Advertising Techniques to Lower Ad Spend

Advertising Techniques to Lower Ad Spend Look at the financial statements, specifically the expense reports and budget plans, of any business, and you will find that they have allocated certain significant amounts on advertising.Some may have spent more than others, while others may have done so sparingly, and that could be due to various reasons. Advertising is considered to be one of the necessary expenses of a business.In order to advertise or gain exposure for your product or brand, you have to spend some money. That is what we call Ad Spend. © Shutterstock | safriibrahimIn this article, we will 1) check what do you know about ad spend and 2) how to effectively lower your ad spend with the right advertising strategies.WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT AD SPEND?Ad Spend, which is short for “advertising expenditure,” is literally the amount of money that is spent by a business, company or organization on advertising and announcements for a product, service, brand or activity. Usually, the figure presented is on an annual basis.In this digital age, there are those who are under the impression that digital advertising expenditure should be differentiated from the expenses incurred in traditional advertisement, and the former is what truly composes what we now call ad spend. This notion is not entirely correct, because ad spend also covers spending on advertising media other than digital or online advertising.So what constitutes Ad Spend?Basically, anything that is classified as “advertising expense”. Depending on the marketing and advertising strategies of the company, it may include spending on the main advertising channels such as print (e.g. newspapers, magazines), television, and radio. If the company also advertises in movie theaters and outdoor drive-in cinemas, these expenses will also be classified as ad spend. Other forms of outdoor advertising will also fall as part of ad spend.If you look at how Procter Gamble defines it, ad spend is composed of advertising through traditional media (print and television), online advertising, in-store advertising via displays or third party vendors, and agency fees paid to advertising agencies and professionals. It excludes, however, the salaries and benefits paid to its marketers.Controlling Ads SpendingControlling business spending, in general, is easier said than done. In order to earn profit, you have to be willing to spend some money. That is a given. You cannot keep a tight grip on your company’s purse strings, refusing to spend more than you have to o r want to, and expect revenues to pour in. That is not how it works.However, this does not mean that you have to completely let go of your grip and splurge on business expenditures. You have to control your spending, and one of the areas where businesses find themselves having trouble controlling their expenses is in advertising.The first step to lowering ad spend is to set a budget and to stick to it. It is important to set a spending limit on how much you are willing to spend on advertising your products, services, brand or projects.When setting an advertising budget, some of the factors to be considered are:Advertising strategies of competitors. If competitors are spending tons of money on their advertising, does this mean you have to do the same? Not necessarily. What you have to do is study how your competitors are advertising, and where. Information on how much they are actually spending on ads may not be readily available to you, so what you can do is make an estimate out of your observation of their advertising. You may use that estimate as your benchmark, and find ways to be competitive without necessarily matching their cost.Your company’s advertising objectives. What do you want to achieve by the end of the year? Do you want to increase the number of customers you have by 15%? How much revenue do you expect to earn from this? The estimate may then be used to set a budget for advertising.Your previous years’ ads spending. If your business has been operating for several years already, you can use historical information. How much have you spent on advertising in the past three to five years? Were you satisfied with the results of incurring such costs? Do you need to increase or decrease your ads spending? By what fraction?Budgeting is not the only way for you to control ads spending, since you may also employ advertising techniques to reduce this type of expense.Get some overview on the biggest advertising channels, advertising trends, and benchmar ks from the following slides.[slideshare id=50977127doc=digitaladspendingbenchmarksbyindustry-thecompleteemarketerseriesfor2015-150727161827-lva1-app6892type=dw=640h=330]HOW TO LOWER AD SPEND THROUGH ADVERTISINGA. Evaluate your advertising placements or locationsYou may not know it, but you may be spending your advertising budget on an area or location where you do not have customers. Think about it. You are selling winter clothes, but a great chunk of your advertising is spent in a country that does not even have winter or snow. That’s a huge waste of ad spend right there.From the market studies and research you conducted when starting the business, you already know who your target market is â€" geographically and demographically. These are the areas and groups of people that you should target with your advertising.More often than not, the location considerations will include the following:The country or nation where your target consumers are.The state in the country where your t arget consumers live in.The specific city or cities where your consumers are.Be as specific as you can. You want to be able to reach as many of your potential customers as you can.By identifying and evaluating the locations of your target market, you can choose where to spend the bulk of your ads spending, and where to spend less. It is time to pull out all winter wear ads from that tropical country and turn them instead to your customers in the North.The same is true when considering physical placement of ad signs and materials. A LED screen featuring footage of a product ad situated overlooking a major intersection or thoroughfare will definitely cost more than a simple poster hung on a sidewalk in a sidestreet. Again, consider the product and the market.If your target customers do not really frequent that thoroughfare and they are more the type to walk through that sidewalk, it won’t make sense to spend thousands of dollars on a billboard or LED screen advertisement.B. Evaluate your advertising timing or schedulingHow often, and how long, do you run your ads? Is it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month, 365 days of the year? While this idea gives your advertising department an easy time, since they will just let them run without bothering to work out a schedule, it may be costing you.There are periods known as downtimes, where the ads are not generating clicks. Or, even if they are generating clicks, there are no significant conversions that come out of these clicks. Running ads during these periods is a waste of resources.In social media advertising, run your campaign at times when your target market is online. There is no point running your ads when the people you are trying to reach are not there, to begin with. If you are a company with customers living in a different time zone, make sure you run the campaign when they are awake on the other side of the world. This may require some sacrifice on your part, as you have to be awake when everyone on your time zone is asleep, but that is unavoidable.Change it up a little. Maybe you thought your ad has killer content. “Nobody could possibly resist it” or “they are definitely going to like it and be intrigued by it”. Well, that kind of thinking may not last. Target markets are naturally fickle and may have short attention spans, so they may end up being bored after being exposed to the same ad for a specific period. That’s why it is a good idea to have several versions of the ads, so you can offer variety. You do not want your target market to get tired of you too quickly.Do not get too attached. This is somehow related to the previous tip. No matter how much you believe in the content of your ad, there will come a time when you have to face facts and admit that it is no longer engaging the market. It has already run its course and now performing poorly, which means it is only wasting your ad spend. Pull it out and replace it with something new, instead of spending y our advertising budget on something that is no longer generating any return.Once you have identified the times when clicks and conversions are high, you know which schedule to run your paid ads on. That way, you do not waste precious ad spend on advertisements that will not result in any clicks or conversions.Your choice is to either not run ads at all during those times, or you may continue to run them, but negotiate for lower ad or bid rates. Doing this will help reduce at least 5% of ad spend.C. Evaluate ad content usedIt is the content of your advertisement that will catch the attention of your target market. If they are not catchy enough, or do not pique their interest, then there is no way that they will be convinced to look at it a second time, click on it, or even act on it.Review images and words used. For this, you may need to consult with your advertising experts on picking which images should be used, and what words should appear on your ads. Do not fall victim to verbos e tendencies, where you pack too much information on an ad, turning it into a short novel or a short story.Evaluate search terms and keywords. It is possible that you are paying for clicks that are not related to your business. For example, a flower shop may pay for the phrase-match keywords “free delivery”. This key phrase may then trigger other search terms, such as “pizza free delivery”, “Chinese food free delivery”, and the like. Your ad spend is basically covering all these clicks as well, and the fact that they are not contributing to your business means you are wasting your money. When picking search terms, choose terms that relate specifically to your business, so you will avoid wasting ad spend.Rethink the size of your ads. Ad size also means money. In the Yellow Pages, magazines and newspapers, the bigger the size of your ad is, the higher price you will have to pay. Find a way to decrease the size of your ad without sacrificing content and visibility.D. Go dig italThis is something that many business â€" especially the conservative and traditional ones â€" are still apprehensive about. Many are still dubious about the idea that digital advertising costs less than traditional advertising. Considering that technology is the main tool used, how can that be possible?While it is true that traditional advertising â€" print and broadcast â€" still makes up the bulk of the whole advertising pie, internet advertising is steadily growing, spurred further by mobile technology advancing at a fast clip. Online ads are now viewed, and clicks and conversions are made, not only in desktop PCs and laptops, but also in smartphones and mobile devices.By going digital and taking your advertising online, you will be spending less than what you company is currently incurring on usual advertising channels such as television, radio, magazine, newspapers, and the Yellow Pages. In fact, more and more users are even choosing to go online rather than browse through the Yellow Pages, so you can be sure that moving your ad spend in the Yellow Pages to online advertising will not be a waste.The reach of online advertising is also greater than, say, television, which may only be local or national. Advertise on national TV, and the ads will only run in the country. Advertise online, and you can reach your customers in other countries as well.E. Perform regular organic tests on your social media adsWhat you may be doing is this: you pick one or two ads that you like and feel will work to promote your product and your brand. Then you immediately use these two ads on your paid social media campaigns.You will be commended for your bravery and confidence. But it is not an assurance that you were putting your advertising money to good use. Why? Because you did not test whether the ads that you chose â€" and paid for â€" are the ones that will engage your target market the most.Now here is what you should do when we say you should test your social media a ds organically:First, decide on the content that you want to appear in the ad. Be selective; do not pack it all in; otherwise you will have an ad that looks too stuffy and all over the place.Create the ad â€" several versions of it. If you can create more than three, or even more than five, go for it. You can use different images, messaging techniques, and aesthetics, but always focusing on the same content.Publish the different versions of your ad to your social media profiles at the same time. Simultaneously, if you can. This will take some time, and may normally run over a few weeks.Monitor the published or posted ads and identify the one that generated the highest number of click-throughs. Which ad, and which version, garnered the highest engagement? Which post performed the best?The posts or published ads that registered the highest engagement will be the ones that you should use on your paid social advertisements. These are the posts worth spending your advertising budget on. F. Monitor campaigns regularlyThis is where many companies unknowingly hemorrhage ad spend. They picked an ad, they spent on it, let it run, then leave it at that. They just let the ad “do its work”, without following up on whether it is actually working, or if it continues to work.Ads, especially on social media, have a very short life spans. Its lifecycle is fairly quick, which is to be expected, considering how quickly the movement is in social media. What you post today may be buried by other, newer, posted ads tomorrow. Therefore, vigilance is required, and monitoring is of utmost importance.The great thing about monitoring is how you will be kept on your toes. The moment you realize that an ad is not working, or its engagement is in a decline, you can quickly figure out the reason why and act on it promptly. Being able to catch it early means you can make the adjustments earlier, and prevent your advertising funds from being drained. G. Split or piggybackAnother way to low er your ads spending is to split advertising costs with companies or entities that sell to you, or that you use as a distribution channel. Collaboration in your advertising may reduce your spending on advertising.Similarly, you know when consumers receive their bills or other flyers, and there are other brochures thrown in? That is called “piggybacking”. If you can find a way to piggyback with flyers of your own, offering to pitch in on the advertising cost, that will save you on your ads spending.Prioritization is one of the things that you have to learn if you want to minimize or reduce your spending on advertising. Choose the ones that work, and prioritize them. It is through identifying which you should pour your advertising budget on that you can get started on a more streamlined ad spend, and use your resources on what matters most.

Find Online Education and Teaching Degree Programs 2019

Education and teaching  are essential components of almost every well rounded online school. Young adults who have decided to return to school often look toward teaching, often because they have impressionable children themselves ready to learn at home. As a result, distance learning has become an important resource for people who are seeking to enter the teaching profession at some level while still being able to juggle family life at home. There are online programs for associates of education degrees in Early Childhood Education or certifications as a teachers aide. These secondary roles are often positions that adults, who  have finished raising their children and are ready to return to the workforce, pursue. Certification for these positions is not a  relatively simple  task and can be done through an online program with ease. There are also more comprehensive online degree programs for Early Childhood Education, ranging from bachelors to the doctorate-level. The same is true of the several standard teaching degrees that are available. Online schools have degree programs for a masters in teaching K-12; masters in middle level education (grades 5-8); education masters degree science, grades K-8; and so forth. These distance learning programs are excellent providers  for all of the core academic requirements  to obtain a  job in the classroom. .u7e46bd07eb6fcbdf46aebd14fd3a3494 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .u7e46bd07eb6fcbdf46aebd14fd3a3494:active, .u7e46bd07eb6fcbdf46aebd14fd3a3494:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u7e46bd07eb6fcbdf46aebd14fd3a3494 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u7e46bd07eb6fcbdf46aebd14fd3a3494 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u7e46bd07eb6fcbdf46aebd14fd3a3494 .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u7e46bd07eb6fcbdf46aebd14fd3a3494:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Getting an Associate's Degree in Paralegal StudiesSearch our index of hundreds of Online Education and Teaching Degree Programs offered by Accredited Colleges, Universities and Schools. Related ArticlesEarly Childhood Education Teaching CertificationMasters Degrees in Education OnlineThe Path to Teaching A Bachelors Degree in EducationUse the Internet to Attain a Masters Degree in TeachingAcquiring Your Teaching Degree On The InternetObtaining a Teaching Degree

Customs. Greetings. During Your Business Trip, It’S Important

CUSTOMS Greetings During your business trip, it’s important to learn the correct ways of greeting Saudi’s to form a good first impression. This can be key for the success of your business trip. When greeting, you should show respect by starting with the most senior person first. Greetings can differ in many situations, for instance, men shake hands with men, and women shake hands with other women. A man greeting a woman should be guided by her behavior and women should wait and see how the male greets them. Men should not look, or talk to the women unless they have already been introduced. A simple way to avoid mistakes, is to simply put your hand over your heart. Once introduced it’s customary to inquire about general things like their†¦show more content†¦You can join that conversation, but shouldn’t return to your topic until that previous person has left. In western cultures, the person who asks the most questions holds the most responsibility but in Saudi Arab ia, that person is considered to be the least respected or least important. For this reason, if you are in a business meeting in Saudi Arabia, it is advised not to ask all the question (Saudi Arabia, n.d.). In general, the process of negotiating and making decisions is very slow. Business decisions are made by the highest-ranking person and take several visits to accomplish. They usually need many layers of approval and can also easily be changed. (Saudi Arabia Guide, n.d.) Business Agenda The business agenda for your meeting but may have better success â€Å"scheduling a specific meeting once you have arrived in Saudi Arabia.† (The Saudi Network, n.d.). Among certain obligations for Muslims are to pray five times a day - at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. (Commiscro Global Consultancy LTD 2016, n.d.). They have to stop working when the time came. The exact time is listed in the local newspaper each day. Friday is the Muslim holy day, so everything is closed. Many companies also close on Thursday, making the weekend Thursday and Friday† (Commiscro Global Consultancy LTD 2016, n.d.). Accessibility Upon travel to Saudi Arabia,Show MoreRelatedA Note On Making A Connection1776 Words   |  8 PagesMaking a Connection Other than word of mouth, business cards are essential when trying to make a business connection. It is always important to always carry business cards because making a connection be spontaneous or even when seeking business partners or deals, it often starts with a business card being exchanged. First impression are everything and your card represents you and your company. 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Economic†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦13Read MoreA Comparison Between Chinese Etiquette and the Western Etiquette5197 Words   |  21 Pagesä ¸ ­Ã¨ ¥ ¿Ã¦â€" ¹Ã§ ¤ ¼Ã¤ » ªÃ¦â€"‡åÅ'â€"Ã¥ · ®Ã¥ ¼â€š-生æ ´ »Ã§â„¢ ¾Ã§ §â€˜ With China entry the WTO and will hold the Olympic games in 2008, the relationship between China and Western in politics, economy, culture will become more and more close. It is undoubtedly that the etiquette will play an important role in this process. To the definition of etiquette, China and Western have a different understanding. As Chinese thinks that the etiquette is the common behavior standards that all the members must obey, and its purpose is to keep the normal living orderRead MoreStarting Up a Travel Agency7255 Words   |  30 Pagesmanagement and marketing. 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This paper also looks into some of concepts and theories in intercultural and Cross-cultural communication, thus providing

Putting the Service †Profit Chain to Work Free Essays

PUTTING THE SERVICE – PROFIT CHAIN TO WORK Group – 5 Introduction: Factors that drives profitability Investment in people Leadership Vision – Patina of spirituality, importance of mundane Profitability Technology supporting frontline workers Successful service companies: Banc One, Intuit, Southwest Airlines, Service Master, USAA, Taco Bell, and MCI Compensation linked to performance Recruiting and training practices The Service – Profit Chain †¢ Establishes relationships between profitability, customer loyalty, and employee satisfaction, loyalty and productivity †¢ Measure and management techniques Support services and policies Employee loyalty, satisfaction, productivity Value and service Customer satisfaction Customer loyalty Profit and growth The Links in the Service-Profit Chain †¢The service profit chain is also defined by a special leadership †¢Examples: Herbert Kelleher – Southwest (Patina of spirituality), William Pollard – ServiceMaster (Teacher-learner managers, servant’s heart), John McCoy- Banc One (Uncommon Partnership, system of support) Customer Loyalty that drives Profitability and Growth 5% increase in customer loyalty can produce profit increases from 25% to 85% †¢ Quality of market share in terms of customer loyalty as important as quantity of share in the market †¢ Example: Banc One †¢ Measures of Customer retention †¢ No. of services used by each customer – depth of relationship †¢ Level of customer satisfaction †¢ XEROX Customer satisfaction Drives Customer Loyalty †¢ Polled 480,000 c ustomers per year †¢ Five point scale – satisfaction(product and service) †¢ Relationships between the scores – actual loyalty differed greatly between 5s and 4s apostles †¢ Terrorists – unhappy customers Value drives Customer Satisfaction †¢ Value – related to the total costs (price and other costs incurred) †¢ Example: †¢ Progressive – insurance company – Quick processing and payment to claims – Little policy holder effort – CAT (catastrophe) team Employee Productivity Drives Value †¢ Southwest Airlines †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 7th largest US domestic carrier 86% of employees unionized (total 14,000) Employees can perform several jobs Schedules, routes and company practices to enable speedy boarding and deplaning (15 min. 40% more pilot (70hr/month) and aircraft utilization Fare charges 60-70% lower Customer perceptions of value are very high without additional facilities 14,000 employees – marketing research unit Employee loyalty drives productivity †¢ Study of automobile dealer’s sales personnel †¢ More employee turn over more loss Employee Satisfaction drives Loya lty †¢ Propriety study of a property and casualty insurance company †¢ Southwest – highest retention (95%) †¢ USAA – Insurance and financial services provider Internal Quality drives Employee Satisfaction †¢ Working environment †¢ USAA – telephone sales and service representatives †¢ Information system †¢ Training †¢ ServiceMaster †¢ Attitudes of people toward one another †¢ Cleaning and maintenance †¢ Importance to mundane Leadership Underlies the Chain’s Success †¢ Corporate culture centered on service †¢ Willingness and ability to listen †¢ Examples Relating Links in the chain for management Action †¢ Few have links in meaningful way †¢ Examples Property and casualty insurance company †¢ MCI †¢ Taco Bell  » Employee participation  » Periodic round table meetings, interviews Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ PROFIT AND GROWTH †¢ How do we define loyal customers? †¢ Do measurements of customer profitability include profits from referrals? †¢ What proportion of business development expenditures and incentives directed to th e retention of existing customers? †¢ Why do customers defect? Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ CUSTOMER SATISFACTION †¢ Are customer satisfaction data gathered in an objective, consistent, and periodic fashion? Where are the listening posts for obtaining customer feedback in your organization? †¢ How is information concerning customer satisfaction used to solve customer problems? Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ EXTERNAL SERVICE VALUE †¢ how do you measure service value? †¢ How is information concerning customers’ perceptions of value shared with those responsible for designing a product or service? †¢ To what extent are measures taken of differences between customers’ perceptions of quality delivered and their expectations before delivery? Do our organization’s efforts to improve external service quality emphasize effective recovery from service errors in addition to providing a service right the first time? Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ Employee productivity †¢ How do you measure employee productivity? to what extent do measures of productivity identify changes in the quality as well as the quantity of service produced per unit of input? †¢ Employee loyalty †¢ How do you create employee loyalty? †¢ Employee Satisfaction Is employee satisfaction measured in ways that can be linked to similar measures of customer satisfaction with sufficient frequency and consistency to establish trends for management use? †¢ Are employee selection criteria and methods geared to what customers as well as managers believe are important? †¢ To what extent measures of customer satisfaction, loyalty or the quality and quantity of service output used in recognizing and rewarding? Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ INTERNAL SERVICE QUALITY Do employees know who their customers are? †¢ Employee satisfaction with technological and personal support? †¢ LEADERSHIP – To what extent – – – – – Energetic, creative vs stately, conservative? Participatory, caring vs removed, elistist? Listening, coaching and teaching? Motivating by mission vs motivating by fear? Leading by means personal values vs institutionalized policies? Time spent developing and maintaining culture? †¢ RELATING MEASURES †¢ what are the most important relationships in company’s service profit chain? . We will write a custom essay sample on Putting the Service – Profit Chain to Work or any similar topic only for you Order Now How to cite Putting the Service – Profit Chain to Work, Papers

Natural Resources Diamonds

Botswana is a country found in Southern Africa that is ranked among the highest diamond producers in the world. The tremendous growth in Botswana’s economy over the last three decades is attributed to its valuable diamonds. There are very few countries that produce diamond and this therefore makes diamond to be among the most valuable minerals in the world.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Natural Resources: Diamonds specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper will explore the socio-economic and environmental impacts of diamond mining in Botswana. The price of diamond at the international market is fairly good compared to other minerals. The economy of Botswana is among the best in Africa because the country has large deposits of valuable diamonds. Botswana discovered diamonds for the first time in the late 1960s. At independence, a larger percentage of Botswana’s population was languishing in poverty because the country had not discovered its vast mineral resources (Collier 37). The three main diamond mines in Botswana include Letlhakane, Jwaneng and Orapa. The production of diamonds from the three mines made Botswana to be among the leading diamond producers in the world by 1980 (Collier 56). Botswana has the best brand of diamonds due to their high value compared to those from other countries. The Damtshaa mine which was established in 2002 is the most recent mine in Botswana. Botswana is blessed with large quantities of diamond that is yet to be fully exploited (Collier 113). It is estimated that Botswana produces 25% of all the diamond in the global market. Botswana has an estimated total population of 2.1 million people with an average population growth rate of 1.656% (Dale 75). The adult population in Botswana is estimated to be 39% of the total population. Botswana is estimated to be 581,730 km2 with 75% of its land surface covered by the Kalahari Desert (Dale 76). The country has a high mortality rate as a result of the AIDS pandemic that is very prevalent. The urban population is estimated to be 60% of the country’s total population. Botswana has a life expectancy of 60.3 years (Collier 87). The majority of workers who work in diamond mines are local people with a considerable number of foreign expatriates (Collier 94). The major mining companies have a joint ownership between the government and foreign companies. Almost half a million local people earn their living either directly or indirectly from the four major mines in Botswana. The AIDS pandemic is very prevalent in mining towns as a result of the carefree lifestyles in the towns.Advertising Looking for research paper on geology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many sex workers move to mining towns in order to exploit money from the miners who are well paid (Collier 94). The mining companies in collaboration with the Botswana government have put in place HIV/AIDS prevention programs especially for the mine workers. The people in rural areas practice some subsistence farming and at the same time receive financial support from their relatives in mining towns (Mcntyre 132). Diamond mining has brought significant economic benefits to the local communities in Botswana (Mcntyre 132). The mining industry has benefited the entire country because the majority of government functions and programs are funded using proceeds from diamond exports. Other industries such as agriculture and tourism rely on the mining industry for funding (Dale 66). The education and health sectors have significantly been improved through the building of new schools and hospitals that benefit the local community. Botswana has moved from being among the poorest countries in the world at independence to a middle income economy after the discovery of diamonds (Dale 66). The local communities have benefited greatly from the diamond m ines through the improvement of infrastructure and the numerous job opportunities found in the mines. Mining companies in Botswana work under strict international environmental conservation guidelines to ensure environmental sustainability. The companies conduct frequent monitoring of water; air and land as a way of preserving the natural surrounding and at the same time minimize the potential environmental risks (Dale 114). Mining companies have played a significant role in the conservation of flora and fauna to promote the tourism industry. The mining companies distribute free antiretroviral drugs to minimize the number of employee deaths resulting from HIV (Collier 147). The price of rough and refined diamond has been fluctuating in the last four years depending on market dynamics. Botswana mines an average of 23 million carats of rough diamond annually with an average price of $ 170.36 per carat (Mcntyre 74). Diamond prices are slightly high in the United States with an average price of rough diamond being sold at $ 236.30 per carat (Mcntyre 75). In conclusion, diamond mining is a major economic activity in Botswana that has been instrumental in improving the country’s economy. The mine workers are well remunerated on top of being provided with good working conditions. Safety measures are a priority in all the mines in Botswana and this has reduced the number of accidents that occur in the mines (Collier 156). Australia and the United States record more mine accidents compared to Botswana. The Government of Botswana in partnership with mining companies offers special services and outreach programs for mine workers with medical conditions. The special initiatives have greatly benefited those workers who are infected or affected by the HIV pandemic (Collier 157). Local production of diamond products should be encouraged to create more jobs for the local people. Despite facing its fair share of challenges, Botswana’s mining industry is a perfect model for other countries to emulate.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Natural Resources: Diamonds specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Collier, Paul. Breaking the Conflict Trap: Civil War and Development Policy, New York: World Bank Publications, 2003. Print. Dale, Richard. Botswana’s Search for Autonomy in Southern Africa, New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005. Print. Mcntyre, Chris. Bradt Botswana: Okavango Delta, Chobe, Northern Kalahari, New York: Bradt Travel Guides, 2010. Print. This research paper on Natural Resources: Diamonds was written and submitted by user Mark Mcdaniel to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

“Some Shall Be Pardoned, and Some Punished.” -Romeo and Juliet Essays

â€Å"Some Shall Be Pardoned, and Some Punished.† -Romeo and Juliet Essays â€Å"Some Shall Be Pardoned, and Some Punished.† -Romeo and Juliet Paper â€Å"Some Shall Be Pardoned, and Some Punished.† -Romeo and Juliet Paper â€Å"Some shall be pardoned, and some punished. † This was the verdict handed down by the Prince yesterday at the scene of the aftermath of the long-documented Capulet-Montague rivalry. With both houses suffering the losses of some of their most promising youth to love, lust and misperception, only one question remains: who are to be punished? The main offenders in this charade were Tybalt Capulet (who killed Mercutio) and Romeo Montague (who killed Tybalt and Paris). The problem with punishing the two: they’re both dead. With these two law-breakers out of the picture to whom do you look to next? Friar Lawrence commented on the issue, â€Å"Well obviously the parents. I mean they just let their kids run wild, leaving me to look after them and clean up their messes. † It is true that in the absence of any parental involvement many of the people involved sought advice from the Friar. Both Romeo and Juliet, the central figures of the controversy, were counselled by Friar Lawrence. But was the Friar’s advice really as harmless as it seemed? It was the Friar who married Romeo and Juliet which, indirectly, led to Mercutio’s death and Romeo’s revenge on Tybalt. And it was his bungled plan that later caused the twin suicide of the lovers. When confronted with this evidence Friar Lawrence became defensive, â€Å"I meant well. I was only trying to put an end to the bloody feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. † No matter how ‘well-meant’ a plan may be, when made by a misguided fool it can cause disaster. When placed in the Friar’s position I think I, or any other right-minded person, would handle things a little differently. Any other person would have realized that a marriage between two fighting factions would be more likely to cause tensions to flare rather than bring instant peace, especially when the responsibility for bringing said peace is placed in the hands of the very young. Any intelligent person would also have seen that the risks involved in Friar Lawrence’s plan to unite Romeo and Juliet far outweighed the advantages. Although he maybe a well-meant but misguided fool, the Friar still remains a valid suspect in the case. Not all of the blame can be placed on Friar Lawrence though. We must remember that the cause of the entire debacle was the feud between the adults of the Montagues and the Capulets. To raise your children to harbour such hate for another person or house is a crime within itself. Although there was speculation that the parents had been punished enough through the loss of their children, this reporter believes that they need to pay a little more for disturbing the peace in fair Verona.

Bones of the Buddha - Excavating the Piprahwa Stupa

Bones of the Buddha - Excavating the Piprahwa Stupa 2013. Secrets of the Dead: Bones of the Buddha. Directed and written by Steven Clarke. Executive producers Steve Burns and Harry Marshall. Produced by Icon Films for Thirteen and WNET. Featuring Charles Allen, Neil Peppe, Harry Falk, Bhante Piyapala Chakmar, and Mridula Srivastava. Special thanks to the Archaeological Survey of India, the Indian Museum of Kolkata, the Mahabodhi Temple committee, Dr. S. K. Mittra, the Srivastava Family and Ram Singh Ji. 54 minutes; DVD and BluRay The Bones of the Buddha is an historical entry in the PBS series Secrets of the Dead, published in 2013 and touching on the politically dicey discussion of religion and history in India. Centered around the ongoing research of historian Charles Allen, Bones of the Buddha tells the story of the stupa at Piprahwa, a Buddhist sacred structure in the Basti district of Uttar Pradesh in India. Piprahwa is believed by some scholars to be near the site of Kapilavastu, the capital of the Shakyan state, and the Shakyas were the family of the man who would become the historical Buddha [Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni, 500-410 BC], the center of the Buddhist religion. But more than that: Piprahwa is, or rather was, the family burial place of some of the Buddhas ashes. Historical and Archaeological Investigations Bones of the Buddha details the investigations by amateur archaeologist William Claxton Peppe, professional archaeologist Dr. K.M. Srivastava, and historian Charles Allen to identify one of the most important of the several burial places of the ashes of the Buddha: that belonging to the Buddhas family. After his death, so the legend goes, the Buddhas ashes were divided into eight parts, one part of which was given to the Buddhas clan. Evidence of the Shakya family burial place of the Buddhas ashes was ignored for nearly 100 years due to the damage inflicted by a corrupt archaeologist: Dr. Alois Anton FÃ ¼hrer. FÃ ¼hrer was the head of the British colonial archaeological center for northern India, a German archaeologist who was at the center of a scandal concerning faked and looted artifacts, attributed falsely to the Buddha. But when the excavations at Piprahwa were being undertaken by W.C. Peppe in the late 19th century, the scandal was yet a few months away: but near enough in time to cast doubt on the authenticity of the finds. The Buddhas Cache What Peppe found buried deeply within the enormous stupa was a stone reliquary, within which were five small jars. In the jars were hundreds of tiny jewels in the shapes of flowers. More were scattered within the reliquary, intermingled with burned bone fragments of the Buddha himself: this burial is believed to have been placed here by Buddhas disciple, King Ashoka, 250 years after the Buddhas death. In the 1970s, archaeologist K. M. Srivastava reexcavated at Piprahwa and found, beneath Ashokas elaborate burial, a simpler burial place, believed to have been the original site where the Buddhas family placed the remains. Indian History The story brought forward by Bones of the Buddha is a fascinating one: one of the British Raj in India, when the amateur archaeologist W.C. Peppe plowed a trench through an enormous stupa and found the 4th century BC burial remains. The story continues in the 1970s, with K. M. Srivastava, a young Indian archaeologist who was convinced that Piprahwa was Kapilavastu, the capital of the Sakyan state. And finally it concludes with modern historian Charles Allen, who wanders suburban England and northern India in search of the artifacts, the language and the history behind the stupa at Piprahwa. Most of the all, the video (and the sites investigations for that matter) is excellent as an introduction to the archaeology and history of Buddhism. The Buddhas life, where he was born, how he came to become enlightened, where he died and what happened to his cremated remains are addressed. Also involved in the story is the leader Ashoka, Buddhas disciple, who 250 years after Buddhas death promulgated the religious teachings of the holy man. Ashoka was responsible, say the scholars, for the placing the Buddhas ashes here in a stupa fit for royalty. And finally, Bones of the Buddha provides the viewer with an introduction to the broadening of Buddhism, how it came to be that 2,500 years after the Buddha died, 400 million people world wide are following his teachings. Bottom Line I very much enjoyed this video, and I learned a lot. I dont know much at all about Buddhist archaeology or history, and it was good to have a bit of a starting point. I was surprised to see, or rather not see, any Indian archaeologists interviewed during the filming: although S. K. Mittra and the Archaeological Survey of India are credited at the end, and Allen visits the sites and museums where the relics are deposited. That circumstance led me to do a bit more investigation on my own; more of that later. We cant really ask more of a video: to pique the viewers interest into the past. Bones of the Buddha is a fascinating video, and well worth added to your viewing choices. Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.