AFLAC introduced the AFLAC duck in the U. S. market to build brand awareness there. However, AFLAC’s brand awareness is very high in Japan. Should AFLAC use the same advertising campaign in Japan as it does in the United States? Is there any value to having identical advertising in both markets? Having introduced the maneki neko duck in Japan, should it now introduce it is the U. S. market as well?
Basically, AFLAC should definitely not use the same advertising campaign in Japan as it does in the US and likewise for the maneki neko duck in the US as it does in Japan, for two reasons: firstly, AFLAC is using advertising in the two countries to accomplish very different goals. In the US, AFLAC is trying to raise awareness about its products which therefore resulted in the introduction of the company’s mascot, the AFLAC duck which features in their attention-grabbing advertising campaign.
This move seem to have reaped its dividends because according to surveys, 90 percent of Americans are now aware of the AFLAC brand; more important, policies in force have risen more than 50 percent and annual premiums have more than doubled since the duck commercials began in the United States. And the AFLAC duck has done more than simply increase the company’s American sales. AFLAC now sells the duck on its website and donates the proceeds to the children’s cancer centre in Atlanta. However in Japan, AFLAC differentiate its products from new competitors, and maintain its industry leading position.
AFLAC specialises in supplemental insurance-insurance that covers specific types of problems such as cancer, disability, or accidents. AFLAC Japan strives to deliver high-quality service to its customers. In 2010, the average claim was settled by AFLAC in procedures to the needs of the local market. Consider its human resources practices, when the company first ventured into Japan, it copied the lifetime employment and seniority-based pay and promotion policies then current in Japan.
In the past several years, some Japanese companies have switched to job-based reward systems, in which salaries are based upon the skill requirements and difficulties of the job. So too has AFLAC, Japan. Apart from that AFLAC should not use the same advert campaign from the US in Japan is because of the differences in culture. Corresponding to this the Japanese already has a brand awareness of AFLAC, and the introduction of a quacking duck might seem, well, weird. Think of the introduction of a duck mascot for Coca Cola, McDonalds, or even Prudential, it would definitely be a joke for recognised ompanies to use such hilarious for their advertisements. It is already statically proven that AFLAC in Japan is well recognised working through 19,600 independent insurance agencies and having its products sold by an army of licensed sales associates, some 115,000 strong. So why should AFLAC then introduce the US based duck advertising campaign? This will only bring disrupt to the core values within the society. If we were to introduce the same advertising campaign in Japan, it will cause cultural shock to the local people whether in education or in time.
Age plays a role too in this situation. Since Japan is a fast developing country with the statistic of older people ratio more than the younger, it is then a wise choice to then pick a mature advertising technique rather than going for a young and lively advertisements for the older generations to grasp. Probably less than 50% of the older generation will get the real meaning of the advisement if it was to be portrayed in such a way. Another thing is that some campaigns will create conflict with the culture of a particular place.
Take Japan and the US for an example, people in the use lives a carefree life and they can freely express their opinions whenever and wherever they wants whereas in Japan, women has sort of lesser power compared to the men. They are bound to listen to men and they regard men as higher authority peoples. So if we were to make an advertisement in Japan showing that the men is under the power of women authority, it will definitely cause a havoc and stir within the community of that place.
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, published in the US on April 11, 2005 and in the United Kingdom on July 4, 2005, is the first installment of the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. Taking place in the near future, the novel chronicles Max’s journey as she leads a group called the ‘flock’, which consists of human-avian hybrids. These hybrids are predominantly human (98%) with a small bird component (2%), and were initially created by scientists whom they are now fleeing from. The story is recounted through Max’s perspective, a fourteen-year-old girl who has firsthand experience of soaring high above the world.
The “flock” – Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, Angel, and Max – may seem like ordinary children at first glance. However, their possession of wings sets them apart as they have the ability to fly. While this might appear to be a dream come true for them, their lives can quickly become a nightmare when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the “School” where scientists had previously conducted experiments on all of them.
In order to save Angel, Max, Fang, and Nudge embark on a mission. During their efforts to rescue her,Ella’s mother comes across Max who had been shot while descending after encountering some boys. Eventually finding Ella in her backyard,Ella’s mother provides necessary assistance as she happens to be a veterinarian.
Max discovers a tracking device implanted in one of her arms, presumably placed during her childhood. Nudge and Fang anxiously await Max’s arrival at the top of Loch Mead for two days. In the meantime, Iggy and The Gasman detonate explosives in a small cabin, attracting the attention of Erasers. Despite being attacked, they manage to escape and make their way to Loch Mead, where they are reunited with Nudge and Fang. Eventually, Max shows up as well. Together, they embark on a daring journey to scorching Death Valley, CA, to rescue Angel. However, their troubles continue as they find themselves in another harrowing situation—battling against the hybrid “Erasers” in New York City.
Max and her adopted family are in New York searching for their parents, who are mentioned in a file. Whether they’re exploring the treetops of Central Park or navigating the depths of the Manhattan subway system, they embark on an unforgettable journey. Along the way, Max learns from Jeb—a former friend and father-figure who has now betrayed her—that she has a mission to save the world. However, she faces uncertainty about whether she can accomplish it.
1.) During the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, there was a terrorist act that overshadowed London being chosen as the host city for the 2012 Olympics. The incident involved four explosive devices detonating in an underground train network and a bus, resulting in 50 deaths and around 700 injuries.
2.) The death of Pope John Paul II was a significant moment in both modern history and for the Roman-Catholic Church.
3.) Wealthy European countries and Australia witnessed outbreaks of interethnic violence.
4.) The withdrawal of Israeli troops and settlements from the Gaza Strip and West Bank caused division within Israeli society. As a result, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon—who had initially authorized these settlements—resigned from his ruling party.
5.) Hurricane Katrina revealed deficiencies in preparedness by the United States, highlighting its struggle to handle the aftermath of such a natural disaster despite being a global superpower.
In 2005, a hurricane caused severe damage to New Orleans, known as the birthplace of jazz. At the same time, discussions about a potential civil war in Lebanon were reignited after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from the country for the first time since 1975. In October 2005, an international commission presented a report to the United Nations indicating possible involvement of high-ranking officials in Syria and Lebanon in Hariri’s murder. Additionally, there was a significant leftward shift in Latin American politics that year, leading to the formation of a new political alliance among Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Bolivia due to their shared opposition towards America.
Evo Morales, an ultra radical leftist politician, became the president of Bolivia while the United States’ attempt to establish a free trade zone in the region failed. The trial of Saddam Hussein, former leader of Iraq, sparked a debate on its potential impact on stability and violence within the country. Additionally, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadi-Nejad’s anti-Semitic statements caused global outrage and complicated Tehran’s efforts to prevent their “nuclear file” from being transferred to the UN Security Council.
On another note, James Patterson’s book “Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment” unveils an exhilarating adventure featuring Max as the protagonist. Initially appearing as an ordinary 14-year-old girl, Max possesses bird-like characteristics that grant her wings and allow her to soar through the sky like a bird. However, prior to discovering these extraordinary abilities, she endured a life confined within a small cage at a place called The School.
Despite enduring a series of dreadful tests from the scientists responsible for genetically modifying her by incorporating bird DNA into her human genetic makeup, she encounters five other children with wings during her time there. Fortunately, aided by a compassionate scientist, the group of six manages to break free, forging a deep bond that brings them immense joy. Max, Fang, Iggy, the Gasman, Nudge, and Angel form their own family, as it is the sole familial connection any of them have experienced. However, abruptly, their past catches up with them when the Erasers locate their hiding place and seize Angel, who is merely six years old.
Another experiment of the school, Erasers are half-humans, half-wolves, and a whole lot of mean. Max and the others embark on a mission to save Angel from the clutches of the sinister scientists, plunging into an action-packed adventure that refuses to let up, even after the final page. As they journey, they stumble upon increasingly unsettling inquiries that they may not actually desire answers to; questions about their parents and the enigmatic voice that guides Max’s actions.
James Patterson is a remarkable storyteller, captivating the reader from the very beginning and maintaining their interest with his use of vivid language and clever wit. His characters are multi-dimensional and authentic, with their own aspirations, anxieties, and imperfections. Through his detailed descriptions, readers are transported into the sky alongside Max and the gang, experiencing the rush of wind on their feathers and the emotional depth within their hearts. I eagerly anticipate the release of the sequel in Spring 2006. Congratulations to Mr. Patterson! Review by Chris Shanley-Dillman on April 11, 2005.
The Italian Mafia: A Threat To National Security
The Italian Mafia has become such a powerful and threatening network in countries like Italy and America. The mafia uses brute force and intelligence to gain control over the politics, Church, and economy of these countries. Although its members carry out numerous crimes, like assaulting political and church officials, they are vital to the economy of the country. In one year, the Italian Mafia’s income is over sixty-billion dollars and makes up over ten percent of Italy’s GDP.
The mafia may be a very successful and dominant organization that will never be terminated but it can be damaged by numerous persecutions of top-ranking mobsters. The Italian Mafia formed when numerous invaders, including the Romans, Arabs, and the French ruled Sicily, an island between North Africa and the Italian mainland. The residents of Sicily came together to protect themselves from these hostile invaders and other groups from different regions of the island. These groups were later known as clans or families and established their own systems for retribution and justice.
The clans would carry out their business in secret. By the 19th century small private armies, which were known as “mafie,” extorted money from landowners and took advantage of the chaotic, violent conditions of Sicily. From all of this history, the Sicilian Mafia surfaced as a collection of criminal families or clans. The rise of the Mafia became more prominent after Sicily became a province of the recently unified Italy. After this the Italian government was trying to establish itself, however, crime and chaos reigned across this island.
In the 1870s, crime worsened and Roman officials asked the Sicilian Mafia to assist them by going after independent criminal bands. In exchange for helping the government, the officials would not punish the Mafia for extorting money from landowners. The Italian government believed this arrangement would only last until Rome gained control of Sicily. However, the Mafia continued to expand their criminal acts and further their involvement in Sicilian politics and economy. The clans’ political corruption was displayed when they intimidated people to vote for a certain candidate, and these candidates were a part of the Mafia.
Additionally, the Catholic Church was associated with the Sicilian clans and relied on them to monitor massive property holdings in Sicily. The Sicilian clans are infamous for the brutal attacks on law officials. According to FBI. com, “On May 23, 1992, the Sicilian Mafia struck Italian law enforcement with a vengeance. Italian Magistrate Giovanni Falcone, his wife, and three police bodyguards were killed by a massive bomb. Falcone was the director of Criminal Affairs in Rome” (Italian/Mafia 2013).
In Sicily the term “Excellent Cadaver” is used to distinguish the assassinations of prominent government officials from the average criminal/citizen killed by the clans. Assaults like the one above are the result of the Mafia wanting to establish its dominance in Italy. They are using scare tactics to stop the government from pursuing the organization and taking down the top-ranked mobsters. The Sicilian Mafia will continue to influence the economy and politics of Italy for many more decades, and law officials will make numerous high-profile arrests but will never completely eradicate the Mafia in Sicily due to their vase numbers of members.
The mob will never be abolished but the government needs to control the acts within it. The fight for power over the government turned the small crimes of extorting money from landlords into bombing the country and killing law officials. According to John Taliabue of the New York Times, “From May to August 1993, five car bomb attacks in Rome, Florence and Milan left 10 people dead and dozens wounded. In addition to the Uffizi, the targets were two venerable Roman churches, San Giovanni in Laterano and San Giorgio in Velabro, and a modern-art gallery in Milan” (Tagliabue 1994).
These violent attacks and bombings are destroying a country and the government needs to do everything in its power to stop this or at least lessen it. The influence of the mafia in politics and the Church is corrupting Italy and will only protect the clan from diminishing. Law officials not only need to find the leaders of the mob but also take the corrupt political figures out of office. The only benefit of the clan in Italy is its kick-start on the economy. The mafia makes over sixty billion dollars each year and makes up for ten percent of Italy’s GDP.
This aids the economy in flourishing each year even though this money is coming from organized crime. Despite this; the cons outweigh the pros and they also corrupt countries like America. The connection between the Mafia in Italy and America was made when thousands of organized crime-figures, who were mostly Sicilian Mafiosi, came to the United States illegally. Numerous fled there in the 1920s and established what is known as the La Cosa Nostra or the American Mafia. According to the novel History of the Mafia, “Between 1901 and 1914 alone, more than 800,000 Sicilians landed in the United States’’ (Lupo 2009).
This organization was involved in the American organized-crime network and conducted underground activities like prostitution and loan-sharking. Cosa Nostra also infiltrated industries and labor unions such as New York’s garment industry and construction. The success and secrecy of this organization was the result of their code of omerta, or code of secrecy, and their ability to bribe public officials, witnesses, and juries. I have personally seen how the mafia’s secrecy is so prevalent to their success. I have two friends that have parents that work with the Mafia.
When I asked both of them about their parents’ involvement, the only answers I received were that they did not know and that they never told them in detail about their occupation. I was surprised that even their children could not know about the jobs their parents’ jobs. However, even knowing that your parent is in the mafia is more than enough information. The organization strives in being secretive with their business and this has made them successful in their evasion of the police. Law-enforcement agencies, in fact, were highly ineffective at obstructing the Mafia during the beginning of the 20th century.
In the 1980s and the 1990s, this changed when prosecutors in the United States and Italy began successfully establishing harsh anti-racketeering laws to convict high-ranking mobsters. According to History. com, “Some Mafiosi, in order to avoid long prison terms, began breaking the once-sacred code of omerta and testified against fellow mob members” (Origins of the Mafia 2013).
This began the era in which law enforcement has become more effective in convicting numerous mobsters, like the infamous murderer Richard Kuklinski, also known as “The Iceman. Charles Montaldo of About. com stated “Richard Kuklinski was one of the most diabolical self-confessed contract killers in American history, who took credit for over 200 murders, including the murder of Jimmy Hoffa” (Montaldo 2013). By the start of the 21st century, police officials made hundreds of high-profile arrests and this had affected the Mafia in Italy and America. Underground crime and business diminished but the organizations were not completely eliminated. Today the Italian Mafia remains active in various criminal enterprises.
However, the mafia’s influence in the United States and Italy is diminishing by relentless prosecutions. According to Richard Willing of USA Today: John “Junior” Gotti, son of the late “Dapper Don” John Gotti, is being tried here on federal racketeering charges, including the kidnapping and shooting of radio talk show host Curtis Sliwa in 1992. Another accused acting boss — Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano of the Bonannos — is being tried on racketeering charges that include murder. At least 64 alleged Cosa Nostra members or associates are awaiting trial on federal charges.
Additionally the bosses of all the five crime families of New York have been convicted and imprisoned, and the supreme leader of the Sicilian Mafa, Bernando Provenzano, was arrested in 2006. The demise of the American and Sicilian Mafia is occurring and the statements above prove this. The organization in the United States that was once nationwide is now only down to one outfit in Chicago and New York City’s five families. Since 2002, more mobsters are agreeing to testify against their colleagues in return for recommendations of leniency.
Lengthy prison sentences that are associated with federal racketeering convictions have led to these testimonies. The mafia cannot be as strong and influential with the bosses of these families being imprisoned and mobsters testifying against each other. There will be a decrease in trust within the organization and the results will be that many families will be hesitant to work with one another. The Italian Mafia works most sufficiently as one and the sub-groups will hinder their business and success within organized crime.
Works Cited
- “Italian/Mafia. ” FBI. N. p. , n. d. Web. 09 Apr. 013. Lupo, Anthony. History of the Mafia. New York, New York, USA: Columbia UP, 2009. Ithaca College Library – Database Access. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.
- Montaldo, Charles. “Profile of Richard Kuklinski. ” About. com Crime / Punishment. N. p. , n. d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.
- “Origins of the Mafia. ” History. com. A&E Television Networks, n. d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.
- Tagliabue,, John. “Bombings Laid to Mafia War on Italy and Church. ” The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 July 1994. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.
- Willing, Richard. “The Mafia Is on Shaky Ground. ” N. p. , 10 Mar. 2006. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.