journalists access to the Internet in the official media center. In its bid to host the Games in 2001, the Chinese government had promised to give journalists complete freedom to report from the Games. However, when the time came, journalists found they were unable to access Internet websites related to human rights issues, popular unrest, Chinese politics, Taiwan or Tibet or even food safety issues. Despite international outcry at the censorship, and some slight changes in the level of censorship, journalists were never able to attain co mplete, unrestricted access during the Games. Tiananmen Square The Chinese government continuously manipulates or restricts history if they perceive it as a threat to the social, political or economic stability of the country. One such incident is the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989. Tiananmen Square is the worlds largest public square situated in Beijing, China. It has been the location of many historical events, such as the May 1919 uprising, Mao Zedongs proclamation of the Peoples Republic of China on October 1, 1949 and the Massacre on June 4th, 1989. Although the protests were centered in the square, it has been reported that there were no deaths in the square itself, but rather in the streets surrounding the square. Hu Yaobang, a pro-democracy government official, died on April 15, 1989. With his death came peaceful memorial demonstrations in Shanghai, Beijing, and other cities by students and intellectuals. By April 21, the crowd had grown to roughly 100,000 people. The demonstrators were demanding economic change and an end to the Chinese governments authoritarianism. By May 19, martial law was declared, and military vehicles began to mobilize. Some students began a hunger strike, which grew to thousands, to coincide with a state visit by Soviet party Chief Mikhail Gorbachev, as his presence was covered by foreign media representatives. The government was humiliated. On the night of June 3rd, the government acted. They ordered the Peoples Liberation Army to clear the square and put an end to the protest. No one knows for sure the death toll. Many more died in the days and weeks following, as the government systematically eradicated any remaining dissidents. The International Red Cross put the number of casualties at 2,800 dead and an equal number injured, while Amnesty International believes the number to be closer to 1,000. To this day, the entire events of that period in Chinas history remain unknown. The government refuses to acknowledge the actual number of dead, wounded, imprisoned and executed. In 1991, Prime Minister Li Peng, who had ordered the Tiananmen shootings in consultation with Deng Xiaoping, stated the Partys position, which has not changed since: in view of the families desire for silence and secrecy, the names of the victims would not be released. ((Sorman, p. 160) Chinas economy suffered as the world reacted with international restrictions. Foreign loans to China were suspended by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and various governments, such as Japan, suspended all loans to the country. President Bush cancelled all military sales to the Chinese government. Tourism revenue decreased drastically. While other communist countries in the world were falling, the crackdown had the opposite effect than what the students had originally protested for. Censorship in Religion China is officially an atheist state; however, religious freedom was always guaranteed under the Peoples Republic of China constitution. Despite this supposed freedom, only five religions are officially accepted. These are Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Taoism and Islam. All are strictly controlled by the government. Since the reforms of 1978, the Chinese government has been more tolerant of the revival of religion, in the belief that it will foster greater social cohesion. One religious organization that it will not tolerate is Falun Gong. Although in its earlier stages the government watched and monitored the movement, as it grew in popularity, the Communist Party of China declared it a heretical organization in October 1999. The CPC believes it to be a well organized political group that is in opposition to the central government. Conclusion In recent years, China has begun to relax some of its rigidity. As of October 2008, foreign journalists would not be required to get government permission to travel within China or interview Chinese citizens. However permission was still needed to travel and report in restricted areas such as Tibet and Xinjiang. 2008 saw many of the worlds economies plunge, and China too, felt the downturn. As the global financial crisis worsened, the CPC has allowed some of the bad news reports concerning the economy to be available to its people. This is an important point as one recent immigrant to Canada from China told AFP, the media is different here. In China it is propaganda, promotion of things well done. Here they speak of disasters or human rights, look for negative sides. (Chinese Media) Despite these progresses that China has made in recent years, it is still so heavily censored by a government that is intolerant of its peoples thoughts, opinions and concerns. It is quite obvious that the Chinese are not truly free to express their thoughts. In an address to the officers of the US army in 1738, George Washington, the first president of the United States of America said, If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter