Big city or small town Essay

Good afternoon everyone. Today I’d like to say something about big city and small town. It sounds charming to see stars at night, to plant fruits in the garden, or to picnic on the lawn, rural life distinguished itself in being closer to nature. But truth to be told, living close to nature also means that there will be plenty of animals and insects visiting your home and vegetation. Surely Fish is more inclined to enjoy itself in marine environment instead of being stuck in a small pond. So are humans. City born and city bred, the quiet life of country has never appealed to me and I fancy the adventurous and splendid life of city. To begin with, living in a big city can enjoy the best services and entertainment as well as more opportunities. In a megalopolis, the government and wealthy people have invested lots of capital and resources in providing people with fabulous facilities, services and infrastructure like big cinemas, theatres, stadiums, big shopping malls, the best me dical services, good education resources, uncountable restaurants, theme parks, museums, convenient transport systems, etc, resulting in more job opportunities and choices. These are all rarely found in small towns as most of them are located in suburbs where population density is low and transportation is poor, so it will be very boring and inconvenient to live in a small town. In addition, living in a metropolis can broaden your horizons. With a very dense population, big cities such as New York contain a diverse realm of ideas and innovations, as well as different high valued cultural activities and lifestyles. There are uncountable things to do, thousands of all sorts of unique or strange or interesting people to meet, and numerous places to visit every day, and much more opportunities to explore various cultures and knowledge. On the other hand, a small town has a strong homogeneity, in which all people in the town share similar ideas and attitudes, so what people in a small town can experience and learn is limited to the town: what you can know are only the ideas of your neighbors, who you can meet are only the people from the same town, where you can go are only the areas nearby! Only in the big city can people satisfy their curiosity of the outside world, their thirst for knowledge and their eagerness of gaining different  experiences. Last but not least, a big city is vibrant while a small town is comparatively boring. In small towns, people usually live a stable, slow and simple lifestyle, which consists of very little changes in everyday life. However, in a big city, citizens live and work at a fast pace. People in big cities can therefore enjoy a more exciting, glamorous and productive life. Although a hurrying lifestyle may cause great pressure to the people involved, the invigorating life it brings about is very attractive. Although some people may argue that small towns have less pollution and are close to nature. Life there seems delightful but it will absolutely be very dull for youngsters like us to repeat the same simple and relax living style day and night. I embrace challenges and new things more, so despite the concentrated pollution and distance from the natural world, I still fancy the life in a big city. All in all, the life of a city dweller is more adventurous and splendid, while the life in smal l towns is rather simple and plain. Hence, small towns may be a good choice for retired, but not energetic university students like us. Thank you very much!

Fragrance Marketing Plan

DEDICATION/STUDENT BIO: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: MISSION STATEMENT: Blossom Beauty is all about empowerment. Our tag line ‘let your inner beauty grow’ perfectly encapsulates the purpose of our brand. That is, to the let the natural beauty of young women flourish and grow, as they grow. At Blossom we believe that makeup shouldn’t be about covering up imperfections or looking like someone different, it’s about learning how to enhance what you already have. At Blossom, our mission is to provide young women with natural cosmetic and skin care products that will magnify their true beauty. We also aim to empower our Blossom beauties by providing them with guidance in using our products. † PART I: RESEARCH BACKGROUND HISTORICAL RESEARCH: In ‘Hope in a Jar: The Making of America’s Beauty Culture’ (1998), a study on the evolution of cosmetic use, Kathy Piess explains that leading up to World War I, the use of makeup was viewed as immoral and ofte n linked to prostitution (p 134-167).However, the end of the war saw the movement of women into the workplace and the widening acceptance of cosmetic use, as Piess states ‘a democratic vision of beauty began to break down traditional representations of women’ (ibid. ) This uprise challenged male perceptions of the time, as demonstrated by a quote from Alain Rustenholz’s ‘Make Up’ (2003), ‘For the working woman, beauty has become the leading guarantee of efficiency†¦ In earlier days, only a husband or a lover had rights to a woman’s beauty.Today, she is beautiful for everyone†¦ A woman’s beauty is an essential element of the daily performance that the century has put on for itself in the working world’ (p 70. ) Piess goes on to clarify that the increasing use of cosmetics represented a sense of freedom and individuality felt by women. ‘Makeup was no longer just a sign of a vanity, but a true expression of fem ininity’ (p 134-167. ) The social acceptance of cosmetic use meant that feminine beauty and consumption would become intertwined. KelleyMassoni points out in ‘Fashioning Teenagers: A Cultural History of Seventeen Magazine’ (2010) that women began to purchase beauty products as a means to self-fulfilment and social acceptance, and this subsequently influenced the mindset of adolescent women (p 18. ) According to historian Lizbeth Cohen in ‘A Consumer’s Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America’ (2008), after World War II women were viewed as the ‘consumers’ of society and advertisers pursued this idea by targeting younger women as a way of influencing spending habits early on (p 105. Throughout the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, cosmetic manufacturers targeted the seemingly endless teenage market. In ‘Hope in a Jar’ (1998) Piess explains that brands like Covergirl, Maybelline, and Revlo n all ‘created beauty images that meshed closely with the ways high school students themselves classified girls into cliques and codified their evolving sense of personality’. By the mid 60’s, teenage girls, who comprised 11% of the population had bought nearly one-quarter of all cosmetics and beauty preparations (p 134-167. While the teen girl market was burgeoning, Piess adds that during this time, children were largely off-limits. Eye shadow and rouge were considered improper for young girls and advertising was targeted towards parents rather than children. By the 1980’s and 90’s, however in America and Europe, cosmetics were designed for and marketed to ‘tweens’ (girls between childhood and teen years) and then to children as young as three. The practice of encouraging young children to learn how to apply makeup has not developed without controversy.Cosmetic ingredients were largely unregulated in the US until the 2000’s, lea ding some critics to question the safety of cosmetic products, while others believe that such products force children to grow up too fast, or undermine their self-esteem. However, with a movement into natural cosmetic and skincare products in the last century, teens may be able to transition into the world of beauty in a healthier way. * Cohen, L. (2008)  A Consumer's Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, p. 105. * Massoni, K. (2010)  Fashioning Teenagers: A Cultural History of Seventeen Magazine.California: Left Coast Press, p. 18. * Piess, K. (1998)  Hope in a Jar: The Making of America's Beauty Culture. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, p. 134-167. * Rustenholz, A. (2003)  Make Up. London: Hachette Illustrated, p. 70. LITERATURE REVIEW: ‘Blossom Cosmetics’ sells 100% natural cosmetic and skin care products directed towards teens and tweens. This literature review will cover the history o f cosmetic use by women and teens, what goes into marketing to this age group and the representations of femininity and adolescence in media and marketing.The review will give an overview of the Australian cosmetics and toiletries industry, the intentions behind consumer purchase of natural products, and the advantages and disadvantages of natural and chemical-based products respectively. In order to define a gap in the market, this review will also give insight into current trends appealing to the teen and tween demographic of Australia and how teens are responding to cosmetics today. The sheer influence media and celebrities have on young people is explained in â€Å"Advertising to Children†.Marcia Amidon Lusted states that since the early 1980’s, advertisers have discovered children and teens make up an enormous market. One market-research group estimated that U. S teens spent more than $159 billion dollars in 2005. Amidon Lusted goes onto discuss some of the ways c ompanies cater to this tough market of teens. KAGOY or ‘Kids are Getting Older, Younger’ refers to the way that kids today are identifying themselves with the adult world at earlier and earlier ages.One of ways marketers react to this social change is through the strategy of ‘tweening’, the marketing of products that were once thought suitable for teens to younger and younger kids (Amidon Lusted, 2009, p 35-40). Through analysis of the August 2012 issue of ‘Girlfriend’ magazine – an Australian publication directed at teen girls, current trends appealing to this young demographic are revealed. With teen role model and burgeoning actress Emma Stone on the cover, the issue features articles like ‘hot Aussie bands to add to your playlist, 95 ways to keep warm this winter and why quiet girls can come first’.Style inspiration is heavily drawn from youthful celebrities like Elizabeth Olsen and Kate Bosworth, and posters feature the actors and actresses from recent blockbusters like ‘The Hunger Games’. Most interestingly is an article called ‘The Business of Beauty’, which praises natural beauty and promotes self-esteem for young girls (Girlfriend, 2012). Murphy’s â€Å"New Girl Order: Youth, Gender, and Generation in Contemporary Teen Girls' Media† also examines how the young women of Generation Y in particular, have become a key market for media industries.The book analyses various marketing campaigns, but most interestingly is that of 90’s cosmetic brand Flygirl. The analysis concludes that the campaigns careful balance between the importance of external appearance and the development of inner strength is necessitated by the shared characteristics of this generation. Through further analysis, â€Å"New Girl Order† explains that girl-focused media promotes conformity while simultaneously flattering the teen girl demographic with messages about the importa nce of their individuality (Murphy, 2008).While cosmetic brands are faced with the challenge of tapping into the psychology of teenagers, they are also confronted by the parents of this market. â€Å"Children’s Market – Doing It for the Kids†, an article written for the Cosmetics Business website by Julia Wray discovers how brands are appealing to both parents and children. Consumer analyst for Mintel, Ricky Lakhani explains, â€Å"due to added work pressure and lifestyles becoming more hectic, women are delaying starting their families until later in life, which is having a bearing on their ability to spend more on products for their children†.The article explains that unlike the teens they will become, the tween market doesn’t desire to be treated like adults, but they won’t suffer being babied either, and now the beauty world is starting to take note of this emerging demographic. Pacific World Corp and Walmart caused a stir when they anno unced their new line GeoGirl, a makeup brand for 8-12 year olds. The states that it is likely that similar offerings will hit store shelves in coming years as brand owners seek to engage with this potentially lucrative market (Wray, 2011).An article written by Felicia Kamriani for Hollywood Weekly discusses the ways teens and tweens are responding to cosmetics today. Young girls use makeup as a form of expression of their individuality and independence, but also because they have an inherent desire to feel accepted and liked. Marshal Cohen, NPD Group Chief Industry Analyst is quoted in the article saying â€Å"†¦ tweens make the decision to purchase based solely on brand recognition – they have a strong desire to fit in and be ‘just as good as’ their peers.While the teen market uses style as their indicator of fashion acceptance, the tween market uses brands†. Many teens and tweens are following the eco-natural trend, wearing lighter, barely-there mak eup. Today, more cosmetics companies are focused on developing safer products free from toxic substances (Kamriani, 2008, p 10). An overview of the Australian cosmetics and toiletries industry from Austrade reveals that there is room for the introduction of natural products in particular. The Australian cosmetic and toiletries industry has domestic sales of approximately A$5 billion per annum.Australian products achieve global success because of their reputation for being clean and green. We are also known for our natural and organic products. There is currently a growing demand worldwide for natural skincare and body products and Australia has the advantage of already being recognised in this sector of the market (Austrade, 2009). But why the push for natural products? Chen’s evaluation of the â€Å"Effectiveness of the Natural Cosmetic Product Compared to Chemical-Based Products†, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the natural cosmetic and the chemical-bas ed product respectively.A survey conducted for this study revealed that out of the 87% of people that actually used cosmetics, 94% believed that chemical-based cosmetics would cause side effects. Natural cosmetics are made from raw materials, less harmful to the earth, and less harmful to the skin. However, natural cosmetics may contain plant-derived materials benefice to microbial growth and only a few preservatives, if any at all, which means a shorter shelf-life. Chemical-based cosmetics incorporate synthetic materials which achieve desired results quickly, but often at a cost.According to a study by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group, preservatives are the second most common cause of allergic and irritant reactions to cosmetics (Chen, 2009). â€Å"Consumer Purchase Intention for Organic Personal Care Products† examines the effects of consumer values and past experiences on the purchase intention of organic products. As part of the study, an online survey was cond ucted with 207 panel members. The results indicated that environmental consciousness and appearance consciousness positively influence toward buying organic or natural cosmetic products.The study suggested that retailers can develop effective marketing strategies emphasizing ecological beauty, product safety and affordable prices to increase the sale of organic and natural personal-care products (Kim et al, 2011). Based on this preliminary research, I have found that there is a definite gap in the market and a desire for natural Australian-made cosmetics. There is clearly a level of concern from the parents of the teens and tween that are so strategically marketed to and to succeed as a brand, Blossom would need to achieve the ‘cool factor’ for the tween/teen demographic to respond.However, to fully understand this target market and the objectives and strategies of competing cosmetic brands, primary research, including surveys, focus groups and ethnographic studies must be carried out. * Amidon Lusted, M. 2009. â€Å"Advertising to Children†. ABDO Publishing Company, Minnesota. p 35-40. * Girlfriend Magazine. 2012. [ONLINE]. Girlfriend Magazine. August Issue. Retrieved from:http://au. youth. yahoo. com/girlfriend/blog/galleries/g/-/14415833/2/august-2012-girlfriend-mag-sneak-peek/ * Murphy, C. 2008. â€Å"New Girl Order: Youth, Gender, and Generation in Contemporary Teen Girls' Media†.UMI Dissertation Publishing. * Cosmetics Business (2011)  Children's Market – Doing It For The Kids. [online] Available at: http://www. cosmeticsbusiness. com/technical/article_page/Childrens_market_doing_it_for_the_kids/61075. * Kamriani, F. 2008. â€Å"Teens and Cosmetics: It's Not Like It Used to Be†. Hollywood Weekly, Iss. 10 p. 10. * Austrade. 2009. Cosmetics and Toiletries Overview. [online] Available at: http://www. austrade. gov. au/Cosmetics-and-Toiletries-overview/default. aspx * Chen, Q. 2009. â€Å"Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Natural Cosmetic Product Compared to Chemical-Based Products†.International Journal of Chemistry, 1 (2), p. 57-59. * Kim, H. and Chung, J. 2011. â€Å"Consumer Purchase Intention for Organic Personal Care Products†. The Journal of Consumer Marketing, 28 (1), p. 40-47. TARGET MARKET RESEARCH: In researching the target market of Blossom Beauty products, I designed two surveys, one for 10-16 year old young women and one for parents, and mothers in particular. The results of each survey indicated that all participants in the 10-16 year old group had been using cosmetic and skincare products since the ages of 10-14.In contrast to this are the survey results from the group of mothers, which indicated that participants had started using cosmetic and skincare products from the ages of 13-20. This demonstrates that a shift in the social acceptance of youth cosmetic use has created a potential gap in the market for such a product. On asking the 10-16 year old participants how they learnt to apply makeup, the majority revealed that it was their mother/family members that had taught them, with friends and personal experimentation following closely behind.This shows that family members, in particular mothers, are most influential in cosmetic-related decisions for this age group. 10-16 year old participants chose Clinique, Maybelline, MAC, Chi Chi, Bloom and Natio as their favourite beauty brands, while parent participants chose Ponds, Australis, Bonne Bell, Clinique and Bobby Brown as their favourite beauty brands during ages 13-20. When asked what kinds of cosmetic and skincare products they used when they were younger, the majority of these participants chose eyeliner, eye shadow, lipstick, mascara and powder, and few skin-related products, mostly from skincare brand Nivea.This contrasts with the majority of 10-16 year old participants who chose mascara, lip gloss/balm and light foundation as their preferred products. These makeup products are much l ighter than those used by their mothers when they were teens, revealing a change in product use and commonly used brands. In terms of skincare, 60% of the 10-16 year old participants carry out a daily skincare routine, that involves a cleansing or exfoliating face wash, toner and moisturiser, with most favoured brand, Clearasil. Whilst the above graph shows that 66. 7% of the 10-16 year old participants use makeup products everyday, 86. % admitted to not owning any natural cosmetic or skincare products. This reveals that there is a gap in the market for natural beauty products that are designed for everyday use. When asked which celebrities they considered most physically attractive, participants chose teen TV stars like Mischa Barton, Leighton Meester, Blake Lively and Selena Gomez, fashion icons like Lily Allen, Alexa Chung and Kate Bosworth and ‘teen heartthrobs’ including Justin Bieber and Zac Efron. These celebrities are portrayed as stereotypically ‘prettyâ €™ and desirable, reflecting the sheer influence the media has on teen perceptions of beauty.The above graph shows that 64. 7% of parent participants would expect to pay between $10 and $20 for their daughters’ beauty products. 52. 9% of participants would purchase their daughters beauty products from department stores, followed by 41. 2% who would purchase them from beauty-specific stores like Priceline, as shown in the above graph. When shopping in the beauty/hygiene aisle of the supermarket, 88. 2% of parent participants and only 40% of 10-16 year old participants indicated that they would be more attracted to light, clean coloured packaging in white or silver. In contrast, the results showed that only 11. % of the parent participants compared to 60% of 10-16 year old participants would be attracted to bright, loud coloured packaging in red or pink. 76. 5% of parent participants would allow their daughter to wear makeup every day, and 58. 8% believe it is appropriate f or young women between the ages of 10 and 16 to wear makeup, however, a strong 41. 2% believe it isn’t. Through analysis of these survey results, primary and secondary target market characteristics have been identified. Blossom’s primary target market of teens and tweens between the ages of 10 and 16 are inexperienced with cosmetic products compared to their mothers as teens.They are interested in using makeup, and require skincare products, but their mothers and family remain highly influential in their beauty-related decisions. The media, however, is also extremely influential in the decisions of this age group and a certain perception of beauty and what is considered attractive is based around current celebrities. The mothers of 10-16 year olds who make up Blossom’s secondary target market are key consumers as they are the ones who purchase their daughter’s cosmetic and skincare products.These mothers want natural products for their daughters, but at a n affordable price. This target market won’t pay more than $20 and expect to find these beauty products where they might buy their own. PART II: MARKETING INTRODUCTION: MACRO & MICRO ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS POLITICAL: The Advanced Association of Beauty Therapists (AABTH) have reported that as consumers are becoming increasingly wary of potential toxicity in cosmetics and toiletries, market segments offering fragrance-free products made using natural ingredients and essential oils are likely to record strong growth.While natural beauty products are in demand, there are strict guidelines based on the labelling of these products. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission enforce the labelling of cosmetic products under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. There are mandatory labelling requirements for the labelling of cosmetic products manufactured in, or imported into, Australia. Ingredients, including colour additives, fragrances and perfumes must be listed on the co ntainer or the product itself. ECONOMIC:Blossom is primarily targeted towards young women between the ages of 10 and 16. However, as this market is often still financially dependent on their parents, we must take the pricing of our products into careful consideration. Many believe that the cosmetics industry is a recession proof market because history has shown that women continue to spend on items that have the ‘feel good’ factor and represent ‘value for money’, but in the case of spending money on children, we must consider how the recession has affected parents. REFERENCE) SOCIAL: The AABTH have also reported that there has been continued growth in the youth segment (the teen and tween boom), which is thought to account for roughly 20 per cent of the overall cosmetics and toiletries market. It is believed that manufacturers and marketers may develop an increasing array of youth products that mimic their adult counterparts. Whilst the market for youth-foc used cosmetics is booming, there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the selling of make-up to young women in particular.Young girls are constantly influenced by a dominant message about physical appearance equating with worth and it has been shown that an over-emphasis on looks and attractiveness leads to negative body image, disordered eating, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. While some cosmetic companies are setting unrealistic standards of beauty for their customers, Blossom is based on the idea of natural beauty and the empowerment of young women. The Blossom Mentor Program for young women without role models is evidence of our efforts in fighting for a better result.TECHNOLOGICAL: Recent studies have shown that 93% of teenagers 12-17 are online—the largest percentage of any age group, 73% of teens are on social networking sites and 75% of them own a mobile phone. The constant growth and popularity of technologies like the internet and mobile phones, combi ned with the immense influence the media has on young people is staggering. With such an online presence and a truly transient nature, it’s crucial for Blossom to tap into this younger generation of technology-savvy teens to remain current. COMPETITOR ANALYSIS:COMPETITOR 1: Bloom Cosmetics Bloom is an Australian beauty brand, based on Melbourne that was founded in 1993 by Natalie Bloom. According to the brand’s website, Bloom was born from Natalie’s packaging design hobby, which turned into a business and eventually a brand. The Bloom product range originally included Essential Oil Blends, Massage Oils and Aromatherapy Lip Balms and now features over 350 products including colour cosmetics, an 80-shade nail polish range, the Australian-manufactured Bloom Organics range and a diffusion range ‘b collection by Bloom’.Bloom is now an internationally recognised beauty brand and stocked across the globe (Bloom Cosmetics, 2011). Product| EYES * Shadows * L iners * Mascara * Brow liners/gelsLIPS * Lipstick * Stains/tints * Gloss * Lip liners * BalmsFACE * Foundation * Tint * Concealers/highlighters * Primer * Bronzing * BlushTANNING/BRONZING GELS/CREAMSNAILS * Polish * Accessories e. g. files, removerSKIN * Organic body care & skincare * Organic accessories e. g. owels/bagsACCESSORIES * Wipes, sharpener, bags & brushesSince 2000, each Bloom product has featured the playful yet sophisticated ‘Miss Bloom’ illustration, contributing to the youthful sensibility of the brand. | Price| The price point of Bloom cosmetics ranges from $10 for accessories, $20-$30 for lip, eye and nail products, and up to $40-$50 for body care, skin care and face products. This is a higher price point in comparison with competing brands. | Place| Bloom products are available from the Melbourne flagship store, Myer, David Jones and Target department stores as well as online. Promotion| * Bloom blog * Facebook * Twitter * Youtube * Email subscription * Competitions * Collaborations * Children’s Hospital Foundation | People| * Specific selection of trained staff knowledgeable in beauty products in department & flagship stores. | STRENGTHS| * Huge product range * Multiple collaborations * Series of awards won * Internationally recognised/stocked * Organics & diffusion ranges * Charity support – corporate citizenship| WEAKNESSES| * As a ‘youthful’ beauty brand, selling tanners & heavy makeup doesn’t set healthy example for young people. Quite expensive for young people & parents in comparison with competitors e. g. Kit, Maybelline, GeoGIRL * Lack of information online| OPPORTUNITIES| * A ‘youth focused’/cheaper diffusion line or collaboration * Expansion and growth of international presence| THREATS| * Negativity from parents * Competition from competing international cosmetic and skincare brands. | COMPETITOR 2: GeoGIRL CosmeticsGeoGIRL is an American beauty brand; selling ‘natu ral’ cosmetic and skin care products in recyclable packaging for 8-12 year old girls. The GeoGIRL website explains that the brand was launched in 2011 by US department store Walmart. GeoGIRL products are ‘natural’, affordable and ideal for young, sensitive skin. The 69-piece GeoGIRL line features blush, mascara, face shimmer and lipstick. Each GeoGIRL product comes with directions (GeoGIRL, 2012).Product| EYES * Shadows * Pencil * Mascara * Brow gelLIPS * Gloss * Balm * Shine * TreatmentsFACE * Concealer * Tint * Powder * Blush/shimmerSKIN * Cleanser * Toner * Moisturiser/refresher * Remover * Body mist| Price| The price point of GeoGIRL cosmetics ranges from USD$4 to USD$6, relatively low in comparison with competing brands. | Place| GeoGIRL cosmetics are available online at www. drugstore. com. | Promotion| * Facebook * Youtube * ‘Green tips’ – association with environmental consciousness * Charity link – animal shelters & endangered wildlife * Media e. . US magazines – Seventeen, Marie Claire & Teen Vogue * Music video * Membership & competitions| People| * GeoGIRL has a FAQ page dedicated to concerned parents, which explains the monitoring of personal information & accounts by trained staff members. | STRENGTHS| * Wide range of media coverage * A percentage of profits go to voted charities * How-to and music videos * ‘Parents’ section of the website that addresses any concerns about the GeoGIRL products. * Customers can also sign-up to become a GeoGIRL to share their ideas online. WEAKNESSES| * Only available online from a participating website called ‘drugstore. com’ * Pricing for the products doesn’t exceed $6 US dollars, portraying a cheap or low-quality brand image * The brand is only available to an American market * Website is inconsistent and some parts are missing| OPPORTUNITIES| * Expansion to an international market * Distribution into bricks and mortar stores * Further brand extensions or collaborations| THREATS| * Competing global brands * Negativity from parents & industry |While Blossom Beauty will offer a smaller product range in comparison to Bloom and GeoGIRL, the price point will be higher than that of GeoGIRL to portray an image of quality and to cover costs, but lower than Bloom to remain affordable. Blossom will only be available to an Australian market to begin with, but may expand globally to compete with brands like Bloom. Blossom will focus on youth-appropriate products and promotion like GeoGIRL but will maintain a sophisticated appearance and reputation like Bloom. Bloom Cosmetics (2011)  Our Story. [online] Available at: http://www. bloomcosmetics. om/cms-home/bloom-story. phps. GeoGIRL (2012)  About GeoGIRL. [online] Available at: http://geogirl. com/about. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: STRENGTHS: * Blossom Beauty produces 100% natural skin care and cosmetic products for everyday use * Each product comes with a set of direc tions * Blossom has recruited a famous female celebrity ambassador to represent the brand * We support young women without role models with our Blossom Mentor Program * Blossom aims to collaborate with a major teen fashion brand * Our product is available online, in department and beauty-specific stores WEAKNESSES: Blossom will only be available to the Australian market to begin with * We may have to produce offshore to remain competitive and cover costs * We are yet to achieve any media coverage OPPORTUNITIES: * A focus on planet-friendly, cost-efficient packaging * Growth of customer base, with sustained loyalty past teen/tween years * Brand extensions into fragrance, body and hair care THREATS: * Lack of control if manufacturing offshore * Risk of over-pricing products * Competing brands with established reputation and brand extensions * Negativity from parentsMARKET OVERVIEW: OBJECTIVES & STRATEGIES: Objectives| Strategies| * Position Blossom as a leading skincare and cosmetics brand, dedicated to the welfare of young women * Push the visibility of Blossom in the market through strategic promotional efforts| Work with PR team to form a strong concept and consistent brand message communicated through campaign shoot to be featured in Dolly/Girlfriend magazines, buses, billboards and online 2-3 months before line is released. * | Develop relationships with department stores e. g. MYER and David Jones, as well as beauty-specific store e. g. Priceline for distribution by June/July. | * | Launch line through event, coinciding with International Women’s Day in June/July – focus on mother-daughter relationship. | * | With the assistance of web expertise, develop e-commerce website by June and maintain consistent brand message in social networking via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest. * Diversify Blossom from competitors * Achieve a positive reputation through association|   Identify key Australian female celebrities who are viewed as positive role models and represent the values of Blossom and reach out to them to secure a brand ambassador by early 2013. | * | Kick start Blossom Mentor Program and design school workshops by August. Connect with The Butterfly Foundation charity, work with PR team to publicise the program e. g. magazines, internet and POS promotion and get brand ambassador involved. * Build a loyal customer base that transcends teen years| Align Blossom with youth-focused fashion destinations, online or in-store e. g. Factorie/ASOS etc and collaborate on a line as a goal towards the end of the year. | * | Research growing market and move into brand extensions by the beginning of 2014, branching out into fragrances, bath & body or haircare. | TACTICAL MARKETING PROGRAMS: PRODUCT: The Blossom Beauty range will consist of one cosmetic line and one skin care line.The all-natural cosmetic line will focus on the ‘basics of natural beauty’ and will be made up of lip glosses, balms and ti nts, mix and match eye shadows, mascara, easy-to-use eye liner and eye crayons, mineral blush and cheek tint, mineral powder and tinted moisturiser, as well as a variety of makeup related tools including brushes, a case, mirror, sharpener and eyelash curler. The 100% natural skin care range will also be focused on the essentials, with a cream cleanser, exfoliating facial scrub, nourishing moisturiser, toner and acne serum.Cosmetic and skin care products will look and smell delicious in feminine coloured packaging and each will come with a brief set of instructions on how to achieve the desired result. PRICE: Blossom beauty products will be priced anywhere between $15 and $30. This price point is slightly lower than competing brands to keep it accessible for teens and affordable for their parents as a secondary target market. The price may seem higher than other teen-friendly beauty products but only to cover the costs of natural ingredients and product tie-ins. PLACE:Blossom product s may have to be manufactured offshore in order for the brand to remain competitive. The products will be packaged in Australia and distributed to major department stores like Myer/David Jones, in beauty-specific stores including Priceline and online from our e-commerce website. PROMOTION: Much like other well-known cosmetic brands, Blossom will have a strong commercial presence. Blossom advertisements will be featured in print media (e. g. Dolly and Girlfriend magazine) and outdoors, on billboards and on buses. Each advertisement will feature bright natural colours, youthful imagery and our brand ambassador.Blossom has chosen these promotional tools in order to connect directly with teens, tweens and their parents. That is why the brand will also maintain a strong online identity through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and the Blossom website that will include how-to videos, interactive quizzes and games, competitions and brand information. Blossom will also be pr omoted through collaborations with online and bricks and mortar shopping destinations and its Mentor Program for young girls. Each promotional method reinforces the brands message of the positivity of natural beauty and the empowerment of young women.PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS: FINANCIAL: Month| Objective| Budget| Jan-Feb 2013| Brand ambassador chosen|   | | Market research conducted| $6000 for focus groups$300 per personal interviews – 6 interviews to represent different ages within target market – $1800| | Workshops designed|   | March-May|   Campaign shoot| $20,000| |   Promotional activity| Outdoor – Bus/Billboard: $20,000Magazine: $25,000| | Website design| $10,000-$20,000 to build website10% of cost to build website per month for website maintenance| | Cosmetic and skin care line manufactured| $20,000| June-July| Launch event| $20,000|

Infection Control Essay on Hand Hygiene

IntroductionHealthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) can be extremely detrimental in health and social care settings where patients highly susceptible to disease. These are infections which the patient acquires during or after healthcare has been received which can be dangerous as contracting an infection whilst receiving healthcare from an unrelated problem could have a deteriorating effect on the patient in comparison to a healthy individual’s reaction.Patients in hospital and other healthcare settings have increased vulnerability so consequently are easily receptive to pathogens due to examples such as reduced immunity or open wounds. Therefore the appropriate precautions and procedures must be set in place to ensure cross-infection cannot occur. It is crucial for health professionals to understand how infection spread so that they can consider and act upon the significant implications which are risked when improper measures are not followed hence why the knowledge of the c hain of infection should be learnt.Infection control is high on the agenda for healthcare providers because of its significance as it safeguards staff, patients and the public, promotes safe environments and practice but also indicates the quality of healthcare given. It is imperative to focus on legislation which applies to the National Heath Service like the NHS Constitution and the Nursing and Midwifery Council code of conduct. Communication, competence and care of the six C’s can all be factored into how infection control is dealt with in the NHS.One of the most common practices to lessen the risk of cross-infection is hand hygiene which has reduced overall infection rates in hospitals. (Bennett, Jarvis and Brachman 2007) Identify your new learning, giving rationale for your choice of this topic The chain of infection should be learnt in order to apply the appropriate infection prevention methods at each point. The process simplifies how microorganisims spread and infecti on occurs. Microorganisims are named the â€Å"infectious agent† as they are able to produce infection in the body, they are always present but may be concentrated in some areas which are called â€Å"reservoirs†.Reservoirs for possible infectious agents can be environments or people which can be transferred from one area to the next. The transmission of microorganisims from a person through exhaling or other bodily functions is labelled the â€Å"portal of exit†; the microorganisims are then able to be transmitted into a patient via contact, air, blood, meals or liquids. The â€Å"portal of entry† describes the susceptible area to which microorganisims can be introduced into the patient, such as by mouth, urinary tract or an aperture in the skin. (Brooker and Nicol, 2011)Between  the portal of exit and the portal of entry there is potential for cross-contamination and this is where the need for hand hygiene arises.  ­Ã‚ ­ Adequate hand hygiene by nur ses lessen this risk of healthcare acquired infections as evidence shows that developing and bettering the technique that healthcare workers use to clean their hands contributes to the reduction of HCAIs that occur (Pratt et al, 2007). Damani (1997) suggested that the most prevalent cause of cross-infection was transmission pathogens from one patient to another by pathogens occupying the hands of healthcare workers.Contaminated hands easily transmit these microorganisms but so by cleaning hands appropriately hospitals can prevent (to an extent) harm to patients which is a fundamental concept in healthcare. (Pittel et al, 2000) This raises the importance for nurses to learn a technique which will clean the hands physically and of invisible microorganisims as nurse’s interactions towards patients account for roughly 80 percent of direct care patients receive.  (Storr and Clayton-kent, 2004)There are many documents on the different techniques of hand washing and when to do suc h techniques like the World Health Organisation’s five moments for hand hygiene (2006). WHO recommends that hands should be washed before coming into contact with the patient and before aseptic tasks to protect the patient against germs occupying the healthcare worker’s hands as well as immediately after an exposure risk to body fluids, after contact with the patient and their surroundings to protect yourself from pathogens exposed whilst carrying out these tasks.This applies to the NMC’s code of professional conduct (2004) which states that a nurse must â€Å"act to identify and minimise risk to patients and clients†. This values the results of hand hygiene by identifying when to clean hands from the WHO’s five moments of hand hygiene and to use the endorsed hand hygiene technique of the trust to minimise risk to the patient. The hand washing procedure originally outlined by Ayliffe et al (1978) has been adapted by many organisations to provide va rious routines.Hands were wet by a running tap and antiseptic detergents or liquid soap (5ml was poured onto the hands, the technique consisted of five backwards and forwards strokes in the motion of; palm to palm, each palm over the other hand’s back, interlocking palm to palm, each palm over the other hand’s back interlocked and then the rotational scrubbing of the fingers into each palm finalised by the rubbing of the wrists during a 30-second time span. Then the hands were rinsed with water for 15-seconds and dried with two paper towels for 15-seconds.  (Ayliffe et all, 1978)Whilst this technique has strict timescales the WHO elects the timescale of roughly the time taken to sing â€Å"Happy Birthday† twice. This raises concerns over the approximates as this will differ from person to person. The procedure itself remains nearly exact except from the addition of turning the tap off with a towel to avoid recontamination and the exact timings are lost. This t echnique only stated to use running water, however no temperature was specified.Hand Washing for Life (200-) advises that water should not be above 110?F as this temperature would cause hands become damaged by loosing delicate tissues on the skin. This can cause bacteria to become trapped and more difficult to remove, as well as cause pain to the worker. It is a legal requirement for health professions to take the necessary measures to ensure that they protect themselves, which includes their hands and others around them by taking care of their hands.(Health and Safety at Work Act 1974) Dougherty and Lister (2010) give a comprehensive guide to effective hand washing, stating the minimum time to rub lathered hand together is 10-15 seconds. The guide recommended that attention should be given to areas which are missed most frequently like between fingers, tips of fingers and thumbs. Single use towels to dry hands were used in all techniques. Damani (2011) suggests that paper towels sh ould be used and also used to turn off taps if hands-free control is not available.An experiment carried out by Redway and Fawdar of the University of Westminster backed up Damani (2011) suggestion as drying hands with a paper towel decreased the amount of bacteria compared to jet-air dryers and warm-air dryers which caused an increase. Given that the WHO technique has been used throughout the NHS by National Patient Safety Agency for hand cleaning techniques this would be a reliable technique to follow whilst also taking into consideration the detail given by Dougherty and Lister.How has this learning made a difference to you Being aware of how many infectious opportunistic pathogens can be exposed to patients, which may lay dormant on healthcare workers hands, gives healthcare workers a better understanding of how to assess the risks of when passing infection can occur by referring to the chain of infection. The chain of infection makes nurses more aware of patients as susceptible hosts.It is everyone’s responsibility to take appropriate considerations to the prevention and control of infection; this would include all healthcare professionals, the patients themselves and the visitors. (Randle, Coffey and Bradbury. 2009) The Francis report states that visitors and staff should adhere to hygiene requirements as well as reminding anyone who is seen to not adhere to these requirements so that the high standard of hygiene is achieved and promoted.  (2013)The knowledge when to wash by the WHO’s five moments enables nurses to make knowing when to wash their hands second nature. It also makes the nurse more aware of how serious it is to have clean hands as â€Å"clean hands save lives† as said by the National Patient Safety Alert from 2008 which states that the individual risks to patients are dramatically reduced if healthcare workers washed or disinfected their patients every time they needed to perform patient contact.The six C’s dev ised by Cummins and Bennett in 2012 state that one of a nurse’s prime responsibilities is to care, this means giving the care of controlling infection as it is extremely important to keep clear of potentially avoidable HCAIs which can have a significant impact to the patient’s physical and psychological state. This could worsen their condition, increase length of stay, increase pain and suffering and increase worry and stress. This all causes a massive impact on the economy as HCAIs cost the NHS over the estimated ?1 billion.  (NAO, 2009)The knowledge of appropriate hand hygiene also shows competence, another of the six C’s, as nurses can use what they have learnt confidently to ensure they have controlled spreading infection. Hand hygiene is also a commitment, as a nurse may wash their hands but a commitment must be made to wash them to the standard that is appropriate. Communication is also vital in infection control as infection control is everyone’s responsibility.(Randle, Coffey and Bradbury, 2009) In all aspects of infection control communication must be at the heart of the process so that the right precautions are taken. Staff and researchers must communicate with each other in order to maintain the same level of knowledge on hand hygiene so that the most up to date method is used. It is important for staff to communicate with patients to teach and improve their own hygiene to ensure the safety of themselves and others around them.It is also key for staff to communicate to patient relatives in  order for them to carry out routine hygiene which imperative for hospital or other healthcare settings infection control. Information given would be useful for the public to know to reduce general sickness therefore reducing burden on local NHS services. The actual technique should be addressed to all everyone as if it is not done adequately harmful microbes would still be on the hands and therefore infection can still occur. How w ill this learning influence you clinical practiceApplying the knowledge of hand hygiene learnt to clinical practice would mean to risk assess the situation at hand in environment by asking the assessment questions as described by Randle, Coffey and Bradbury (2009), then use the five moments given by WHO (2006) to demonstrate competence in when to wash or disinfect hands. Nurses will be influenced by which situation they are placed in, for example when moving from one patient to another hands must be washed by water and liquid soap method (WHO, 2006).The six C’s would also influence a nurse in hand hygiene as a nurse would think about caring for the patient, giving a commitment to safe care as well as being competent in this task. Electing the most effective hand washing technique must be done to successfully remove pathogens so that not to transmitted from one patient to another or one area to another. The techniques discussed vaguely circle around the same routine with diffe rences in times, in clinical practice these would all influence the nurse whilst performing hand hygiene but the standard practice would be used as it is the technique enforced by the NPSA adapted from the WHO.The most recently updated hand hygiene method by the NPSA includes the use of alcohol gels, these should not be used as a constant alternative as they would lead to build up and therefore not effective for removing harmful microbes and are not suitable in some cases as they would not remove dirt or organic materials, cause a risk of ignition when handling medical gas cylinders and would not be effective against Clostridium difficile and Norovirus. (Brekle and Macqueen 2012) Therefore this would influence workers in clinical practice as alcohol gels should only be used out of these circumstances.Describe how you will continue to develop this learning after this module The research into all hand hygiene methods should be regularly looked over as there will always be improvements to how the NHS handles infection control. One example of this would be the use of non-touch taps, a favourable option by many healthcare providers, but although creating minimal contact with a potentially easily contaminated area to control the outbreak of MRSA it has also led to the potential link between infrared taps and the outbreak of pseudomonas bacteria due to increased surface area in the plumbing of these taps.(Department of Health, 2012) This example demonstrates that there will always be constant reviews into infection control so it is important to keep up to date on the latest information on practice available and to comply with the NMC code of conduct. A nurse must take part in additional learning or training to develop competence in hand hygiene practice and to constantly review themselves on their development in order to assess what they could do to improve.Randle, Coffey and Bradbury (2009) suggest that on going training will always be required in this area of pract ice. How does this personal and professional development relate to the NMC Code Developing and understanding the appropriate hand hygiene procedures for personal and profession practice is important to comprehend so that the nurse can continue to care of the patient their first concern. Caring for a patient means to not worsen their health by transmitting infection which could be preventable as by washing hands.It is immensely important for nurses to act within their competencies which includes being able to competently hand wash appropriately to control infection as it is vital in performing any act of physical care to patient. (Dougherty and Lister 2011). Another section of the NMC code specifies that a nurse should administer care â€Å"based on the best available evidence or best practice†. All nurses must strive and aspire to remain on top of the developing and constantly modifying information and research on infection control.This also relates significantly to the NMC c ode which represents that all nurses must maintain and improve their knowledge and skills based on the most up to date information throughout their working lives. Providing high quality infection control at all times applies to the NMC code because it means that the nurse is complying with providing the high standard of practice and care at all times. How does your topic relate to the NHS Constitution The NHS constitution states the rights and commitments to patients, the public and the staff.  (Department of Health, 2013)The topic of hand washing relates to this document because the NHS constitution is the integral laws to which the NHS strives to stand by and infection control is high on constantly on the agenda for the NHS to improve upon. The constitution expresses that the NHS aims to provide the â€Å"highest standards of excellence and professionalism† and providing a high calibre of care which is â€Å"safe, effective and focused on the patient†. The terms sa fe and effective relate to hand hygiene as nurses must follow hand hygiene procedures so that the care given is is not hindered by the possibility of passing infection.The constitution also gives the values of the NHS, which includes the value to improve lives. The NHS commits to improve lives and not to decrease the health of the patient due to HCAIs and so it is paramount that infection control procedures are followed to lessen the risk of infections occurring whilst receiving healthcare. Patient rights are issued in the document, one particular is the right for the patient to be treated with a professional standard of care which has been administered by qualified professionals.Service users of the NHS have the right to expect the quality of healthcare to be monitored and improved continuously, which includes safety, so hand hygiene of workers should be continuously reviewed to make sure it is up to the standard that will ensure safety. The NHS Constitution commits to establish a safe and hygienic setting which is fit for purpose which directly involves the matter of hand hygiene because of importance of it in infection control which promotes a safe and clean environment. (Department of Health, 2013)ConclusionIt is clear that transmitting infectious diseases can reduced if staff, patients and visitors washed their hands before and after tasks, a routine hand hygiene technique cannot be stressed enough as it is paramount for all staff to adhere to so that the spread of infection at bay. It is now valued that hand washing is not only important when hands are visible contaminated but is also vital that they are washed when it is not visible that they are contaminated due to the microscopic pathogens hidden on the skin.This knowledge is essential to be passed on to all those who flow through a healthcare setting so that education can be continued on infection control. With this given, it is key that communication skills are overly efficient at voicing and helpin g in infection control with caring for the patients at the heart the education. With continued education and observations in this area more people would be able to show acceptable hand washing and therefore reduce the risk of infection. Hand hygiene techniques influence all nurses because of the strong link to many of the six C’s and the vast importance to the health of all patients.

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Revieww the peospects of the UK meeting these targets by 2020, and to identify the main barriers that could cause the targets no - Essay Example The paper will throw light on how the EU will meet its target, what barriers it faces and what are the prospect ways in which it can meet its target. Sources of Energy in the UK: In UK energy sources are via both renewable an non renewable sourcues. During 2004, total electricity generated stood as following: gas – 39.93% (0.05% in 1990) coal – 33.08% (67.22% in 1990) nuclear – 19.26% (18.97% in 1990) renewables – 3.55% (0% in 1990) hydroelectric – 1.10% (2.55% in 1990) imports – 1.96% (3.85% in 1990) oil – 1.12% (6.82% in 1990) The currenct electricity consumption in UK stands a 330 TWh p.a reduced in 2009 . At the moment the statistics of it’s fuels stand as following: 1. Coal – 29% 2. Natural Gas- 45% 3. Nuclear- 17% 4. Oil – 1% 5. Hydro and Renewables – 5% 6. Wind – 3 % Coal was the primary source of energy in UK during the 1940s. 90% of the generating capacity of UK was taken care of by coal whil e the remainder was looked after by Oil. Soon UK began expanding it’s energy producing capacity and domains. In the 1950s, it acquired nuclear generating capacity through the Calder Hall that was connected to the grid on 27th August 1956. This set the set trend for various other similar civil stations in the country. At this point more than 26% of the nation’s electicirity was generated via nuclear electricity. It peak in mid 1970s. During this period the overall electricity generation from oil continued to decline. Since the inception of 1993 and all the way through to the 1990s, electricity generation via coal was scaled up to boost gas fuelled generation. Various steps were undertaken to support this endeavor. This includes the privitisation of the National Coal Board, British Gas, the introduction of new policies favoring competition within the UK market and availability of cheap gas from the North sea. The scenario change was from 1.09% to 30.25% of gas produced u sed in electricity generation between 1900 to 2005. By then coal production in power stations had also fallen by 43.6% compared to the previous 1980 levels though it was slightly higher in 1999. During the 1990s and somewhere from it’s mid, reneweable sources of energy began to crop up in UK. They also added to the overall electricity generated, there by giving rise to hydro electricity generation capacity in UK. Current Energy Consumption In the United Kingdom: According to present statistics, United Kingdom is consuming 3894 kgs of oil equivalent per capita. On the contrary the world is consuming approximately 1778.0 kilograms of oil per capital. According to a statistics under taken by worldwide total, the total energy consumed in the last 2 years has been 9.85 exajoules. This means it is an estimated 2% of the world total of 474 EJ of energy. The over all demand for electicity has averaged at 40 GW in the last 2 years and was at 60 GW at it’s peak. The demand for e lectricity has been steadily increasing in the last 5 years in UK. UK 2008-Primary Energy Consumption (Energy resources) The table depicts that in UK primary energy consumption came down by 1.8% in 2008. Table shows that UK is dependent for 75% of its energy from oil and gas. Both oil and gas consumption have increased while coal consumption has decreased by 10.7%.. Almost 40% of the primary energy consumed was utilized in electricity generation. Similarly the contribution by renewable sources of en

French Revolution Essay Example for Free

French Revolution Essay The French Revolution marked a period that was characterized by fundamental social and political disturbances in France. The French society was initially under an absolute monarchy prior to the Revolution which occurred in the late 18th century. The French society went through ambitious transformations whereby feudalism, aristocracy and religious privileges sublimed due to spirited attacks from the political activists and the masses. There was a call to shift from the old hierarchical system and adopt the enlightenment tenets of nationality and absolute rights. The Revolution in France is said to have begun in 1789 and it was marked by various stages with the various revolutionary groups executing the much needed transformations. This paper shall explore how the various groups executed their revolutionary activities that eventually contributed towards the political changes witnessed during the time. The French Revolution The revolution was initiated by the Third Estates-General who demanded that the king undertake practical reforms in the government. The ‘constituent’ forcefully ensured that France had undergone reformations that brought in the constitutional monarch while abolishing feudal advantages and also creating a representative electorate though not a democracy. The constituent had a well elaborated law that was referred to as the ‘Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens’ which can be compared to the bill of Rights in the American constitution . Between the years 1791 and 1792, the Legislative Assembly was introduced and the King was supposed to govern hand in hand with this entity. In August of 1792, the king was forced to flee and take cover in the Legislative Assembly during the Parisian march that happened near the royal residence. The king became de facto as the Assembly took control. From 1792 to 1795, France witnessed the First Republic and grand terror in its history . This is a time when the revolution reached its peak. Terror was established as a means of dealing with the opponents of the regime and France was pronounced to be a republic in the year 1792. The somehow liberal constitution that observed some democratic tenets was introduced in 1793 but was to be shelved by the revolutionary government. France was under the rule of the Committee of Public Safety which comprised of a dozen members whose first leader was Danton . Following the execution of Danton, Robespierre took over. In the year 1794, the Revolutionary activities were intensified and it begun executing those who were in opposition to its activities. This led to the execution of its own leader, Robespierre in July of 1794 . After the execution of Robespierre, there arose what was referred to as the ‘Thermidorian Reaction’ which led to the creation of a new constitution. The reaction was in opposition to the terror and paved way for the final stage of the Revolution . In the years 1795 to 1799, the Directory regime was established in which case the executive authority was shared among five directors. The regime was unpopular but it used any means possible to cling to power. There were numerous attempts to overthrow the Directory which culminated in the final disposal of the regime in 1799 by Bonaparte. Napoleon Bonaparte’s coup led to the installation of the Consulate before Bonaparte established his dictatorial regime.  He later proclaimed himself as emperor which ended the republican chapter of the revolution. Conclusion The French Revolution was a period characterized by upheavals in the political arena in France towards the late 18th century. However the Revolution played a crucial part in European politics. The revolution ensured that sovereignty was observed as absolutism was discarded which led to the replacement of monarchy with nationhood. The French Revolution therefore marked a major turning point in human history especially in regard to the political orientation of the western society of the 18th century and the world in general.

Causes of the Opium War

Causes of the Opium War However, this prosperity and balance of trade came under severe threat when Britain discovered growing on the hills of India, a product that many Chinese people craved for and would shift the balance of trade in its favour opium. In the ensuing war, the Chinese perceived cultural superiority did not reflect in its glaring military inferiority to the British technological and tactical military superiority (Schaffer Library of Drug Policy, 2010). China was heavily defeated in the war that also brought shame to Britain (CNN, 2009). In the British Parliament, William Ewart Gladstone criticised the government for a war he described as unjust in its origin and designed to cover Britain in permanent shame (Kossoff, 2010). Staring down the barrel of a gun, the Chinese were forced to sign a one-sided treaty at Nanking (see appendix B) as every Chinese move failed (CNN, 2009). According to CNN, China was forced to part with 21 million ounces of silver to pay for a war started by Britain. Five ports were designated for unrestricted British trade Shanghai, Canton, Ningpo, Amoy, and Foochow (Hooker, 1996) and Hong Kong became a British territory. Other Western countries soon moved in to exploit Chinas war wounds as France and America secured similar trading concessions (CNN, 2009; Hooker, 1996). According to CNN, Chinas defeat led to an invasion of Western culture, and on Chinas doorstep, barbarians lived in grand houses. However, 150 years later, China has reclaimed these houses and taken back Hong Kong. This essay aims to discuss the significant causes of the opium war over which there has been much controversy. On the one hand, the Chinese perspective on the cause of the war is about Britains immoral poisoning of China with opium from smuggling, while on the other hand Britain holds the view that the war was as a result of Chinese arrogance that treated foreigners as inferior beings and subjected Western countries to unfair trade and unacceptable diplomatic standards. Irreconcilable Cultural Differences During the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Chinese culture projected a face of indifferent arrogance and contempt for foreigners which included the bland assumption of Chinese cultural superiority. This played a significant role in events that resulted in the opium wars (Hanes Sanello, 2002; Helprin, 2006; Holt, 1964). The arrival of Western traders in China for the first time brought them in direct contact with a strange new world having an alien system of government. East Asian nations had barely any knowledge about Europe. Their relationship with each other was built on the idea of a Confucian hierarchy, with China as the head of the Asian family and other smaller nations Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Burma occupying inferior positions around her (Schurmann Schell, 1967). This status was accepted by these nations and they paid homage to china by embarking on periodic visits to Peking to perform the Kowtow a series of kneeling down thrice and nine prostrations before the Emperor, climaxing with the tribute bearer bringing his nose to the floor (Schurmann Schell, 1967; Holt, 1964). According to Holt (1964), the Chinese perceived China as the celestial empire and their Emperor as the traditional Son of Heaven. Other rulers of the foreign world were perceived to be no more than vassals expected to pay tribute to the Son of Heaven (Holt, 1964; Lewis, 2009; Pelissier, 1967). Holt (1964) as well as Hanes Sanello (2002), note that envoys from England to China refused to perform this ritual, especially since they did not grant their own monarch such recognition. However, no matter how vehemently Britain protested, or how unreasonable she found this custom, and how powerful she declared herself to be, China made no exception to her treatment (Schurmann Schell, 1967). Britain was among the other Western barbarians. Chinas perceived arrogance and deep sense of cultural superiority cocooned it from the rest of the civilized world by producing a complex administrative structure that isolated the Emperor and his chief advisers from direct diplomatic contacts. Though Britain had traded with the Chinese for many years, China declined to establish any formal diplomatic contacts because it did not perceive Britain as equal (Rodzinski, 1984). As noted by Chesneauk, Bsatid Bergere (1977), Britain twice attempted to dismantle this barrier by sending Lord Macartney in 1793 and Lord Amherst in 1816 as ambassadors to Peking. Both attempts failed. This was one of the infuriating features of the complex Chinese administrative structure that resulted in the Opium war. Commercial Greed and Free Trade The foreign devils as they were called by the Chinese were merchants from many countries, particularly Britain, United states of America and Portugal but also included France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark (Holt, 1964). Portugal history with the Far East was the earliest and longest but Britain gradually secured the largest quota of the Chinese trade with the West. Englands trade with the Eastern countries was monopolised by the East Indian Company until 1833. According to Holt (1964), this monopoly however allowed privately owned vessels from Britain and India to trade with China under licence from the East Indian Company. These vessels carried both raw cotton and the insidious drug opium. Opium was a source of enormous revenue to the Indian Government, wealth to the foreign merchants, and brought pleasure as well as suffering to the people of China (Hanes Sanello, 2002; Holt, 1964). During this period, the British Government of India and the directors of the East Indian Company realised that the Chinese were addicted to opium and that this presented a great trade opportunity for a huge fortune. Opium cultivation was quickly monopolised by the Government and permission exclusively given to the East Indian Company for its production and sale for which the company paid substantial duty to the Indian Government (Holt, 1964). Both the British and Indian Governments found opium smuggling to China too lucrative to be discarded. By 1832, the duty paid on opium to the British Indian Government made up one-eighteenth of its gross revenue (Holt, 1964). In the past, Britain had substantially imported tea, silk and porcelain from China. Holt (1964) estimates that twelve million pounds worth of tea was consumed in Britain annually. China had significantly much less interest in British goods of woollen, lead, iron and Cornish tin and so Britain had to pay for its trade deficit in silver (Pelissier, 1967; Holt, 1964). By 1817, China had been paid one hundred and fifty million pounds worth of silver by European traders (Holt, 1964). For the British Government, these profits from opium trade restored parity of payments from trade with China. Blinded by greed both the British and Indian Governments failed in their legal and moral obligations not to participate in, or encourage the export to another country, goods prohibited by that country. This was another significant factor that provoked incidents that led to the opium war. At this time, much of the economic theory guiding the British Empire was based on Cobdens perception of free trade unrestricted trade in all commodities including narcotics (Ball, 2010). According to Ball, arguments for free trade were that it promoted civilization and peaceful influence. In 1833, parliament brought an end to the monopoly of trade enjoyed by the East Indian Company with China and established free trade (Holt, 1964). Private merchants succumbed to the greed for fast and enormous profits. Special ships known as opium clippers were now more frequently being used for smuggling opium. Notable British owners included James Matheson, William Jardine and Lancelot Dent (Holt, 1964; Pelissier, 1967). These vessels were known to ship opium from India to China with great speed and efficiency thus compounding the opium addiction crisis in China. Figure Opium Smuggling Clippers from the West (Hays, 2008) Opium sales leaped. The trade spread from its original centre at Macao to nearby Lintin and by 1837 had reached the coast of Fukien, farther East. There they delivered their goods to Chinese smugglers in swift river boats called fast crabs which headed for the opium dens (Pelissier, 1967). In the 1760s, China received about 1,000 chests of opium. This increased to about 10,000 chests in the 1820s. However, after free trade began in 1833, this amount reached 40,000 chests of opium by 1838 (Rodzinski, 1984; Holt, 1964; Gelber, 2006). The opium crisis had become as much of an irritant to China as the refusal of equal status was to Britain (Pelissier, 1967; Holt, 1964). This massive increase in opium smuggling into China became a recipe for war. The Effects of Opium on China Chinas history with opium dates back to the 7th century when it was taken orally for medicinal purposes (Holt, 1964; Pelissier, 1967). After The Dutch introduced tobacco into Fukien and Formosa in 1620, the Chinese began smoking opium mixed with tobacco (Hays, 2008; Holt, 1964). By 1729, China was augmenting home-grown product by importing foreign opium from Portuguese traders. The damaging effect of opium smoking in China eventually led the Chinese Emperor to completely prohibit both home-grown cultivation and foreign importation of this pernicious article in 1780 (Holt,1964). Apart from Portugal which actually began the importation of opium into China, French and Dutch companies were also involved in the trade within their limits. American firms also had their share in smuggling opium into China (Holt, 1964). Corruption Trade relations with the West had always been organized according to the Canton system since the middle of the 18th century as Westerners were only allowed to trade in Canton. The Cohong was a group of Chinese firms exclusively responsible for trade with the West and fixed prices and volume of trade. The Cohong was responsible to the notoriously corrupt hoppo who received huge bribes from Hong merchants and members of the Cohong (Chesneauk, Bsatid Bergere, 1977). The vested interests that controlled the opium trade within China included the foreign merchants, Chinese middle men and corrupt Chinese officials. These corrupt official encouraged smuggling with little attempts at concealment. Even the Chinese fleet of ships stationed to prevent smuggling did nothing as long as they were duly paid a fixed charge on each smuggled chest of opium by the Chinese buyers. On occasions where the Chinese purchasers fell behind in payments, the foreign merchants were well too willing to oblige the admiral of the fleet with the payments (Allingham, 2006; Holt, 1964; The Free Dictionary, 2010). Massive corruption resulting from opium smuggling posed a major problem of authority that challenged the ability of the state to rule. This was the general pattern of trade that provoked the opium war. Canton and other ports of the Southeast regularly visited illegally by foreign vessels had become oases of corruption and insubordination (Chesneauk, Bsatid Bergere, 19 77). Addiction Figure Opium Den in China (Hays, 2008) While debates raged on in Britain about the moral sanction of the opium trade in China and about whose responsibility it was to stop the illegal trade- the British Government or the Chinese Government?(Holt, 1964), opium dens populated China. The effective aphrodisiac nature of the drug promoted obscenity. Smokers lay in stupor on wooden couches, their minds filled with fantasies and blissful emotions (Holt, 1964; Hays, 2008). Eventually, most of them were unable to work, business activities became significantly reduced and the civil service was almost completely paralysed (Holt, 1964; Allingham, 2006). According to Allingham, the smoking of opium had affected the idle rich and more significantly, about 90 percent of all men under the age of forty in Chinas coastal regions. Sleepy addicts roamed the streets in their thousands causing many social problems and increasing the crime rate significantly as they searched for means to enable them support their habit (Wudi, 2002). According t o Hays (2008), Emperor Tao-kuangs special High Commissioner Lin Tse-hsu estimated that 4 million Chinese people got addicted to opium but a British physician working in Canton puts the figure at about 12 million. Such was the level of addiction that led to the opium war. Even though Britain was aware of this level of addiction in China, it failed to respond positively to stop this decay. Chinese Economy This huge number of opium addicts required an equally huge supply of the drug. By 1838, opium represented 57 percent of Chinese imports (Allingham, 2006; Chesneauk, Bsatid Bergere, 1977). This took its toll on the Chinese economy. The sale of goods to Westerners was no longer sufficient for Chinese purchase of opium. Export of Chinese silver, prized by the West for its fine quality had to be employed to balance trade (Chesneauk, Bsatid Bergere, 1977; Asia for Educators, 2009). Even by 1833 when the East Indian Companys monopoly on trade ended, China already had a trade deficit of about 1.5 million to 2 million pounds a year that had to be paid in silver (Holt, 1964). This drain in Chinese silver caused inflation in its value within China and people had to pay more in copper for a fixed amount of silver (Holt, 1964). High Commissioner Lin Tse-hsu Emperor Tao-Kuang who was enthroned in 1820 had a fiery zeal for reform born out of genuine care for his people. He realised that the opium crisis required a radical cure (Holt, 1964). In 1838, after a great debate that involved most of Chinas top ranking officials in which a majority favoured an eradication of the opium trade while some advocated its legalization, Emperor Tao-Kuang commissioned a prominent official called Lin Tse-Hsu to go to Canton to eradicate the illicit opium trade that had become severely pervasive (Rodzinski, 1984; Chesneauk, Bsatid Bergere, 1977). Extremely heavy punishments that included the death penalty were promulgated for native opium traders (OBrien, 2010). According to Rodzinski (1984), Lin Tse-hsu was known for his integrity, justice, compassion and consideration for others. However, his attempt to carry out his assignment was fundamentally the immediate cause of the opium war (Teng Fairbank, 1954; Rodzinski, 1984; Hooker, 1996). Figure Artist Impression of Lin Tse-hsu (ChinaA2Z.Com, 2010) When Lin arrived in Canton in March 1839, he began his mission by appealing to everyone, especially the foreign merchants, to co-operate with him in the suppression of opium smoking. He then ordered all foreign merchants to surrender to the Imperial Government all supplies of opium held in store-ships in Lintin. In addition every foreign merchant was given a three day ultimatum to sign a bond vowing to stop importing opium and agree that any default would lead to confiscation of the illegal cargo and execution of the defaulter (Holt, 1964; OBrien, 2010). According to Holt, under enormous pressure 20,000 chests of British opium were turned over to Lin which he destroyed but Captain Charles Elliot (then Chief of the Commission) refused to allow British merchants sign the bonds. However a drunken brawl involving British and American sailors at a Kowloon village resulted in the death of a Chinese citizen called Lin Wei-hi. This brought more tension to the Anglo-Chinese crisis and directl y resulted to an Aglo-Chinese war (Holt, 1964). According to Holt, Lin had insisted that foreigners involved in Lin Wei-his death be handed over for trial. Captain Elliot refused, fearing unjust capital punishment as had occurred in the past. This led to a ban imposed by Lin on supplies of provisions and Chinese labour to the entire British community in Macao. Soon after, the British community was expelled from Macao to the barren island of Hong Kong. The effect was devastating on the community. In defiance however, Captain Elliot proceeded to arrange for supplies of food from the local peasantry backed by the 28-gun frigate which opened fire on some Chinese war junks that tried to prevent deliver of these supplies. This marked the beginning of military hostilities between Britain and China (Holt, 1964). Aggrieved, especially because British merchants in response to Captain Elliots orders had refused to resume normal trading in Canton after they were expelled from Macao, Lin issued a formal war threat accompanied with a demand for all British merchant ships in Chinese territory to resume trade in Canton within three days or leave the country. This again led to another military confrontation in which China sustained heavy losses and the whole Chinese fleet was forced to retreat as 29 war junks were no match for the British frigates (Holt 1964). Lin responded by writing a long letter to Queen Victoria (see appendix A) in which he argued that the Chinese cause pertained to Englands insistence on poisoning Chinese citizens with opium already banned in England. Many authors on the opium wars have expressed doubts that Lins letter ever got to the Queen. In 1840, Lin passed an edict that listed the crimes committed by British merchants and barring Britain from trading with China forever (Ho lt, 1964). The British Response Having reached a decision to go to war, Britain responded by issuing an ultimatum to China demanding that China returned all confiscated goods or paid the monetary equivalent, reparations for imprisoning the Chief Superintendent of trade and British merchants, and that British trade would be secured in future. Britain declared that if China did not meet these claims as well as sign a treaty with these claims incorporated, the war would continue. However, Britain acknowledged to China, its right to prohibit the import of opium but insisted that The Queen of England was obliged to protect her people from violence and ill treatment. Britain suggested that China should have dealt instead with its corrupt official who connived in the opium trade. Britain certainly took this position to protect her economic interest by forcing China into maintaining trade. By barring trade with Britain, China had provided the opportunity for Britain to exploit grievances Britain already had. This was the deciding factor that led to the Opium wars. Conclusion Chinas arrogance born out of a sense of cultural superiority created tension that significantly affected its relationship with Westerners. This was particularly evident in Chinas refusal to consider a mutually favourable balanced trade with western nations. But for this arrogance, Lin Tse-hsu would have immediately recognized that the Chinese military was inferior to the British and hence he would have adopted a more diplomatic approach rather than threaten war. His actions in trying to eradicate opium smoking and smuggling led directly to the opium war. Chinas seclusion prevented proper diplomatic relationship with the West. This vital requirement between nations could have prevented a war, but instead it bred grievances that were significant to the Anglo-Chinese war. Such grievances encouraged Britain to promote free trade which led to an increase in opium smuggling, corruption and insubordination. Opium smuggling also resulted in Chinas increased opium addiction and subsequent destruction of lives, families, the Chinese society and degradation of the Chinese economy. This caused great concern to the Chinese Government and thus increased tensions between both countries The British desire to balance trade with china, establish proper diplomatic relations and be treated as equal to China were important factors that provoked the opium war. This was partly due to commercial greed. As a result, even though Britain recognized the damage opium had done in China, she failed in her moral and legal duty not to encourage or participate in smuggling opium into China, especially after it had been banned in Britain. Finally, Britains decision to go to war with china because it wanted to protect its citizens from Chinese unfair treatment was only an excuse that was justifiable in part. However, it was mainly to protect its economic interest with China by forcing China to continue trade which China had prohibited. A decision Britain took with the realization of the extent of Chinese military inferiority. This factor encouraged Britain to go to war.