Tennis Essays (648 words) - Sports Equipment, Racket, Titanium

Tennis Technology Racquet It seems like only yesterday that Prince was introducing the Michael Chang Long-body tennis racquet to the world. It was the first extra-length racquet designed to be a "player's racquet" with less power and more control. The previous extra-length racquets we have seen had huge heads and funky designs. They generated an enormous amount of power and tremendous spin, but they were ineffective with regard to control. The Michael Chang Long-body changed all that. This is the racquet that brought extra length to the masses. In reality, the Michael Chang Long-body racquet has been on the market for about three years. In the computer industry it would be a dinosaur. Although tennis racquets do not age quite as fast as computers, three years is still a long time for a racquet to remain unchanged. What Prince has done is to introduce a new Chang tennis racquet called the Michael Chang Titanium Long-body. The Michael Chang Titanium Long-body is a better tennis racquet than the original. Not only does the racquet combine the qualities of the original Michael Chang Long-body, but it also incorporates Prince's latest technological advances. There are two major technological differences between the old and new Chang racquets. The first difference is the titanium in the shaft of the Michael Chang Titanium racquet, which gives the new version its name. Titanium is braided with the graphite in the shaft of the Chang Titanium which increases the stiffness of the frame and makes the racquet more powerful and stable than the Original Chang racquet.1 The extra stability should appeal to all players, while the extra power will benefit those players who want or need more power. The second difference is the Sweet Spot Suspension System, which the Chang Titanium racquet has and the Original Chang does not. The Sweet Spot Suspension System decreases the vibration by sixty percent and absorbs a lot more shock, especially outside of the sweet spot.2 The Sweet Spot Suspension System is a major benefit for anyone with arm problems or anyone who wants to avoid them. The head size, length, and the width of the Chang Titanium and Chang Original are the same, but the weight differs. Like the Original Chang, the Titanium Chang comes in two head sizes: 95 and 107 square inches. Both the Titanium head sizes are 20 mm wide and weigh 11.3 and 11.6 ounces unstrung. By comparison, the Original Chang Midsize weighs 11.2 ounces and the Oversize weighs only 10.3 ounces. Both the Original Chang and the Titanium Chang are 28 inches long and head-light.3 A disadvantage of the Chang Titanium is the difficulty of maneuverability. Both the Midsize and Oversize frame of the Chang Titanium are less maneuverable than the Original Chang is. Compared to the Original Chang Oversize, the extra ounce of weight and the larger hoop of the Chang Titanium make the Oversize frame very difficult to handle. A player will need to have good strength, great timing, or great preparation to play well with this racquet. A physically strong player will be able to maneuver the frame into position and should enjoy the solid feel of the racquet.4 Good timing and early preparation will be required for the rest of us, because a person has to start the swing very early and, once he starts it, there is no stopping and restarting. The smaller head on the Midsize helps to make it much more maneuverable than the Oversize; however, according to the weight specifications, the Midsize is still less maneuverable than the Original Chang Midsize. The difference, however, is much less significant than with the Oversize frames. Prince's Sweet Spot System decreases the vibration and absorbs a lot more shock, which is a definite improvement over the Original Chang racquets. With the titanium in the shaft, the Chang Titanium makes the racquet more stiff, powerful, and stable than the Original Chang. Chang Titanium is heavier than the Original Chang, but a person who can handle the racquet will exploit Prince's latest technological advances which make it a better racquet than the Original Chang.

Integrated Marketing Communication The WritePass Journal

Integrated Marketing Communication Abstract Integrated Marketing Communication : 123). There is a distinct drift in the evolution of the IMC and the marketing theory practice. For instance, Luck and Moffat (2009: 318) outlines that there is turf war and tension between control of â€Å"communication† development and strategy and coordination of marketing communication. Ewing (2009: 109) acknowledges that the most valuable customer should be considered first. This state differs from the reality where there is little evidence of differential customer value. It is also clear that there exists an undefined relationship between different marketing communications and consumers. However, there is an emerging synergistic effect on the combination of print and television advertisements. 1.4 Empirical study on IMC Duncan and Everett (1993: 35) state that it is quite difficult to take a perfect research on IMC as it comprises both the processes and the concepts. The concepts also differ based on the type of the organization and the researcher. Research on IMC focused on several aspects such as cooperation within an organization, compensation systems employed, and an organizational strategic development.   This therefore posed a huge hindrance on the implementation of the IMC in UK. In UK and USA, there is minimal evidence on the IMC prescription in various corporate and marketing communications. Cornelissen and Lock (2000: 12) asserts that 81% of the largest corporate in US have arranged their external communication into separate marketing departments and public relations. On the other hand, Eagle, Kitchen and Bulmer (2007: 968) reported that out of 323 organizations in the UK, Canada and the USA, public relations was more effective when communication function is equal to marketing communication. In addition, Eagle, Kitchen and Bulmer (2007: 966) study also looked at the effectiveness of an organisation of central public relations against the various independent units of communication programmes like marketing communication. This study stressed that there is little evidence about delegation of communication â€Å"responsibilities† and there are no negative consequences on the structural dispersion of communication disciplines to form separate units. Kitchen, Kim and Schultz (2008:540) acknowledges that IMC is quite prevalent in USA and UK as compared to other countries. It is predetermined in the global communication â€Å"techniques† despite suggestions by Luck and Moffat (2009: 315) that media integration and advertisement are the major instruments in global promotional and marketing campaigns. In addition, Yeshin (2006: 89) opines that IMC is contingent on an individualised behavioural database which hinders an active organizational process in developing a sophisticated marketing communication network. 1.5 IMC and Contemporary Marketing Communication Percy and Elliot (2012: 190) confirms that there is little empirical proof about marketing communication and IMC shift from mass marketing communication to the impending IMC practices. The IMC concept has been proven to be ambiguous as it is still underdeveloped. The marketing communication organization has however set up a clear description of change as integrated configurations have now replaced the functional structures in an advertising agencies and companies. Traditionally, IMC has a holistic system which fosters zero based thinking; this is a state where most cost effective solutions to communication are critically chosen.   Hartley and Pickton (1999: 99) argue that integration is the sole solution to foster cross-functional cooperation in varied disciplines. In addition, Ewing (2009: 113) posits that integration is considered as the merger of barely all the marketing communication. 1.6 Conclusion Validity is one of the descriptive theories that marketing communication management has established. Recent reviews on IMC research in UK and US have suggested that IMC has been periodical and as such; little evidence has been posed to validate contemporary marketing communication processes. I have therefore argued for IMC concept to be considered rhetorical. IMC is also less practical in UK and US as IMC concepts is considered ambiguous. Changes in market trends have also hindered the incorporation of IMC in today’s advertising. The paper has also critically analysed the rhetorical reasoning. In addition, past and contemporary marketing communication researches have been clarified. Bibliography Cornelissen, J. (2001). Integrated Marketing Communications and the Language of Marketing Development. International Journal of Advertising, 20(4) pp. 483-498 Cornelissen, J. P. and Lock, A.R. (2000) ‘Theoretical Concept or Management Fashion? Examining the significance of IMC’, Journal of Advertising Research, 40 (5), pp.7-15. Duncan, T. and Everett, S. (1993) ‘Client Perceptions of Integrated Marketing Communications.’ Journal of Advertising Research, 33 (3), pp.30-39. Eagle, L. , Kitchen, P. , and Bulmer, S.(2007). Insights into Interpreting Integrated Marketing Communications. European Journal of Marketing, 41(7/8) pp. 956-970. Eagle, L., Kitchen, P.J. and Bulmer, S. (2007) ‘Insights into interpreting Integrated Marketing Communications: A Two-Nation Qualitative Comparison’ European Journal of Marketing, 41 (7/8), pp.956-970. Ewing, M. (2009). Integrated Marketing Communications Measurement and Evaluation. Journal of Marketing and Communications, 15(2-3), pp. 103-117 Hartley, B. and Pickton, D. (1999). Integrated Marketing Communications Requires a New Way of Thinking. Journal of Marketing Communications, 5. Pp 97-106 Kitchen, P. and Schultz, D. (1998). IMC-A UK ad’ Agency Perspective. Journal of Marketing Management. 14, pp. 465-485. Kitchen, P., Kim, I. and Shultz, D.E. (2008) ‘Integrated Marketing Communications: Practice Leads Theory’, Journal of Advertising Research, 48 (4) pp.531-546. Luck, E. and Moffat, J. (2009). ‘IMC: Has Anything Really Changed? A New Perspective on an Old Definition’, Journal of Marketing Communications, 15 (5), pp.311-325. Percy, L. and Elliot, R. (2012). Strategic Advertising Management. Fourth edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Yeshin, T. (2006). ‘Advertising’. London: Thomson learning.