To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: essays research papers

To Kill A Mockingbird Many say that the central theme in the movie To Kill A Mockingbird is southern society and racism, but the central theme is the mockingbird, of which racism is a small part. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and father of two children living in Maycomb, Alabama, says: â€Å"they say that to kill a mockingbird is a sin because all the mockingbird does is sing for us all day.† The mockingbird symbolizes something or someone who is attacked by society unjustly, and that includes two characters. First, the mockingbird theme holds true for Tom Robinson. Tom is a black man who works as a field hand and is charged with raping a white girl and put on trial. Atticus defends Tom in the trial and makes it clear that Tom is innocent and even proves that someone else was responsible for the girl’s wounds: her father. Even though Atticus has proved Tom innocent, he is still declared guilty, put in jail, and sentenced to death. Another character, Boo Radley, also fits the mold of the mockingbird. Boo was probably just a normal boy who was unfortunately born to parents who weren’t the nicest in town and liked to keep to themselves. It was rumored that, as a child, Boo was cutting out articles in the newspaper for a scrapbook and when his father walked by, Boo plunged the scissor blades into Mr. Radley’s leg, took them out, and just kept cutting the newspaper like nothing had happened. From that point on, his parents kept him locked in the house. The whole town was convinced that he was something of a monster and came out at night peeking in peoples’ windows. It was even rumored that he wilted every flower he passed. Throughout the course of the book, Jem, Atticus’ son, finds little treasures in the hollow of the tree by their house: a watch, a ball of string, a spelling bee medal. When Jem is attacked by a drunken man one night, Boo Radley comes to his rescue and finally shows him self, and it is evident that he has been the one leaving the treasures in the tree in an effort to bond with Atticus’ children. Why are these innocent people being judged by society? Surprisingly, it’s the same reason that racism started: people whose lives were secure and comfortable started to become threatened by something different that might alter their lives and felt the need to remove the threat.

Evaluation of Advert :: essays research papers

Evaluation of Advert My advert uses a woman’s moisturiser and places it along side a man. This is challenging the representation of men because in a normal advert it would of featured a women because it it’s aimed at women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I started by placing a blue and white gradient background. This is plain and minimalistic but at the same time adding some colour to the advert whereas plain white would have appeared bland. I used blue because it is a very cool colour and is linked with cold colours and ice. I am trying to put across that the product is cool and ‘Smooth’ so cool blues play an important part in the colour scheme. I then added a picture of the product. I placed this in the top right and is quite big. This is to get across the product so there is no confusion in what is being advertised. I surrounded this with a black stroke to make it stand out even more and seeing as the top of the background was nearly white, and having a white bottle the two were hard to tell apart.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I then placed the name of the product next to it in cool, stylish colours but at the same time they contrast the blue and white and stand out really well. I used and effect that is help created by the program I used that appears as the letters are 3d and are ‘gel’ like.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These were then complimented by a ‘And be’ which is the start of the slogan I chose to add. They are in big, Bold and black letters with a white outline to help it, again, stand out. This was placed in the centre of the advert so that they start to read the line and then it is followed through by the rest of the slogan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The came the rest of the slogan which was ‘Smoooothe’ with too many O’s on purpose to stress the effect. These are in metallic green colours which are bold and vibrant. I stretched the first letter to kind of give the effect of the word zooming in at fast speed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then I added a male model in black and white in the bottom left, He has an open, revealing and seducing shirt to attract people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I then added a bold blue and green border that uses the same gel like effect as the name of product.

Unit 5- Reflective Account

Unit 5- The principles underpinning the role of the practitioner working with children Introduction During my third placement, I worked at a nursery and children’s centre. I was based in a baby room with children aged 0-2 years old. Although I was based in the baby room I often helped out in the 2-3 room if it was busy and I was needed. In the baby room there were always three level 3 qualified early years’ practitioners. This was the same in the 2-3 room plus a support practitioner.All the children in the baby and 2-3 room had an individual learning plans; this helped the children achieve the best they could out of their time in the setting. All the planning in the setting was based on each individual child’s individual needs and was age appropriate. All the children also had key workers. The key workers carried out observations and were in charge of all the paper work involving the children in their group. Task 1- Give examples of situations in which you have w orked as part of the team P5. 1 Give examples of EACH situation in which you have worked as part of the teamAn example of a way I have worked as part of a team is helping out in the 2-3 room when the room was busy and the setting was short of staff. Another example of a way I worked as part of a team was by helping the practitioners obey parent’s wishes. An example of this was ensuring the babies didn’t sleep for longer than their parents had said. For example there were twins who were 11 months old who attended the setting 8am till 4pm and were only allowed to sleep for an hour while in the setting. I worked as part of a team to ensure the setting was safe for the children at all times.For example if the sand pit or the water tray was out, the setting made it my responsibility to sweep up any spilt sand or mop up and spilt water to prevent an accident. Another way I worked as part of a team in the setting was to ensure at meal times one of the children didn’t c onsume any of the foods he was allergic too. P5. 2 Describe how you carried out the instructions given to you in a responsible way I carried out instructions in a responsible way by helping out when I was needed in one of the other rooms.For example when it was quite in the baby room and the 2-3 room needed my help. I was asked by one of the practitioners to help her with the children’s lunches because she didn’t feel comfortable doing the lunches on her own. I carried out instructions in a responsible way by listening to the instructions given by the practitioner and did what was asked of me. Another way I carried out instructions given to me by the practitioners in the setting in a responsible way was learning each children’s care routine which was asked of me so I knew how long each child was allowed to sleep for.If I was told to put a child to sleep, once asleep I was told to record this information on the sleep chart. Because I put this child to sleep, I wa s then responsible to ensure this child didn’t go over their limit. For example, if a child could only sleep for an hour, once the hour was over I then woke up the child. I carried out instructions given to me in a responsible way by sweeping up spilt sand or mopping up any spilt water correctly when i was asked to by the practitioners. This was extremely important when maintaining any of the settings policies on health and safety.I carried out instructions given to me by the practitioners in the setting in a responsible way by sitting next to the child at snack or meal times ensuring the child did not eat any of the foods the child was allergic to. This was sometimes difficult because the child was allergic to many kinds of food. These included: tomatoes, cucumber, brown bread and apples. P5. 3 Describe how you provided feedback to team members about a task in which you have been involved When feeding or helping the children eat their lunch, I provided feedback to the practi tioners in the setting on how the child ate their lunch.For example, I provided feedback to the practitioners on what exactly the child ate, how much of the lunch the child ate, how long they took to eat it and whether or not the child fed themselves or needed help feeding themselves. I had learnt it was important for practitioners to build strong relationships with parents and I understood it was important I gave the correct feedback to the appropriate practitioners because the information was then forwarded to the child’s parents when they came to collect their child. P5. 4 Reflect on each situation and identify where you could make improvements and act on advice given to youReflecting back on each situation where I had worked as part of a team I would make some improvements on the way I acted on advice given to me. For example, when a child in the setting had slept for as long as they should, in future instead of waking them up and leaving them, I would stay with the child in till the child was properly awake. Ways I was told to do this was by sitting by the child and reading them a story, singing a song with them, distracting them with a toy or simply just talking to them in till the child got up to play.I would also make improvements when ensuring the room was safe for all the children, I would do this by in future instead of waiting for one on the practitioners to tell me sweep up spilt sand or mop up and spilt water I would do it as soon as I saw the hazards to prevent any accidents in the setting. Another improvement i would make in future would be if snack or meal times included any of the foods children were allergic to; I would make sure the foods were not accessible to the children.For example if the children were having vegetables for snack, the vegetables are usually left in the middle of the table and the children then choose which vegetables they won’t by picking them and putting them in their bowl. This was where I had to be care ful and watch the children carefully. In future I would not leave the tray in the middle of the table, id pick up the tray and go round the children asking what they wanted, this way would have made it allot easier to ensure the child didn’t eat and foods he was allergic to. Similar article: How Different Types of Transitions Can Affect Children

My Opinion About A.A.Milne’s “A Word for Autumn”

What can be more dreadful than autumn? Every year we say farewell to summer and always think of it as the end of the world, to tell the truth, me, too. Undoubtedly, there are people who are fascinated with autumn, they like it. Anyway, it’s a beautiful time of the year, very picturesque and bright, especially during September. Leaves are red, orange, yellow, golden brown and amber. The air is cool, crisp and the sky looks darker and more boundless in the evenings. But†¦it’s autumn and nothing can be done till the next June. It’s like a damnation and a punishment for relaxed and carefree summer we’ve just spent. A. A. Milne shares the other point of view in his essay â€Å"A Word for Autumn†. The narrator is kind of a relativist here. He is like Zen-Buddhist, the good and the bad are making the one, main law of life for him, they are indivisible and everlasting. â€Å"I had been thinking of the winter as a horrid wet, dreary time fit only for professional football. Now I can see other things-†¦Ã¢â‚¬  These other things are too the part of our mundane and routine life but they do decorate it and make cheerful: sitting near by fireplace, having long talks with your parents or beloved ones during long and cold autumn and winter evenings, reading books or just muse on some things: â€Å"Good work shall be done this winter. Life shall be lived well. † But I want to think a little about summer. Why do we like it so much and cherish it’s every day? Why does it so much influence our mood? Summer comes every year like an award for the long and cold winter that we’ve managed to withstand. It’s my way of seeing it, of course, you may not agree with me. We like the sun, it’s warm and bright rays that are meeting us every summer morning, we’re fond of sunsets that stay in our memory for long time. It’s great time of camping weekends, holidays on the sea-shore and long evening walks in the city parks. I like that trees and grass are so emerald green, I like azure blue sky and light clouds in it and the warm wind. These are things I like about summer. I see that people on the streets are more open and smile when summer comes. I think it’s in the air, this feeling of happiness, of youth and joyful moments. Everything makes a mix of complete and sunny summer bliss and that’s how it goes from year to year. That’s why, may be, it so important to keep this feeling and thought inside, and bring it throughout autumn and winter. We still don’t have such a skill. To be honest, me not. I try to cultivate this habit in me but every time it’s in vain and A. A. Milne on the contrary succeeded in it and I’m a little envious about him in this way. He is epicurean here, he takes the best of life while he can, he enjoys every moment of life. He sees it’s beauty in the fresh celery and â€Å"a wedge of cheese†, in vegetables and fruits, in the pipe he just smoked, in taverns and London inns. And here comes the thought that it’s a good life and it’s going to be this way no matter what happens. The narrator wanted to make us think about it and he did. He ensured me and here I agree with him that: â€Å"The end of the summer is not the end of the world. Here’s to October-and, waiter, some more celery. †

The exploration of the human nature, of the mind and of experience, forms the basis for the works of writers like John Donne or Jonathan Swift

The exploration of the human nature, of the mind and of experience, forms the basis for the works of writers like John Donne or Jonathan Swift. Swift fully utilizes the psychological realism as he tries to be as faithful to the nature of human mind as he conceives it to be, while Donne injects drama and passion into the lyrical form and enlivens the poem through the speaker's voice. Throughout his poems, John Donne considers his own character, expresses emotions, and searches for a place in a society as well as for salvation. The reader is involved in the drama between the speaker and the â€Å"blank† audience and the use of conceits and paradoxes aid in establishing the change and turmoil within the speaker or the poet. As John Carey writes in his essay, â€Å"this dramatic mode makes the poems intense, but temporary, like masks or costumes. † Thus, Donne can be theatrical, switch roles, expose thoughts and ultimately, â€Å"express divergent states of mind, to dramatize the potential for contraries within himself. (Carey, xxv) Similarly, Jonathan Swift in his work Gulliver's Travels, utilizes Gulliver's narrative voice as a means of characterizing his person but the notion that the protagonist is also an object of Swift's satire makes the reader aware of the perhaps unreliable nature of the narrator. Thus, in their works, both Donne and Swift trace the path of conciousness and the work of the mind and ultimately provide commentary on broad matters such as religion (Donne) or society and p olitics(Swift). John Donne's sonnet 5, reflects the mode of dramtic realism in its exposition of the speaker's thought process and change. The speaker confronts a strong fear of sin and punishment with a plea to be forgiven or â€Å"cleansed†, either by water or by fire. He recognizes himself as a microcosam but also perhaps fears that these â€Å"elements† or substances that we are built of and which are combined with spirituality or soul-â€Å"angelic sprite† will die and be condemned, as expressed in â€Å"both parts must die. † The speaker then calls for heavenly seas, â€Å"new seas† to drown him or at least to wash his world-himself, which if looked through Christian symbolism can indicate his desire to be cleansed or purged from â€Å"black sin†. Moreover, the structure of the poem also conveys the idea of psychological realism and of dramatic mode in that the change happens in line 10. Donne does follow the Petrarchan sonnet style in that the change occurs in last 6 lines but instead of it happening in the 9th line he chooses to place it in the next line. The phrase, that signifies the change, â€Å"But oh it must be burnt† represents a sharp change because the images of tears and water are replaced by fire imagery. The â€Å"flames†, â€Å"fiery zeal† and burning evoke a more dark state of mind and the final realization that the only way toward salvation is by Lord's â€Å"fire†. Thus, this disruption, both in imagery and the poem's structure, common to his style, reflects the thought in process as well as perhaps, Donne's rejection of the form and the accepted. Just as the speaker finds the washing and tears insufficient, Donne perhaps finds the Petrarchan sonnet form insufficient to express his flow of thoughts and emotions. As discussed in class, it is a poetic trick, â€Å"a peculiar combination of playfulness and artificiality in a passionate cry. † The poet thus, does more than just tell, he shows. Gulliver's Travels appears to be a ship doctor's account of his voyages into strange places, but it is actually a criticism of the human race. Book 4 reveals the bestial and brutal view of humanity through the depiction of Yahoos, the servants of a race of horses, called Houyhnhnms who are characterized with Reason. The psychological realism is conveyed primarily though the narrator and the protagonist, Gulliver. For the readers, he is the only source of information and as no contradictory observation are offered, at first it is difficult for the reader to choose a particular attitude. Although the ending and Gulliver's choice of lifestyle may appear ridiculous or on verge of insanity, it is still moving and effective. Gulliver, has undergone a transformation from a proud Englishmen to a man ashamed of the entire species to which he belongs. This shame that he finds is the shame that the reader can clearly see. The ridiculisy behind war, the concepts of greed and envy, the exposition of lawyers, it is all relatable. However the dramatic or psychological component exists in Gulliver's narrative that ultimately reveals the unreliability and irony of his character. As a traveled, adventurous man of experience one expects him to be open minded but in the end, by his stern refutation of all humanity, the reader can realize that he is far from a creature of reason, (that he perhaps believes himself to be) and instead he tends to judge and adapt through identification with a group, much like the majority of human beings. Perhaps, then such detail that Swift adds such as the room where Gulliver sleeps is actually halfway between the Yahoos and the Houyhnhnms, and this can then be seen as the position most of us find ourselves in, between pure reason and pure emotion or between stoicism and eupicurenism. Then the character like Captain Mendez also represents this balance and contradicts Gulliver's perhaps over bitter, generalization of humanity. This depiction also offers the reader an excuse to identify with the better more positive side of human nature. However, Swift continues to show the bitterness and contrast between the Yahoos and Houyhnhms. The filtiness of the Yahoos their diet is contrasted to the Houyhnhnm cleanliness and simple diet. Gulliver cannot live on the repetitive but healthy diet of the Houyhnhnms, and this is perhaps Swift's way of once again pointing at further human barbarism. But at the same time it can be argued that Houyhnhnms are also an â€Å"ironic device† and not an ideal. Their language is limited, they use and exploit Yahoos as servants and they cannot even mourn their dead. In addition, Gulliver's hate for the Yahoos should not be taken at face value(like much of his narrative) because the Yahoos, too, are exaggerations. Just as life of pure reason is inadequate so is the life of pure emotion. Moreover, in the last chapters, Gulliver's behaviour and acts such as buying the stallions and talking to them for hours in the language of Houyhnhnms, or making his wife seat at the far end of the table, are illogical and bizarre. Thus, all the experience he has gone through and the possible understanding, can not be taken very seriously because the narrator who tells us the story lacks critical judgement in a sense that he fails to see his own inconsistencies and flows. This is what makes the novel a satirical one, because as discussed in class, Swift has created a gap between the story itself and the voice telling the story. It is in the place of this gap that the reader enters and needs to make an evaluation. Despite his desire for privacy and the guarding of his poems, Donne appears concerned to involve the reader into the probing and surprising thought process that also perhaps reflects the uncertainty, passion and discovery of the Renaissance period. Thus, both Swift's use of narrative voice and Donne's dramatic mode have the effect of engaging the reader into the work and provoking his judgement. It is through this collaboration that the meaning is generated.

The Gay Lives of Frederick the Great and William Iii

The Gay Lives of Frederick the Great and William III Frederick the Great of Prussia and William III of the Dutch Republic were two well known great leaders of Europe. They lived decades apart, William from 1650 to 1702, and Frederick from 1712 to 1786, yet had uncannily similar lives, in many aspects. These leaders, because of a somewhat controversial past, have lost many important clues about what their lives were really like. Nonetheless, it is known for sure that both were knowledgeable, great military leaders, champions of justice, and very likely homosexual. One of the few dissimilarities between Frederick and William was the religion they were raised on, which of course was to influence the rest of their lives, particularly in philosophy. At a young age, William was sent to a Calvinist school which emphasized the Calvinist values like modesty and theory like predestination. Although his views were far from conservative, he did tend to dress more simply, and kept a very cool and reserved appearance. William also was born a week after his father's death, leaving him without a strong figure to emulate. If this had any effect on William, it was not apparent, for he firmly believed that he was destined for great things, and his diplomacy became one of his strongest skills. All of William's security in his childhood did not exist for Frederick. Frederick endured a horrible abusive childhood with his tyrannical father. Frederick was very well educated and a lover of all things French- art, philosophy and literature. He was a true dandy- he dressed ostentatiously, and did very fashionable things. He also had a very close male friend- Hans Hermann Von Katte who was about 8 years older. They ran away together, but what exactly their relationship was is unclear. Frederick was careful to destroy any evidence so as to escape his father's wrath. But it didn't work, Frederick's father had the two arrested, and very cruelly had Von Katte beheaded in front of Frederick's eyes. Frederick was bed-ridden and hallucinatory for days. William II also had a close friend, who fortunately did not suffer the same fate. Willem Bentick and William became inseperable at 14. They were so close that when William contracted smallpox, Willem shared his bed, as it was thought that another person with the sick person could draw away some of the disease. Willem and William remained very close, but preceding William's ascension to the throne, it was decided that he would need to be married. He married Mary Stuart, his cousin and daughter of the Duke of York, and very much disliked her. They were polar opposites: Mary wanted affection and was very emotional, while William had his stoic Calvinist mindset. It was sort of the reverse for Frederick: he had a very simple bride, Elizabeth Christine Brunswick, while he was more outgoing, sociable individual. Though the marriage was chosen by Frederick's father, the prince was obedient and understood the importance of the appearance of a strong union. In fact, Frederick had a younger, more openly gay brother who he â€Å"[forced]†¦ to marry ,'to save appearances'† (Dynes 429). Although their marriages were not ideal for either, both William and Frederick stayed with their wives until the end. Frederick coped by buying a palace for his wife; William actually grew to respect his wife and rely on her diplomatic charm. In fact, following her death in 1694 and later his in 1702, William â€Å"was found to be wearing Mary's wedding ring and a lock of her hair close to his heart† (William III). While both kings had decent marriages, Frederick and William were also known for their love of men. William's relationships were less well known, although it was common knowledge that William was interested in men. â€Å"There was a rumour that William was unfaithful to Mary. Her meddling English servants warned her that she would catch him emerging from the bedroom of one of her ladies, Elizabeth Villiers, in the early hours of the morning. There was a scene, with William trying to assure Mary that it was not how it looked†¦ Certainly William was no womaniser and, if anything, his sexual inclinations might have veered more towards young men† (William III) Frederick had many well known lovers. It is said that his father arranged his marriage with Christine to prove Frederick's heterosexuality in addition to producing an heir. Frederick, as a military leader, also was known to have relationships with his friends from the battlefield. Though, to his credit, he never allowed any relationships to interfere with his work or compromise his integrity. Perhaps Frederick's best known and interesting affair was with the famous French poet Voltaire. Frederick's love for French culture encouraged him to reach out to Voltaire, and in 1736 the 24 year old prince sent a letter to the 22 year old, already quite famous philosopher. Thus began their friendship, and they kept a close friendship, or possibly more throughout their lives. Still, there was a conflict of interest between them. Preceding Frederick's coronation, Voltaire â€Å"Never tired of comparing Frederick to Apollo, Alcibiades and the youthful Marcus Aurelius† (Strachey 170). But Voltaire wanted to see a peaceful, united Europe, and once Frederick took the throne of Prussia he seemed only interested in war. Frederick tried to keep Voltaire around, even offering him positions in the court as he still very much valued Voltaire's opinions. Voltaire and Frederick still exchanged writings, Frederick's work still often implying his sexual preferences. It became a problem when Frederick was on his deathbed, and he had Voltaire arrested for possessing his work. Voltaire was freed not to long after and went on to anonymously publish a book about Frederick, The Private Life of the King of Prussia, which was essentially an expose on Frederick's homosexuality. But by the time of Frederick's death, the two men were on very good terms, so much so that Voltaire was the first to coin him as â€Å"Frederick the Great†. William did not have a vengeful lover to put evidence of his same-sex love in the open. He was too diplomatic and calculating to allow for such things to happen. Although his tact left little evidence of his love life, it does tell a great deal about his philosophy about civil rights. Both William and Frederick were champions of civil rights. Furthermore, it would not be ridiculous to think that their homosexuality played a large part in shaping their views, expecially during a time when sodomites were being viciously punished. William was outright stubborn about defending the liberties of his people, which actually earned him the English crown in 1689. While in power, William championed religious freedom and people's rights. He created the Bill of Rights, which was one of the most important documents in English history, perhaps even the world. It forbid unfair taxation, it did not allow the government to infringe upon protest and it demanded a trial with fair, humane punishment for criminals. This document was the predecessor for other rights documents, including that of the United States. Likewise, in Prussia Frederick promoted religious tolerance, reduced harsh penalties and sentences, and even pardoned prisoners that held beliefs that he disagreed with. He encouraged the work of artists, musicians, scientists and philosophers to make Prussia a wholly great nation. Finally, and most well known are the two's military accomplishments. William led the Netherlands in a small united force against the French, and though it ultimately was defeated, it heavily drained French resources while keeping the Netherlands in tact. William also drove out James II of England which, as aforementioned, resulted in him obtaining the English Crown. William loved being on the battlefield, in fact â€Å"Too often he got stuck into the fighting when he should have been in the rear making decisions for the battlefield as a whole† (William III). He kept many of his war companions as his closest confidantes, often drawing criticism for making rulings on their advice and discussions. Whereas William had been more eye-level with his soldiers, Frederick ran his military with an iron rod. The frivolous, fun-loving man who passed so many laws concerning people's safety and rights tolerated nothing in his military. Disobedience and disloyalty meant painful and brutal physical repercussions. But he was able to defeat France and Russia in the Seven Years War, making Prussia a superpower and tripling its armed forces. And like William. Frederick risked his life on the front line, and too often came close to being killed. William III and Frederick II were two men, who, despite their very different upbringings, coincidentally ruled in two very similar styles. Frederick would have known of William III, in fact he had been very inspired by the Bill of Rights William created, but with very little contact they still led uncannily similar lives. It could be attributed to their similar lifestyles: two men that were devoted to their country and their duties, but also had their secrets to hide. Their homosexuality did probably contribute to their similitude, but it was their wit and strong-mindedness that led them both to unconventional and unexpectedly strong leadership. Works Cited Crompton, Louis. â€Å"Frederick the Great. Homosexuality & Civilization. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP, 2003. 505-12. Print. Dynes, Wayne R. , Warren Johansson, William A. Percy, and Stephen Donaldson. â€Å"Frederick II (The Great) of Prussia (1712-1786). † Encyclopedia of Homosexuality. New York: Garland Pub. , 1990. 428-29. Print. Strachey, Lytton. â€Å"Voltaire and Frederick the Great. † Books and Characters, French & English,. New York: H arcourt, Brace and, 1922. 167-99. Print. Waller, Maureen, David Onnekink, and Jason McElligot. â€Å"William III. † BBC – Homepage. BBC. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. .

Baderman Island Family Vacations Essay Example for Free

Baderman Island Family Vacations Essay Baderman Island Family Vacations: Advertising, Creative, and Media Strategies Advertising not only works but is often unmatched in its capacity to reach major audiences, build brand awareness and personality, as well as stimulate curiosity and desire. But, more than ever, companies today [in this very competitive environment] need the right creative messages and media choices in an effort to break through the â€Å"noise† in order to get noticed, and therefore, remembered. This paper will outline Baderman Island’s Family Vacations advertising plan, further expanding on creative decisions and effective media strategies in an effort to increase market share. Baderman Island – Family Vacations Analysis Family getaways are one of the top reasons that guests stay at Baderman Island, regardless of whether the stay is a seven day excursion or a weekend family reunion. With so many activities to choose from such as: boat rentals, water skiing, snorkeling, scuba diving, tennis, golf, five secluded beaches, Oasis Spa, and gallery touring there is truly something for everyone in the family to enjoy, not to mention all the activities on the island are appropriate for visitors of all ages. The many unique selling points of Baderman Island Family Vacations consist of the island being self contained, all-inclusive, hosting an array of restaurants, three different hotels, and unlimited activities to entertain and relax all guests. Currently, the marketing situation consists of a website that is an excellent tool for attracting guests and showing them all the perks of the island through pictures and blogs. The blog is a new advancement to the website, but should prove to attract positively more guests through the testimonials of previous visitors. Target Audience The target audience for Baderman Island is the typical â€Å"family vacationers† who are looking for a resort that offers a variety of activities without having to leave the premises. These families will consist of parents with at least one child. The target family will be the family who consists of two adults within the household with at â€Å"least† 2-3 children to help maximize profits. All races, ethnicities and cultures are welcome. The target market will be an adult who enjoy warm weather vacations with family, spending quality time with each other enjoying activities and who have a love for the beach and fine art. The target audience will also consist of consumers who fall within the lower to middle class and above demographics searching for a family destination that does not require leaving the United States (U.  S. ). Not all families can afford the cost of securing passports and expensive air travel to the Caribbean. Creative Strategies A creative strategy is important to the overall execution of an advertising campaign. Team C will use a â€Å"positioning† approach as its creative strategy. In this approach Baderman Island will be clearly defined as the number one â€Å"all inclusive† destination for family travel. Brand image approach will also be incorporated into the strategy. This will help consumers correlate the Baderman Island brand as a top notch, high quality destination. This approach will be accomplish by using an easy to remember slogan, such as â€Å"Baderman Island Family Vacations, the Finest Place to Reconnect,† as well as further using the ever popular slogan, â€Å"Relax, Enjoy, Indulge. † Increased emphasis will be placed on marketing the concept that Baderman Island is a unique destination specializing in family activities. This will enable Baderman Island to distinguish themselves from other competitive resorts in the marketplace. All creative advertisement associated with the resort will be colorful and eye catching; it will feature pictures that depict happy families vacationing and spending time together, further providing a visual of what family vacationing could be for the potential customer. On radio spots sound bites will be used of customer testimonials of how happy they were when they vacationed on the island. TV ads will also depict families enjoying themselves on the beach, playing golf, in the spa, visiting the museums and art galleries, and participating in the many sports activities offered on the island. The television ads will also highlight the many pricing plans and payment options where applicable. Positioning Statement Baderman Island’s positioning concept will explain that Baderman Island Family Vacations is for vacationers with families who are seeking a luxury resort â€Å"experience† to reenergize from their busy lives and reconnect with family and friends, and that Baderman Island Family Resorts is one of the most luxurious destinations in the world. The island offers four star accommodations that highlight a world-class spa featuring a full range of treatments designed around the resort’s natural springs, sophisticated purpose-designed meeting facilities, and an assortment of other amenities all delivered with a high level of personalized service (University of Phoenix, 2008). All of this is made available on this self-contained, all-inclusive resort island that is surrounded by the beautiful Kelsey River. Golfing, fishing, spa facilities, museum excursions and a beautiful beach are all available to vacationers of this island. Message Platform Baderman’s message platform is to develop Baderman’s brand and when potential guest see the logo, they will envision the beautiful crystal clear waters, which symbolizes peacefulness as well as relaxation. Presently, Baderman Island is expanding the brand on the 1,600 acres of land they own. 750 acres are operational. See map below. (University of Phoenix, 2008). In an effort to increase brand recognition Baderman Island will rely heavily on word-of-mouth marketing. The expectation will be that satisfied guest will continuously sell the brand for the resort while Baderman Island continues to make capital improvements. Once the Baderman Island’s guest vacation experience is over and they leave, the hope is that they will tell their friends about the wonderful experience during their stay. Word-of-mouth advertising is one of the most effective advertising vehicles when feedback is 100% positive. Baderman Island will strive to be the number one vacationing spot. Baderman Island will be well known for the following attributes: Owning an island, which exclusively promotes their brand, and having facilities that offer excellent customer service. Baderman Island makes a point of listening to guests who have enjoyed previous stays and will continue to develop innovative ideas that include customer feedback on how to improve future stays. Media Strategies and Objectives Print media is one of the most efficient ways to reach potential customers. For example, magazines are a medium that has a number of special-interest publications segments that can reach Baderman target audience (Wisconsin Department of Tourism, 2009). As a result, print ads, billboards, and brochures will be Baderman Island’s priority media vehicles of choice. Baderman Island will also use a number of advertising campaigns which will run a variation of television commercials, all emphasizing family fun. An additional strategy that Baderman will use in order to develop a relationship with potential guests is through the use of [developing] creative brochures which will assist with enticing guest towards booking a vacation on Baderman’s Island property. After all, they are inquiring about Baderman’s vacationing experience, so brochures will bring Baderman’s Island Vacations upfront and personal to future guest. Guests will be able to look at full color ads while reading a wealth of information regarding services, pricing plans, recreation packages, spa schedules and a host of activities used to keep children occupied during the day. The objective is to have future guest pick-up and carry brochures with them so they can view the material at their leisure and share it with family and friends. Baderman will capitalize on the idea that the brochure is portable which gives the upper hand rather then relying on guest to remember a 60 second commercial. Lastly, radio air time will also be explored as a media option. There are seven times as many radio stations as television stations in the U. S. (Wisconsin Department of Tourism, 2009) therefore; this is a medium that Baderman will seek to explore with the assistance of a limited-service agency. Strategy RationaleThe rationale behind the creative strategies and campaign message is to ensure that Baderman Island Vacations stands out over the competition. Creating the easy to remember message of â€Å"Baderman Island Family Vacations, the Finest Place to Reconnect,† will capture the image of Balderman Island at its fullest. In addition, using vibrant colors within ads and â€Å"real† people will not only be an eye catcher, but also illustrates the fun side of Balderman Island. Using photos of smiling and happy families doing fun activities together as part of advertisement features will say it all. Baderman Island will use similar stock photos in all advertisements. By placing the emphasis on â€Å"family† the brand image that Baderman Island will be known for will be something that both existing and potential customers will relate too. The resort will also seek to create a feeling of nostalgia where people who see the billboards, magazines, website, or hear radio advertisements will wish and want to experience what Baderman Island offers. An addition strategy will be to choose air time during busy traffic hours to advertise services. What better time to dream being somewhere else than when a person is stuck in a traffic jam. As a family resort, Baderman Island believes in getting and giving the best. As customers, Baderman personnel staff expects the best on both products and services from providers, and it is only right that the resort gives the same respect, treatment and consideration to their customers. Baderman Island stands on the priority objective of treating customers â€Å"just like family. †Supportive ResourcesAlthough many companies have opted towards using outside advertising agencies exclusively for assistance with creative ideas, Balderman Island prefers to do it themselves. Baderman Island’s in-house creative teams provide a range of services depending on the resorts needs and are familiar with the resorts rich history and many products and services. The in-house team is also better equipped to handle adhoc problems regarding advertisements within a timely manner. Keeping creative development in-house will provide the resort more control with lower risks of having proprietary confidential information leaking into the wrong hands, also keeping in mind that external agencies have other clients to assist. In addition to risk management, in-house creative resources for creative support make it easier to coordinate and have a more â€Å"personal† touch with the service versus an outside agency. In addition to in-house support Baderman Island will seek advice from limited-services agencies which specializes in one aspect of creative process; usually providing creative production work or the purchase of media space (Wisconsin Department of Tourism, 2008). A limited-services agency will be used in order to coordinate radio air time and in some instances magazine space. ConclusionAs stated earlier, Baderman Island Family Vacations is striving to continue to compete in a very competitive environment. With the consistent advertising message, â€Å"Baderman Island Family Vacations, the Finest Place to Reconnect,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Baderman will further expand on that message by building upon a media strategy that emphasis family, fun, relationships, and value. Therefore, a media strategy that focuses on â€Å"awareness advertising,† where the attempts to build Baderman Island’s image and familiarity with the resort brand and excellent services will be their ticket towards marketing success. Baderman Island is confident that by using multi-media vehicles of print ads, billboards, brochures, television commercials, and radio spots their target audience will be effectively reached. Six months post campaign launch, Baderman will evaluate their advertising effectiveness through monitoring and post-evaluation tools and re-evaluate their marketing plan accordingly based on results. Baderman Island Family Vacations. (2017, Feb 23).