The Money Question Should You Include Prices in Your Marketing Materials - The Writers For Hire

THE MONEY QUESTION: SHOULD YOU INCLUDE PRICES IN YOUR MARKETING MATERIALS? Should businesses include prices on their marketing materials, landing pages, websites, etc? One school of thought says no – get customers in the door with free offers or discounted pricing, then, once they understand the value of the product or service, hit them up with the prices. That theory can work †¦ sometimes. But hiding prices can often have the opposite effect on consumers, especially online buyers. I’m going to illustrate one reason why hiding prices doesn’t work for me. It starts with a personal story about trying to buy a magazine. Why I Didn’t Buy a Magazine Subscription Last week I was reading the online version of an industry publication (I won’t say the name, but it’s a very genre-specific writing magazine). I liked one of the articles so much that I decided right then and there that I wanted to buy the print subscription. So I clicked on the â€Å"Subscribe† button. The next page that came up was a registration page. I looked all over the registration page for the price of a 1-year subscription. Nada. I clicked back a page and looked for a price. No luck. I turned to the â€Å"FAQ† page, thinking that maybe pricing options would be available there. Still nothing. It seems that, before I could find the price of the magazine and make an informed decision about whether or not to buy, I had to register with my name, email, and mailing address first. Then, presumably, I would be taken to a checkout page where I’d input my credit card info. In short, that particular publication lost my business. I gave up without buying my subscription, and I haven’t regretted it since. I was frustrated that I couldn’t find a price ANYWHERE on the website and nervous, too: while most magazines cost around $25 for a year’s subscription, I know all too well that some magazines can cost upwards of $100. Plus, I didn’t want to add my name, email, and mailing address to the company’s marketing database (and endure the many emails and postcards that were sure to follow) if I didn’t know if I could afford to subscribe to the magazine in the first place. The Consumer Dilemma About Pricing Should you include your prices †¦ or not? In most instances, there aren’t a lot of ethical problems with underscoring your prices. But there are plenty of reasons why hiding your prices can hurt your conversions for potential customers. Here are four of the reasons why I opted not to buy when I couldn’t find a price: If there’s not a price, I probably can’t afford it. This was my very first thought about the magazine – there must be a reason they don’t want me to know the price. Were they scared that I’d suffer a bad case of sticker shock? Is their magazine priced way above their competitors? I really can’t say, but my general mentality is this: People who opt in to buy something must have tons of disposable income, or they don’t care about their money. I’m neither one of those. By not including any prices, this magazine alienated me, made me hyper-aware of my bank account balance. Newspaper headlines started flashing in my mind: unemployment, foreclosure, bankruptcy. I became a nervous, self-conscious consumer, and ultimately decided to hold on to my money instead of spending it. The company must be hiding something. I’m all about transparency – especially in this day and age, when my consumer confidence in even the largest and seemingly trustworthy businesses is at zero. Hiding prices doesn’t necessarily mean that a company is trying to rip off their clients, but it also doesn’t boost my confidence in the company. After searching for a price for 2-3 minutes, the warning bells went off in my head: I thought to myself, What else aren’t they telling me? I immediately became suspicious. And suspicious people don’t buy anything unless they’re comfortable. I don’t feel informed enough to make a financial decision. Sure, I liked the magazine a lot – it was interesting, relevant, and up-to-date. But when it comes down to it, without a price, I just couldn’t make the commitment to buy. I still don’t know the price of the magazine – I didn’t care enough to do any additional research. But if I had found the price of the magazine on the website – even if it IS out of my budget – at least I’d be informed. It might be something I file away in the back of my mind, something I’d budget for or come back and buy if I fall into a little extra money one month. In this case, though, since I never found a price, I don’t see myself doing that. I’m frustrated. I had questions that I wanted answered, and I wanted to know the answers immediately. But because the website didn’t give me what I needed, I gave up. Many companies make the mistake of thinking that their product is invaluable – but it’s not. As a consumer, I generally have a lot of options – other ways of spending my money, other companies that offer similar services. The reason this magazine failed to convert me into a paying customer was because, quite frankly, I never found the information that would have made the sale, and a magazine subscription isn’t any kind of life necessity that I can’t do without. Of course, there’s a flip side to this argument. It’s not necessarily bad or deceitful business practice to omit prices from marketing materials – some marketers would even suggest that prices are omitted or underscored in some instances.  And for some businesses – like luxury services or products with a wealthy target market – it may actually enhance the appeal of your company if you don’t include prices. But for me, the bottom line is this: I consider myself a pretty savvy consumer. And any consumer knows that everything in life – from cars to coffee – has a price. I’m only going to buy something from a company that makes me feel smart, informed, and like I’m getting a great value. I want a company to make me feel comfortable and reassured about my purchasing decision – and for me, that only comes when I see the numbers.

Critique On Othello The Moor Of Venice English Literature Essay Essay Example

Critique On Othello The Moor Of Venice English Literature Essay Essay Example Critique On Othello The Moor Of Venice English Literature Essay Essay Critique On Othello The Moor Of Venice English Literature Essay Essay Essay Topic: Othello Introduction Directed by South African indigen and actress Janet Suzman, Othello comes out as a all right and consummate public presentation that for the first clip has an African histrion cast the rubric function of the Moor opposite a white Desdemona before the multiracial audience in Johannesburg, South Africa. With Tony Award victor John Kani playing Othello and Joanna Weinberg as Desdemona, the dramatis personae has six chief histrions. The chief focal point of the production is the cosmopolitan construct of green-eyed monster, which revolves around the other subjects of love, treachery, racism, misrepresentation, and retaliation ( Shakespeare.b seven ) . Othello focuses on how lovers get covetous of their spouse s alleged engagement with other people, and how people are covetous of their chaps accomplishments, and skilfully combines these subjects with absolutely structured scenes, a plot line tarriance in the memory of a tragic hero, Othello himself. ( Michael 129 ) The production of Othello by Janet Suzman is an version of the original Shakespeare s drama, which is set in the Renaissance, the period of superb cultural accomplishments of the ancient Greek, and Roman civilisations, around the old ages 1400 to 1700 century ( Michael 448 ) .. The attitude in the original drama was that of humanity, and was closely intertwined with many of import developments including the Reformation, which marked a turning point from following the church authorization, to understanding and controlling nature through scientific discipline. In malice of the continued influence of the church in his clip, Shakespeare still wrote dramas based on secular subjects, Othello being one of them. The same constructs in the original drama are demonstrated in Janet s way of the same piece as people today associate with the facets of life presented in the original drama and experience the same challenges faced by the characters in the drama. Janet Suzman s production is modern-d ay, but still depicts an component of the original scene of the drama. ( Alexander Street Press, 2010: Play ) . When the evil Iago workss the seeds of uncertainty in Othello s head about Desdemona s fidelity, this artistic work enchantments jealousy and oncoming calamity with extreme lucidity of as seen when the immorality scoundrel Iago sinisterly connives to convey down Othello, who happens to be black and married to a white adult female ( Michael 71 ) . Finally, the way of the public presentation uses the Othello s rough intervention of Desdemona as a prostitute to fix the viewing audiences for her decease in the 2nd scene, and goes on to keep the intense emotionalism of the scenes to explicitly picture the unique, painful quality of Othello. Consequently, the construct of green-eyed monster in love flood tides when Othello can no longer keep himself and goes on to kill his married woman and so himself, doing the nucleus of calamity as directed in the production. In similar mode, the emotional impact of the production is highlighted by the directorial facet of rapid development of the secret plan, the strength of Othello s green-eyed monster, the inactive wretchedness of Desdemona, and the fortune and accomplishment involved in Iago s machination. Harmonizing to Janet s way, inclusion of these characteristics in the production is meant to bring forth feelings of parturiency and dark human death that prevents the characters from get awaying their fates However, the public presentation does non, as most people would anticipate, stop with Iago s decease, despite his villainousness. ( Alexander Street Press, 2010: Play ) Alternatively, its way has Iago take the amusing function terminals with him being promised merely the justness he deserves, and no more. As for the art design, the production is directed as a authoritative calamity from the beginning. It opens with green-eyed monster between Roderigo and Othello both of whom love Desdemona and this, being the chief subject developed in the whole secret plan, consequences into the series of deceases that ensue as the drama approaches the terminal ( Michael 158 ) . The gap scenes are directed in such a manner as to present the relationships among Othello and Desdemona, Roderigo and Desdemona, and their close associates and go on to demo how Iago manipulates these relationships for his ain additions, but the terminal consequence of it all is tragedy. The chief secret plan specifying the calamity runs at the same time with the subplot: together bring forth the concluding tragic result ( Michael 478 ) . Furthermore, the calamity has an exciting force in the function of Iago as the amusing character in this production. In fact, this amusing histrion is the scoundrel and the originator of th e deceases as he causes them in his chase for retaliation for what he believes to be unfair Acts of the Apostless done unto him. Filled with passion, the drama is directed to distinctively tag the lines of contrast of character of the assorted dramatis personaes. The separating qualities of the Moor Othello, the scoundrel Iago, the good-natured Cassio, and the sap Roderigo are luxuriant in Janet Suzman s production and stand out so much so that the thought of their passions remains apparent through out the drama. These characters are used to synthesise the construct of green-eyed monster, misrepresentation and retaliation utilizing the assorted images they stamp out, each one s image the furthest asunder possible from the others ( Pavis 107 ) . The distance between the characters is huge, yet the compass of cognition and innovation, which the manager sews in incarnating these utmost creative activities, is nil short of cogent evidence of the truth and felicitousness with which she has identified each character with him/herself, or blended their different qualities together in the same narrative. What a contra st is Iago s character to that of Othello! Simultaneously, the step of construct with which these two figures are opposed to each other is rendered still greater by the full consistence with which the traits of each are brought out in a province of adept drama way. Furthermore, the theatrical production of Othello explicitly emphasizes the construct of racism which is rather a immense issue within the drama ( Shakespeare.b 49 ) . Janet Suzman, as the manager, intends for her audience to be steadfastly on the side of Othello who is really the most hit victim of racism in the drama. Othello is discriminated against by his fellow Venetians, and in peculiar, Brabantio who vehemently opposes her girl s matrimony to Othello merely because he is black. This really illustrates how far in front of clip Shakespeare was and Suzman clearly brings out this component of racism which is so rampant even in this modern society ( Pavis 340 ) . The production specifically points out that interracial matrimonies were illegal in the scene of the drama, yet the manager demonstrates unreserved common love between two people of different races. Herein, racism is arguably incidental as the theatrical way by Suzman depicts Othello as an foreigner, though he is truly a a dult male of reckonable worth. This is in the consideration that Othello has risen amid the rough racialist conditions to the place of governor ( Michael 130 ) . However, a review of the drama s way when Iago seeks to convey Othello down shows that his sick purposes were non really based on Othello being black. Alternatively, Iago was driven by the tremendous aspiration for power and the grim green-eyed monster against Othello. This production explicitly brings in the component of fraudulence at several incidences ( McKean and Blackmon 6 ) . Iago is the chief culprit of fraudulence. At early phases of the public presentation, Iago is lying to Roderigo that Desdemona is holding an matter with Othello merely to trip hostility between them. He once more lies to Othello that his married woman is unfaithful by seting a hankie on Cassio as grounds Emilia sees Desdemona s hankie. This fraudulence leads to the fatal loss of Othello s love. Iago farther lies to the already insecure Othello laughably that he saw Cassio speaking to Desdemona in his slumber, which further embitters Othello taking to his day of reckoning. Traveling farther from a critical attack, the drama, as directed by Janet Suzman, has some performing artists taking up a formal classical manner, while others adopt a slang, about slangy attack to the book. In the latter class, the drama delivers its message place through the directives that have the malicious and evil Iago playing as a sly, oily Iago at some times, and as a joking, arch Iago at other times. This makes the theatrical production show its indispensable construct of green-eyed monster coupled with fraudulence and retaliation by guaranting the audience remains focussed and occupied entirely by the act He does good to guarantee evil and uses his words to hide his ideas. As for Roderigo, he uses a mixture of prevarications and truths, and advances a sort of mock discourse by his ground and consent, infering peculiar effects from false and misanthropic general premises. The three adult females in the drama act to type assisting present the subject of the public presentatio n efficaciously. Conversely, Othello is distinguished by the pettiness of the aggravations that really set the events directed by Suzman in gesture ( Michael 147 ) . When Iago is shown utilizing a little more than his unreliable words, a simple embroidered kerchief and a individual kerchief, the manager s assurance in using such thin togss to build a traveling theatrical piece is clearly depicted. Doubt and eventual desolation in the drama are apparent in Iago s true confession to Roderigo that he is non what he appears to be. Nevertheless, his fleeceable sidekick carries on swearing this ambidextrous confidante who even swears by Janus, and workss the seed of uncertainty, devastation and desperation a long the waies of all those he encounters, get downing with his foreman, Othello. ( McKean and Blackmon 7 ) . This facet of production ballads accent on the construct of green-eyed monster as Iago is covetous of Cassio who is given the place Iago believes should be his. Equally of import to the context of this review is the directional facet of the theatrical piece that has Iago expressing rhetorics of monologues and duologues. The consequence of this is that it reveals him as the maestro of connotative and metamorphous linguistic communication. Janet Suzman besides employs inflammatory imagination, emotional entreaties, well-placed silences, doubtful vacillations, taking inquiries, meaningful repeat, and sly intimations in Iago s parts to convey out the green-eyed monster he has against Cassio that makes him propagate green-eyed monster in Roderigo as he avenges against Othello. In fact, Iago is so good at lying that he is able even to convert himself that he has the soundest of justifications to destruct Othello, Desdemona, and Cassio. His fluency and converting rhetoric is Janet s strong indicant that linguistic communication can be a powerful-and dangerous-tool, particularly when used by an eloquent, scrupulous person ( Alexander Street Press, 2 010: Play ) . In the concluding analysis, Othello can be viewed in assorted ways as being the most tragic of heroes in Shakespeare s dramas, and Janet Suzman brings out this fact with unreserved lucidity. The ultimate devastation of Othello is seen much as a map of his outstanding qualities ( Pavis 229 ) . It is non his negative traits that destroy him. Bing a baronial warrior, though excessively much swearing the advocate of other work forces, he becomes an easy quarry for Iago, who is the scoundrel in the drama yet really interesting and more intelligent than his opposite numbers. As a affair of fact, Iago lacks any of Suzman s beguiling qualities, and ends up being the consequence of his ain covetous and hatred against other people, particularly Othello. Thus, when Janet Suzman s most baronial hero, Othello, and her worst scoundrel in the drama, Iago, collide, the wake is really tragic harmonizing to human sense, non merely dramatic calamity. Consequently, the theatrical piece leaves one contem plating the loss of a superior character in the individual of Othello, non the mere devastation of human life ( Michael 177 ) .

Ex-fellons and the Right to Vote Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ex-fellons and the Right to Vote - Essay Example Above all, the hallmark of a thriving and ever growing nation is that time and again it dares to face the questions and issues that tend to be an impediment to the well being and dignity of some or all of its citizens. In some states of the United States of America, ex-felons, that is the people who committed a crime and have served the concomitant sentence, are not allowed to vote. This very provision not only deprives a good proportion of the citizens of their essential and basic rights, but also in a way tends to compromise their sense of dignity and respect. In a social, political, legal and humanitarian context, the ex-felons should have the right to vote in this country. The provision of debarring the ex-felons from voting is not only anti-democratic, but also contrary to the objective of enabling the ex-felons rejoin the society as worthy equals. It could reasonably be understood that a great many people tend to have reservations, as far as the task of taking an initiative about mixing with and employing ex-felons is concerned. Yet, the very society which punished these people for the crimes they committed also carries the responsibility of assuring that once they have served their sentence, they do not get stigmatized and persecuted, once they are set free. However, the provision for restricting the ex-felons from voting not only amounts to a state sponsored persecution, but also does much to further alienate and sideline these individuals. Genuinely speaking, how could one expect these people to rejoin the society as law-abiding and responsible citizens, when they state formally declares them to be untrustworthy, by debarring them from voting. Ma ny people tend to put forward the argument that serving a sentence is not a guarantee that the ex-felons have abstained from their criminal and unlawful tendencies. However, at a deeper analysis, this argument smacks predominantly of abject prejudice, rather than being logical enough to deserve a blanket generalization. There was a time when many thought that the blacks should not have the right to vote. There was also a time when many felt that the women should not have the right to vote. In retrospect, everybody now understands that such provisions were based on ruthless prejudice and senseless biases. The plea for allowing the ex-felons to vote ought to be seen in the same light. A Democracy cannot deny a future to a citizen, simply because one had a tainted past. United States of America is a country based on the rule of the law and is run as per the sacrosanct constitutional arrangements. As per the law of the land, every citizen guilty of violating the law should face a trial and be appropriately punished by a court of law. The very same law also states that no citizen can be punished twice for committing one crime, and the act of punishing an ex-felon for a crime, for which one has already served a sentence, deserves to be labeled as being extrajudicial. Now, when the people who have feelings against ex-felons say that these people should be punished for their trespasses, it is just and understandable. Yet, advocating the withdrawal of the voting rights of ex-felons, especially when they have already paid their debt to the society, is positively akin to extrajudicial and unconstitutional lynching, if nothing else. Declaring a human to be an unequal and non-citizen, especially when one has immensely suffered for the crime one committed, perhaps not only at the level of one’