Explorations of Iconography

Those who observe the depictions of Venus and Madonna in Renaissance paintings, immediately notice that there is a common motif to the artistic representations of these two mythological female figures. This motif is being concerned with the celebration of one of the foremost feminine virtues – fertility.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Explorations of Iconography specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In its turn, this can be explained by the fact that, even though that, formally speaking, the Greco-Roman antiquity’s aesthetic ideals and the theological postulates of Catholicism do not quite correlate, they nevertheless reflect the innermost workings of the same Faustian (Western) psyche, which has always been known to celebrate sexuality, as the driving force of existence.1 One of the most famous depictions of Venus (Roman goddess of love and passion) is being associated with Titian’s pai nting ‘Venus with a Mirror’. In this painting, we get to observe a beautiful blond woman looking at her reflection in the mirror. However, it can hardly escape anyone’s attention that Titian’s Venus appears to be slightly plump. This is because, in full accordance with Greco-Roman tradition, Renaissance artists never assessed the notion of a female beauty in terms of a ‘thing in itself’. That is, they appraised the aesthetic subtleties of a woman’s bodily appeal, as such that reflected her ability to give birth to healthy children. And, as physicians are being well aware of – the skinnier a particular woman happened to be, the more difficulties she will be experiencing at childbirth. Therefore, there is nothing too surprising about the fact that Renaissance painters never used skinny models – for them, the idea that female beauty could be discussed outside of what account for the woman body’s reproductive functions, simply did not make any sense.2 This, of course, does confirm the validity of an idea that Titian’s Venus may indeed be referred to as a fertile role model, which glorifies the earlier mentioned virtue of womanhood. Therefore, the fact that this painting also features one of the two Cupids trying to place a wreath on Venus’s head (another one is holding the mirror), has a strongly defined symbolical significance. Apparently, Titian wanted viewers to consider the possibility that it is a specifically women’s ability to ensure the spatial continuation of humankind, which represents a true measure of their existential worth.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The earlier suggestion’s validity can also be illustrated in regards to the painting ‘Venus and Cupid’ by Battista Dossi. The first thing that immediately comes in sight, about th is painting, is the fact that there are strongly defined erotic undertones to it.3 For example, contrary to what used to be the 16th century’s conventions of a female modesty (as well as contemporary ones), with her left hand Venus exposes her bare breast. This, of course, was meant to emphasize the fact that Venus’s godliness is being reflective of her physiological constitution of a woman, capable of breastfeeding. There is, however, even more – Venus’s dress is being jammed between her legs in such a manner that, despite that fact that the lower part of her body is being concealed, the audience’s male-members cannot help imagining Venus naked. What also adds rather considerably to the strengthening of this painting’s fertility-related overtones is that Cupid (who throws ‘love arrows’ in men and women’s hearts – hence, causing them to fall in love with each other), appears to be asking for Venus’s ‘b lessing’ to proceed with doing what he does the best. Given the fact that, as it was pointed out earlier, Dossi’s Venus clearly emanates the feminine virtue of fertility, this can have only one meaning – the artist wanted to promote the idea that a true love between the representatives of opposite genders must always result in the sexual copulation. Moreover, Dossi appears to have also wanted to encourage viewers to think that without sex (which presupposes women’s fertility) there can be no civilization. This is exactly the reason why his painting’s background features a distant town (society) and sea-vessels (trade). There can be few doubts as to the fact that, as it is being the case with the earlier discussed paintings of Titian and Dossi, Lorenzo Lotto’s ‘Venus and Cupid’ is also being concerned with the celebration of women’s sexual powers, which women would not have possessed if they were not fertile.4Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Explorations of Iconography specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The logic behind this conclusion is quite apparent – the very appearance of Venus naked body in this painting, suggests that she is ripe for sexual consummation and consequently – childbirth. For example, there is an undeniable firmness to Venus’s breasts, which implies that her sensual pleasures from having sex would be particularly intense. The adequate width of her hips also points out to the fact that, while giving birth, she will not be experiencing much of a pain. This is the reason why Lotto depicted his Venus holding a bridal wreath – apparently, he also tended to think of a female virtuousness in essentially reproductive terms.5 The validity of this statement appears especially obvious in the light of Cupid pissing on Venus’s bridal wreath, as there is a symbolic significance to i t – Lotto wanted to emphasize Venus’s female virtuousness a subject to male-fertilization. Therefore, we can well conclude that, just as were the previously mentioned Renaissance artists, Lotto was an ardent advocate of a Greco-Roman idea that the measure of just about any woman’s worth should be explored within the context of her varying ability to live up to the physiological and societal purposes of her existence. Even though that, formally speaking, Antonio da Correggio’s ‘Madonna del Latte’ is supposed to glorify Jesus’ mother Mary, on the account of her ‘virginal purity’, there can be few doubts that the actual themes and motifs, contained in this painting, only formally relate to the Christian fable of the ‘immaculate conception’.6 There are a number of reasons for us to believe that this is indeed being the case. For example, contrary to the iconographic tradition of depicting Saint Mary, Correggioâ₠¬â„¢s Madonna does not appear even slightly sad. Quite on the opposite – she is depicted not just smiling, but smiling in an undeniable sensual manner. One cannot help but to consider a possibility that, while sucking on his mother’s nipple, child-Jesus was causing her to experience the sensation of a sexual arousal.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This, of course, does not allow viewers to think about Correggio’s depiction of Madonna, as such that emanates a scholastically defined ‘holiness’, but rather the physiological holiness of Saint Mary being young, beautiful and fertile woman, who enjoys the happiness of a motherhood. Hence, the apparent ‘heresy’ of this particular painting – if Madonna could enjoy the process of breastfeeding Jesus, what is the reason for us to believe that she could not have enjoyed having her vagina penetrated by whoever ‘made’ Jesus? The implications of this ‘heresy’ for the fable of the ‘immaculate conception’ are self-evident. Therefore, despite being formally religious, Correggio’s ‘Madonna del Latte’ can be best defined as a thoroughly humanistic art-piece, which promotes the idea that it is only those people who, due to some religious considerations, on their part, actively strive to suppress th eir absolutely natural desires and inclinations, which can be considered true sinners.7 When we take a closer look at Francesco Parmigianino’s painting ‘Madonna with the Long Neck’, it will also appear that there is very little traditional Christian spirit in this piece of art. One of the reasons I consider this to be the case, because it was specifically Parmigianino’s desire to depict the Madonna particularly graceful, which prompted him to work on this painting, in the first place – hence, Madonna’s swan-like neck.8 There is, however, only one reason for women to aspire to look graceful – it increases the strength of their sexual appeal to men. Therefore, by having presented Madonna as a particularly graceful woman, Parmigianino subtly implied that it is namely on the account of her amazing looks that she needs to be admired, rather than on the account of having brought Jesus to this world. In its turn, this partially explains why P armigianino intentionally depicted baby-Jesus in a rather grotesque manner – apparently, the artist wanted to dramatize the effect of Madonna’s physical beauty. The same line of reasoning can be applied, when the explanation of why Parmigianino had made a point in emphasizing Madonna’s bodily curves, is being concerned – he strived to represent Jesus’ mother, as a woman well capable of providing our Savior with little brothers and sisters. Thus, it will not be much of an exaggeration to suggest that, just as it being the case with the earlier analyzed paintings, Parmigianino’s ‘Madonna with the Long Neck’ promotes the ‘politically-incorrect’ idea that it is namely fertility, which constitutes the womanhood’s foremost virtue. Footnotes 1 Susan Greenwood, Anthropology of Magic (Oxford: Berg Publishers, 2009), 53. 2 Neil Haughton. â€Å"Perceptions of Beauty in Renaissance Art.† Journal of Cosmetic Dermat ology 3.4 (2004): 231. 3 Scott Schaefer. â€Å"Battista Dossi’s ‘Venus and Cupid’.† Philadelphia Museum of Art Bulletin 74.320 (1978): 20. 4 Rona Goffen. â€Å"Lotto’s Lucretia.† Renaissance Quarterly 52.3 (1999): 762. 5 Franà §ois Quiviger. Sensory World of Italian Renaissance Art (London: Reaktion Books, 2010), 41. 6 Giancarla Periti. â€Å"From Allegri to Laetus-Lieto: The Shaping of Correggio’s Artistic Distinctiveness.† The Art Bulletin 86.3 (2004): 465. 7 Andrew Greeley. Catholic Imagination (Ewing: University of California Press, 2001), 55. 8 David Martin. â€Å"What Is a Christian Painting?† Leonardo 10.1 (1977): 27. Bibliography Goffen, Rona. â€Å"Lotto’s Lucretia.† Renaissance Quarterly 52.3 (1999): 742-781. Greeley, Andrew. Catholic Imagination. Ewing: University of California Press, 2001. Greenwood, Susan. Anthropology of Magic. Oxford: Berg Publishers, 2009. Haughton, Neil. â€Å"Perceptions of Beauty in Renaissance Art.† Journal of Cosmetic  Dermatology 3.4 (2004): 229-233. Martin, David. â€Å"What Is a Christian Painting?† Leonardo 10.1 (1977): 23-29. Periti, Giancarla. â€Å"From Allegri to Laetus-Lieto: The Shaping of Correggio’s Artistic Distinctiveness.† The Art Bulletin 86.3 (2004): 459-476. Quiviger, Franà §ois. Sensory World of Italian Renaissance Art. London: Reaktion Books, 2010. Schaefer, Scott. â€Å"Battista Dossi’s ‘Venus and Cupid’.† Philadelphia Museum of Art  Bulletin 74.320 (1978): 12-24. This research paper on Explorations of Iconography was written and submitted by user Madeline Robbins to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Get Into Politics - Tips and Recommendations

How to Get Into Politics - Tips and Recommendations There are lots of good ways to get into politics, but most are not easy and take time and plenty of effort. Often, its also about who you know and not necessarily what you know. Even after you figure out how to get into politics, you will likely find that it wont immediately pay enough money to be a career but instead a labor of love or civic duty, especially at the local level. Its a different story if youre running for Congress, where the salary is in the six figures.   Few people start their political careers at the federal level though- President Donald Trump is the rare exception- so lets begin with the assumption that youre considering a run for the town council, perhaps weighing whether to launch a campaign for elected office in your community. What do you need to know first? Here are some helpful tips for how to get into politics. 1. Volunteer for a Political Campaign Every political campaign- whether it be for your local school board on up to legislature or Congress- needs hard workers, the people who serve as the boots on the ground. If you want to get an idea of how politics really works, walk into any campaign headquarters and offer to help out. Youll likely be asked to do what appears to be menial work at first, things like helping to register new voters or making phone calls on behalf of a candidate. You might be handed a clipboard and a list of registered voters and told to go canvass the neighborhood. But if you do the job well, youll be given more responsibilities and a more visible role in the campaign. 2. Join the Party Getting into politics, in a lot of ways, really is about who you know, not what you know. And an easy way to get to know important people is to join or run for a seat on your local party committee, whether its the Republicans or Democrats or some third party. In many states these are elected positions, so youll need to get your name on the local ballot, which is a good learning process in and of itself. Precinct and ward leaders are the rank-and-file of any political party and are among the most important players in the political process. Their responsibilities include turning out the vote for the partys preferred candidates in primaries and general elections and screening potential candidates for local offices. 3. Contribute Money to Political Candidates Its no secret in politics that money buys access. In an ideal world that wouldnt be the case. But donors often have the ear of their favorite candidate. The more money they give the more access they get. And the more access they get the more influence they might have over policy. So what can you do? Contribute to a political candidate of your choice in the community. Even if you contribute just $20, the candidate will notice and make it a point to acknowledge your help in the campaign. Thats a good start. You can also start your own political action committee or super PAC to support candidates of your choice. 4. Pay Attention to Political News Before you get into politics, you ought to know what youre talking about and be able to hold an intelligent and thoughtful conversation about the issues. Read your local newspaper. Then read your statewide newspapers. Then read the national newspapers: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal,  The Los Angeles Times. Find good local bloggers. Stay current on the issues. If theres a particular problem in your town, think about solutions. 5. Start Local and Work Your Way Up Get involved in your community. Go to municipal meetings. Find out what the job is about. Network with activists. Find out what the issues are. Build coalitions dedicated to changing and improving your town. A good place to start is attending your weekly or monthly school board meetings. Public education and school funding are important issues in every community in the United States. Join the conversation. 6. Run for an Elected Office Start small. Run for a seat on your local school board or town council. As onetime U.S. House Speaker Tip ONeill famously said, All politics is local. Most politicians who go on to serve as governors, congressmen or president started their political careers at the local level. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, for example, started out as a freeholder, a county-level elected office. The same goes for Cory Booker, a rising star in the Democratic Party. Youll want to pick a team of advisers who will offer advice and stick by you through the process. And youll want to prepare yourself and your family for the intense new scrutiny youll be getting from the media, other candidates and campaign workers who perform opposition research on you.

Accounting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Accounting - Research Paper Example paration of Financial Statement and consistent with this, it is essential for firms to reveal separately in the statement of income for the record of the inventories which has been small persistence thing. Additionally, this rule also demands for sufficient data which influences the important measures with that data which can additional support in accepting a situation. The risk of not including the inventory write-down in the financial statement is that the investors may over-anticipate income firmness and thus lead to decisions that may create strong unethical situations. Beside this, such condition can direct towards many ethical and financial problems for example excessive manager’s payments, concealment fraud penalties, losing investors self-assurance in organization with loosing value of brand in addition to goodwill. Accountants who do not consider complete according standards while making financial statement, are not only breaching the according standards but also are breaching the trust and ethics which is considered as inevitable in the â€Å"professional behavior† (Little, 2008, p. vii) of the people. As being element of Practicing Business, it is suggested that CEO and CFO of the business should think such influence of the â€Å"Internal Revenue Service† (Internal Revenue Service Data Book, no date, p. 32). This IRM gives an outline and common knowledge of GAOs annual Financial Statement Audit of the â€Å"Internal Revenue Service† (Internal Revenue Service Data Book, no date, p. 32) (IRS). As the country’s tax collector, the IRS has the liability of collecting taxes, enforcing the nation’s tax laws and processing tax return. The GAO performs annually audits of the financial statements of IRS in keeping the CFO Act of 1990, as extended by the â€Å"Government Management Reform Act of 1994† (Guthrie et al., 2005, p. 357) Appropriate to this Act, the General Accounting Office (GAO) opines on the fiscal statements of the IRS in the report financial

Analytical Paper Assignment (Syria and Ukraine) Essay

Analytical Paper Assignment (Syria and Ukraine) - Essay Example This paper discloses the current conflicts in Syria and Ukraine. It describes the roles of the main leading countries in these conflicts. The past events in Syria and Ukraine prove that imperialism is no longer relevant. It is no longer easier for powerful countries to increase their power by exercising control over the rest of the world. America, for instance, prefers not to intervene in the military actions of Syria mainly because they want to maintain a neutral stance, and projects a good international policy of not meddling in the affairs of other nations. The American foreign policy is such that it justifies military action if there is substantial evidence that the countries such as Syria and Ukraine pose a threat to world security. The Ukrainian geopolitical realities are quite different, indicating likely risks of cold war. There is also likelihood of power rivalry. The international law viewpoint considers Syria and Ukraine as trying to make an ambiguous case in trying to declare their sovereignty, the west thinks, yet there is a legal act that that has is valid from 60 years ago (Kristof 27). The self-determination remains inapplicable because its exercise would fragment an existing state-Ukraine. The same nation was a member of United Nations. Such world orders are now challenged by such functional considerations as climate change, sustainability, and weapons of mass destruction-and by normative contemplation connected with equity, human rights and survival of species (Cooper p29).

Native Americans in the United States and European Colonists Essay Example for Free

Native Americans in the United States and European Colonists Essay Early encounters between American Indians and European colonists led to a variety of relationships among the different cultures. Analyze how the actions taken by BOTH American Indians and European colonists shaped those relationships in TWO of the following regions. Confine your answer to the 1600s. Early relationships between American Indians and European colonists differed among the dissimilar cultures. The encounters between the American Indians and the New England Colonists ended in betrayal and bitterness while the relationships between the Indians and the Spanish Southwest was violent and hateful. In New England during November of 1620, the first European colonists arrived to establish Plymouth Colony. During the harsh winter, half of the colonists had perished. When the surviving colonists arrived, a couple of Indians came to help them. The Indians taught the colonists how to grow and fertilize corn crops. Soon, the Europeans became successful farmers and began trading with Indians for fur. As the Europeans became more self-sufficient, they turned their firearms at the Wampanoag Indians and forced them to declare English Sovereignty. For generations, the aggression toward the Wampanoag Indians from Europeans continued. After years of hostility toward the Indians, the governor or Plymouth received information that the Wampanoag chief, Metacom was planning a war against the English. The Indian who provided the information to the English was named Sassamon and was known as a â€Å"faithful Indian† to the English. He was murdered by the Indians for betraying them. Soon after in 1675, the English hung three Wampanoag Indians thus beginning King Philip’s war. This war resulted in stopping the Indian’s resistance to colonial expansion and wiped out approximately forty percent of the Native American population in New England.

The Juxtaposition of the Normal and the Abominable How do the Authors :: English Literature

The Juxtaposition of the Normal and the Abominable How do the Authors illustrate this description of World War One? Pay Particular attention to the Details they Highlight and the Methods and Language they Used to do so? 'The Juxtaposition of the Normal and the Abominable' How do the Authors illustrate this description of World War One? Pay Particular attention to the Details they Highlight and the Methods and Language they Used to do so? 'In the trenches behind the lines, men and women struggled to hold on or recreate fragments of an ordinary life - a letter from home, a pot of jam, a kiss - to remind them of their own humanity'à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Today I saw pictures of Britain's brave soldiers leave for war in Iraq. As a nation we are able to watch a war unfold before us in a way never experienced before. The constant pictures of the death, destruction and disgraceful nature of war help people to see the atrocities of war. In many wars of the past the horrors of war have not been available to the public due to censorship and less communication; I draw a contrast to the British people in World War One who also watched their soldiers leave in glory to fight a war with a dream of seeing the world and the glory of war, armed with little more than the old lie 'Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori'. Whilst with such vivid images of 'our boys' it is hard for us to forget about the men who are fighting, in World War One so many soldiers left with aspirations to see the world and got as far as France - their destiny to die in a muddy field. The Iraqi people today are experiencing a new and dangerous life as their nation is gripped with war. One thing often forgotten about as we watch on BBC News24 is that people are still living in Baghdad and life goes on for Iraqi people. Ben Macintyre in 'A Foreign Field' depicts how the lives of the peoples of France continued as their nation, like Iraq, was ravaged by war: Ben Macintyre cleverly highlights the way that, whilst the war brought such horror to the people of Villeret, life still continued and there was some form of normality. Normally Macintyre uses a quote from a diary or record to bring meaning to help his audience understand how people felt. The book has a journalistic style and, as with journalism, the author tends to stick to facts; for most of the book Macintyre's style is descriptive but largely unromantic.

Church and Dwight Essay

A. Executive Summary 1. Summary statement of the problem: Church & Dwight, more commonly known by its brand name â€Å"Arm & Hammer,† has held a commanding lead in the sodium bicarbonate product market for over 160 years with virtually 99 percent of all consumer products in households within the United States. However, in order to promote growth and diversity while maintaining a steady profitability rate of three – five percent per year, the company has expanded uses of sodium bicarbonate products so that it is no longer the only focus. The acquisition of a diverse group of consumer products in international markets has been viewed as a viable option to sustain the profitability margins well into the 21st century (Wheelen & Hunger). 2. Summary statement of the recommended solution: Since Church and Dwight is a relatively small company, when compared to competitors in household and personal care product markets they must recognize the challenges of growing sales through acquisitions to promote growth and competitiveness within those markets. Church & Dwight must incorporate additional acquisitions of solid brands and products in order to grow market share through an expansion of product lines into a variety of â€Å"personal care, deodorizing and cleaning, and laundry products† as well as â€Å"specialty chemicals, animal nutrition, and specialty cleaners† (Wheelen & Hunger). In addition, to maintain its position in the world market place, Church & Dwight must expand into international markets and gain footholds in product markets through acquisition of manufacturing assets. Simply shipping domestic product lines overseas is cost prohibitive. Foreign manufacturing assets will allow product recogniti on by local consumers in foreign countries and markets. B. The Situation After 160 years, Church & Dwight is a giant in the household domestic product market with brand name recognition more commonly associated with â€Å"Arm & Hammer† products. However, this achievement in the market only nets $2.5 billion in annual sales worldwide. The company’s brand portfolio includes over 80 popular brands and competes for market share with other giants including Colgate-Palmolive, Clorox, and Proctor & Gamble, which have combined sales of over $100 billion. The company has also expanded over the past decade into other household product lines through acquisitions of consumer brands including Mentadent, Pepsodent, Aim, and Close-up, as well as Trojan. Church & Dwight has a core of specialty products primarily based on its successful sodium bicarbonate line of products. It currently holds 75% of the sodium bicarbonate market share. Expansion in the domestic markets has proven successful because of the â€Å"company’s pristine balance sheet†. Growth into the foreign markets has proven more challenging than domestic markets. Foreign market net sales in 2009 were only $393 million compared to domestic net sales of $1.8 billion (Cook). II. ANALYSIS A. Analysis of the Situation 1.Management – The Church & Dwight Company has continued a tradition of slow and steady leadership with a solid focus on long-term goals. The steadiness of the company’s leadership can be primarily attributed to the fact that 25 percent of outstanding common stock is owned by descendants of the company’s original cofounders, a tradition that continues today. In addition, the management of the company over the past 160 years has been handed down from generation-to-generation until recently when Dwight C. Minton passed on the position of Chief Executive Officer in 1995 to an outsider, Mr. Robert A. Davies, III (Wheelen & Hunger). This focused leadership style has enabled Church & Dwight to overcome potential leveraged buy-outs and hostile takeovers with a series of calculated actions and savvy business decisions. These actions allowed the board of directors and management to amend the company’s charter and allowed shareholders four votes per share. The board of directors was also re-structured into classes, in which each class serves staggered three-year terms (Wheelen & Hunger). In addition to staggering the tenure of the directors, the company initiated employee severance agreements with key officials, providing a severance package agreement to provide a â€Å"safety net† should any of the board member positions be terminated by a hostile takeover or leveraged buy-out by an unwanted suitor. By providing these lucrative packages for senior management, many were able to stay with Church & Dwight. This allowed for continuity of leadership styles, vision and mission focus. Because of this steadfast devotion to principles, steady growth over the years has occurred, identifying Church & Dwight as a Cash Cow, using the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Growth-Share Matrix. However, as the company focuses more on international markets and enters other potential avenues of growing product lines, it will surely find itself labeled a s a Star. 2.Operations – Church & Dwight have peacefully existed over the past 60 years with sustained growth and profitability because it virtually held the market in the palm of its hands as other companies searched for ways to enter the household and personal care product lines. As a result of the constant forces in emerging markets, Church & Dwight has come to the realization that they have major challenges to overcome if they are to compete with other giants in the industry and continue to thrive. As the company gains a stronger market share in the international consumer products, the growth and profitability standard will continue well into the future. However, Church & Dwight also recognize they must remain vigilant to quickly and adequately deal with Porter’s Five Forces: Bargaining power of suppliers; Threat of new entrants; Threat of substitute products or services; Bargaining power of buyers (customers); and Rivalry among existing firms (competitors) (Wheelen & Hunger). When considering Bargaining Power of Suppliers, the force rating could be considered Medium as management must be constantly aware of any potential market shocks or trends. If an affiliate retailer is affected by unforeseen supply chain issues, like increased fuel prices, then those costs throughout the company may be affected to remain competitive. In addition, Church & Dwight are well aware of the economic situations that may affect their trade customers who may reduce distribution of products in which sales may decline, or adversely affect the financial performance of the company (Craigie). There was never historically a threat of new entrants into the sodium bicarbonate market prior to 1970. However, since the company has developed new product offerings and other established consumer brands, they now face the same competition threats of mature and domestic and international markets for consumer products. This threat of new entrants has emerged over the past decades and may now be rated high. The threat of substitute products or services is always considered high, as well, because consumers might choose a substitute item, if it is cheaper. This is a problem for any company. Bargaining power of buyers (customers) is generally a medium concern as consumer satisfaction is evaluated in a variety of ways. Otherwise, dissatisfactio n can drive prices up or down based on demand, or the lack of. Quality is a hallmark of Church & Dwight and the perception by consumers of any potential lowering of standards to decrease prices will typically drive loyal customers away. Finally, rivalry among existing firms (competitors) is high as competitors try to achieve greater market shares to grow potential profit shares. â€Å"Church & Dwight has in an enviable position to profit from its dominant niche in the sodium bicarbonate products market since it controlled the primary raw material used in its production† (Wheelen & Hunger). 3.Marketing – The Church & Dwight marketing strategy has been fairly simplistic since its focus has been on the sodium bicarbonate product lines for over a century. However, with additional acquisitions over the past 20 years, and the expansion into other household products, the brand recognition has become even more important. As a result, â€Å"marketing expenses for 2009 were $353.6 million, an increase of $59.5 million or 20% as compared to 2008† (Craigie). In addition, Church & Dwight caters to people of all ages and backgrounds. This wide range of customers allows them to develop more and more organic products and services with large scale agreements to satisfy those demographics. As the company expands globally, markets for one region could also be satisfied by other regions as production opportunities allowed greater cost-effectiveness. Unfortunately, â€Å"attempts to enter international markets have met with limited success, probably for two reasons: (1) lack of name recognition and (2) transportation costs† (Wheelen & Hunger). Finally, the company began a ground-breaking marketing campaign by airing commercials for condoms on prime-time television. This â€Å"shock† strategy increased its marketing strength and enabled the partnership with Quidel Corporation, â€Å"a provider of point-of-care diagnostic test, to meet women’s health and wellness needs† (Wheelen & Hunger). There are potential problems if various brand names fall into â€Å"the precarious line-extension snare† (Wheelen & Hunger). As the company expands and acquires more product lines bearing the â€Å"Arm & Hammer† trademark, the potential for substandard quality or customer satisfaction could cause a back-lash resulting in reduced sales around the world. Therefore, product marketing is essential to reinforce brand name recognition so consumers never forget the value and quality of a company’s name and its product lines. 4.Finance – Initially, the company’s domestic markets have proven successful. However, in keeping pace with competition in expanding product line markets, acquisition of assets has taken place, which could negatively impact the overall financial picture if profitability is not maintained. In 2009, Church & Dwight’s performance worldwide achieved an increase in sales of 4 percent; organic sales increased 5 percent, gross profit margin increased 44 percent while global marketing expenses only increased 20 percent; and the Net Cash Flow grew to a record level of $401 million (Craigie). Perhaps even more significant to investors is the report that earnings per share grew 23% and dividends on investments increased by 35 percent (Craigie). In contrast to the growing profits and expenses, the comp any also jettisoned noncore assets for the first time, including â€Å"five domestic and international consumer product brands acquired during the 2008 Del Laboratories transaction† (Wheelen & Hunger). This posturing of assets will enable a financially sound balance sheet in the future. Therefore, the financial status of Church & Dwight continues to grow as it has achieved modest gains from year to year, with hopes of even greater revenue and sales. Finally, the CEO remains focused on â€Å"building a portfolio of strong brands with sustainable competitive advantages† and the â€Å"long-term objective is to maintain the company’s track record of delivering outstanding TSR (Total Shareholder Return) relative to that of the S&P 500† (Wheelen & Hunger). 5.Administration – Church & Dwight enjoys a sound management strategy. It incorporates affiliates through agreements to sell its products. In addition, the former CEO, Mr. James R. Cragie, stated â€Å"†¦We have added $1 billion in sales in the past five years, a 72% increase, while reducing our total headcount by 5%, resulting in higher revenue per employee than all of our major competitors† (Wheelen & Hunger). While it may appear unsympathetic to the employee perspective, techno logical advancements allow for increased productivity in various aspects of manufacturing and labor allowing for greater productivity without the added expense of additional manpower. Church & Dwight also continue to operate with an ethical employment code in keeping with today’s expectations of utmost respect for both consumer and employee. The following is the company’s published Ethical Standards: â€Å"The reputation and integrity of Church & Dwight Co., Inc. are valuable corporate assets, vital to the Company’s success. Each Company employee, including each of the Company’s officers and general managers and each Company director, is responsible for conducting the Company’s business in a manner that demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of integrity. Specifically, we encourage among Company personnel a culture of honesty, accountability and mutual respect. Additionally, we provide guidance to help Company personnel recognize and deal with ethical issues. Finally, we have provided mechanisms for Company personnel to report unethical conduct. Dishonest or unethical conduct or conduct that is illegal will constitut e a violation of these Standards and are grounds for disciplinary action† (Church & Dwight). 6.SWOT a.Strengths – The Church & Dwight Company has many strengths, with brand recognition being their greatest. In fact, Arm & Hammer continues to be their greatest asset and strongest product on the market today; the little yellow box is in over 95 percent of all households across the country. The sodium bicarbonate product line has proven itself for over 160 years with uses in baking, cleaning, and deodorizing, and as an added ingredient for things like drain openers and neutralizing agents. While there may be other similar products, Church & Dwight have virtually cornered the market by holding 85 percent of it. b.Weaknesses – A potential weakness within the company is the overextension of branding into many other product lines. â€Å"Until 1970, it produced and sold only two consumer products: Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and a laundry product marketed under the name Super Washing Soda† (Wheelen & Hunger). The company enjoyed success domestically, but â€Å"in the int ernational arena where growth was more product-driven and less marking sensitive, the company was less experienced† (Wheelen & Hunger). Therefore, they relied on acquisitions and management changes to improve its international footprint and reach. With ever-expanding product lines, suppliers, and retailers, the potential for an inferior product or service can cause a negative reputation, impacting the overall brand. Therefore, brand recognition should continue to be the focus when researching future products or investment avenues to ensure the quality of the product/service in the name of the company. Entire corporations have gone away because of a negative connotation to its brand name in the eyes of consumers. c.Opportunities – The possibilities are endless as Church & Dwight continue to pursue additional product lines in household, personal care, specialty, and international products. Future expansion in acquisitions and assets may prove more advantageous as potential consumer products become even more attractive to increase the profitability as the manufacturing base is expanded around the globe. Perhaps i n 20 years, we may have cars manufactured by Church & Dwight, as well. d.Threats – The primary threat to Church & Dwight is competition. Competitors have an even greater market share and larger marketing campaigns to remain leaders in their respective niche. There are always going to be threats to its business operations, products, services, and reputation. Therefore, ongoing evaluation of partnerships, agreements, consumer satisfaction, quality of production, quality of service, etc. is always continuing. Without a continuous evaluation process, companies may find themselves outsmarted, out-marketed, out-produced, and out of a job. Church & Dwight have done a great deal in maintaining a very loyal customer base through evaluations of consumer trends and ensuring affiliates maintain the highest standards to retain the reputation as the leading household product manufacturer 7.Products or Services – Church & Dwight continue to produce some of the most widely known household care products. These products are based on differences in the nature of their uses and organized into three reportable segments: Consumer Domestic, Consumer International and Specialty Products (SPD) (Craigie). The company currently produces 80 different product lines, in which eight major brands make up a total of 80 percent of its business (Craigie). The most famous of the company’s products is Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. As a company focused on quality and innovation, Church & Dwight has â€Å"a discreet marketing team focused solely on new product development† (Church & Dwight). In addition, the company is focused on goals to develop differentiated products with new and distinctive features, increased convenience and value, and engaging outside contractors for research and development activities (Church & Dwight). B. Problem Definition 1.The Church & Dwight case study identified a corporate problem needing to continue expansion in products and services, while presenting a consistent operating profit and increasing market shares of the household product industry. Expenses were continually evaluated and streamlined to reduce inefficiencies; including product research and development to identify â€Å"new uses/markets for an existing product† (Wheelen & Hunger). Unfortunately, constant pressure from global competitors seeking to enter domestic and international markets, as well as an overall poor economy, is creating an atmosphere where continued growth must be developed through new opportunities for expansion into new geographical markets, new products/uses, all while striving to control increasing transportation costs. 2.In order for Church & Dwight to retain its position as the leading household product manufacturer, it must continue to provide outstanding customer service, excellence in product quality, invest in cutting edge technology to remain a viable resource for consumers, as well as developing new uses for its primary product line to ensure customers remain satisfied with the product, as promised. In addition, expanding its share of other household product opportunities and innovations will be key to any future growth. Yet another opportunity for Church & Dwight to grow is in the business-to-business exchange market for suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to use. By providing this service to its affiliates and partners, they would be able to achieve greater operational efficiencies in their supply chains. 3.As Church & Dwight enjoy a considerably large loyal customer base, competing with Proctor & Gamble and other industry giants to get customers to switch competitors is no easy task. However, with any challenge comes greater innovation and new ideas. Relationships with suppliers, manufacturers and other retailers allow for greater efficiencies in costs by consolidating orders, developing greater discounts on shipping costs, or even creating greater financial incentives for affiliates to increase sales and customer satisfaction rates by increasing consumer awareness of the quality and reliability of services and products available to them. III. SYNTHESIS A. Alternative Solutions Brand recognition for ARM & HAMMER brand products has already been established within the domestic markets of the United States. International markets continue to challenge emerging companies due to cultural differences in market populations, cultural differences in marketing strategies, and language barriers requiring new brand names more suitable for local languages/cultures. With low population growth rates and households in international markets, increasing transportation costs, and intense competition and higher commodities costs, manufacturers are turning to new and innovative processes to increase their share of the household product markets. For example, rising gas prices are a concern since it directly contributes to increased production costs. In response, household and personal care product companies are making efforts to stimulate sales in varying ways, such as entering new markets, creating new product segments, strengthening strong brand image, acquiring businesses, targeting market audiences, and increasing advertising budgets. Another alternative could be to develop joint-business ventures with suppliers, manufacturers, distributers, and retailers. The benefit to this option would be to streamline production and sales and allow the ease of marketing products and services to its affiliates and partners. This option would also allow greater operational efficiencies and translate into lower costs for Church & Dwight and lower prices for consumers. B. Recommendations and Conclusions As Church & Dwight look to satisfy competitive pressures while still reeling from the recent economic crisis, the following recommendation and solution is presented in hopes of reducing expenditures and continuing company growth through new product development and market expansion. Expanding into new markets with â€Å"major competitors jockeying for shelf space and retailers seeking to rationalize their breadth of product offerings, more changes may be considered† (Wheelen & Hunger). Therefore, the best recommendation for Church & Dwight at this point in time would be to implement the first alternative, delving into new product lines both in domestic markets and even greater exploration of international markets. This option would be advantageous because of the limited financial investment required to grow already established footholds in foreign countries to manufacture and transport new product lines. In addition, by improving upon past successes and avoiding past mistakes, a sound marketing campaign could attract additional consumer traffic to its existing retailers and product outlets. Arm & Hammer also has premier brand recognition within the United States, which would look to use its large customer base to compete against Proctor & Gamble or Colgate-Palmolive, and Clorox. Finally, to satisfy any shortcomings in this solution, it is further recommended that Church & Dwight initiate an aggressive marketing strategy incorporating foreign experts in business and marketing development to identify focus groups to better understand cultural differences and expectations in product innovations. Understanding why a specific culture or race chooses one brand over another is key to identifying potential aspects of a new product line that would be warmly received in another country rather than simply pushing an American-made product brand on a culture that has no experience with the product or whose name may have a derogatory meaning in their language. This option could also allow Church & Dwight to market potentially less expensive alternatives to Proctor & Gamble or other foreign corporations specializing in household products in another country or region. This recommendation provides a potential solution to increase sales while growing market share and staying ahead of the competition. References Church & Dwight, Co. Inc. (web). Churchdwight.com. Retrieved on April 8, 2012 from http://www.churchdwight.com/index.aspx Craigie, J. R. (February 24, 2010). Church & Dwight co., inc. 2009 annual report: Churchdwight.com. Retrieved on April 8, 2012 from http://www.churchdwight.com/PDF/AnnualReports/2009-CDH-Annual-Report.pdf Wheelen, T. L., & Hunger, J. D. (2012). Strategic management and business policy toward global sustainability. (13th ed., pp. 19-20). New York, NY: Pearson Hall.