Marketing Mix Strategy Of The Kenya Tourist Board

Marketing Mix Strategy Of The Kenya Tourist Board The Kenya Tourist Board will develop a good marketing mix strategy to attract target customers from Asian tourism market. The marketing mix will encompass 4Ps analysis that includes tailored tour packages, pricing strategies, well-designed service channels and promotion programs. Kenya is positioned as a unique and attractive holiday destination that people would like to visit. Kenya tourist Board will coordinate with travel agencies, local organizations, airplane companies, and service operators to ensure tourists have an excellent and unforgettable experience when they are visiting Kenya. The Kenya Tourist Board will plan its tour such that tourists obtain satisfactions from all touch points of services. Tourists feedback will be very important for the board to review and adjust its strategies. Kenya is well established as a leading safari destination with unique wildlife attractions in the western market. The Kenya Tourist Board will continue to provide and improve safari tour as its core product to Asian tourism market. Major safari attractions such as the Great Migration, the Big Five and Maasai Mara Reserve namely the new Seventh Wonders of the World will be focused on and promoted to Asian tourists. The Kenya Tourist Board will also plan and design special safari tours targeting at high-income earners who are willing to pay special prices to luxury activities such as balloon safari and game viewing. In recent years, Asian countries are becoming more interested in business opportunities in Africa. As the commercial center for East Africa with good facilities and hotels, Kenya is well positioned to attract MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions). The Kenya Tourist Board will work with business organizations and companies to attract and promote conference and business events to Asian countries. The Kenya Tourist Board will plan beach and resort tour packages targeting mainly to business and family holiday tourists who tend to travel in large group size. The tourists will relax and experience the paradise of Kenya beach and shores. The tourists may choose to lay back and enjoy themselves or go out and explore Kenyas unique coastal culture. British Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged in Kenya in November 19, 2010. This is a good change for the Kenya Tourist Board to promote and boost Kenya tourism. The engagement has worldwide publicity that will enhance Kenyas profile as a romantic holiday destination. The publicity will continue into year 2011 when the wedding will be held. The Kenya Tourist Board will promote Kenya as a romantic holiday destination to Asian tourism market along with this romance. The Kenya Tourist Board will design pricing strategy carefully because of high-competition in tourism industry from many countries and places. The board will communicate with agencies to make sure that Kenya tour package price is affordable to Asian middle-class tourists. The board will ensure that tour agencies could operate with profit, and at the same time they will not over-charge customers. Since Asian tourism market is new market for Kenya tourism, the Kenya Tourist Board will start with good promotion price to attract more tourists from Asia. Since Kenya is remote country to Asia, information availability to Asian tourists is vital for promoting Kenya tourism in Asia. The Kenya Tourist Board will set up operation offices in major Asian cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, New Delhi, and Tokyo etc. The board will collaborate with Asian local travel agencies to promote Kenya tourism to potential customers. The Kenya Tourist Boards headquarter in Nairobi will serve as main office and coordinate the operations of offices in Asian cities. The Magical Kenya is the official Kenya travel and tourism web site owned by the Kenya Tourist Board. The web pages describe attractions and provide travel guide to tourists in English and other languages including Japanese. The Kenya Tourist Board will translate the web pages into Chinese and Korean so that the board will reach Asian customers more effectively since China and Korean are the leading Internet users in the world. Promotion strategies will be discussed in details in marketing communication strategy section. Marketing Communication Strategy The Kenya Tourist Board will develop and implement marketing communication strategy for Asian tourism market. The marketing communication strategy is to focus on brand development, Internet marketing, partnership, advertisement and promotion. Brand Development In todays competitive and crowed tourism market, it is essential for Kenya to create a strong brand identity to differentiate itself from competitors. The brand image should bring not only physical experience but also emotional feelings in customers mind. Kenya is potentially one of the strongest brands in Africa for its unique African wild life and diverse landscape. However, currently Kenya is not a strong and well-known holiday brand in Asian tourism market. The Kenya Tourist Board will ensure to establish a consistent brand image of Kenya to Asian tourists through different communication channels. Internet Marketing Internet is cost-effective and easy way to reach mass customers. Many tourists especially high-educated and high-income ones search information on the Internet when planning holiday trips. The Kenya Tourist Board will make sure of Internet medias and tools effectively to promote Kenya tourism. The board will translate Magical Kenya web site into Asian languages and keep on improving the web site. The Kenya Tourist Board will sponsor Internet users to set up forums, blogs, twitters and facebooks of Kenya tourisms. Emails and newsletters with Kenya tourism news and information will be sent daily to registered users. The Kenya Tourist Board will encourage tourists to tell their stories of Kenya by giving free gifts or prizes. The Kenya Tourist board will also collect tourists feedback from Internet to improve its services and products. Partnership The marketing communication strategy and plan will not be successful without considering local culture. To conquer communication barrier, the Kenya Tourist Board will establish partnership with local agencies, companies and government organizations. The Kenya Tourist Board will collaborate with Asian government organizations to organize road shows or events like Kenya Week to promote Kenya tourism industry. The Kenya Tourist Board will help local agencies to train local staff to service customers more effectively. Advertisement and Promotions The Kenya Tourist Board will advertise and promote Kenya tourism from all touch points. The Kenya tourism magazines and brochures will be placed in Kenya Airways planes, major Asian airports and travel agencies. The Kenya tourism will be advertised on newspaper, magazine, Google web and TV program. The promotion prices will be offered to customers on Asian holidays such as National day, Chinese New Year etc.

The Marketing Strategies Of Dell Inc Commerce Essay

The Marketing Strategies Of Dell Inc Commerce Essay Competitive advantage and market superiority tends to be among the top of the list of priorities of any business or commercial entity nowadays. Dell as a company has often been viewed as having a singular strategy, manufacturing build and selling products that are cheaper and more efficient than its competitors. In 1984, with only $1,000 in startup capital, Michael Dell established Dell as the first company in its industry to sell custom-built computers directly to end users, bypassing the dominant system of using resellers to sell mass produced computers. The following will explain how Dell utilizes the direct business model which increase the speed to market, superior customer service and dedication, and how Dell applies the latest technology more efficiently than the leading competitors. Since a young age Michael Dell has been intrigued and fascinated in the idea of eliminating unnecessary steps. So it was not surprising when he established a company where there marketing strategy was based on eliminating the middleman. We sell computers directly to our consumers, deals directly with our suppliers, and communicate directly with our people, all without the unnecessary and inefficient presence of intermediaries. We call this the direct model, and it has taken us, to use a common phrase at Dell Computer Corporation, direct to the top (Dell, xvii). The direct business model eliminates retailers that add unnecessary time and cost, that could diminish Dells understanding of customer expectations. The direct model allows Dell to build every system in order to provide customers more powerful, better configured systems at competitive prices. Dells direct business model is based on direct selling, eliminating the use of resellers and channels of retail. Dell was able to build brand loyalty amongst its consumers over a period of time through building direct relationships with them, constantly speaking to customers, and analyzing their preferences when purchasing a product. Through building these direct relationships which is a key component of the direct business method, Dell was able to understand and analyze the specific preferences of their consumers to satisfy their needs and wants. Expanding on the theme, Michael Dell expresses the emphasis of using the direct method thru direct relationship marketing: With an average of approximately 1,400 telephone calls received daily, Dell gets real-time input from its customers regarding their product and service requirement, their views on various products in the market, and their response to Company advertising. This input gives the Company a competitive advantage in tailoring its product offerings and communication programs to meet its customers needs. Direct relationship marketing also eliminates the 25% to 45% dealer mark-up, thereby enabling the Company to price its products aggressively. In addition, the Companys marketing strategy allows it to sell its products through Company employees who are trained specifically to sell Dell product.(Dell, 31) The efficiency of the direct business model by of direct marketing relationships benefited Dell tremendously. Rather than doing guesswork on what they thought customers wanted; they were able to find out exactly what customers desired and preferred. So not only was Dell able to manufacture the products that customers wanted, but they were also able to develop them at high quality. Our ability to produce a line of high performance products compatible with accepted IBM standards.( In fact, many of our products had performance features that were superior to IBM systems, and were frequently top-ranked by publication such as PC Magazine and PC World.) (Dell. 31) Dell has been able to excel ahead of its competitors through the use of the direct model. One key strength that gave Dell a competitive advantage according to Michael Dell was, Michael Dells focus on concrete issues like cutting operation costs, improving delivery time, and maintaining customer service is the underlying force that has driven the company. Michael Dells establishment of the direct model, as well as his exploitation of the benefits of the Internet, has contributed vitally to the companys successes in both the US and overseas markets. (Richard San Juan, Gaebler Ventures) In 1998, Dell became the number two manufacturers and marketer of personal computers in the world. Michael Dell was able to take his company that he started with the little money he earned in college, and turn it into one of the most profitable companys today. Dell grew five times faster than the industry rate. Stocks rose more than two hundred percent, which is the largest share gain in the SP 500 and NASDAQ 100. In the chart below, statistics shows that Dell has been able to thrive within the PC market, having the second largest market shares behind Hewlett-Packard in 2009. Although this chart is from the first quartile of 2009, in 2010 Dells market shares increased by 12.6 percent. Dells market share in U.S. and Worldwide (in Q1 2009) compared to other top PC makers.( Dells Direct Model to Success Dells Business Plan, San Juan) Dell has been able to excel ahead of its competition within their industry. They were able to do this because companies continued to guess what products their customers actually wanted, Dell was already aware of their customers wants and needs for their products. Dell had the upper hand on its competitors because other companys were manufacturing product based on the assumptions. Companies such as HP, Acer, Toshiba, Gateway, and Apple were losing a lot of capital. This is from their lack of knowledge of the consumers. Although many analyst may have criticized Dells marketing strategy as one that is very simple and basic, it has been proven to be very efficient. Dell continues to maintain market leadership and profitable growth, and continues to reach out to new markets. Although later on in the text we will get into how Dell marketing strategies were incorporated thru the Internet, information and communication technologies and the Internet are greatly used in its direct business model. In the figure below of The Delta Model Map, the three major categories of Dells core competencies are shown. These three major categories are system lock in, best products, and total customer solution. The strengths and capabilities of Dells company can be seen on the map. The Delta Model maps identifies three major categories of an organizations core competencies.( Dells e-Marketing Strategies to Enhance Competitiveness, Chen) System Lock-In is the ability for a company like Dell to lock-in customers. Having customers that are brand loyal and continuously purchase products from that company such as Dell is to be lock-in. Dell having websites, and phone numbers for customers to assist them with any issues they may have increases the trust and loyalty customers have for the company. Best Product- is products or services that are perceived by customers to be more efficient in the areas of quality, feature, functionality, sales services, and cost leadership. Dell provides customer with high quality prices at low cost because they take part in direct sales. Total Customer Solution- The ability of an organization to offer and deliver integrated solutions to meet customer needs and satisfaction. Solutions comprises of products or services, products coupled with services, and customer integration and engagement business processes.( Dells Direct Model to Success Dells Business Plan, San Juan) Dell also introduces the latest relevant technology much more quickly than companies with slow moving, indirect distribution channels, and turning over inventory every three days on average. Dell success is due in part to that they always had the willingness to look at things differently. In the industry that they are in that is important, and to stay motivated. This is important because when Dell first began using the Internet and expanding their business, many people said that it would not work. These were the same people who had doubted the direct business model and said it would fail. When Dell first began using the Internet to expand their business they had three objectives: to make it easier to do business with Dell, to reduce the cost of doing business with Dell, and to enhance our customer relationship.(Dell, 101) By using the Internet to help quicken the speed of information flowing between companies, made it possible to obtain precision and speed to market for products and services in very positive way. Internet marketing or e-marketing strategies can be defined as the design of marketing strategies that capitalizes on the organizations electronic or information technology capabilities to reach specified objectives. (Strauss et al, 2006, pg. 41). With the use of communication and technology, Dell has been able obtain customers information and history and store it in a warehouse. This information can be retrieved and accessed anytime for reporting issues. This data system warehouse serves as the safe of Dells marketing knowledge management system. So this is where Dell employee go to when analyzing customers behaviors and trends. Understand the behavior of the customers is a very critical part in Dells marketing strategy. So thru having this data systems warehouse and the use of the direct business model, Dell is able to deliver the best experience to customers, whether its online or in stores. The deliverables of the customer experience objective are: Best value proposition,; highest quality and most relevant technologies; customized systems; superior tailored service and support Products and services that are easy to buy (online 247) and use. (Dells Direct Model to Success Dells Business Plan, San Juan) Dell divides their customers into two major groups, relationship and transactional. These two groups are very essential in the success of Dells products. Relationship customers are customers who buy repeatedly and in larger quantities or value, while Transactional customers are customers who buy less frequently and in smaller quantities or value. Both Relationship and Transactional customers are further sub-segmented. (Dell Marketing Strategies, Cage)

The Atomic Age Essay -- Atomic Bomb Atom History Essays

The Atomic Age The Atomic Age, composed of complex and controversial issues, has forever changed our world and the way in which we live. * What were the factors leading to the dropping of the atomic bomb? The answer to this question considers events dealing with atomic energy, the Manhatten Project, and controversial issues about when, where, how, and if the bomb should have been used. There are several events prior to the 1940s that led to the making of the bomb, but the majority of events and controversy snowballed during the 1940s. It is always important to examine the causes of world changing events so that the human race will learn from and be more aware of such issues in the future. Important factors prior to the 1940s: In 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen discovers x-rays. Soon afterward, Marie Curie discovers radium and polonium, both radioactive elements, in 1898. Several years later, in 1905, Albert Einstein creates the famous theory about the relationship between mass and energy. When two German scientists, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman, demonstrated nuclear fission in December of 1938, American scientists feared that Germany would begin to build an atomic bomb (Wainstock, 35). Because of this, Albert Einstein sends a letter to President Roosevelt in August of 1939. It is this letter that encourages the President to form a committee to investigate atomic research. American scientists, including Einstein, also persuaded the President to undertake the bomb's development. This secret government effort became known as the Manhatten Project. Factors during the 1940s: Abrupt, unexpected changes: On December 7th, 1941, the United States was suddenly brought into World War II when unexpectedly attacked by the Jap... ...orces alone, therefore making us appear more powerful. All of these events, both prior and post 1940, contributed to the dropping of the first atomic bomb. It was not one single event or person, but many that allowed this bombing to occur. These events should be looked at and studied so that they will not reoccur in the future. Works Cited: Dannen, Gene. "Atomic Bomb: Decision". April 25, 1997. <http://www.peak.org/~danneng/ decision/decision.html> (March 24,1998). Fogelman, Edwin. Hiroshima: The Decision to Use the A-Bomb. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1964. Wainstock, Dennis D. The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb. Westport: Praeger, 1996. Walker, Gregory. "Trinity Atomic Web Page". March 22,1998. <http://www.envirolink.org/ issues/nuketesting/index.html> (March 24,1998). Yass, Marion. Hiroshima. New York: G.P. Putman's Sons, 1972.

Branded (Christian) :: essays research papers

The book Branded, by Alissa Quart is an amazing book that talks about how much money, time, and energy is spent by our corporate culture to effectively change the lives and habits of teenagers. The book is written by, and she does a marvelous job of documenting the teenage-corporate-media relationship throughout American history. With degrees from Brown University and Columbia, her journalism and research skills are unparalleled. Every statement and point is backed up by countless facts, studies, and statistics that leave no room for doubt. These truths are coupled with sensitive and powerful real-life illustrations that further prove the book’s powerful message that relates to teenagers, culture, and money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book really made me realize what a strong effect the culture has on children. I guess I always knew this was true, but could never really understand why it was true until I read this book. The book goes beyond opinions and corporate bashing and instead focuses on hard evidence that has been compiled from what seems like years of research. The stories, policies, and tactics revealed of how corporations influence kids and teenagers are frightening, and society’s response (or lack of) is even more disturbing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What surprised me most about Branded were the real life examples of how teenagers were being effected by corporate power and propaganda. One example showed of how the movie heroes and heroines of the seventies and eighties were teenagers who overcame the rich, snobbish bullies who thought that they were better than everyone else. Then the book shows of how a paradigm shift occurred and that now the upper class, rich, and snobbish people are the role models. They are what teenagers want to become today. Movie such as ‘Clueless’, ‘Varsity Blues’ and ‘She’s All That’ present the blondest, most stylish, richest, and elite people as the new heroes and heroines. In ‘She’s All That’, a teenager is even saved from individualism and ‘nerdiness’ and eventually in transformed in a supermodel beauty queen that eventually is accepted by her high school’s elite group. The message is powerful, and throughout the book you start to realize how deranged a teenager’s culture has become.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another powerful Alissa Quart made that coincided with the one above is how influential style and fashion has become to teenagers. Branded makes a strong argument that shows how corporations and media are started to create teenage personalities for them to fit into.

Knowing Me for Me :: Personal Narratives California Essays

Knowing Me for Me Who a person is can be shaped by many different things. Understanding how a person came to be who they are is important to grasping their inner-most uniqueness. People, places, and even events can shape a person. Things like having a supportive parent, growing up in a unique place, and being suddenly injured can help to define a person. This paper explains and evaluates my characteristics as they have changed through having a loving and comforting mom, living in San Diego, and getting hurt playing Water Polo. One of the most influential and most respectable people in my life is my mom. Though my dad is a close second, my mom has truly helped shape me in to who I am today. Since the day I was born my mom has always been there for me. Whether it was being in the front row of my dance recital or wiping my teenage tears away, she has always been a comfort. I went through a rough time during my sophomore and junior years of high school. A week before she found drugs in my room, my mom found out I had gotten my belly button pierced and a month later I got kicked out of a class at school. Alone and afraid were only the beginning of how I felt and would feel for a while. Of course I was in trouble, but my mom did her best to get me back on track and get me help. To this day she is amazed at how I have drastically changed, but it is all thanks to her. This is only one example. It has been a consistent pattern throughout my life. She has made me who I am; the person I want to be. The place in which a person lives can change their life forever. â€Å"California,† by Tom Petty describes the atmosphere in which I grew up. I grew up in Southern California, which is unlike any other place in the world. The busyness all around me all the time forced me to fight hard to find out just where I belonged. The high school I attended was huge with almost 4,000 students. The school however was build for 1,200. Everywhere you looked it was a sea of students you could not escape.

Fruit and vegetable consumption among young adults Essay

The World Health Organisation is predicting that chronic disease will account for over sixty per cent of deaths; with 41 million deaths by 2015.1 Up to 80% chronic disease could be prevented by eliminating tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol.2 Chronic disease and obesity in Australia are continuing to contribute to premature death and burden of disease.3 Cardiovascular disease and cancer remain the main causes of disease burden and type 2 diabetes prevalence has trebled in the last ten years and is expected to be the leading cause of disability and death by 2023.4 The rapid rise in diabetes incidence and prevalence is thought to be due to the rising rate of obesity.5 61% of Australian adults, using measured BMI are currently either overweight or obese6 , with younger age groups gaining weight more quickly than previous generations.7 Approximately 32% of Australia’s total burden of disease can be attributed to modifiable risk factors. 4 Considerable reductions in morbidity and mortality from diet-related diseases could be achieved if the population increases healthy eating behaviours including increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV).8 Fruit and vegetable consumption is strongly linked to the prevention of chronic disease and to achieving better overall health.9 Internationally up to 2.6 million deaths and 1.8 % of global burden of disease is attributable to low FV consumption. Inadequate FV intake in Australia is thought to be responsible for 2.1% of the overall burden of disease.10 Increasing individual FV intake could reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease by 31%.11 In particular reviews of studies have indicated that FVs reduce the risk of developing cancer12; cardiovascular disease13 and obesity.14,15 A meta-analysis of studies investigating FV intake and the incidence of type 2 diabetes indicated no significant benefits for increasing FVs but an increase in green leafy vegetables could sign ificantly reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.16 The mechanism of action is thought to be related to their micronutrient, antioxidant, phytochemical and fibre content.17 Current recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption Based on  available evidence the World Cancer Research Fund recommends eating at least 400g of non-starchy vegetables and fruits per day (2007).12 The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that Australians consume a minimum of two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetable daily.9 Current consumption patterns are well below these figures. Data on FV consumption in Australia is collected predominantly via validated short questions as part of the National Health Survey. This self reporting of FV consumption does incorporate a number of errors related to the ability of individuals to determine serve sizes18 and the validity and reliability of the short questions. Alternative measures of FVs, predominantly food frequency questionnaires have been determined for different age groups19, 20. For adults the most recent determination of FV intake indicates that only 56% of females and 46% of males over the age of 15 are eating t he recommended serves of fruit and 10% of females and 7% of males over the age of 15, are eating the recommended serves of vegetable daily. 15 The 2007 national children’s nutrition and physical activity survey used a combination of multipass 24 hour food recalls and food frequency and indicated that only 1-2% of older children were consuming three serves of fruit and only 1-11% of older children met the guideline for vegetable consumption21. In another survey specifically looking at young adults 34-43% of those aged 19-24 year olds met the daily fruit consumption guidelines of two serves a day but only 8-10% of young adults ate the recommended five serves per day of vegetable.3, 22 Low consumption of FVs is, therefore, an issue across the spectrum of age groups. While young adults do not necessarily have FV intakes any worse than older adults and children, the lack of overt medical problems has meant that the 18-24 year old age group have received little attention.23 Given that fewer young adults consume the recommended serves of vegetable, strategies that focus solely on vegetables would appear to be appropriate . Young adulthood is a critical age for weight gain24; and in the United States the transition from high school to college is a potential period of rapid weight gain increasing the risk of obesity in later adulthood.25 Chronic conditions are a significant challenge for Australia’s young people because these conditions can affect normal growth and development, quality of life,  long-term health and wellbeing, and successful participation in society, education and employment.3 Studies predominantly undertaken in the United States and Europe are contradictory with respect to whether food habits are positively or negatively affected in the transition to independence. In one study students living independently were more likely to consume a healthy diet than their counterparts living at home. Independent living may increase responsibility of various food-related activities such as budgeting, purchase, preparation and cooking which young adults living at home have not yet developed.26 Other research however indicates that dependent students consume more FVs – independent students may take more responsibility for their food choices while dependent students may be controlled by the primary care-givers.27 It should be noted that the transition from highschool to university in Australia is not necessarily marked by a move out of the family home as it does in the United States, Canada and parts of Europe. Living on campus or in university-provided accommodati on is only undertaken by a small percentage of students in Australia. In 2008, there were almost 3 million young people aged 15–24 years in Australia, accounting for 14% of the total population.3 In addition the majority of Australians who start a course at a higher education institution are aged between 15 and 34 years of age and in 2009 more than 45% of young adults aged 18-24 years were enrolled in a course of study leading to a degree or diploma qualification.28 Universities and other higher education institutions would therefore be an appropriate setting to target individuals in this age group. Determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption The National Public Health Partnership identified the primary determinants of FV consumption to inform the development of strategies.29, 30 These are outlined in the table below. Table 1 Identification of determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption Determinant Objectives Food supply Increase and sustain access to high quality, safe, affordable FVs Awareness Increase the proportion of the population aware of the need to increase consumption of FVs Attitude/Perceptions Increase the proportion of the population who perceive the benefits of FVs in terms of taste, convenience, low relative cost, safety and health. Knowledge Increase the proportion of the population with the knowledge of the recommended minimum intakes of FVs Skills to purchase and prepare Increase the proportion of the population with the knowledge, skills and confidence to select and prepare convenient low cost, tasty FV dishes For children, adolescents and adults, previous consumption or exposure to FVs, knowledge, awareness, preparation skills and involvement in food preparation, lack of time and taste preference have all been implicated in the consumption of FVs .31,32,33 From an environmental perspective, availability of FVs within home, school and community settings plays a significant role in promoting FV consumption.32, 34 Those who report eating home grown produce have significantly higher intakes of FVs while poor accessibility to shops and high FV prices have been shown to have a negative impact on FV consumption.35, 36 The presence of a major food retailer in an area has been associated with improved FV consumption.37 In Australia, the evidence is less clear-cut with those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas having similar opportunities to purchase FVs when compared to those in levels of higher advantage.38 Recent work has indicated that price and availability in disadvantaged areas are similar to those in more advantaged areas but that quality could be seriously compromised, which could impact purchasing behaviour.39 FV prices have been identified as a significant barrier in FV consumption with intakes among those of lower and middle socioeconomic positions more price responsive than their higher socioeconomic position counterparts (Powell et al 2009).40 The national public health partnership identified the lack of recognition of the low relative cost of FVs as a barrier to consumption.29 However, given the recent rapid increase in FV prices identified by the Australian Bureau of Stati stics (15.5% increase for  fruit and 11.4% increase for vegetables in the December 2010 quarter) the perception of cost now may be a reality and a significant barrier to consumption.41 For young adults at university many of the determinants described above are applicable. In addition, access to cooking facilities and equipment, increased availability of unhealthy and convenience foods choices, lack of access to transport, cost of food, lack of time to prepare and to shop, lack of knowledge and of cooking skills were all identified as barriers to FV consumption.42, 43 Given the increased mobility of young adults a focus on home or school may not be sufficient. Recent research indicates that 40% of eating occasions for young adults were on average 6.7 miles (10.5 km) away from their primary place of residence regardless of whether they were living with care-givers or independently.44 This being the case proximity may play a relatively minor role in an individual’s food choices. Instead decisions may be based on a complex web including food quality, pricing, variety, availability, travel patterns, social or cultural influences and various other factors.44 Strategies Based on the determinants and using the Ottawa Charter as a framework, strategies can be divided into two primary categories those that build personal skills and those that create supportive environments. The majority of interventions have not been undertaken with the target group but rather with children (primarily in school settings) and adults. Work with the young adult age group however has highlighted that there is a general lack of understanding about motivators25 but that negative health outcomes are not particularly relevant and the focus should be more on taste.45 Social and environmental cues, on the other hand, could be especially significant.46 In Australia, the broadest population campaign has been Go for 2 and 5. This media campaign began in Western Australia and has since been implemented nationally and in each individual state. The campaign primarily aimed to increase FV consumption through the increased awareness and knowledge of the benefits of FVs, ways to cook FVs and serve size awareness. Evaluation has indicated that the campaign was successful in reaching the target audience and achieving increased awareness of recommended serves of FVs. The Western Australian campaign achieved an average increase of 0.5 of a serve.28 Primary target groups have been children and adults, adolescents and young adults have not been a focus. Education strategies have included embedding curricula in primary and secondary schools and providing regular newsletters to increase knowledge.47 For children and adolescents other successful strategies focus on creating supportive environments combined with elements of education including the provision of free or subsidised fruit either directly or through the provision of tasting programs, snacks, gardening or cooking. 47,48, 49, 50 Within more community settings, interventions have included point of purchase information, reduced pricing, promotion and advertising and increased availability and variety.51 However, there is little evaluation of the effectiveness of these strategies for improving fruit and vegetable consumption in the wider community. Very few of these interventions have been trialled with young adults as the target group. For the few programs that have focussed on young adults the strategies have centred on the development of personal skills through the provision of education either as on-line individualised programs25; tailored individualised counselling52; newsletters promoting FV intake23; and via a general nutrition course to enable students to move from knowledge to application.53 All of these showed modest short term increases in FV intake, a lack of data means that long term establishment of behaviour has not been determined. Based on the available evidence there is a need to focus on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among young adults. Given the large numbers of young adults at tertiary institutions – universities are an appropriate setting. There are few strategies that particularly focus on young adults in the Australian context. However, based on the underlying determinants, strategies should focus on improving knowledge, awareness and preparation skills, changing taste preferences, increasing availability of FVs within local settings, reducing the cost of FVs in selected settings. The development of a comprehensive, multi-strategy program specifically addressing increased fruit and vegetable consumption is required in order to  improve general health outcomes and specifically reduce the risk of chronic disease. References 1. World Health Organisation. (2005). Preventing Chronic Diseases: A Vital Investment. World Health Organisation Geneva. 2. World Health Organisation. (2008). 2008-2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases. World Health Organisation: Geneva. 3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010). Australia’s Health 2010. Canberra, AIHW. Australia’s Health Series no. 12. Cat. no. AUS 122. 4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s Health 2008. (2008). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Canberra. Available from: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10585. 5. Colagiuri, R., Colagiuri, S., Yach, D. and Pramming S. (2006). The answer to diabetes prevention: science, surgery, service delivery, or social policy? American Journal of Public Health 96.9:1562–9. 6. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009). Summary of Results National Health Survey 2007-2008. Cat #: 4364.0 h ttp://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4364.0Main%20Features42007-2008%20(Reissue)?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4364.0&issue=2007-2008%20(Reissue)&num=&view= Accessed February 24th 2011 7. Allman-Farinelli, M.A., Chey, T., Bauman, A.E., Gill, T., and James, W. P. T. (2007). Age, period and birth cohort effects on prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australian adults from 1990 to 2000. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62: 898-907. 8. McCullough, M. L., Feskanich, D., Stampfer, M. J., Giovannucci, E. L., Rimm, E. B., Hu, F. B., Spiegelman, D., Hunter, D.J., Colditz, G. A., Willett, W.C. (2002). Diet quality and major chronic disease risk in men and women: moving toward improved dietary guidance. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 76(6): 1261-1271. 9. Department of Health and Ageing. (1998). Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Canberra: DHA. 10. Begg S, Vos T, Barker B, Stevenson C, Stanley L & Lopez AD 2007. The burden of disease and injury in Australia 2003. AIHW cat. no. PHE 82. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 11. Lock, K., Pomerleau, J., Causer, L., Altmann, D.R., McKee, M. (2005). The global burden of disease attributable to low consumption of fruit and vegetables: implications for the global strategy on diet. Bulletin of the World Health Organization

A comparison of two poems by Robert Frost: “Ghost House” and “A Cabin in the Clearing”

The first of the two poems, â€Å"Ghost House† is formally structured. It is made up of six stanzas, each with five lines. It has a strict rhyme scheme: the first, second and last lines of each stanza rhyme, as do the third and fourth lines. This creates two neat rhyming couplets in each stanza, with the final line appearing disjointed as if it were an addition. This echoes the sentiments of belonging, in contrast with isolation and loneliness, that Frost expresses in the text. The tone of this poem is established immediately by the title. Although it is a commonly used phrase, and is also quite brief, the words â€Å"Ghost House† have uneasy and frightening implications. The poet has created an eerie mood in the poem that is contributed to by the use of the narrator character, the unknown â€Å"I†. The question of who, or what, this character is has been intentionally left unanswered by Frost, as well as many other questions. This encourages the reader to think more deeply about the poem, as the answers are not obvious, and in most cases not revealed at all. Unanswered questions instil in the reader a sense of instability and confusion, which serves to enhance the atmosphere of the poem. As these are the feelings expressed by the narrator character, this creates empathy. The subject of the poem is the house where the narrator lives, or â€Å"dwells†, and the â€Å"mute folk† that share it with him. Central to the poem is the fact that the house has â€Å"vanished† and that nature has returned and reclaimed the land where it once was. The sense of the passage of time, and the inevitability of life, existence and death, is a theme common to much of Frost's work. In this poem the reader is told that the house was destroyed â€Å"many a summer ago†. Although the circumstances surrounding the fate of the house are unclear, it is suggested that a natural disaster was the cause. Use of the word â€Å"vanished† implies that the house was destroyed suddenly, and the fact that it â€Å"left no trace but the cellar walls†¦ † suggests a disaster such as a fire, especially as the poem is set in America where wooden houses are common. Imagery is used, as â€Å"a cellar in which the daylight falls† is depicted, and the raspberries growing on the site are described as â€Å"purple-stemmed†. These images involve the reader in the poem, and highlight the combination of human influences and nature that is happening. The reader is given the impression that nature is the controlling force in the situation, that nature is infinite and perpetual, and people are insignificant in comparison. While they may have made an impact on their environment, nature has quickly erased it, as â€Å"the footpath down to the well is healed†. The word â€Å"healed† is an emotive one as it has connotations of pain, implying that the footpath was a wound on the landscape that has now been restored. It is a reminder of the fact that when we die it does not change the world; nature carries on, and we are soon forgotten. Throughout the second stanza there are examples of the site returning to its natural state, as the â€Å"woods come back†¦ † and the trees grow freely again. There is a sense of protection, with the use of the word â€Å"shield† to describe the grapevines growing over the fences. Nature is shown as a regenerative force as well as a destructive one. In the third stanza there is a repetition of the word â€Å"vanished†, referring to the house; it is described as a â€Å"vanished abode†. This reinforces the unusual situation of the narrator, that he lives in a house that does not exist. The narrator describes his â€Å"strangely aching heart†. This is a powerful reference, as the word â€Å"aching† describes a physical sensation, which is more effective than a purely emotional one, and a sense of pain is indicated. There seems to be a connection between the narrator and the house, he relates how the house is linked to the rest of the world by a â€Å"disused and forgotten road† possibly indicating that this is how he feels, that his connection with the world has been destroyed, and that he himself is â€Å"forgotten†. Imagery is used throughout the poem, as Frost describes the area surrounding the house, and the â€Å"stones out under the low-limbed tree†, presumably gravestones, that have been covered by mosses so that the names cannot be read. This conveys a sense of mystery, as the reader is not informed to whom the stones belong. There are a number of themes that recur through the text. The last two stanzas are primarily concerned with the â€Å"mute folk†, who cohabit the house. They are introduced abruptly, relatively late in the poem. They are mentioned casually, and it appears as if the narrator makes the assumption that the audience is already aware of their existence. This indicates that they are a permanent presence in the narrator's life, and are a concern to him. It is not clear who, or what, these people are, just as it is with the narrator. This sense of confusion is reinforced many times. There is an entire stanza devoted to the apparently irrelevant â€Å"whippoorwill†. This could be simply to create atmosphere, and to contrast with the shock of the next stanza in which the â€Å"mute folk† are introduced. The â€Å"mute folk† are described as â€Å"tireless folk, but slow and sad† with the possible partial exception of two individuals, referred to only as â€Å"lass and lad†. It is possible that these two people are not as sad as the rest of their peers because they have a connection; they â€Å"belong† to each other. One theme of the poem is loneliness and isolation. The house is described as â€Å"lonely† and the road as â€Å"forgotten†. The narrator is a lonely character, isolated from the world and unable even to communicate with the â€Å"mute folk†. It appears that the narrator has no home, that he does not belong anywhere. Even the house where he dwells is not described as his; he calls it a â€Å"house I know† and does not claim that it belongs to him. It is assumed that the title of the poem refers to a house inhabited by ghosts, but it could refer to the â€Å"ghost of the house† or the memory of a time when the narrator had a home, and a sense of belonging. There is an eerie sense of death in the text. The word â€Å"vanished† is repeated, indicating a presence which was, but is no longer, there. The abruptness with which the house â€Å"vanished† leads to the assumption that death was involved; that people died in a disaster of some kind. In the third stanza there is a reference to the night, often used as a metaphor for death. It is expressed simply as â€Å"Night comes.. † and this supports the suddenness of death in the poem. The narrator describes his environment as â€Å"the unlit place†. Although this could be a literal reference to the house, darkened now that night has fallen, it could also mean that â€Å"the unlit place† is death, and the fact that the â€Å"mute folk† share the place means that they are also dead. There is an obvious reference to death in the mention of the â€Å"stones† or gravestones. The second poem, â€Å"A Cabin in the Clearing†, has a similar tone to the first poem, and addresses similar issues. However, the two poems have very different forms. In contrast to the structure and rhythm of â€Å"Ghost House†, the second poem appears to be constructed in a much more random way. This is partly due to the conversational style in which Frost has chosen to write. As a result of this there is no rhyme scheme to the poem, and no set stanza format. The poem is made up entirely of dialogue between two characters, â€Å"mist† and â€Å"smoke†. In the first poem the title influences the tone of the poem considerably as it affects the way that the rest of the poem is read. In the second poem the title is more vague, and although it sets the scene for the rest of the text it does not establish mood in the same way. The title of this poem uses the definite article â€Å"the† when referring to the clearing, and the indefinite article â€Å"a† when referring to the cabin. This places emphasis and importance on the clearing and detracts from the influence of the people on the landscape, as the cabin is manmade and the clearing is natural. The subject of this poem is the â€Å"sleepers†, presumably the inhabitants of the â€Å"cabin in the clearing†. They are present in the poem from the start, as the character of â€Å"mist† states, â€Å"I don't believe the sleepers in this house know where they are. † The two characters seem to hold different opinions of the â€Å"sleepers†, with mist appearing more accusatory and demanding of them, while smoke is more sympathetic. Both narrators appear not to understand the actions of the people There are many similarities between the two poems. Both have narrator characters, and the perspective of these characters is the same. In â€Å"Ghost House† the narrator is an observer of the â€Å"mute folk†, while in the second poem the narrators are observers of the â€Å"sleepers†. However in the first poem there is only one narrator, who expresses one view, and in the second poem there are two narrators who express two different and slightly conflicting views. The narrators in the two poems have different attitudes towards the people that they are watching. In the first poem the reader is given the impression that the narrator would like to communicate with the â€Å"mute folk† but is unable to. In the second poem it seems as if the narrators could communicate with the â€Å"sleepers† if they wanted to, but they choose the role of observers voluntarily. However in both poems the narrators seem removed from the world of those they observe. In â€Å"Ghost House† this removal becomes isolation, and the audience is made to feel more sympathetic towards this narrator than the equivalent characters in â€Å"A Cabin in the Clearing†, as in this poem the narrators have a bond with each other, and are not as dependant on the â€Å"sleepers†