Viking Social Structure - Living in a Norse World

Viking Social Structure - Living in a Norse World Viking social structure was highly stratified, with three ranks or classes which were written directly into Scandinavian mythology, as slaves (called thrall in Old Norse), farmers or peasants (karl), and the aristocracy (jarl or earl). Mobility was theoretically possible across the three strata- but in general, slaves were an exchange commodity, traded with the Arab caliphate as early as the 8th century CE, along with furs and swords, and to leave slavery was rare indeed.   That social structure was the result of several changes within Scandinavian society during the Viking age. Key Takeaways: Viking Social Structure The Vikings in and outside of Scandinavia had a three-tier social structure of slaves, peasants, and elites, established and confirmed by their origin myth.The earliest rulers were military warlords called drotten, who were selected from warriors based on merit, only in power during wartime, and subject to assassination if they gained too much power.  Peacetime kings were selected from the elite class and they traveled throughout the region and met people in halls built in part for that purpose. Most provinces were largely autonomous of the kings, and the kings were also subject to regicide. Pre-Viking Social Structure According to archaeologist T.L. Thurston, Viking social structure had its origins with the warlords, called drott, which had become established figures in Scandinavian society by the late 2nd century. The drott was primarily a social institution, resulting in a pattern of behavior in which warriors selected the most adept leader and pledged fealty to him. The drott was an ascribed (earned) title of respect, not an inherited one; and these roles were separate from the regional chieftains or petty kings. They had limited powers during peacetime. Other members of the drotts retinue included: drang or dreng- a young warrior (plural droengiar)  thegn- a mature warrior (plural thegnar)  skeppare- captain of a chiefly vesselhimthiki- housekarls or the lowest rank of elite soldiersfolc- the population of a settlement Viking Warlords to Kings Power struggles among Scandinavian warlords and petty kings developed in the early 9th-century and these conflicts resulted in the creation of dynastic regional kings and a secondary elite class which competed directly with the drotts. By the 11th century, Late Viking societies were led by powerful, aristocratic dynastic leaders with hierarchical networks including lesser religious and secular leaders. The title given to such a leader was that of respect rather: old kings were frea, meaning respected and wise; younger ones were drotten, vigorous and warlike. If an overlord became too permanent or ambitious, he could be assassinated, a pattern of regicide which continued in Viking society for a long time.   An early important Scandinavian warlord was the Danish Godfred (also spelled Gottrick or Gudfred), who by 800 CE had a capital at Hedeby, inherited his status from his father and an army set to attack his neighbors. Godfred, probably overlord over the federated south Scandinavia, faced a powerful enemy, the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. But a year after victory over the Franks, Godfred was assassinated by his own son and other relations in 811. Viking Kings Most Viking kings were, like warlords, chosen based on merit from the earl class. The kings, sometimes called chieftains, were primarily itinerant political leaders, who never had any permanent role over the whole realm. The provinces were almost entirely autonomous, at least until the reign of Gustav Vasa (Gustav I of Sweden) in the 1550s.   Each community had a hall where political, legal and perhaps religious matters were dealt with, and banquets were held. The leader met his people in the halls, established or reestablished bonds of friendship, his people swore oaths of allegiance and gave the leader gifts, and proposals of marriage were made and settled. He may have held a high priest role in cultic rituals.   Norse Halls Archaeological evidence concerning the roles of jarl, karl, and thrall is limited, but medieval historian Stefan Brink suggests that separate halls were constructed for the use of the different social classes. There was the house of the thrall, the banqueting hall of the peasant, and the banqueting hall of the nobleman.   Brink notes that in addition to being places where the itinerant king held court, halls were used for trade, legal, and cultic purposes. Some were used to house specialized craftsman in high-quality forging and skilled handicrafts or to present cult performances, attendance by specific warriors and housecarls, etc.   Archaeological Halls The foundations of large rectangular buildings interpreted as halls have been identified in numerous sites through Scandinavia and into the Norse diaspora. Banqueting halls ranged between 160–180 feet (50–85 meters) long, and 30–50 ft (9–15 m).  Ã‚  Some examples are: Gudme on Fyn, Denmark, dated to 200–300 CE, 47x10 m, with ceiling beams 80 cm in width and equipped with a double doorway, located east of the Gudme hamlet.  Lejre on Zealand, Denmark, 48x11, thought to represent a guild hall; Lejre was the seat of Viking age kings of ZealandGamla Uppsala in Uppland, central Sweden, 60 m long built on a man-made platform of clay, dated to the Vendel period CE 600–800, located near a medieval royal estateBorg on Vetvagoy, Lofoten in northern Norway, 85x15 m with cultic thin gold plates and imports of Carolingian glass. Its foundations built over an older, slightly smaller (55x8 m) hall dated to the Migration Period 400–600Hogom in Medelpad, 40x7–5 m, includes a high seat in the house, an elevated base in the middle of the building, thought to have had several purposes, high seat, banqueting hall room and assembly hall   Mythic Origins of Classes According to the Rigspula, a mythic-ethnologic poem collected by Saemund Sigfusson at the end of the 11th or beginning of the 12th century CE, Heimdal, the sun god sometimes called Rigr, created the social classes at the beginning of time, when the earth was lightly populated. In the tale, Rigr visits three houses and engenders the three classes in order.   Rigr first visits Ai (Great Grandfather) and Edda (Great Grandmother) who live in a hut and feed him husk-filled bread and broth. After his visit, the child Thrall is born. The children and grandchildren of Thrall are described as having black hair and an unsightly countenance, thick ankles, coarse fingers, and of being a low and deformed stature. Historian Hilda Radzin believes this is a direct reference to the Lapps, who were reduced to a state of vassalage by their Scandinavian conquerors. Next, Rigr visits Afi (Grandfather) and Amma (Grandmother), who live in a well-built house where the Afi is making a loom and his wife is spinning. They feed him stewed calf and good food, and their child is called Karl (freeman). Karls offspring have red hair and florid complexions.   Finally, Rigr visits Fadir (Father) and Modir (Mother) living in a mansion, where he is served roast pork and game birds in silver dishes. Their child is Jarl (Noble). The nobles children and grandchildren have blond hair, bright cheeks, and eyes as fierce as a young serpent. Sources Brink, Stefan. Political and Social Structures in Early Scandinavia: A Settlement-Historical Pre-Study of the Central Place. TOR 28 (1996): 235–82. Print.Cormack, W. F. Drengs and Drings. Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society. Eds. Williams, James and W. F. Cormack, 2000. 61–68. Print.Lund, Niels. Scandinavia, c. 700–1066. The New Cambridge Medieval History c.700–c.900. Ed. McKitterick, Rosamond. Vol. 2. The New Cambridge Medieval History. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 202–27. Print.Radzin, Hilda. Names in the Mythological Lay Rigspula. Literary Onomastics Studies 9.14 (1982). Print.Thurston, Tina L. Social Classes in the Viking Age: Contentious Relations. C. Ed. Thurston, Tina L. Fundamental Issues in Archaeology. London: Springer, 2001. 113–30. Print.

The Business Case for Diversity Literature Review

The Business Case for Diversity - Literature review Example The different theories and approaches of diversity management have been developed to understand the concept of business diversity in a better manner. These theories and approaches have been widely appreciated and supported by academics, managers and diversity consultants. Business Diversity Defined The business case for diversity management can be better understood if it is divided in three sections (Nicholas, Sammartino & Lau, 2007): 1. The HRM Business Case for Diversity Management According to the HRM business case of diversity management, unmanaged diverse human resource only results in increasing the business costs by reducing the job satisfaction, increasing turnover and absenteeism rate and creating conflicts in team members. The sound management of diverse human resource results in creating a competitive edge for the organization. 2. The Knowledge Case for Diversity Management The knowledge case for diversity management basically takes in to account the system of information and knowledge flow. It finds ways and strategies to facilitate knowledge creation and transmission. 3. The International Business Case for Diversity Management This business case works to determine how to exploit cross cultural capabilities in favor of the organization and business success. This business case illustrates that effective management of diversity has the potential to result in positive international orientation of a firm by strengthening international networks and improving mutual business decision making. Initially the diversity management was regarded as a tool to legally safeguard an organization that it is complying with the legal requirements of equality and not discriminating against any class (Ongori & Evans, 2007). However the recent years have seen a change in the perception of diversity by managers and recruitment agencies. It has evolved to become a more proactive concept with significant bottom line advantages. Many corporation and organization are making a point to make sure that their workforce is well diversified to facilitate unique, innovative and creative ideas for problem solving which translate in better overall performance of the organization (Allen et al., 2004). A case study of Botswana emphasized the need of business diversity. The society of Botswana is multicultural with a large number of immigrants coming from all across the world. It means that the organizations operating in Botswana does not have choice but to be work force diversified. Their competitiveness, level of innovations, profits and business success are all dependent on how well it manages its diverse workforce both within and across the organizational boundaries (Barker and Hartel, 2004). The issue of business diversity is gaining more interest of the researchers and politics because of the slow shifting of trend of economies from manufacturing to services. There is a greater need in the services market to communicate and network with different organization and people which have further emphasized the need of today to manage business diversity well (Wentling and Palma-Rivas, 2000). Advantages of Business Case of Diversity The business case for diversity works to provide a competitive edge for any organization (Karsten, 2006). The question that might be raised now is

Enterpreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development Essay

Enterpreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development - Essay Example Therefore, organizations require innovative and creative individuals; who are ready to explore new opportunities. Entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity, and problem solving are the key aspects that result to economic development in any society. The term entrepreneurship in business to describes the process of taking the risk to explore markets and invest capital with the hope of making profits. An entrepreneur is a confident person, who is willing to venture into the market sometimes with a new product or idea (Wennekers, Stel, and Carree, 2010:370). However, he or she is ready to face the challenges involved and keep focused on the results. Such individuals are dedicated to achieving their goals of making profit no matter the market trends. Entrepreneurs do not limit their ability to the resources they control but seek opportunities of mobilizing more resources. Entrepreneurship requires prior planning. One must analyze the market critically. Despite the risk, one must have faith of creating a difference in the global market. An entrepreneur must think positively and be able to make decisions. Due to changes in the market trends, the entrepreneur should learn how to adapt to new situations. Therefore, flexibility is a necessity but the goal of making profits remains unchanged. Successful entrepreneurs should study the market and recognize a need that other businesses are not addressing fully. They then set out to transform the unrefined, raw idea into a business venture. The viability of the idea should be critically. This requires a lot of patience and hard work. Persistence is evident from Ted Turner’s example on his road to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Ted came up with the idea of giving people more news than they were receiving and started CNN. He carefully studied the market to recognize the opportunity and it took him faith and persistence to pull it through effectively. People who lack endurance are not successful entrepreneurs. For an entrepreneurial venture to be a success, planning and management should be effective. Self-discipline is also compulsory. One should ensure that there is sufficient financing before they choose to start up any venture. Management is very critical in entrepreneurship because many ventures fail due to lack of proper management. Some are ideas are very viable but the individuals lack critical managerial skills and therefore personal failure contributes to failure of the idea (Terrence and Ulijn, 2004:105). The market should be read logically and analytically to avoid disappointment. There are individuals who prefer to start on small scale and advance with time as they learn to adjust to market trends. Others start large-scale businesses. Capital entrepreneurs invest a lot of capital and therefore take a greater risk. Capital entrepreneurs are daring enough to invest a large sum, expecting better profits. Usually, they have control on more resources and have the right connections in the market. However, even small-scale entrepreneurs can succeed if they plan strategically. Entrepreneurs must apply innovation to compete effectively in the market. Innovation is the exploitation of any new opportunity in the business world to comer up with a new product or service in the market. Innovation seeks to improve the products, goods, or services existing in the market. Innovation takes advantage of new technologies to improve the existing products. Innovators are critical thinkers and can recognize the sectors of business that can benefit

Density Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Density - Lab Report Example By means of displacement, the difference in the initial and final volumes of liquid used would be the volume displaced through the solid object plunged into the water, and, therefore, it serves as the volume of the material itself. At this stage, given the mass, it may be hypothesized that the mass of pennies divided by the volume displaced or occupied which causes rise in the water level within the graduated cylinder yields to the penny’s density. Methods and Materials Type of Metal Used: Early-1985 penny with an accepted density value of 7.18 g/ml. Initially, a 50-ml graduated cylinder was filled with 20.00 ml of water, and it was carefully recorded. The initial mass of cylinder and water (combined) was acquired using a top-loading balance and then recorded as initial reading for the cylinder-balance setup. Pennies were dropped by increments of two where the new volume was read and the new mass was measured using the same balancing equipment each time. This step was carried out repetitively to make a total of five data sets, which includes noting of final volumes along and masses (7th and 8th columns) through addition of previous differences with actual volumes and masses, correspondingly. There were ten pennies dropped all in all, and in order to obtain the experimental value of density for each set of pennies, the following equation was applied: Density, ? = [ Mass(2) - Mass(1) ] / [ Volume(2) - Volume(1) ] (in g/ml) Results Initial Volume of Water (ml): 20.0 ml_ Initial Mass of Cylinder + Water: 105.06 g_ density, g/ml % difference Rep A 5.03 29.94 Rep B 9.82 36.77 Rep C 10.06 40.11 Rep D 5.00 30.36 Rep E 9.98 39.00 Sample Calculations (using Reps A & B of the table): Actual Volume = 21.5 ml - 21.0 ml = 0.5 ml Actual Mass = 115.0 g - 110.09 g = 4.91 g Density = Actual Mass / Actual Volume = 4.91 g / 0.5 ml = 9.82 g/ml Final Volume = Actual V1 + Actual V2 = 1.0 ml + 0.5 ml = 1.5 ml Final Mass = Actual M1 + Actual M2 = 5.03 g + 4.91 g = 9.94 g Then us ing the given theoretical value = 7.18 g/ml and the formula % difference = | 9.82 - 7.18 | / 7.18 x 100% = 36.77% volume, ml mass, g 20 105.06 21 110.09 21.5 115 22 120.03 23 125.03 23.5 130.02 Based on the 3rd and 4th columns of the first table, beginning with a volume (water) of 20.0 ml and a mass (cylinder + water) of 105.06 g, the amounts (volume and mass) of each succeeding row are subtracted from the corresponding amounts of the preceding row to generate the 5th and 6th column outputs showing actual entries specific for every two-penny increment. Since these densities appear to be significantly different as compared to the literature value of 7.18 g/ml, the average density was estimated from the graph of mass vs. volume of pennies. Considering the best-fit line drawn (via MS Excel program) fairly between the plotted coordinates, the slope would be 7.186 g/ml according to the resulting equation m = 7.186v – 39.36, so that percent difference equals (7.186 - 7.18) / 7.18 x 100% or 0.0836%, which is appreciably lower than the % difference solved individually, as shown prior. Discussion / Conclusion Though the outcomes reflect inconsistent values of density on the basis of the actual volumes and actual masses which had been arrived at through the displacement method,

Traditional Education vs. Online Education Essay Example for Free

Traditional Education vs. Online Education Essay There are different ways to access higher education, either through online education or traditional education. For centuries, online education could not compare to traditional education. Today, online education competes with traditional education in many ways. Though online education has become very popular, how does one know which is best for him or her? Identifying the pros and cons through flexibility, communication, interaction, skills development, and affordability will help the student decide the best option. Although online education seems to be taking over the traditional means of education, both are great options in different ways. The bottom line is that the world is becoming technologically smart. For one juggling home, school, and a job, it can be difficult commuting to class every day. Online education eliminates the need to attend class. Online courses allow the student to access coursework from an Internet site. Motivated, responsible, independent learners can work at their own pace, whenever is suitable for them. This allows the flexibility that a traditional classroom setting does not provide. However, one who struggles to be self-motivated may fall quickly behind. In a traditional classroom setting the student has to attend class on campus. Traditional education is for a learner who needs more lecturing to understand and also needs to be able to ask questions as he or she learns. A student who is enrolled at a traditional university gets the chance to take advantage of the university’s facilities. These facilities include places like the student union and the gym. If the student chooses online education, the student has to make sure he or she has a computer, Internet usage, and a backup plan in case he or she has a computer failure. Though flexibility is important in choosing which option is best, there are many other things that should be taken into consideration. Communication and interaction is an important factor in learning. Online education does not offer the face-to-face interaction traditional education offers. Online courses provide interactions between the student and the content, interactions with other students, and interactions with the instructor using different forms of computer- mediated communication. These interactions take place through e-mail, chat, and discussion threads. Traditional education allows the student to have direct contact with the instructor to ask questions with instant feedback. An online student is in a class with instructors and students from all over the world whom they will never meet face-to-face. Traditional education allows the student to interact and to meet new people, which results in a growth in contacts and networking opportunities. For the student who strives on the quick exchange of ideas between the instructor and the student, the classroom environment may be a better option. On the other hand, a student who experiences anxiety when called on to speak during class may prefer the time given to reflect on his or her responses offered by online courses. Communication provided by both online education and traditional education allows a convenient way for the student to communicate with the instructor and classmates, thus producing a great learning environment. The main reason a student is enrolled in school is to learn and develop new skills. Though online education allows a student to learn in a comfortable, quiet environment, without being distracted by others, online education may be difficult for a learner who has a hard time learning without direct, face-to-face interaction with the instructor. Traditional education allows teacher-student interaction and instant feedback that online learning cannot provide. Depending on the interaction level in a classroom setting, a shy student may attend class without providing communication ideas, which forces the student to learn by a vocal exchange with the instructor. This may limit one’s ability to learn. Online education is not for a student who struggles learning from books or other written material. Online courses involve a lot of writing practice because there is little opportunity for questions to get answered verbally. In a traditional classroom setting, the students have the ability to exchange ideas and information with each other, as well as directly with the instructor. Questions are answered immediately, as opposed to waiting for an online response. The instructor is also able to focus on a particular subject, inspiring the student in a way that learning through an online course cannot. However, online courses offer some unique opportunities for learning and developing skills, but it is important to be familiar with computers before deciding on online schooling. One of the most crucial factors about achieving higher education is cost. Both online and traditional education can incur a lot of debt. Online education, in most cases, is less expensive. Traditional education is more expensive, especially considering tuition fees, accommodations, and transportation. Enrolling in an online course eliminates the money that has to be spent on gas, parking, or childcare. There is no need for expensive housing, since the student does not live on campus. Another pro of schooling online is textbooks can be downloaded to the computer instead of spending money to purchase them. There are options for paying for schooling. Online education and traditional education both offer financial aid packages, including loans and grants. There are different types of loans a student may qualify for, which has a time frame of when it has to be paid back. Overall, before the student decides which option is suitable for him or her, he or she must know the cost of enrolling and have a plan in place to repay to avoid a lot of debt. The choices of online education and traditional education are both excellent options to pursue higher education. Online education programs can be an awarding experience for a student wanting to earn a degree at his or her own pace. Studies have shown that a student who is mature, independent, and self-motivated becomes very successful in the online classroom. Studies have also shown that a student who is a dependent learner may find it challenging to take on the responsibility of an online program, thus making an extremely successful student in a traditional classroom setting. Ultimately, the student makes the final choice as to which educational program suits him or her by carefully identifying the pros and cons through flexibility, communication, interaction, skills development, and affordability.

ICT in the Leisure Centre :: ICT System Essays

ICT in the Leisure Centre The current ICT facilities used in the leisure centre at the moment are 1 standalone 486 PC in the reception area. It does not have a printer connected to it, and there is an out of date word processing package on the machine, it is only rarely used by Andy Cawson who is head receptionist. The computer also has other software on the computer, but Andy is not sure how to work it. The Admin office has two Pentium 100 PC's that share a jet ink printer. One of the computers in the admin area holds personal details. There is word processing software installed on the computer it is regularly used. In the bar, restaurant and shop there are a number of points of sales terminals that are used within the leisure centre. In the finance department, Martin Dolphin the finance officer uses his own laptop, he records financial data on the laptop and also produces financial documents. He uses is own laptop, because he is unable to work on the 386 PC that is in his office. He is also unable to print from his laptop and PC 386 because there is no printer, if he wants to produce any print outs he has to go to Admin. In the leisure centre there are telephones that are used to communicate, but it is mainly manual systems that are used to run the leisure centre. Problems with the existing ICT system within the leisure centre are: Â · the poor standard of ICT equipment, Â · most work is done manually and when the work is done using the computers work is made more difficult than it should be, For example in reception there is no printer connected in there so the receptionist have to go else where to get work printed off. In addition, due to the poor ICT within the leisure centre it is causing problems such as: Â · Information has been lost which leads to numerous customer complaints, because sporting facilities are being double booked etc.

Assignment 4: Internet Technology, Marketing, and Security Essay

Assignment 4: Internet Technology, Marketing, and Security The purpose of this assignment is to â€Å"evaluate the reasons Social Media Marketing has become exceedingly popular among businesses of all sizes. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of Social Media Marketing for business entrepreneurs. Assess how Social Media Marketing is helping Pepsi gain more customer insight than it would have otherwise. Research two (2) other businesses that have used Social Media Marketing to their advantage. Discuss how each of these businesses has utilized Social Media Marketing and provide examples with your discussion. Speculate what impact Social Media will have business over the next decade and identify what skills you need to improve to take advantage of the changes (Boone, Kurtz, 2012).† Evaluate the reasons Social Media Marketing has become exceedingly popular among businesses of all sizes. â€Å"The experimentation era in social media marketing is long over. Social media has proven to be a viable and potentially lucrative marketing channel for B2B and B2C companies of all sizes, across the globe. As more and more companies jump on the social media bandwagon, it is more important now than ever that you provide value, not add to the clutter already on the social web. The reigning champions of social media are the brands that listen to their community, and deliver worthwhile information based on what they hear (Top Rank, 2013).† Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of Social Media Marketing for business entrepreneurs. â€Å"Your online advertising strategy might include paid advertising on search networks such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Social ads on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn may also be effective tools for your messaging. Our first step is to determine your goals and where your audience lives, in order to place your brand in front of the right people, in the right place, at the right time (Top Rank, 2013).† â€Å"Through compelling, creative copy and imagery, our search, display and social ads inspire your audience to take your desired action, whether your intent is to: †¢ Attract new prospects and customers †¢ Engage consumers and build community around your brand †¢ Convert prospects to loyal customers (Top Rank, 2013).†. â€Å"Regular reporting and ongoing optimization ensures you receive maximum accountability and the best results possible from your online campaigns (Top Rank, 2013).† Assess how Social Media Marketing is helping Pepsi gain more customer insight than it would have otherwise. â€Å"The rise of social and mobile is rewriting the marketing playbook for even the most established companies. While many brands are still casting a wary eye at social media for business, Pepsi has embraced the technology, carving out an ambitious social strategy aimed at building relationships with the Millennial generation, soon to be the largest consumer group in US history (Social, 2012).† â€Å"A recent article by David Hatch of US News and World Report does a great job of breaking down Pepsi’s social strategy, the centerpiece of which is its â€Å"Live For Now† marketing campaign. The campaign, targeting 18-35 year olds, is a great example of an established brand effectively utilizing five critical aspects of social media marketing: consumer engagement, user-generated content, data aggregation, geo-local, and inbound marketing (Social, 2012).† DYNAMIC CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT â€Å"Pepsi’s new digital dashboard is the most recent iteration of an online strategy that included last year’s debut of Pepsi Pulse and Sound Off, online destinations that encouraged visitors to comment on The X-Factor, a Fox network reality television show whose sponsors include Pepsi (Social, 2012).† â€Å"To further engage its online community, the song selection and encores for a Pepsi concert series this summer featuring major artists will be chosen in part by tweets from the live audience and people watching online (Social, 2012).† â€Å"Pepsi is learning that if you want to remain relevant with this new type of consumer, you have to be where they are, you have to talk their language,† and you have to connect with them in a way that â€Å"keeps them feeling like they want to be part of your brand,† says Brian Solis, a principal analyst at the Altimeter Group. Connected consumers, he adds, are â€Å"getting groomed and conditioned to expect the world to come to them (Social, 2012).† â€Å"USER-GENERATED CONTENT ‘Social media marketing is becoming increasingly dependent on user-generated content, meaning reviews, comment, or any other input from customers. Peer influence has a measurable impact on consumer purchase decision, especially among Millennials (Social, 2012).† â€Å"Understanding this, Pepsi has created a new digital dashboard on their Pepsi.com place page to support the Live For Now campaign, highlighted by user-generated messages from Facebook and Twitter that include the #LiveForNow hashtag (Social, 2012).† â€Å"Moreover, with the help of SocialFlow, a tool that ranks the popularity of editorial content within audience segments, Pepsi is paying attention to what their target audience is interested in. â€Å"It’s all about that movement [online], and where people’s time is being spent,† says George Smith, senior manager, social strategy and execution, for Pepsi Beverages (Social, 2012).† â€Å"Actually listening to consumers in order to understand their wants and needs builds user loyalty, creating brand evangelists who will spread the word and act as online defenders of the company brand (Social, 2012).† â€Å"Moreover, by monitoring what people say online about its products, Pepsi is able to manage user complaints in real time, before they take on a life of their own (Social, 2012).† â€Å"DATA AGGREGATION â€Å"Unlike traditional, harder-to-track advertising methods such as TV and print, social media provides a wealth of statistics about the age, gender, demographics, interests, and reactions of consumers. As Smith notes, â€Å"With digital, you end up with a lot of extra data, and you end up with a lot more understanding of who your consumer is (Social, 2012).† â€Å"This consumer data helps Pepsi refine its consumer engagement model, the effect of which is to attract new fans, and thus more data (Social, 2012).† â€Å"GEO-LOCAL REACH â€Å"Pepsi is hopping on the newest trend in social: SoLoMo, or Social, Local, Mobile. Thanks to the massive consumer adaptation of smart phones, companies like Pepsi can integrate social media with location-based mobile marketing. (Social, 2012).† â€Å"Why do so? Because Pepsi can be more surgical about reaching populations in specific geographic areas. â€Å"We’re seeing good results from that,† Smith says, explaining that the company can target local audiences with specially tailored advertising messages fueled by location information provided in Facebook profiles (Social, 2012).† â€Å"This kind of micro-targeting allows brands to hunt consumers with a high-precision rifle instead of a shotgun (Social, 2012).† â€Å"INBOUND MARKETING Out with the push, in with the pull (Social, 2012).† â€Å"Pepsi has recognized that the tech-enabled power shift to the consumer has effectively neutralized many traditional forms of outbound, or push, marketing. Today’s savvy consumer wants to be listened to and courted by  marketers. They want direct channels of communication to brands. In short, consumers expect brands to employ inbound marketing best practices as an engagement model (Social, 2012).† â€Å"When done properly, this approach is a win-win for brands and consumers. Pepsi’s social strategist George Smith recognizes the mutual benefit of direct consumer interaction: â€Å"It’s nice to be able to have that direct conversation with them, and not have to rely on a specific media channel to push this, or buy TV constantly to push that message,† he says (Social, 2012).† â€Å"By last count, Pepsi’s 8,181,075 Facebook fans agree (Social, 2012).† Research two (2) other businesses that have used Social Media Marketing to their advantage. â€Å"At TopRank ® Online Marketing, we understand that your company’s success in social media requires a deep understanding of your customers’ needs and their journey throughout all stages of the buying cycle. We specialize in crafting targeted, high quality content that serves to attract, engage and even convert customers as they factor their social relationships into their purchasing decisions. Many companies offer social media marketing, yet we are one of the few with experience and proven results to consistently reach goals in branding, social PR, and even lead generation using social (Top Rank, 2013)† â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ BFM ® is a unique industrial pipe connector designed to provide safe, sanitary and efficient connections for the transportation and movement of powder within bulk powder processing plants (Top Rank, 2013).† Their objective was â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ develop a new website and launch a strategic online marketing program that would increase visitors as well as sales inquiries for the company†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Top Rank, 2013).† â€Å"The decision was made advertise their brand on the website utilizing search engine optimization (SEO) tactics: †¢ Website development and technical assessment †¢ Keyword research and content optimization †¢ Content promotion and link building †¢ Web analytics and conversion tracking (Top Rank, 2013).† These actions utilizing social media marketing resulted in, â€Å"†¦ website traffic increase more than 700% in its niche market. Additionally, with the launch of its creative campaign, The Powder Doctor, organic traffic to the company website has more than doubled. (Top Rank, 2013).† â€Å"Organic search, combined with the creative concept leveraged for online PR and email marketing campaigns, have helped to increase bottom line sales for the company by 83% (Top Rank, 2013).† Discuss how each of these businesses has utilized Social Media Marketing and provide examples with your discussion. â€Å"A success social media strategy ties outcomes to overarching business goals and connects you with the right prospects and customers on the proper platforms. It engages your loyal fans, friends, and followers through a combination of organic and paid media (Top Rank, 2013).† â€Å"Our social media marketing experience at TopRank spans all of the major social networks and a variety of niche sites, including Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, SlideShare, YouTube and more (Top Rank, 2013).† Speculate what impact Social Media will have business over the next decade and identify what skills you need to improve to take advantage of the changes. In closing, the purpose of this assignment is to â€Å"evaluate the reasons Social Media Marketing has become exceedingly popular among businesses of all sizes. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of Social Media Marketing for business entrepreneurs. Assess how Social Media Marketing is helping Pepsi gain more customer insight than it would have otherwise. Research two (2) other businesses that have used Social Media Marketing to their advantage. Discuss how each of these businesses has utilized Social Media Marketing and provide examples with your discussion. Speculate what impact Social Media will have business over the next decade and identify what skills you need to improve to take advantage of the changes (Boone, Kurtz, 2012).† References Boone, L. E. & Kurtz, D. L. (2012 Update). Contemporary business (14th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John & Sons. Social Media Today (2012). 5 Ways Pepsi’s Use of Social Media is Right On. Retrieved from http://socialmediatoday.com/synecoretech/509355/5-ways-pepsis-use-social-media-right Top Rank (2013) Online Marketing. Retrieved from http://www.toprankmarketing.com /services/social-media-marketing// [pic][pic]