Patrick Lee and Robert P. George The Wrong of Abortion critically Essay

Patrick Lee and Robert P. George The Wrong of Abortion critically analyzing their argument. Clearly spell out how and why the premises lead to the conclusion - Essay Example That is true to a certain extent. When it comes to the fact that an unborn child is growing inside the mother, that does not mean she has the right to abort the pregnancy. It may be a fact that involuntary childbirth has caused deaths (Lee and George 2005). However, some people do not look at the fetus as a person. People forget, when it comes to abortion, that the unborn child and the mother are two separate entities. Thus, in all actuality, the child is only hitching a ride with mother for only a few months until it is ready to make its way into this world (Kidd 1999). The mother may have rights to be happy. But even our own government, which is full of hypocrites, wrote into our Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and are endowed rights by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (Kidd 1999). This proves that even the fetus that is being carried by the mother has the right to live since it was created by God. Furthermore, if a woman pregnant with child is killed by someone, that person is going to be charged with two murders, not one. The law even takes in account the unborn child and prosecutes for the untimely death of the child inside the mother’s womb as well as the mother herself (ChristiaNet). Some people would lead us to believe that the fetus is not a person until it has the ability to be sentient and think for itself. The problem I see in that statement refers to young newborn children. If you say yes that a fetus is not a person since it cannot think for itself, then you must think that a newborn is not a person either. Newborns do not have the ability to think for themselves either. However, we still consider them people. Biologically, how can a fetus not be considered a person? At six weeks of gestation the fetus begins to develop a heartbeat. Thus, to me this essentially shows us that the fetus is a person. Also, it has been proven that a

The effect of nitric oxide and cGMP on follecogenises Essay

The effect of nitric oxide and cGMP on follecogenises - Essay Example to female disorders, 20% of male origin, 27% resulting from abnormalities in both man and woman, while 15% of the cases could not be attributed to either partner (de Kretser, 1997). According to Evers (2002), five types of disorders leading to infertility have been recognised. They are summarised in Table 1. Ovulation disturbances are a common cause of subfertility in women (Snick et al., 1997). Ovulation problems due to disturbances in reproductive hormones present themselves as irregular or absent menstrual periods viz., oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea (Hamilton-Fairley and Taylor, 2003). Hormonal balance governing the ovarian cycle is a critical factor in female fertility. Several factors including stressful lifestyles, extremes in body weight, diet, certain hormonal diseases (e.g., pituitary gland tumours) and endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as PCBs and some pesticides can impact a womans hormonal balance and, thereby, the ovulatory pattern (Farr et al., 2004). Age is another important factor that influences female fertility (Maheshwari et al., 2008) which starts to decline around the mean age of 37.5 years (Hourvitz, 2009). Fecundity of a woman declines with age because of the loss of follicles from the ovary. Advancing age could lead to infertility in a woman on account of poo r oocyte quality related to a higher number of chromosomal aberrations and cytoplasmic malformations in the oocytes (Laufer et al., 2004). Furthermore, advancing maternal age could adversely influence the capacity of the oocyte to sustain early embryo development vis-a-vis biochemical and molecular processes promoting fertilisation, embryo formation and successful development to term (Gilchrist et al., 2008); Male infertility resulting in the reduced ability of the female partner to become pregnant is usually on account of low sperm counts, obstructive azoospermia or primary spermatogenic failure including reduced motility and/or abnormal morphology of sperm (Snick et al., 1997);

Students on the Internet Essay Example for Free

Students on the Internet Essay The internet is a very resourceful and useful tool for highschool students. With the internet students can access information from any computer with internet access, transfer data and use a large variety of online resources that are in more depth than high school text books. Information resources such as web sites and online Libraries can be accessed from any computer, with internet access. A computer with internet access can go online to a website that a student may have access at home or at school. With a student being able to access web sites and online resources at their own discretion, research for projects can be done at a students own pace. Now that research can be done at home and both school a student can go into more depth with their work, due to more time of research. The internet can also be used to transfer data to and from school, and also with other students and peers. Programs such as online messengers and e-mails can be used to communicate. Communication that is done over the internet is very fast and unlike the telephone can be used to transfer data such as work done on the computer. The quality of transferred data is in the same shape as it was when it was sent to another computer. With students being able to transfer data quickly and reliably with each other, they will be able to work with positive in croups. There are large numbers of resources that can be found on the internet, these resources are often in more depth than a high school text book. When a internet user goes online to a search engine such as google and types in a topic thousands of links relevant web sites show up. With all of these resources available the amount of information that a student can use is endless and in more depth than high school textbooks. With a large number of in depth resources on the internet a student can achieve a grade of high standards. With the internet as a fast reliable and safe resource at a students disposal, the input and information in a students homework and assignments  with be of great quality, filled with information. The number of great tools and possibilities available to students on the internet is endless and should be used by every one.

500 Days of Summer Analysis | Reversing Gender Roles in Film

500 Days of Summer Analysis | Reversing Gender Roles in Film Narrator: This is a story of boy meets girlYou should know up front, this is not a love story. (500) Days of Summer (Marc Webb, 2009) as Chasing Amy (Kevin Smith, 1997), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michael Gondry, 2004) is another of these revelations full of originality which differs from the romantic comedy patterns. The film is presented as an alternative romantic comedy mainly because of three main reasons. To begin with, it anticipates to the spectator that the two main characters are not going to finish together, which as we have previously seen breaks the mould of the romantic comedy genre. Then, it introduces to the viewer that the happy ending one usually deduces from romantic comedies it is not going to be seen. Finally there is a variation of the representation of the traditional gender roles of heterosexual relationships. As the film starts by the omniscient narrator commenting: This is not a love story The narrative of the film hinges on the central protagonist Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is introduced showing the several flashbacks and flash-forwards of the story of his 500 days with Summer (Zooey Deschanel). Presenting a similar structure to High Fidelity (Stepthen Frears, 2000) or to the already analysed Michel Gondrys Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind the film has the same nonlinear narrative showing forwards and backwards in the story of the relationship suggesting the image of a puzzle with a few pieces missing. Like Kaufmans film, this nonlinear story about a romance is told after the couples failure however it lacks a component present in Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind: it does not present a possible second chance for Tom and Summer. Reversing gender role of romantic comedy stereotypes. Romantic love (Tom) versus Giddens Confluent Love (Summer). Romantic comedy is a genre that is commonly labelled as being a womens genre. Although there are exceptions in the genre, there is usually a heroine who a female viewer can identify and empathise with (Claire Mortimer, 20). In contrast to Mortimers quote alternative romantic comedies frequently focus on gender role reversals setting out to prove the male hero can be as sensitive and desperate for love as the female characters are as happens in films such as Pagafantas, (Borja Cobeaga, 2009) where Chema (Gorka Otxoa) is madly in love with Claudia (Sabrina Garcianera) but she sees him merely as a friend. In (500) Days of Summer gender reversal is represented through the portrayal of the characters Tom and Summer. In the case of Tom, he has more in common with the heroines of romantic comedies that are hopelessly romantic and desperate to find the one, they cannot imagine themselves being happy without a man, too caught up in their obsession with romance to notice the men who could bring it into their lives. Tom totally represents the hopeless and perhaps foolish romantic who believes in love and wants that one great person in his life: Tom: I love how she makes me feel, like anythings possible, or like life is worth it. In relation to this gender role reversal Giddens believes that today, women have a far greater degree of equality: In the current era, ideals of romantic love tend to fragment under the pressure of female sexual emancipation and autonomy (Giddens, 1992: 61). It is because of this, that romantic gender roles and expectations in todays society have changed. This change Giddens refers to is represented in the character of Summer. As it was previously mentioned in the typical romantic comedy women are portrayed as obsessive as the relationship-desperate characters as happens in Gone With the Wind (Victor Fleming, 1939) where during the Civil War Scarlett OHara (Vivien Leigh) is desperately in love with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) who is going to get marry to another woman or as it also occurs in My Best Friends Wedding (P.J. Hogan, 1997) where Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) acts as an obsessive and desperate character trying to avoid Michaels wedding. Summer plays the opposite role to Scarlet and Julianne: she acts as a character that rejects commitment, emotionally withdrawn wrong man usually presented in romantic comedies and looking for a romance with no commitment moving away from the role of the stereotypical heroine in the romantic comedy: Tom: What happens if you fall in love? Summer: Well, you dont believe that, do you? Tom: Its love. Its not Santa Claus. Tom acts under the influence of romantic pop songs and romantic comedies considering that it is possible for love to exist. Men, like women, fall in love and have done so throughout the recorded past (Giddens, 1992:58). Tom is represented as the character who believes in this forever lasting love (romantic love). He still does not realise that love is so much more complicated than his concept of it, and that requires, among other things, the understanding of Summer. In contrast to romantic love, Giddens introduces the term of confluent love. He claims that confluent love is active, contingent love, and therefore jars with the for-ever, one-and-only qualities of the romantic love complex (Giddens, 1992: 61). In relation to this concept Summer is the character that portrays the notion of confluent love. Summer sees the relationship from another perspective far from a traditional model of love: till death us do part (Tom) versus to see how it works and whether it is convenient (Summer). Although she accepts to begin the relationship she warns Tom that she does not believe in love when she says: Theres no such thing as love, its fantasy and does not want a boyfriend, and no matter how intimate they become she insists that they are merely friends: Summer: Summer: Were just fr Tom: Tom: [Interrupting] Tom: No! Dont pull that with me! This is not how you treat your friend! Kissing in the copy room? Holding hands in IKEA? Shower sex? Come on! Friends my balls! This gender role reversal could be identified as one way in which the film breaks with the romantic comedy formula in which the image of Tom is feminized and Summer represents the dominant character of the film adhering obvious conventions (boy meets girl; boy and girl face obstacles to their romantic union; boy and girl conquer obstacles to find true love) from the romantic comedy formula.

Essay --

The concept of masculinity has varied with time and place. In the West, the diversion between man and woman is thin line. On the contrary, considering the case of India the difference is wide. The crisis of masculinity is crawling into the society. In ancient times masculinity was Cicero said, "Viri autem propria maxime est fortitudo." Wrote in Tusculanae Quaestiones, (the Tusculan Disputations) series of books written by Cicero – In translation, Cicero states: "a man's chief quality is courage." In modern times, the stereotypical thought has changed. Man considered being the breadwinner and woman as house-maker has taken another shape. Liberalization leads to development in the society. The restrictions among the female section have minimized. Now woman has more liberty to express thoughts and live independently. Family boundaries have broken. Liberalization and globalization – From 1991 started the period of liberalization and globalization which refers to ongoing economic reforms. Globalization established growing number of global corporation in India. Consequently, the economic growth and reforms increased market efficiency. As a result new avenues for employment opened in the market. In the period of early 1990’s companies like General Electric, British Airways and American Express relocated their operation back in India. From the 19th century there has been two categories- participation of women and widows as labor force and upper class women in high status profession. ‘Man is powerful’ has been a clichà © as because women were always considered inferior to the status of man. The reluctant of male dominated domain to acknowledge the reality that woman were as good as men with respect to hard work, intelligence and le... ...vernor of Rajasthan Margaret Alva, told the media that the political parties are not to named but the male parliamentarians within the various party are not keen on passing the Women’s reservation bill. Ms. Alva said this in an informal interaction with journalists at the Raj Bhavan on the occasion of International Women’s Day. She also added that male parliamentarians are reluctant to leave their chairs. This is the reason for not passing the bill. (Hindu, 2014) Decision of this sort illustrates the fear of crisis of masculinity. For a man holding a position is a matter of respect. If the same is expected to share with woman the ego of man hurts. Crisis is defined. Holding position is not only restricted to sharing it with woman who are considered lower compared to the level of men. Man ego clashes with man also when comes to holding a rank/position.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Gothic Horror :: Free Frankenstein Essays

Shelly’s ‘’Frankenstein’’ is regarded as the first modern horror novel. It is in fact, a Gothic horror. The story came about mainly from a dream shelly had. The dream was heavily influenced by her background and past personal experiences. These include her visits to galvanism experiments, a visit to the Rock of Franks; a castle which translated gives ‘’Frankenstein’’ and her surroundings at the time, which where the Alps that made up the setting for some of the book. Other issues, which might have affected the outcome of the book, are her failed pregnancy, which could be linked to victors mother dieing. Events of the time had led to a near breakthrough to bring the dead to life and the near full exploration of the Earth leaving only the poles unexplored. Romantic and Gothic styles are used in the book the romantic style is the awe of nature a good example is ‘‘the abrupt sides of vast mountains were before me; the icy wall of the glacier overhung me’’ and the Gothic style is the psychological that encompasses the very personal themes of life and death this is shown by ‘’how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains I had endeavoured to form’’. The Story begins with Walton’s letters to his sister, he talks a lot about his ambitions of mapping the arctic and finding a companion who shares his ruthless ambition. After awhile he finds Frankenstein floating on a sheet of ice. After being nursed back to health Frankenstein begins his story. Victor talks about his childhood, how his mother died in childbirth, his younger brother Edward, and how he has read books about philosophy and alchemy most of which have been long disproved. Then he continues about when he was at university and his growing obsession with creating a being from the dead parts of humans also known as galvanism. Then he moves on to how he becomes obsessive and how it is only after he succeeds he realises what he has done and realises the implications of his dream. After being nurse back to health by his friend Henry Cherval Victor realises how badly he has treated his family and decides to return to his family, however before he can do this he receives a letter about his brother being murdered, the killer is presumed to be the family servant Justine and because Victor makes no mention of the monster she is hanged, victors farther also dies short after of a broken heart after losing William. Victor decides to travel to cope with his grief. It is at this point the monster appears and asks for a bride.

Htc Business Model Essay

Executive summary Using Google’s Andriod platform has given HTC a boost, but now the Taiwanese handset maker are vulnerable to underwhelming sales in America and Europe. Their hope? China. HTC only entered China in early 2010, much later than its established peers. It is playing catching up with international premium brands, such as Apple, Samsung and LG, where HTC is currently aiming to get a slice of the pie. However, the company is also facing stiff competition from local brands who operate at the lower price market. In this Global Marketing proposal, we propose several initiatives for HTC to grow its current 1% marketshare in the China mobile phone market, including new products for HTC to tap into the lower price market as well as localized promotion campaigns to sell phones in rural areas. It is time for HTC to sway away from satisfied with being ‘quietly brilliant’. Context analysis Company Background HTC Corporate, founded in 1997, was a relatively obscure Taiwanese original design manufacturer (ODM). Incorporated as High Technology Computer, HTC focused on manufacturing of computer notebooks. The company created the world’s first pocket size PC in collaboration with Microsoft in 1998[1]; it later developed the iPAQ, one of the earliest PDA for Compaq in 2000. HTC’s close tie with Microsoft led them to develop XDA[2] in 2002, first ever smartphone operated on Windows. The company remained true to ODM principles when it produced smartphones by efficiently catering for carriers’ specifications and requests. HTC’s ODM smartphones continued to generate profit margin as high as 20% compared to industry average of 5%[3]. According to Harvard Business Review, HTC shipped more than 70% of the world’s Windows smartphones in 2006 at its peak. HTC won a reputation for excellent smartphones. But it wanted more, and began to invest more in innovation before eventually creating its own brand in 2007. HTC set up a unit called Magic Labs[4], where engineers from various disciplines come up with lots of ideas, even if most were quickly discarded. From this unit bred several ground breaking ideas, including HTC touch, a touch screen device that appeared few weeks before Apple’s first iPhone; and first ever Android phone in collaboration with Google. Reaping from the Android’s high penetration rate, the company experienced unprecedented growth from 2008 onwards and became the top seller of smartphones in America in 3Q of 2011, according to Canalys Research. HTC has recently eclipsed Nokia in market capacity and has climbed up to the no.3 spot for smartphones sold worldwide, behind Apple and Samsung. In terms of brand equity, the company has invested heavily in developing its own brand and broke into Interbrand’s top 100 Brands 2011[5] (no. 98) . China: Macro-environmental Factors Politics China remained a single party directed country since the founding of People’s Republic of China in October 1949. Putting political ideologies differences aside, efficient decision-making is widely seen as a characteristic of China’s political system. The profound changes that have taken place in various fields of this nation: from Deng Xiaping’s Special Economic Zone in the 80s to the economic leaps in the turn of the century. Inefficiencies in the political system such as corruption still exist today, but China’s communist party has taken bold steps for reform. The party has embraced market socialist economy to lead China out of poverty and soar to one of the most powerful nations in the world. Economic Despite China has mounted new heights in her economy, outshining Japan as the second largest economy in the world, the slowdown in economic growth has not abated. The housing boom in the past decade is now over, implying that growth now weigh on heavy industry and local consumption. In the past, China has offered massive infrastructure stimulus, as it did to prop up growth following SARS and the global financial crisis. However, local governments have learned not to overheat the economy, as evidenced by the late 2011 credit crunch in Wenzhou[6]. Central government is expecting a moderate GDP growth of 6%, but China is due for correction in its property and possibly stock market. Social China’s Communist Party maintained its strong foothold in the nation, as the country enjoyed a period of unprecedented prosperity in the past decade. As China’s economy take flight, the number of local billionaires and millionaires grew by leaps and bounds. The wealth gap, at the same time, widened drastically. As a consequence, there have been several localized pro-democracy campaigns since 2011. Termed ‘Jasmine revolution’, citizens used social network site such as microblogs to organize public protests demanding fairness, housing and food – social issues that are often overlooked during economic boom. Such unrests were quickly put to rest as Beijing aims to mitigate any form of dissidents since learning the hard lessons from Tiananmen protests in 1989. Other than localized protests and occasional controversy in human rights, China’s social order have been maintained. Technology China has sparked its technological boom since it gained accession to the world trade organization in 2001. Internally, China has developed a matured internet market which now boost one of the largest internet users in the world. In mobile phones, the market evidenced a dynamic growth due to the rapid development of mobile subscriptions and growing third-generation (3G) networks. China: Smartphone Market Industry analysis After China’s telecommunications operators acquired 3G licenses, they formed several strategic alliances with mobile phone brands. For example, China Unicom has established alliances with Apple’s iPhone and Lenovo’s LePhone, whilst Motorola and HTC and strategic partners with China Telecom. Customer analysis According to government statistics in 2012, China has become to first country to top 1 billionThe cell phone users, a soar from 2010’s 787 million users. The number of users is equivalent to 74% of China’s population. That being said, only 14% of users are 3G users. Mobile phones are seen as a necessity, as customers regularly use phones for texting and micro-blogging. Competitor analysis Mobile phones are relatively consolidated in China, with the top five brands deriving nearly 72% of total retail volume stales in 2010[7]. Top five brands are Nokia (34.2%) , Samsung (18.1%), LG (6.8%), ZTE (6.3%) and Huawei (6.3%). Apple (1.4%) and HTC (0.7%) are late boomers in the market, with both companies having entered China in 2009 and 2010 respectively. According to market research by Canalys[8], international brands such as Samsung, Apple and HTC should continue to dominate in the space above RMB2,500 (US$400). Leading local tier-one brands, such as Huawei and ZTE, are diversifying beyond the entry level by launching a number of high-profile, flagship smart phones. As of late, Lenovo has made efforts to penetrate the low cost, rural market by introducing models starting from RMB700 (US$158). Company Analysis HTC in China HTC only entered China in 2009 and occupied a market share below 1% as of figures in 2010. Its strategy is to challenge Samsung and Apple as the biggest smartphone players in Mainland, but it also faces stiff competition from local brands such as Tianyu and ZTE Despite its geographic proximity in Taiwan, HTC started off late in China than in richer parts of the world largely because the country’s 3G structure was not as matured in 2009 as today. Targeting & Positioning HTC’s mission statement is â€Å"to become the leading innovative supplier of mobile information and communication devices by providing value-added design, world class manufacturing and logistic and service capabilities.† Whilst this may have been a successful formula over the past 10 years in geographic location, HTC is in danger of falling behind competitors in China. HTC currently has 10% of the market for smartphones costing more than RMB2,000 (US$320). Its strategy is to target those high-end customers who utilizes 3G network and appreciates international brand. As if HTC’s Magic Lab works tirelessly to come up with numerous innovative products, HTC currently adopts a similar volume approach in its phones. HTC regularly pushes forward phones in the market. In 2011, when Apple had launched one new iPhone, HTC introduced fifteen new models. HTC’s Challenge After a meteoric rise which placed it briefly atop the U.S. smartphone sales charts, HTC revenue as a whole in the first two months of 2012 was a staggering 45% down on last year. HTC has run afoul of punitive legal juggernaut Apple, which delayed the availability of HTC’s handsets. Determined to avoid the fate looming over troubled rivals like Research in Motion, HTC saw a big revitalization push in China, championed by several flagship phones such as HTC One X and Evo 4G Lite. Sales in Europe have been dropping but HTC saw better than expected revenue in China. The rise of HTC in China despite its late entry could be partially attributed to their advanced operating systems with Android and excellent hardware, such as dual core processing units and friendly features where the phone rings louder when in a bag. But with competitors catching up hardware specifications overnight these days, can HTC sustain its China growth? The challenge of HTC faces is not neither simply in hardware nor software. HTC needs to formulate a marketing and branding strategy for China, as to fend off the fierce challenge by international brands (Apple, Samsung) and local players. Proposed Marketing Campaign For the proposed marketing campaign, we propose a bi-polar approach to target existing high-end customers of HTC’s and also tap into the basic customers specturum, an area HTC has not entered so far. High-end customers HTC is currently focusing on high-end customers who are tech savvy, able and willing to pay for premium mobile phones. These high-end customers are currently up and coming professionals, live a fast moving lifestyle and mostly reside or work in first or second tier cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Xi Chuan. All of these customers have subscribed or are going to subscribe 3G network, in order to make the most of out HTC’s smartphones. In addition to product quality and operating system, high-end customers nowadays also care about brand reputation and image. The proposed marketing campaign for HTC’s high-end customers is therefore to enrich the brand experience and differentiate HTC’s personality. Basic customers As mentioned earlier, 3G users accounts to less than 20% of China’s mobile phones market. According to market analysis, local players, best represented by ZTE and Huawei, are more popular amongst price sensitive mass and lower-end customers. These basic customers reside in third tier cities or rural areas, demand basic functions for their phones and also aspires to own a smartphone one day. Product Designers collaborations are nothing new. Indeed, they are now a well-established marketing tool – as well as source of income. Standard Hotel Group in America has joined forces with the likes of surfwear brand Quiksilver to provide exclusive trunks and bikinis that guests can purchase in the group’s resorts. H&M, the Swedish fashion behemoth, took rise after asking Karl Lagerfeld, designer for Chanel and owner of Fendi, to come up with a special collection back in 2004. For mobile phones,it is no different story. RIM collaborated with Porsche design and launched a high-end luxurious blackberry in 2011. LG and Prada started working together in 2006[9] and continued to attract fashionistas for their crossover phones. For high-end customers, HTC should leverage connection with a renowned brand within the Chinese community and produce collaborate products. Nike would deem to be an appropriate choice, given the brand is held in high regards among Chinese and its innovative brand image aligns with that of HTC’s. Nevertheless, Nike has strong connection with Apple as Nike currently produces Nike+ – a tracking device that connects an athletes’ performance data with iPhones, iPods etc. If there is a brand for up-and-coming professionals which matches HTC’s pricing and targeting strategy, Adidas would be a great fit. Rather than choosing a luxury brand such as LVMH or Gucci, a partnership with Adidas could not only appeal to the sports lovers, but also be perceived as socially acceptable. Partnering with luxurious goods might risk further alienation as the wealth gap widens in China. Adidas is actively investing on its mi adidas platform that rivals Nike+. The sports company enjoys a good reputation in China after sponsoring Team China in Beijing Olympics, and its innovative roots in products and designs could enrich the HTC brand experience. For basic customers, HTC could build 2G or even very basic 3G phones to attract the mass. With much reduced functionality and a lower price point, HTC could attract the 80% users who have not yet subscribe to 3G network. While the simpler handsets should have less fancy functions, embodying the HTC names mean that that the phones should still be innovative. HTC could be more localize with these phones by having local functions such as Chinese keyboard and improved durability that adapts to environment in rural areas. Perhaps basic phones could have a brighter screen for users to view the screen easily in open rural areas, or made in anti-sand materials as desertification is common in northwest China. Aside from hardware reengineering, HTC needs to redesign its software capabilities. HTC is relatively weak in content when compared to rivals such as Apple. It has no plans to launch its own app store, preferring instead to reply on Android marketplace and its apps. HTC acquired French content provider Abaxia in June 2010[10] to develop innovative apps for its devices. Recently, it has installed digital map apps in HTC Sense interface. Currently, there is a market gap in smartphone manufacturer originated apps in China. Almost all of the apps available on Android/iPhone system are developed by individual software company. HTC could potentially develop operating system with apps linked to popular Chinese social media sites, such as QQ and Sina’s Microblog. Price HTC should continue to target upper tier price points for its high end customers. Its currently price point closely resembles Apple’s and Samsung’s, averaging around RMB2,500 (US$400). The high price setting strategy further illustrates HTC’s ambition to compete with the international brands but the company could consider undercutting its price by a fraction, say less than 10%, than the leaders so as to gain stronger market share. Price reduction should not be advertised aggressively, as it might signal a loss in quality. For products in the lower end market, HTC should try to be a price leader in the arena. Lenovo markets its cheaper line of phones around RMB700, and HTC should try to undercut Lenovo. It is important to capture the basic customers first, with the hope that HTC could persuade basic users to switch to more expensive phones over time. Place According to Economists, HTC now as 2,300 authorized retailers in China. Apple has 3,500 – not withstanding its flagship Apple store and website – while Nokia and Samsung have 9,000 each. HTC could open more shops by granting authorized retailers license, but it is easier said than done as brands jostle retailers for shelf spaces. Rather than investing heavily in opening its own shop, HTC could form a strategic partnership with popular online shop Taobao or Alibaba to reach customers in the second or third tier cities to compliment its e-shop. Further place promotion could been referred in ‘HTC ambassador’ campaign in People section. In first tier cities, HTC could theoretically leverage on Adidas’s store presence and distribution network. Nonetheless, HTC should adopt a selective approach by opening flagship store that can illustrates its customer experience. Promotion In HTC’s incumbent global marketing campaign, the company slogan is ‘quietly brilliant’. HTC commercials do not focus on the precise functionality of their handsets but the way people use them. The concept itself is intuitive, but the campaign is not as much advertised in China as other places – the slogan does not even has a Chinese translation. As a result, HTC’s promotion in China is product focused. HTC One X advertisements were filmed where a photographer takes pictures with HTC phone while skydiving – stressing the superior camera quality of the handset. To revamp the promotion campaign, HTC should first come up with a better slogan for China or even for its global campaign. Stressing on the way people interact with HTC cell phones is a good idea, but conceptually the slogan could be more straight forward – Nokia’s ‘connecting people’ or LG’s ‘life is good’ are good examples. For China specifically, HTC needs to build on build on enriching users experience. Yan Siqing, chief operating officer of China Telecom said HTC grew rapidly despite its late start because it provided a â€Å"good user experience†. Nationwide promotion campaign should focuses on how HTC helps people to capture their moments in life. Whether is at work, in sporting moments or vacation, a user-friendly HTC handset is always there to make things happen. People Simliar to Unilever’s â€Å"Shakti Revolution† to help women in rural India to become entrepreneurs[11], HTC could foster partnership with non governmental organisations, banks and local counties, to promote handsets at rural areas through employing ‘HTC ambassadors’. Ambassadors are underpriviledged residents in country sides and they are invited to become direct-to-consumer sales distributors for HTC’s basic handsets for second or third tier cities. Contrary to normal mom-and-pop shops, HTC should provide training in selling, commercial knowledge and bookkeeping to help ambassadors become micro-entrepreneurs. This proposal could not only expand HTC’s reach in the lower tier markets, but also been seen as a socially responsible act of goodwill. ———————– [1]Kim R. & Yoffie D., HTC Corp. in 1999, 8th Dec 2009, Harvard Business Review [2]Sourced online: http://xda.o2.co.uk/ [3]Kim R. & Yoffie D., HTC Corp. in 1999, 8th Dec 2009, Harvard Business Review [4]HTC: The brand from no where; The Economist, 7th Apr 2012, sourced online from [5]http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/best-global-brands-2008/best-global-brands-2011.aspx [6]Wolfe A, Gurushina N & Gassambe I, China Outlook: The Tao of Hard Landing, 28 May 2012, Roubini Global Economics Report [7]Mobile Phones in China, Category Briefing, 19 Sep 2011; Passport GMID [8]http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120619PR203.html [9]http://www.gizmag.com/lg-prada-collaborative-phone/20862/ [10]http://www.ubergizmo.com/2010/06/htc-acquires-abaxia-to-strengthen-its-software-capabilities/ [11]http://www.unilever.com.au/sustainability/casestudies/economic-development/creating-rural-entrepreneurs.aspx