Data Mining in Social Media Marketing - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1236 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/04/10 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Social Media Essay Did you like this example? Relevancy (in Advertising) Now that weve discussed what data mining is, how it works, and the good and bad sides of it, lets talk about how it works in terms of advertising. The word relevancy is pretty broad, but it is a good way of describing the relationship between advertisements and data mining. The concept of relevance is fundamental to information retrieval (Bookstein 1979); if an advertisement does not appeal to a person, they are not going to click on it, and therefore the business is losing customers, in a sense. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Data Mining in Social Media Marketing" essay for you Create order There are four criteria that are considered in order to assess document relevance: aboutness (the quality or fact of relating to or being about something) , coverage (the extent to which something deals with or applies to something else) , appropriateness (the quality of being suitable or proper in the circumstances) , and reliability (the quality of being trustworthy or of performing consistently well) (Pereira, Dragoni, Pasi 2009). . Relevance is a central concept in human communication, and it is a term we use constantly and loosely. Think about the last time you told a friend about something, and then later on that day, you saw an advertisement for that exact same thing. It makes you think for a second, is this company stalking me? Psychologists have said that the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon is responsible for this (Bellows 2006): the illusion in which a word, a name, or other thing that has recently come to ones attention suddenly seems to appear with improbable frequency shortly afterwards. This phenomenon is very similar to something called synchronicity : the experience of having a highly meaningful coincidence (Bellows 2006). That feeling that businesses are stalking you is actually the work of data mining. By the process of gathering information, they are able to make advertisements more relevant to individual consumers. Advertising has multiple roles in that it is not only used to make customers aware of what they are offering, but also as a tool to build a strong image for brands to catch the attention of more customers (Zulfiqar, Shah). Advertising also influences consumer tastes and preferences and enhances differentiation of products. This causes consumers to become more loyal to specific brands, even to the point where they will choose that product even if a similar one is cheaper (Zulfiqar, Shah). You see this a lot in athletics, for example. While there are many brands out there for athletic wear (Nike, Adidas, Under Armor, Reebok, etc.), one dominates above the rest: Nike. Theyre also one of the most expensive. But if you start to pay attention to advertising in the athletic brand world, Nike also seems to dominate there, making their advertisements relatable (example: Want It All ad) to their audiences, therefore indirectly making them more appealing. Making advertisements relevant to the t arget audience[s] means bringing in more business for the company, so relevancy is very important in the advertising world. Data Mining and Relevancy So how do data mining and relevancy connect? According to Christen (2015), most current applications of data mining are still on the phenomenological level; in other words, they refer purely to behavioral data and their correlations with socio-demographic factors † for example, whether specific income-classes have a specific shopping behavior † and usually do not involve information on biological or psychological behavioral mechanisms (Christen 2015). Companies mine a cross section of personal data that includes almost everything that we post, share, or search for online (back to the creepy factor). They use this data to separate different types of people into groups that they then can target with specific advertisements and brand imagery. Advantages and Disadvantages It is difficult to evaluate data-mining practices; code, algorithms, and methodologies are often proprietary and we do not always know how they work (Kennedy, Moss 2015). However, it simply takes common sense to see the advantages of data mining in advertising. A normal user sees hundreds of thousands of advertisements a day . If a company uses data mining to tailor their ads to reach more specific groups, they could increase their chances of business. Although the audience theyre reaching may be slightly smaller due to data mining, they would be reaching people that their advertisements are more relevant to, therefore bringing in more customers. The creepy factor comes back into the disadvantages again; while customers would more than likely appreciate advertisements that hold their interest, it could get to the point where its just a little too personal. Target Advertising Target advertising is a concept to describe how companies use relevancy in their advertisements to reach the audience they are intending that particular advertisement for. Many people are aware of Internet trackers, but not of the extent that these trackers actually reach. Some users even believe that smartphone microphones pick up conversations and thats why we see ads for things we talk about. Many websites have denied this, but people still believe it. Google is the number one website that uses trackers to collect data and information; they have trackers on 76 percent of websites, while Facebook watches us on 23 percent of sites (Kwiatkowski). Every year, advertising gets more and more invasive, and people get more and more wary of whats actually going on behind their social media profiles. Social media marketing should be understood as a direct two-way communication between brands and customers, and not as the passive consumption of advertisements (Maurer, Wiegmann 2010). Facebook has actually been criticized by experts who argue that social network sites for marketing purposes are useless because people use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and not as an information source (Maurer, Wiegmann 2010). In reality, however, more and more businesses are taking to Facebook for advertising purposes because Facebook happens to be the most populated social media site. An average user sees dozens of advertisements while scrolling through their Facebook feed, whether theyre videos, photos, or posts by a business page that their friend has shared. Combining data mining, relevancy, and target advertising could change the marketing world in the future, making advertisements more relevant to specific groups. Conclusion People want advertisements that are relevant to them, and that contain things that they would actually be interested in. At the same time, however, the same people dont want the government, businesses, or even other people getting too much information from them. There is a fine line between what is considered right and wrong when it comes to the mining of private information. But what is right, and what is wrong? Based on the research that I have done, and the information that I have gathered, I have come to a conclusion that there, in fact, is no right or wrong way to mine data. There is also no way to avoid crossing the line of ethics and morality, because there is no right or wrong answer. The majority of people will not agree on what is right, and they will argue about what is wrong. That being said, it is possible for companies mining data to improve the ways that they gather that information. While they may not always be able to decide what information they receive , they can make decisions about what information they actually use . By taking the nature of their advertisement into consideration, and also considering the group of people that the particular advertisement is directed towards, companies can make moral decisions that will a ffect how their advertisement is perceived, and the amount of successful business that the advertisement brings them.

Project Management The Automotive Industry Essay

Abstract. The automotive industry is a wide field of connecting many engineering and scientific fields together in one systematic place. A lot of changes has occurred on this field since it came into existence. Because it’s a whole system of science and engineering, it is affected by a lot of factors and needs to adapt according to changes in these factors. This paper provides a critical review of chapter fifty-five of ‘Project management in the automotive industry’ by Christophe Midler, and Christian Navarre, that was conducted to provide a review of automotive industry’s history regarding project management. Followed by a personal estimation of the next phase. Introduction. The article provides a discussion on how automotive industry was affected by the surrounding circumstances, and how did project management for this industry has changed gradually from being functional focused, to project based, to innovation based. And how these circumstance helped shaping automotive industry into implementing these strategies. Project management transformed automotive industry based on product strategy and competitive environment. The article discussed these changes and divided them into four phases, starting from postwar period and ending in 2003. Each one of these phases discusses a major change in the industry that happened during a specific period of time, and the outcomes of these changes and did these outcomes change the industry as a whole. Automotive industry is wide andShow MoreRelatedProject Management in the Automotive Industry: A Critical Review1839 Words   |  8 PagesThe chapter ‘Project Management in the Automotive Industry’ by Christophe Midler and Christian Navarre from The Wiley Guide to Managing Projects (September 2004) traces the inception and transformation of project management in the automotive industry from the post-war period to the early years of the new millennium. It is an interesting article which categorizes the period into four phases on the basis of organizational structure and strategy pertinent to most of the automotive manufacturers in eachRead MoreThe Field Of Project Management869 Words   |  4 PagesThere are numerous books on project management, most books are generic in nature, some are catered to the IT industry, but we feel most books fail to capture the challenges faced in executing a project in the automotive industry. Another important drawback of in the current li terature is the overemphasis on tools and terminologies, for example Agile, Six Sigma, PMP, Lean, rather than the essential skills needed to successfully execute the project. In this book, we hope to provide the readers, whoRead MoreProposal For Services For First Class Automotive Repair1081 Words   |  5 PagesOMNIBUS INDUSTRIES PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES For First Class Automotive Repair OVERVIEW Omnibus Industries is pleased to submit this proposal for services to assist First Class Automotive Repair with expanding its operation, both online and offline by providing a complete web presence solution and marketing strategy. We have partnered with many small businesses throughout Canada and are committed to utilizing our extensive experience to meet the needs of First Class Automotive Repair. Objective Read MoreChallenges Of Quality Based Competition For High Tech Product Market1449 Words   |  6 PagesINTRODUCTION The automotive industry in India is one of the largest automotive markets in the world, previously one of the fastest growing markets globally. It started out as a small venture in the 1940s but witnessed a rapid growth with the entry of some big manufacturers like Mahindra Mahindra and Maruti in mid and late 1900s. In 2000, this industry became an important sector of the Indian economy and a major foreign exchange earner for the country. The Shiv group was one of the largest industrialRead MoreEnvironmental Factors Of The Automotive Industry1201 Words   |  5 Pagespopulation. The leaders in the automotive industry must adopt some key elements to ensure success in this fast-moving environment. They must invest in knowing their markets, building brands, adapting product strategies and taking long-term view on their goals and objectives. This paper outlines some of the key factors which should be considered. Environmental factors automotive designers and engineers have always said the main threats in the American Automotive industry are the environmental factorsRead MoreWhat Is Green Innovation Management?1092 Words   |  5 Pagesenvironment. Environmental focus is one of the leading trends in many industries. In order to preserve the environment for the next generation people should strive to sustainable development in all activities. (Golinska, 2014). Green innovation management needs to be implemented in organizations, especially those that are being regarded as chief partakers in environmental pollution like the automotive industries. The process of car or automotive parts manufacturing is very complex, regarding usage of numerousRead MoreDrivers For Automotive Manufacturing Industry1631 Words   |  7 PagesDrivers for automotive manufacturing industry To secure and maintain the long term future of the automotive industry in terms of growing the share of the value chain and by getting ahead in the field of research and development (RD) on ultra-low emission vehicles. This strategy sets out the drivers for the automotive manufacturing industry. †¢ Legislation: Governments all over the world is enforcing legislations to protect the environment based on the international agreement on climate change (KyotoRead MoreProject Complexity Based On A Multiple Regression Model Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pagesdevelop a project of average project complexity, based on the adjustment method, which is based on a multiple regression model. Project complexity: the complexity of project developed measured based on different factors that incorporates, platform design, body style, and powertrain into overall index (European projects had the highest complexity index overall, while united states and Japanese projects decreased complexity) Adjusted engineering hours: the number of hours required to develop a project ofRead MoreVolkswagens Management Strategies1560 Words   |  7 Pagesmanufacturer for a long time. With all the competition in the automotive industry, it has been challenging for Volkswagen to get into the position that they are in now. They are involved in almost every type of car market out. Teenagers can enjoy the Volkswagen Jetta, while parents would love the Tourareg. Volkswagen has even put a foot into the exotic car industry with expensive automobiles such as the Bentleys and Lamborghinis. The management of Volkswagen is responsible for turning Volkswagen intoRead MoreBackground And Motivation Of Vehicle Suspension900 Words   |  4 Pagesenergy . Active suspension has receiving growing attention from automotive industry, benefits from its superiority to give optimized solution for the trade-offs between the design requirements by altering characteristics of suspension elements . The foresight of future is always desired. In real world, this implies that knowing what is approaching supports scheduling and efficient assignment of resources. In the view of automotive engineering, for the vehicle knowing the road condition can significantly

The Birth of Jesus Free Essays

The painting depicts the prediction of the birth of Jesus and how it came to pass. This happened after the visitation of angel Gabriel to Mary, who was a simple and humble Jewish woman. The angel broke the news to Mary that she had found favor with God, and she will conceive and give birth to a son, Jesus (Chisholm, Hugh, ed, (1911). We will write a custom essay sample on The Birth of Jesus or any similar topic only for you Order Now He further elaborated that Jesus would be the son of God, the most high. At this point, Mary was totally confused and worried about the abrupt news but she later consoled herself and said since she was God’s servant, she will do as he says. Moreover, Mary was betrothed to a man called Joseph, who lived in Nazareth (Baynes, T.S., ed., 1978). During this time, a Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus had ordered a census and both Mary and Joseph had to travel to the town of Bethlehem (Orenstein, Nadine M., ed. 2001). The journey took them several days and by the time they arrived, the inn was already full and they were compelled to spend their night near the livestock’s shed. Coincidentally, Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid him in a manger. In the same night, there were shepherds in the field near Bethlehem and were watching over their flocks. Suddenly, the angel appeared to them and broke the good news to them that savior, the Messiah had been born and is lying in a manger. (Freed, Edwin D 2004). They immediately hurried to the place and found Jesus as they were directed. They later went to spread the news. Later, wise men saw a star in the sky that signified the birth of a new king. They followed it to the place where Jesus was and knelt down to worship him. They brought him gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense. According to Mosaic laws, Jesus was taken to the temple where he was named, circumcised and purified. This was conducted by Simeon.In the first scene, angel Gabriel appears to Mary. The second scene shows the shepherds and wise men who came to visit Jesus and his parent Mary and Joseph. Finally, Jesus is taken to the temple by his parents and is received by Simeon. During the visitation of Jesus by wise men, the gifts were used as a symbol of honor to the born king. Joseph is the patron artist who was a simple village man (St. Joseph Biography). His original location was Nazareth. He was chosen by God to be the earthly father of Jesus. He was a carpenter and had gathered exceptional skills in craft work (Alin Suciu, 2009). He feared God and he would obey him in face of severe humiliation. He came from a humble background and this subjected him to engage in carpentry. Also, Joseph was a man of strong conviction and lived his beliefs in his actions (Bart D., 2011). He is celebrated for his obedience and patience even after Mary, his fiancà © gave birth to Jesus although she was a virgin. Jesus was regarded as an artist because he used to give verbal, visual and dramatic forms to the complicated situations (J. Dwight Pentecost, 1998). He taught the word of God by giving analogies, parables, and creative expressions (Andrew S., 25 September 2015). According to the gospels, his birth took place on November of 5 B.C at Bethlehem. After he completed his work on earth, he died on A.D 33 at a place called Golgotha (Pheme Perkins, 2007.). He was known for using parables in his teachings. (John P. Meler 1992). The original location of his artwork was first meant to be viewed in synagogues, where he presented various sermons. Moreover, this artwork was religious and was meant to make his followers think critically so as to understand the word of God fully. Also, they were used as a means of illustrating profound and divine truths. He claimed that such stories were easily remembered and indicated symbolism that was rich in meaning. â€Å"The entire artwork can be traced back to Gospel period where absolute chronology of Jesus is explained into details (Michael Grant, 1977)†. Further, this historical period is recorded in a number of historical and non-Christian documents like Jewish and Greco-Roman sources (Marcus Borg, 1999). Further information indicated that the baptism and crucifixion of Jesus marked prominent historical events. This period simply means the genesis of the good news and it cut across various groups of people. During this period, Jesus started his ministry, which was later considered as fulfillment of New Testament prophecies (W.D Davies, 1984). He walked down all cities along with his disciples preaching the gospel and urging the people to repent so as to see the kingdom of God. This took him the whole of his lifetime on earth. During this period, he faced mockery and humiliation from some groups although he had a good number of followers. â€Å"Artwork was made to make the Christians understand that those who humble themselves, God uplifts them (Ben Witherington III, 1998)†. This is portrayed when Virgin Mary, a simple village woman was visited by an angel and informed her of good news. Later, the birth of Jesus in the manger indicated the humble beginning of his life (Meier, John P, (1991). It also expressed that Jesus was the king since he was visited by various people who came to worship him. Also, Christians should understand the need of recognizing the church as the temple of God. Even the parent of Jesus observed mosaic laws and took him to the temple for various rituals. Therefore, Christians should follow the footsteps of Jesus by obeying the word of God. Works Cited Ben Witherington III. (1998). â€Å"Primary Sources†. Christian History, 17(3), 12-20.Freed, Edwin D (2004). â€Å"Stories of Jesus’ Birth†. Continuum International: 119. John P. Meler (1992). Bordering Jew on Reconsidering the Historical Jesus. â€Å"A Chronology of Jesus Life,† pp. 375-433. Anchor Bible Reference Library. Michael Grant. (1977). Jesus. An Historian’s Review of the Gospels, p.71 Scribner’s How to cite The Birth of Jesus, Papers

Critical Analysis of Oh Captain my Captain free essay sample

The poem â€Å"O Captain! My Captain! † written by Walt Whitman is a heart wrenching portrayal of a sailors loss at sea as he trembles in the sight of his dear fallen captain. One might ask; who is this captain? What has he accomplished? And why does the sailor feel so strongly for him? Whitman’s themes of masculinity and patriotism in this poem play well with these questions and show the authors true feelings behind his â€Å"Captain†. To properly analyze such a poem, one must look at the historical context as well as the authors personal beliefs associated with the poem. Walt Whitman wrote â€Å"O Captain! My Captain!  Ã¢â‚¬  in 1865 in response to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, an event that left the whole country devastated. Aside from his patriotism and love for country, Whitman was an extreme admirer of Abraham Lincoln and portrays his fatherly love for him in this poem. We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Analysis of Oh Captain my Captain or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He believed that President Lincoln had successfully held the country together through times of war and hardship and despite the grueling task at hand; Lincoln had accomplished his mission of preserving the union. As the war was coming to an end and the possibility of peace and prosperity grew closer and more realistic, Lincoln was abruptly assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. To start, one must recognize the speaker in this poem. The speaker is a sailor who, upon arriving to port after a long grueling journey, witnesses the unforeseen death of the captain of the ship. However, it is important to note that the emotions projected on the sailor are held within Walt Whitman himself. In the beginning lines, the speaker cries â€Å"O Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done; /The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won† (Whitman 391, Line 1-2). It is at this point that the reader is informed about the grueling journey that the crew of this ship has gone through to bring home the prize they’ve fought for. In lines three and four of the first stanza, the speaker states â€Å"The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting/While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring† (Whitman 391, Lines 3-4). In this scene, a sense of celebration and happiness is broken by the gloominess and uncertainty of this â€Å"keel† or ship, as it slowly drifts into port. Whitman uses a synecdoche (Team) when he refers to the â€Å"keel† of the ship, as it is only the bottom part along the  side of the vessel. He uses the keel to represent something much more than that (the ship itself). We may also look at the ship as representing more than itself but also the entire Union. The ships eerie entrance foreshadows the untimely death of the captain and sets the tone for the sailors mourning. One may also find it interesting to note the repetitiveness, a trademark of Whitman, of the phrase â€Å"O Captain! My Captain! † as the sailor is speaking to someone who appears to have already passed. Speaking or attempting to solicit a response from someone or something that is not present or has died is referred to as an apostrophe (Team). In the second stanza, the speaker states â€Å"Rise up- for you the flag is flung- for you the bugle trills; 10/ For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths- for you the shores a-crowding; / For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning† (Whitman 391, Lines 10-12). In these lines one may see the profound admiration and reverence that the people hold for this captain. This may be compared with the popularity that Lincoln held with most of his countrymen and represents the opinions that people in the preserved Union shared about their beloved president. However it is in the fifth line of the second stanza that the true relationship of the sailor and the captain is revealed. He states, â€Å"Here Captain! dear father! / This arm beneath your head;/ it is some dream that on the deck,/ You’ve fallen cold and dead† (Whitman 391, Lines 13-16). The sailor looks at the captain as a father figure, much like the connection that Whitman felt with Lincoln. There is no actual kinship, however the bond between the two men is exemplified with the inclusion of the word â€Å"father†, as it may also refer to Lincoln being the father of Whitman’s modern day America. The sailor cannot believe his eyes and feels that he is dreaming as he sees the lifeless body of his captain on the deck. It was this tragic shock that the newly formed union and especially Walt Whitman felt after the man who had led the fight to victory was abruptly killed amidst the celebration and cheerfulness. The final stanza seals the fate of the captain as the speaker states, â€Å"My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will† (Whitman 391, Line 18). In this line the speaker acknowledges that his Captain is no longer with him. The next lines give credit to the Captain for bringing the vessel, our Union, safely into harbor with his mission completed and the prize of a reunited Union in hand. Finally in the last few lines of the poem, the speaker with the loss of his Captain wants the people of the preserved Union to celebrate and rejoice in the victory at hand and to celebrate the life of the man he feels is responsible; however he cannot join them as he is so grief stricken at the loss of this great man, his Captain, his Father, President Lincoln.

Nietzsche Vs. Hobbes Essays - Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Hobbes

Nietzsche Vs. Hobbes ANDREW LANGILLE GRADE 13 PHILOSOPHY COURSE, How are the philosophies of Nietzsche and Hobbes different on topics of Christianity, Human Nature, and Morality. The philosophies of Nietzsche and Hobbes' are radically different, Hobbes' philosophy is dominated by loyalty to the crown, riddled with references to the Christian scriptures, and a belief that life is ?nasty, brutish, and short?(Leviathan, 133); while Nietzsche's philosophy was dominated by the pessimistic Schopenhauer, a belief that the human race was a herd, and that ?God is dead?(Thus Spoke Zarathustra, S. 13). Hobbes and Nietzsche look at the world completely differently. Hobbes was a Christian who defended the bible, while Nietzsche called ?Christianity the one great curse?(The Anti-Christ, s. 62). On the topic of human nature Hobbes thought life to be a ?warre...of every man, against every man?(Leviathan, 232) while Nietzsche took a nihilistic approach and declared that ? human nature is just a euphemism for inertia, cultural conditioning, and what we are before we make something of ourselves...?(Human, all to Human, 67). On morality these two philosophers have opposing views, Hobbes views on morality were straight out of Exodus, while Nietzsche holds that ?morality is a hindrance to the development of new and better customs: it makes stupid [people]?(Daybreak, s. 19). These two philosophers lived at different times, in different locations, and their differing philosophies reflect the lives that they lived. Thomas Hobbes was born into an English upper class family in 1588, his father was the parish priest. Thomas was educated by his uncle until he was fifteen, when he was sent to Oxford to continue his studies. In 1608 he finished his formal education and took up with the son of Lord Cavendish, they undertook an adventure which saw them travel across Europe. Hobbes remained in England until the start of the English civil war when he fled to France. The civil war took place from 1642 till 1649, this conflict had a profound affect on Hobbes, particularly the execution of Charles I in 1649. All his writings after this event reflect Hobbes' quest to find a peaceful, stable form of government. Hobbes died in 1679. Fredrich Nietzsche was born into a upper class family in Germany, on 15 October 1844, his father was tutor for the royal family and also a priest. Nietzsche father died when he was twelve, this had life-long impact on him. At age eight-teen he discovered the philosopher Schopenhauer, the basis for much of his early work, and gave up Christianity. He was educated at the University of Bonn, at the age of twenty-five Nietzsche was appointed Professor of Philosophy at the University of Basle. He became close friends with composer Richard Wanger, who's work he enthusiastically supported. Nietzsche most productive years were to be his last, he drove insane by syphilis and died at the dawn of this century. Nietzsche declared in that ?modern Christian civilization is sick and must be overcome?(The Anti-Christ, 156), Hobbes would have found that excerpt to be repugnant having declared that ?God...when he speaks to any subject...he ought to be obeyed? (Leviathan, 492). Hobbes was a Christian, while Nietzsche was a atheist, their views on Christianity are completely opposite. Nietzsche held the belief throughout his life that ?Christianity has taken the side of everything weak, base, ill-constituted, it has made an ideal out of opposition to the preservative instincts of a strong life; it has depraved the reason even of the intellectually strongest natures by teaching men to feel the supreme values of intellectuality as sinful, as misleading, as temptations,?(The Anti-Christ, S. 5) Professor Howard Rainer of Davis University states that ?Nietzsche was uncompromisingly anti-Christian, for Christianity was the most potent force against those values which he prized most highly.? Nietzsche felt that Christianity would hinder the emergence of the ?overman?(The Will to Power, 546), a human being that follows their own path and not the herd's. Hobbes while being a Christian to the end, had a rather pessimistic view of it; Professor Ian Johnston of Malaspina University states that ? Hobbes believed the public religion of the artificial state must serve the need for security to protect the selfish economic interests of the individuals composing it.? Hobbes view of Christianity was quite radical

To what extent did the Liberal Reforms (1906-1914) improve the lives of the British people Essay Example

To what extent did the Liberal Reforms (1906 To what extent did the Liberal Reforms (1906-1914) improve the lives of the British people Essay To what extent did the Liberal Reforms (1906-1914) improve the lives of the British people Essay Prior to the Liberal Reforms between 1906 and 1914 British people in and out of poverty had had to take care of themselves. The Conservatives had been running the country for almost 20 years and many people were in desperate need of change. In 1906 the liberals were elected and were led by Campbell Bannerman, however he made little attempt to solve the problems facing Britain, with the exception of that Education (Administrative provisions) act and the Education (Provision of meals) act. A short while later Asquith became prime minister and with his appointments David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill, they began to battle against poverty and introduce effective reforms. The five most vulnerable groups in society which suffered were: the young, the old, the sick, the employed and the unemployed of Britain at the time. Children hadnt received good education and were unable to find good jobs and earn decent wages because of their poor education. They often died of malnutrition and they had very poor diets as schools rarely provided school meals and medicine to protect them. They were also extremely unclean. The only way that children could hope to stay alive was through their beggars income, which even then covered very little of the basic necessities. The old suffered as they were on fixed pensions and as the prices rose through recession their money became worthless and they couldnt afford basic necessities anymore. The old desperately needed money to keep them above the poverty line. The sick were suffering from poverty as they werent able to find decent, well paying jobs because they werent fit enough to work. The unemployed suffered from terrible poverty as they werent able to maintain a good job, or find a new one. They never had money coming into their household and therefore never managed to keep above the poverty line. The employed managed to earn money that supplied the basic necessities however they had to endure terrible working conditions and didnt receive the money they were entitled to for the work they did. Liberal Reforms were introduced to help solve the problems facing these five different groups. The acts were successful to a certain extent as they helped to solve some problems for the British public, however they werent completely successful as there were still many problems facing the British public and thousands more people still suffered greatly from poverty at the time. Acts were introduced to aid the young, the old, the sick, the unemployed and the employed. There were three important acts introduced to aid children through recession and British poverty among the lower and working classes. Children suffered at school as they had very poor diets and were extremely unclean. Some didnt attend school, however this was solved when secondary education became compulsory, and this allowed teachers to realise for the first time just how bad poverty for children was. The first act was the Education (Provision of Meals) Act of 1906. This act saw the government providing hundreds of British schools with free school meals to try and improve childrens diets and ensure they got at least one hot meal a day, depending on the familys level of poverty. The act saw a large increase in meals, from 3 million in 1906, to 9 million in 1910, to a huge 14 million in 1914. A big supporter in the introduction of this act was Margaret Bradford who one stated feed the stomach, then the mind. This was useful information as studies showed that children who ate properly and had good diets, learned better and achieved a higher success rate, than those who suffered from poor hygiene and poor diets. The act therefore was rather successful, as childrens success rates increased, and children didnt feel forced as the act was compulsory. However it showed flaws as 50% of local authorities didnt supply school meals for free and many children still died of malnutrition. The second act introduced to benefit children was the Education (Administrative Provisions) Act of 1907 which provided free medical inspections to schools. The government disliked this act as it would reveal how unhealthy and unstable the children of society were. Compared to the United States of America, British children were much shorter and much lighter. Between 80 and 90% of children in British society suffered from rotting teeth and many contracted lice. The act was successful as the problems with children were uncovered concerning hygiene and diet. Diseases and illnesses could now be identified on children, however it was flawed as the problems would be identified but didnt always need to be treated or attended to. This was until a grant was given in 1912 to set up school clinics. However the liberals took almost 3 years to fully establish them. The third act introduced was the Childrens Act of 1908 also known as the childrens charter. This act prevented children from smoking and drinking, as well as buying cigarettes and alcohol under the age of 16, also abuse to children was forbidden and parents, now by law werent allowed to neglect their children. Juvenile courts were set up, so that young offenders werent abused in adult prisons. Young offenders were sent to borstals were they would receive a proper education in a corrective school. Once young offenders had completed their jail or borstal sentence they would be given a probation officer to help them change their ways. The act was successful as children would be safe, and would be free from abuse from adult prisons and could grasp a better idea of a better and more fulfilling life from their detention centres and borstals. However the act was unsuccessful as the children lost their begging income and slipped further into poverty. The second large group that were vulnerable to British society were the old. There was one important act introduced to aid the old through recession and British poverty among the lower and working classes. Prior to this reform the old had been one of the worst suffering groups in the British society. They had next to nothing in the way of money, and often had to reply on their families for money, but they were often of a lower class aswel and struggled greatly. Any money that the old did receive would be through pensions, and even then they would be of a minimal amount and wouldnt be enough for them to afford the basic necessities. The act introduced to ease the stress and anxiety of the old was the 1908 old age pensions act. The act had been introduced by David Lloyd George who wanted to help the old greatly as he felt it was unfair for them to suffer with the British poverty crisis. He had been a member of the Chaplin committee which showed his compassion for the old. The act was based on the German pensions scheme, which Lloyd George had been impressed by on a visit to Germany. The act had several conditions: anyone applying had to fit with these conditions before they could be granted the pension scheme benefits. The individual had to have lived in Britain for over 20 years, not been arrested for 20 years, not been drunk and convicted within the last 10 years, they werent granted any money if they had been fired from their work either, Also they had to be over the age of 70. If they qualified for the pensions act then they would receive between 1 and 5 shillings a week, but according to the poverty reports compiled by Booth and Rowntree people needed a minimum of 7 shillings a week to remain above the poverty line. It was estimated that around 500,000 people would apply to the pensions scheme, but in fact a massive 650,000 applied in 1909 and 1 million in 1914. The elderly were benefited greatly from this reform and they were very grateful towards Lloyd George and often referred to him as Lord George as they though Mr. was an understatement. He was viewed as a saint. Overall we can see that the reform introduced to aid the old though poverty was very beneficial as older people now had a longer life expectancy as they were now able to afford more of their basic necessities and were more fulfilled because of it. However, the act showed some weakness as the scheme was only granted to over 70s and terms and conditions applied, which were very harsh. So the act helped ease stress and anxiety but wasnt very successful in the long run. The third large group that were vulnerable to British society were the sick. There was one important act introduced to aid the sick through recession and British poverty among the lower and working classes. Prior to this reform the sick had been viewed as perhaps the most vulnerable group in society during the times of the poverty crisis. The sick were affected greatly as the biggest cases of illness and disease occurred within the working classes and peasants, which meant that they couldnt afford proper health care or medicine to try and help them get better. Also, as they were sick they couldnt get good well paying jobs as employers werent willing to hire a sick person and risk the rest of his employees getting sick aswel. The act introduced to aid the sick from the poverty crisis was the National Insurance Act part I of 1911. This act saw the sick receive free medical inspections and treatment which were free, which would restore them to full health and they would be able to find decent jobs and earn some money to keep them above the poverty line. Lloyd George had been impressed with the Germans methods to helping the sick, on a trip to Germany and wanted to continue a similar idea in Britain. The act was very flawed and Lloyd George admitted this himself by saying that he thought the act needed more work, but this was all the liberals could do at that time. The insurance from the sick had to be taxed from their small wages and minimal income. This made the government feel guilty for taking what little money they had left to buy into an insurance scheme. Overall we can see that the act was successful as the free medical inspections and treatment insured that they received good and accurate prescriptions and were nursed back to full health, which meant they could find jobs and earn a decent income. However the act was very flawed as the orphan and widow benefits were dropped as the government couldnt afford the insurance scheme without this extra money. Also it showed unsuccessfulness as if the sick worker was insured then this reform wouldnt benefit them at all. The fourth large group that were vulnerable to British society were the unemployed. There were two important acts introduced to aid the unemployed through recession and British poverty among the lower and working classes. Prior to the reforms the unemployed had suffered greatly. They were unable to hold down decent jobs and therefore didnt receive a proper wage. Middle classes blamed poverty among the unemployed and their inability to find work on laziness and reluctance. Two acts were introduced to try and aid the unemployed from the poverty crisis. The first of these acts was the National Insurance act part II of 1911. This act made sure that the unemployed received unemployment insurance. Workers had to pay into a state scheme at 2 1/2 d a week to be able to receive payments. Employers had to pay 2 1/2 d a week aswel. Also, the state put 3d into the scheme. This insurance scheme was aimed mostly at shipbuilders and construction workers. The unemployed only received 15 weeks of payment a year at 7 shillings a week, but this wasnt enough to keep them out of poverty. More and more people found themselves being sacked which meant they wouldnt be eligible to receive the insurance scheme money. By 1915 around 2. 3 million people were insured under this scheme. This act was successful as hundreds of unemployed people now received and were introduced into the insurance scheme despite the fact they were unemployed, which insured that had at least some cover which they could easily afford. However the act showed flaw, as they only received 15 weeks of 7 shillings a year, and this wasnt quite enough to cover the basic necessities. Also, the scheme didnt accommodate family cover which meant that if another family member was injured or needed money for something then they would have to pay the full price, which would often be very expensive, and some couldnt afford it. The second act introduced to aid the unemployed from the poverty crisis was the 1909 Labour Exchanges act. This act was very popular with the British people. It provided a more efficient method of finding jobs. Almost 3000 jobs were now available a day. In 1910 there were around 83 labours and by 1913 it had increased to a massive 430. There was also a wider range of jobs which meant that people could find jobs more suited to the skills they had. This act was successful as there were many more jobs available for the unemployed and this meant they could earn decent wages to afford the basic necessities. Overall we can see that the reforms introduced to aid the unemployed from the poverty crisis helped to a certain extent. They were successful as people now had more help and a large push to find a job and earn wages. Also, the unemployed received and were introduced into an insurance scheme which paid them money for 15 weeks in the year. However, the act was unsuccessful as the insurance scheme didnt accommodate family cover and it only paid 15 weeks a year at 7 shillings of money which wasnt enough to cover the basic necessities. Also the Labour Exchanges act only opened up jobs for some trades which were very limiting for people who didnt have many skills. The fifth large group that were vulnerable to British society were the employed. There were four important acts introduced to aid the employed through recession and British poverty among the lower and working classes. Prior to the reforms the employed had suffered largely due to the conditions that they had to endure at work; Mostly because of the long working hours and poor working conditions that they worked with. The first act to be introduced to aid the employed from the poverty crisis was the Workmens Compensation act of 1906. This act provided compensation for injuries sustained at work. There were other acts like this introduced in 1897 and 1900 which failed, which led to people believing that this act would fail aswel. However, they were proved wrong. The act was very successful as employers took a giant step to improve the conditions of the workplace so that they wouldnt have to pay out compensation to injured workers. The second act to be introduced to aid the employed from the poverty crisis was the Coal Mines act of 1908 which granted coal mine workers an 8 hour day. This act had been protested for approximately 40 years before it was introduced. This was very beneficial as before coal mine workers had had to work for long hours in very poor and enclosed conditions. Many workers often died from toxic fumes and diseases contracted within such a close proximity. The act benefited millions of workers. The third act to be introduced to aid the employed from the poverty crisis was the Trades Board act of 1908. This act hoped to define a minimum wage for those who worked in the sweated industry such as the match stick makers and match stick box makers. This act involved over 200,000 people. However the act only affected some trades. Also, it concluded that no decision was actually made to define a minimum wage, therefore proving the act was very unsuccessful. The fourth act to be introduced to aid the employed from the poverty crisis was the Shops Act of 1911. This act insured that shop workers received a half day of from work. This act also gave shop workers a lunch break so that they could eat food and try to maintain a proper diet. Overall we can see that the reforms introduced to aid the employed from the poverty crisis were quite successful with the exception of the Trades Board act, as they insured that workers were granted compensation for injuries they sustained at work which meant that employers would have to improve their companies so that they wouldnt have to pay up. Also, the reforms meant that coal miners would be granted fewer working hours and wouldnt catch terrible diseases and suffer from toxic fumes. Also shop workers didnt have to work for long hours and even got a lunch break. However, the reforms showed flaws as the acts didnt apply to all trades and the Trades Board act was completely unsuccessful at defining a minimum wage. In conclusion it can be stated that the Liberal Reforms (1906-1914) helped improve the lives of the British people to a great extent. Children were benefited as they were granted at least one hot meal a day, they received free medical inspections and were protected from abuse and secondary education was compulsory. However, the lost their beggars income and the diseased that could be identified didnt have to be treated. The old were benefited as they received good pension which would support them and give them a relaxing future. However, it was a fixed pension that didnt keep them out of poverty, as not enough money was provided. The sick were benefited as they received free medical inspections and treatment and were covered under the insurance scheme, for a low cost. However, they found it hard to find work as employers were reluctant to employ the sick incase they infected the rest of the employees. The unemployed were helped to find work with the introduction of Labour Exchanges which were very beneficial. However it was flawed as they only received 15 weeks of payment a year which didnt cover the basic necessities. The employed were benefited as their working conditions were improved and their hours as well as their wages increased cut to keep them healthier. However the conditions only applied to some trades. Therefore it is apparent that the Liberal Reforms introduced between 1906 and 1914 helped improve the lives of the British people to a great extent.

Analytical overview of the newspaper publishing industry in the uk.

In line with the above, this paper provides an analytical overview of the newspaper publishing industry in the UK. It provides a comprehensive overview of the sector structure including an analysis of the value/supply chain, business models, some of the leading newspapers and an analysis of the market structure. The paper also examines key demographics, user preferences and the changing patterns of consumption. Finally, the paper conducts a critical analysis of the current issues and trends including examining the impact of technologies, market and business forces. Overview of sector structure The newspaper publishing industry in the UK has a unique structure in terms of geographical coverage of publications. With reference to the geographical coverage, there are two main categories: the national publications and regional publications (Anon 2013). The national newspapers comprise of 10 dailies and 12 Sundays (Anon 2013). Within these two categories are the tabloid newspapers; middle-market tabloid newspapers and broadsheet newspapers (Anon 2013). Most of the newspapers in the UK are however under the ‘tabloid’ subcategory. Examples of tabloid newspapers are The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, The People and The Morning Star amongst others (Anon 2013). Whilst the broadsheet examples include The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Sunday Times and The Observer among others. The ‘Middle-market’ tabloid newspapers include Daily Mail, Sunday Express, Daily Express and The Mail on Sunday (Anon 2013). Regional newspapers in the UK are more than 1500 but for the purpose of this analysis, we shall highlight the top 10 regional groups. The parent companies of the top 10 regional newspapers include: Archant which was formerly referred to as Eastern Counties Newspaper Group (Anon 2013). Associated Newspapers Ltd Guardian Media Group plc Mirror Group Regional Newspapers which is currently known as Trinity (Anon 2013). Newsquest Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers (Anon 2013). Northcliffe Newspapers Group Trinity Mirror plc Scotsman Publications Ltd and D C Thompson Having defined the structure of newspapers, it is worthwhile examining the value/supply chains and the traditional business model. Supply chains In the UK, Newspaper supply chains are publisher-led. In other words, publishers have a strong degree of influence over the supply chains (OFT 2008). They exercise a stronger degree of influence over the volumes of products received by retailers through setting parameters used by wholesalers to allocate copies to the retailers (OFT 2008). The publisher also exerts influence on pricing at all stages of the supply chain by printing a price and setting margins for both the retailers and wholesalers (OFT 2008). They also set performance standards that define the nature of service provided to the retailers. These standards influence the terms and conditions on which retailers are supplied by the wholesalers (OFT 2008). The publisher’s main role in the newspaper publishing industry is thus to intermediate between journalists, information users, advertisers and other attention-seekers (OECD 2010). Journalists, on the other hand, have the task of creating content. This process of content creation and manufacturing requires in-depth research and investigation. Newspaper organizations also rely on news agencies such as Reuters and the Associated Press for news stories (OECD 2010). With the draft created, a diligent work flow follows that include a number of activities such as editing, copy-editing and graphical work (OECD 2010). Finally, a fully digital version is created ready for printing (OECD 2010). Characteristics of the newspaper publishing industry A key characteristic to note in the newspaper publishing industry is the two-sided markets: advertizing revenues and sale of editorial content (Berte De Bens 2008). Newspapers provide for both advertising and editorial content and as such generate revenues from both the advertisers and readers (Berte De Bens 2008). Another key newspaper characteristic is perishability. Newspapers are perishable in that their value is only for a short period. Demand is thus concentrated in a short time window which is often in the morning (OFT 2008). As such, there is pressure in the supply chain to reduce the time taken to deliver newspapers to retail outlets (OFT 2008). Newspapers in the UK are printed at print centres which are spread throughout the country. Once printed, they are distributed to wholesale depots in the UK (Berte De Bens 2008). These are then packed and delivered by the wholesalers to retailers (Berte De Bens 2008). In addition, some newspapers are supplied directly to consumers through subscription. However, magazines account for most of the subscription sales. Some examples of newspapers that offer subscription service in the UK include the Financial Times and The Times (OFT 2008). In the recent years, there has been a push towards supplying newspapers directly to the retailers. Publishers have become more involved in supplying newspapers outside the normal distribution process including supplying to high-street retailers (OFT 2008). As such a new supply chain, a direct-to-retail (DTR) distribution system is currently underway. Consumer behaviour The circulation and readership of newspapers cut across every age group, sector and social strata (Hamel Prahalad 1994). However, some age groups are more prone to reading newspapers than others. Adults are particularly more loyal to their newspapers than the younger teenagers. According to keynote survey on the consumption patterns of newspapers in the UK, it was found that majority of newspaper readers comprised mainly of the elderly. According to the survey, 48.9% of teenagers aged between 16 and 19 would buy a local or regional newspaper at least once a week (Keynote 2010). But beyond the age of 20, the buying falls and continues to decline up to the age of 44 before rising again, reaching a peak of 61.3% among those aged above 65 (Keynote 2010). Nonetheless, it is safe to assume that the UK industry offers a vibrant market for publishers as both the older consumers and younger teenagers have a quest for information. But just like with other social trends, evolution is inevitable and the rise of the internet leads to changing user preferences and changing patterns of consumption (Currah 2009). More recently there has been a decline in consumption of newspapers even among the adults which is largely attributable to the proliferation of online alternatives. In a comparative survey carried out by Keynote between 2008 and 2009, it was found that 36.5% of adults bought national newspapers on a daily basis, down from 42.4% in 2008 (Keynote 2010). The old newspaper business model which has for a long time been a success is coming under pressure due to the ongoing digitization. Reader markets and advertizing are in fact declining in many parts of the world owing to the growth of new digital media. The internet has grown to become nearly a standard publishing channel and is posing a major threat to the contemporary business model (Darmstadt 2006). The changing consumer preference has been a key driving factor behind this contraction as advertizing and print media have lost out to online alternatives that offer information and advertizing services via the social media (Smith 2013). In fact, in between 2007 and 2012, there was a 25% drop in the circulation of the daily newspapers in the UK (Smith 2013). Although the rise of the internet has to some extent benefited newspaper publishers through the revenues generated from advertizing on their online publications, the loss suffered by print advertizing has been far greater than the benefits derived from online publications such that it has resulted in an overall negative growth for most of the newspapers (Boczkowski 2005). Also, the value chain of news production, distribution and consumption has been fundamentally affected by the growth of the internet and the ongoing digitization (Leurdijk et al 2012). Whilst most newspapers have launched their own websites and offered blogs and apps for mobile devices, they still have to bear the costs which are significantly high (Leurdijk et al 2012). Moreover, the huge quantity of information available online has made it increasingly difficult for people to pay for online services. Pay models which have proven to be successful are scarce. The pay-wall model was initially experimented by some of the newspaper publishers but failed as the subscription revenues could not offset the vast loss of advertising revenues that resulted from decline in readership (Leurdijk et al 2012). However, there have been new attempts lately to re-introduce pay-walls for premium content by some of the publishers such as the New York Times, the Hamburger Abendblatt and The Berliner Morgenpost among others (Leurdijk et al 2012). But still, only a few companies have managed to succeed in developing viable online business models (Miyamoto Whittaker 2005). Perhaps we can say that the newspaper publishing industry is under turmoil due to the penetration of broadband and the rise of new devices for delivering digital content. Consumers are quickly embracing technology and switching to digital media. However, this transition from traditional print media to digital media varies with age (Fenez et al 2010). The younger generation is particularly the most affected. But as noted by Keynote, the impact has also been felt among the older consumers. Of course these changes will tend to benefit the consumers. Such newer forms of decentralized news will liberate readers from partisan news monopolies which have dominated the industry (Currah 2009). Consumers will also benefit from increase in the availability of ‘free’ news and news consumption that can be tailored to fit own preference (Currah 2009). But at the same time there is a concern regarding the quality of output, in particular, whether the desired output can be sustained by market. It should be noted that, unlike the traditional news organizations, many actors involved in the online content lack the large fixed cost base needed to provide in-depth and varied reporting of news (OECD 2010). In this regard, will vulnerable news genres such as reporting on local government, investigative journalism and reporting on areas not of immediate economic or political interest, survive (Leurdijk et al 2010)This is an issue that requires further documentation. Current issues and what the future holds Following the recent recession that led to declining business profit, the advertiser’s budget has today shrunk (Smith 2013). The impact of the recession has been a decline in readership due to high prices of newspapers. Also, the recent phone hacking scandal that implicated tabloid newspapers has undermined trust in journalists and led to a declining demand in major papers (Smith 2013). More recently, the introduction a new generation of eReaders such the iPad, tablet computers and kindles has provided an alternative for accessing information online (Sabagh 2011). With influx of such portable technology, the decline print newspaper is likely to accelerate, adding pressure to the traditional models that have supported many titles (Sabbagh 2011). The impact of these changes has already been felt by a number of local newspapers with 31 titles closing in 2010 (Sabbagh 2011). However, there are those that seem to handle the transition well such as the Financial Times which has seen a growth in digital subscription (Sabbagh 2011). For instance, in 2011, the average print circulation of Financial Times (FT) was 297,227 whereas that of the digital circulation was around 301,471, indicating a 31% increase in digital subscribers (Greenslade 2012). During the same year, the average global audience grew to 2.1m whereas that of the print stayed flat (Greenslade 2012). But while FT has made a successful digital transition, majority of the newspapers have not succeed in developing viable online business models. Given the declining demand, pressure has mounted on newspapers to adopt defence mechanism in order to protect their bottom line (Smith 2011). Publishers have been forced to optimize online advertizing platforms and some others have had to adopt paywalls (Smith 2011). Also, there are those that are opting to expand internationally in efforts to capture a new market in an information-centric society (Smith 2011). The structural challenges facing the newspaper publishing industry have no doubt resulted in a decline in circulation volume and a shift of advertizing to online channels. The growth in information technology is already having an impact on consumption behaviours as reading is losing against listening and watching of news via the Televisions, radios and the internet (ATKearney 2005). The trend is also forecast to continue in the coming future. As pointed out by ATKearney (2005), circulation of newspapers is likely to decline by over 25% in the forthcoming 20 years due to a decline in readership and the growth of digital generation. With newspaper revenue declining, there is a higher possibility of heavy consolidation to occur through company ‘attrition’ and Merger and acquisition activities (ATKearney 2005). The impact of the recent phone hacking scandal is likely to be minimal as popular titles still remain in fair commercial health. Tabloid newspapers such as ‘The People’, ‘The Daily’ and ‘Sunday Mirror’, and ‘Record titles’ in Scotland are still in fair commercial health. However, whilst the Leveson inquiry is expected to have minimal effects on the industry performance, a concern has been raised that the resulting regulation will be unbalanced between print news and that published online (Smith 2011). Conclusion Indeed we have seen that a number of factors have contributed to a decline in newspaper circulation such as recession, new technology (e-readers and smartphones), new internet intermediaries, new business models, and social factors such as increased participation in creation of digital content. These changes have had mixed effects in the industry. On the one extreme, consumers have benefited from availability of free information and consumption of news content which can be tailored to suit their own preferences. Also such newer forms of decentralized news have liberated readers from partisan news monopolies which have dominated the industry. On the other extreme, the traditional print media has been declining and this demise puts at risk an important foundation of democratic societies. Also, there is a concern that the desired quality output may not be sustainable as many actors involved in the online content lack the large fixed cost base needed to provide in-depth and varied reporting of news. Reference Anon, 2013. UK regional newspapers. Magforum ATKearney, 2005. Newspaper endgame: evolution scenarios for the European Newspaper Publishing industry. London Berte, K. and De Bens, E., 2008. ‘Newspapers go for advertising! Challenges and opportunities in a changing media environment’. Journalism Studies, 9(5), 692-703. Boczkowski, P. J., 2005. Digitizing the news: innovation in online newspapers. Cambirdge, Currah, A., 2009. What’s happening to our news: an investigation into the likely impact of the digital revolution on the economics of news publishing in the UK. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Elvestad, E. and Blekesaune, A., 2008. ‘Newspaper readers in Europe: a multilevel study of individual and national differences’. European Journal of Communication, 23(4), 425-447. Fenez, M., Middelweerd, J., Van der Donk, M., 2010. Moving into multiple business models. Pricewaterhousecoopers, Greenslade, R., 2012. How the Financial Times successfully made the digital transition. The Guardian. Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C.K., 1994, Competing for the Future, Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press. Keynote, 2010. Publishing industry: who still reads newspapers{viewed on 24th April 2013} availablefrom https://www.keynote.co.uk/media-centre/in-the-news/display/publishing-industry%3A-who-still-reads-newspapers%3F/?articleId=426 Leurdijk,A., Slot, M., Niewenhuis, O., 2012. Statistical, ecosystems and competitiveness analysis of the media and content industries: The newspaper publishing industry. Joint Research Centre Massachusetts: MIT Press. Miyamoto, D. and Whittaker, D., 2005. The book publishing industry in Japan and the UK: corporate philosophy/objectives, behaviour and market structure. Working paper No.309, ESRC Centre for Business Research OECD 2010, The evolution of news and the internet. DSTI/ICCP/IE(2009)14/FINAL Office of Fair Trading (OFT), 2008, Newspaper and magazine distribution in the United Kingdom, Crown Publishers Sabbagh, D., 2011. iPads and Kindles force newspapers further away from print. The Guardian Smith, G., 2013. Newspaper publishing in the UK industry market research report now updated by IBISWorld. IBISWorld {viewed on 24th April 2013} available from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10407604.htm Analytical overview of the newspaper publishing industry in the uk. In line with the above, this paper provides an analytical overview of the newspaper publishing industry in the UK. It provides a comprehensive overview of the sector structure including an analysis of the value/supply chain, business models, some of the leading newspapers and an analysis of the market structure. The paper also examines key demographics, user preferences and the changing patterns of consumption. Finally, the paper conducts a critical analysis of the current issues and trends including examining the impact of technologies, market and business forces. Overview of sector structure The newspaper publishing industry in the UK has a unique structure in terms of geographical coverage of publications. With reference to the geographical coverage, there are two main categories: the national publications and regional publications (Anon 2013). The national newspapers comprise of 10 dailies and 12 Sundays (Anon 2013). Within these two categories are the tabloid newspapers; middle-market tabloid newspapers and broadsheet newspapers (Anon 2013). Most of the newspapers in the UK are however under the ‘tabloid’ subcategory. Examples of tabloid newspapers are The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, The People and The Morning Star amongst others (Anon 2013). Whilst the broadsheet examples include The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Sunday Times and The Observer among others. The ‘Middle-market’ tabloid newspapers include Daily Mail, Sunday Express, Daily Express and The Mail on Sunday (Anon 2013). Regional newspapers in the UK are more than 1500 but for the purpose of this analysis, we shall highlight the top 10 regional groups. The parent companies of the top 10 regional newspapers include: Archant which was formerly referred to as Eastern Counties Newspaper Group (Anon 2013). Associated Newspapers Ltd Guardian Media Group plc Mirror Group Regional Newspapers which is currently known as Trinity (Anon 2013). Newsquest Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers (Anon 2013). Northcliffe Newspapers Group Trinity Mirror plc Scotsman Publications Ltd and D C Thompson Having defined the structure of newspapers, it is worthwhile examining the value/supply chains and the traditional business model. Supply chains In the UK, Newspaper supply chains are publisher-led. In other words, publishers have a strong degree of influence over the supply chains (OFT 2008). They exercise a stronger degree of influence over the volumes of products received by retailers through setting parameters used by wholesalers to allocate copies to the retailers (OFT 2008). The publisher also exerts influence on pricing at all stages of the supply chain by printing a price and setting margins for both the retailers and wholesalers (OFT 2008). They also set performance standards that define the nature of service provided to the retailers. These standards influence the terms and conditions on which retailers are supplied by the wholesalers (OFT 2008). The publisher’s main role in the newspaper publishing industry is thus to intermediate between journalists, information users, advertisers and other attention-seekers (OECD 2010). Journalists, on the other hand, have the task of creating content. This process of content creation and manufacturing requires in-depth research and investigation. Newspaper organizations also rely on news agencies such as Reuters and the Associated Press for news stories (OECD 2010). With the draft created, a diligent work flow follows that include a number of activities such as editing, copy-editing and graphical work (OECD 2010). Finally, a fully digital version is created ready for printing (OECD 2010). Characteristics of the newspaper publishing industry A key characteristic to note in the newspaper publishing industry is the two-sided markets: advertizing revenues and sale of editorial content (Berte De Bens 2008). Newspapers provide for both advertising and editorial content and as such generate revenues from both the advertisers and readers (Berte De Bens 2008). Another key newspaper characteristic is perishability. Newspapers are perishable in that their value is only for a short period. Demand is thus concentrated in a short time window which is often in the morning (OFT 2008). As such, there is pressure in the supply chain to reduce the time taken to deliver newspapers to retail outlets (OFT 2008). Newspapers in the UK are printed at print centres which are spread throughout the country. Once printed, they are distributed to wholesale depots in the UK (Berte De Bens 2008). These are then packed and delivered by the wholesalers to retailers (Berte De Bens 2008). In addition, some newspapers are supplied directly to consumers through subscription. However, magazines account for most of the subscription sales. Some examples of newspapers that offer subscription service in the UK include the Financial Times and The Times (OFT 2008). In the recent years, there has been a push towards supplying newspapers directly to the retailers. Publishers have become more involved in supplying newspapers outside the normal distribution process including supplying to high-street retailers (OFT 2008). As such a new supply chain, a direct-to-retail (DTR) distribution system is currently underway. Consumer behaviour The circulation and readership of newspapers cut across every age group, sector and social strata (Hamel Prahalad 1994). However, some age groups are more prone to reading newspapers than others. Adults are particularly more loyal to their newspapers than the younger teenagers. According to keynote survey on the consumption patterns of newspapers in the UK, it was found that majority of newspaper readers comprised mainly of the elderly. According to the survey, 48.9% of teenagers aged between 16 and 19 would buy a local or regional newspaper at least once a week (Keynote 2010). But beyond the age of 20, the buying falls and continues to decline up to the age of 44 before rising again, reaching a peak of 61.3% among those aged above 65 (Keynote 2010). Nonetheless, it is safe to assume that the UK industry offers a vibrant market for publishers as both the older consumers and younger teenagers have a quest for information. But just like with other social trends, evolution is inevitable and the rise of the internet leads to changing user preferences and changing patterns of consumption (Currah 2009). More recently there has been a decline in consumption of newspapers even among the adults which is largely attributable to the proliferation of online alternatives. In a comparative survey carried out by Keynote between 2008 and 2009, it was found that 36.5% of adults bought national newspapers on a daily basis, down from 42.4% in 2008 (Keynote 2010). The old newspaper business model which has for a long time been a success is coming under pressure due to the ongoing digitization. Reader markets and advertizing are in fact declining in many parts of the world owing to the growth of new digital media. The internet has grown to become nearly a standard publishing channel and is posing a major threat to the contemporary business model (Darmstadt 2006). The changing consumer preference has been a key driving factor behind this contraction as advertizing and print media have lost out to online alternatives that offer information and advertizing services via the social media (Smith 2013). In fact, in between 2007 and 2012, there was a 25% drop in the circulation of the daily newspapers in the UK (Smith 2013). Although the rise of the internet has to some extent benefited newspaper publishers through the revenues generated from advertizing on their online publications, the loss suffered by print advertizing has been far greater than the benefits derived from online publications such that it has resulted in an overall negative growth for most of the newspapers (Boczkowski 2005). Also, the value chain of news production, distribution and consumption has been fundamentally affected by the growth of the internet and the ongoing digitization (Leurdijk et al 2012). Whilst most newspapers have launched their own websites and offered blogs and apps for mobile devices, they still have to bear the costs which are significantly high (Leurdijk et al 2012). Moreover, the huge quantity of information available online has made it increasingly difficult for people to pay for online services. Pay models which have proven to be successful are scarce. The pay-wall model was initially experimented by some of the newspaper publishers but failed as the subscription revenues could not offset the vast loss of advertising revenues that resulted from decline in readership (Leurdijk et al 2012). However, there have been new attempts lately to re-introduce pay-walls for premium content by some of the publishers such as the New York Times, the Hamburger Abendblatt and The Berliner Morgenpost among others (Leurdijk et al 2012). But still, only a few companies have managed to succeed in developing viable online business models (Miyamoto Whittaker 2005). Perhaps we can say that the newspaper publishing industry is under turmoil due to the penetration of broadband and the rise of new devices for delivering digital content. Consumers are quickly embracing technology and switching to digital media. However, this transition from traditional print media to digital media varies with age (Fenez et al 2010). The younger generation is particularly the most affected. But as noted by Keynote, the impact has also been felt among the older consumers. Of course these changes will tend to benefit the consumers. Such newer forms of decentralized news will liberate readers from partisan news monopolies which have dominated the industry (Currah 2009). Consumers will also benefit from increase in the availability of ‘free’ news and news consumption that can be tailored to fit own preference (Currah 2009). But at the same time there is a concern regarding the quality of output, in particular, whether the desired output can be sustained by market. It should be noted that, unlike the traditional news organizations, many actors involved in the online content lack the large fixed cost base needed to provide in-depth and varied reporting of news (OECD 2010). In this regard, will vulnerable news genres such as reporting on local government, investigative journalism and reporting on areas not of immediate economic or political interest, survive (Leurdijk et al 2010)This is an issue that requires further documentation. Current issues and what the future holds Following the recent recession that led to declining business profit, the advertiser’s budget has today shrunk (Smith 2013). The impact of the recession has been a decline in readership due to high prices of newspapers. Also, the recent phone hacking scandal that implicated tabloid newspapers has undermined trust in journalists and led to a declining demand in major papers (Smith 2013). More recently, the introduction a new generation of eReaders such the iPad, tablet computers and kindles has provided an alternative for accessing information online (Sabagh 2011). With influx of such portable technology, the decline print newspaper is likely to accelerate, adding pressure to the traditional models that have supported many titles (Sabbagh 2011). The impact of these changes has already been felt by a number of local newspapers with 31 titles closing in 2010 (Sabbagh 2011). However, there are those that seem to handle the transition well such as the Financial Times which has seen a growth in digital subscription (Sabbagh 2011). For instance, in 2011, the average print circulation of Financial Times (FT) was 297,227 whereas that of the digital circulation was around 301,471, indicating a 31% increase in digital subscribers (Greenslade 2012). During the same year, the average global audience grew to 2.1m whereas that of the print stayed flat (Greenslade 2012). But while FT has made a successful digital transition, majority of the newspapers have not succeed in developing viable online business models. Given the declining demand, pressure has mounted on newspapers to adopt defence mechanism in order to protect their bottom line (Smith 2011). Publishers have been forced to optimize online advertizing platforms and some others have had to adopt paywalls (Smith 2011). Also, there are those that are opting to expand internationally in efforts to capture a new market in an information-centric society (Smith 2011). The structural challenges facing the newspaper publishing industry have no doubt resulted in a decline in circulation volume and a shift of advertizing to online channels. The growth in information technology is already having an impact on consumption behaviours as reading is losing against listening and watching of news via the Televisions, radios and the internet (ATKearney 2005). The trend is also forecast to continue in the coming future. As pointed out by ATKearney (2005), circulation of newspapers is likely to decline by over 25% in the forthcoming 20 years due to a decline in readership and the growth of digital generation. With newspaper revenue declining, there is a higher possibility of heavy consolidation to occur through company ‘attrition’ and Merger and acquisition activities (ATKearney 2005). The impact of the recent phone hacking scandal is likely to be minimal as popular titles still remain in fair commercial health. Tabloid newspapers such as ‘The People’, ‘The Daily’ and ‘Sunday Mirror’, and ‘Record titles’ in Scotland are still in fair commercial health. However, whilst the Leveson inquiry is expected to have minimal effects on the industry performance, a concern has been raised that the resulting regulation will be unbalanced between print news and that published online (Smith 2011). Conclusion Indeed we have seen that a number of factors have contributed to a decline in newspaper circulation such as recession, new technology (e-readers and smartphones), new internet intermediaries, new business models, and social factors such as increased participation in creation of digital content. These changes have had mixed effects in the industry. On the one extreme, consumers have benefited from availability of free information and consumption of news content which can be tailored to suit their own preferences. Also such newer forms of decentralized news have liberated readers from partisan news monopolies which have dominated the industry. On the other extreme, the traditional print media has been declining and this demise puts at risk an important foundation of democratic societies. Also, there is a concern that the desired quality output may not be sustainable as many actors involved in the online content lack the large fixed cost base needed to provide in-depth and varied reporting of news. Reference Anon, 2013. UK regional newspapers. Magforum ATKearney, 2005. Newspaper endgame: evolution scenarios for the European Newspaper Publishing industry. London Berte, K. and De Bens, E., 2008. ‘Newspapers go for advertising! Challenges and opportunities in a changing media environment’. Journalism Studies, 9(5), 692-703. Boczkowski, P. J., 2005. Digitizing the news: innovation in online newspapers. Cambirdge, Currah, A., 2009. What’s happening to our news: an investigation into the likely impact of the digital revolution on the economics of news publishing in the UK. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Elvestad, E. and Blekesaune, A., 2008. ‘Newspaper readers in Europe: a multilevel study of individual and national differences’. European Journal of Communication, 23(4), 425-447. Fenez, M., Middelweerd, J., Van der Donk, M., 2010. Moving into multiple business models. Pricewaterhousecoopers, Greenslade, R., 2012. How the Financial Times successfully made the digital transition. The Guardian. Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C.K., 1994, Competing for the Future, Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press. Keynote, 2010. Publishing industry: who still reads newspapers{viewed on 24th April 2013} availablefrom https://www.keynote.co.uk/media-centre/in-the-news/display/publishing-industry%3A-who-still-reads-newspapers%3F/?articleId=426 Leurdijk,A., Slot, M., Niewenhuis, O., 2012. Statistical, ecosystems and competitiveness analysis of the media and content industries: The newspaper publishing industry. Joint Research Centre Massachusetts: MIT Press. Miyamoto, D. and Whittaker, D., 2005. The book publishing industry in Japan and the UK: corporate philosophy/objectives, behaviour and market structure. Working paper No.309, ESRC Centre for Business Research OECD 2010, The evolution of news and the internet. DSTI/ICCP/IE(2009)14/FINAL Office of Fair Trading (OFT), 2008, Newspaper and magazine distribution in the United Kingdom, Crown Publishers Sabbagh, D., 2011. iPads and Kindles force newspapers further away from print. The Guardian Smith, G., 2013. Newspaper publishing in the UK industry market research report now updated by IBISWorld. IBISWorld {viewed on 24th April 2013} available from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10407604.htm