Securities Market Line

Although luxury resorts are very expensive, the rejuvenating experience, that the resorts have to offer, makes it worthwhile. People love to pamper themselves, once in a while, and do not mind spending a few extra bucks for a great vacation. However, people want value for their money. A good luxury resort is one that can attract tourists using the power of persuasive advertising. Advertising should not be misleading, at the same time it should be able to enchant viewers while conveying the benefits of visiting the resort. Today, luxury resorts are no longer meant for a select few since they offer varying levels of luxury to suit the needs of both affluent and cost conscious consumers. People who save carefully, just so that they can enjoy a once in a lifetime stay at a luxurious resort, should also be made to feel welcome. Hence, persuasive advertising should be subtle and in good taste, ensuring that the resort is marketed to consumers desiring exclusivity, without seeming snobbish and warding off other prospective clients seeking to revel in the comforts of the luxury resort. After all, varying levels of luxury ensure that service is rendered to people according to their ability to pay.

Advertising Different Types of Luxury Resorts

A resort should be advertised depending on the amenities that it has to offer. For instance, the advertisement for a health and wellness spa will be very different from that of a skiing resort. A ski vacation is meant for people who love the outdoors; people desiring an adrenalin kick, so to say. An incomparable skiing experience, the beauty of nature, the availability of skiing instructors and great outdoors should be the focal point of ski resort advertising. On the other hand, an advertisement for a spa should exude an aura of tranquility and peace. The concept of a spa, as a health destination, a resort where self renewal is promoted with therapeutic massages, facials and body wraps should be stressed on. Health and wellness spas can also be promoted as destination spas, offering a wide range of fitness programs, encompassing a nutritious diet and a self awareness program. In other words, health and fitness spa advertisements should be targeted towards people desiring good health while ski resort advertising should focus on people celebrating good health. Hence, the difference in the approach to advertising.

To elaborate further, on the concept of luxury resort advertising, the following points should be observed while advertising secluded tropical islands and beach resorts. People visiting a secluded tropical island may be looking for a private guest house, a paradise to call their own. The peace and tranquility of nature, the secluded sandy beaches, narrow coastlines, limestone plateaus and coastal plains, so typical of tropical islands, are ideal for people on a quest for solitude. An occasional desire for activity is quenched by scuba diving, kayaking, snorkeling and possibly hiking. Advertising should clearly illustrate, the privacy and the beauty of the tropical island. Again, beach resorts are meant for people who want to enjoy the treasures that nature has to offer along with the fine tropical cuisine, the spa, the swimming pool, jacuzzi and other facilities. A perfect blend of natural sensory delights and man- made comforts is desired by people visiting a beach resort. The beauty of nature, relaxation, enjoyment and a vast array of culinary delights coupled with the desired human interaction should be focused on while advertising a beach resort. Read the rest of this entry »

Following are the various types of propaganda tools and techniques that can be used individually or in combination with others for the purpose of influencing public opinion using the dynamics of propaganda. There are various reasons behind the need to influence public opinion, the most significant reasons being politics and marketing. Check out the following propaganda techniques and examples to get a strong grasp of this subject.

Ad Hominem
This method follows the path of attacking the opponent instead of his arguments. Character assaults, defamation antics, etc. are examples of propaganda technique that follows the principle of ad hominem. This is also known as name calling.

Ad Nauseum
Repeat and repeat yet again – that’s the maxim of the ad nauseum technique of propaganda. Continuous reinforcement of an idea tends to result in the target audience subconsciously accepting it as the truth or the right thing. This influences their judgment in favor of the propagandist.

Testimonials
Citing popular and dignified figures to strengthen the premises of an idea or an argument is most often used to move the target audience to support or initiate a desired course of action. This propaganda technique aims to exploit the public’s appeal to authority of certain prominent figures in certain specific fields. For instance, beauty and cosmetic products marketers often get movie stars and super models to testify the benefits and effectiveness of their commercial offerings.

Appeal to Fear
Instill panic in the masses against a certain idea, object, situation or person and reinforce it such that their emotional feathers are significantly ruffled – this makes for a great propaganda technique for turning the masses against an opponent and gaining their favor. For instance, the book Germany Must Perish by Theodore Kaufman was used by the Nazis as a propaganda against Jews, framing them for plotting against the nation, to instill mass fear and hatred for the Semitic populace.

Appeal to Prejudice
The use of emotionally saturated and sentimentally appealing expressions to sway the public opinion has been used as a propaganda technique since ancient times. Many wars have been initiated and much blood has been shed on account of tireless propaganda that appealed to the prejudice of the people. For instance, the treatment of the Jews during the Nazi era and the silence, sometimes support, of the non-Jewish populace over the atrocious injustices prove the success of this propaganda technique. Glittering generalities, flag waving and virtue words also come under this category.

Bandwagon
Most of us harbor a herd-mentality and it is this since they do so, so shall I psychology that the propagandist seeks to exploit. By making it appear that the majority of the people are going for a certain course of action, the propagandist impliedly nudges the individual audience to join the crowd.

Plain Folks
This is a widely used propaganda technique employed by marketers and advertisers. In marketing and advertising parlance, this propaganda technique is known as slice-of-life advertising. In such a propaganda, common people are depicted as following a certain course of action, implying that this is only right and practical. Vaccination and inoculation drives are often publicized using slice-of-life advertising.

Card Stacking Read the rest of this entry »

Investing money is a smart move as it lets you go beyond your maximum earning potential. Some of the smartest investors that became big shots later, started out really small. What accelerated their growth wasn’t how much they invested, but where they invested it. It takes a lot of study and realistic analysis to identify good investment choices. Here are the range of options that you could choose from, in ascending order of risk involved:

Saving Bank Account
The safest bet is to invest your money in a saving bank account that provides a good interest rate. Some banks provide a progressive interest rate that increases with the amount of money invested. Though the returns are quite low, they are guaranteed and come with almost no risk.

Gold
Some of the best investments in recession are gold investments. Gold prices have always been known to increase with time over the years. That’s why, buying gold is the best way to invest 10,000 dollars during recessionary times. It is one of the safest and oldest investment options which guarantees a good return. Know about the best way to invest in gold.

Certificate of Deposit
If you are looking for guaranteed and fixed returns, going for a certificate of deposit would also be one of the best low risk moves you could make. You deposit a certain amount of money with a bank, for a fixed period of time. You cannot withdraw that money till the certificate of deposit matures. After maturity, the bank returns you the principal amount of money, along with interest earned. The period for such an investment may be anything from 6 months to 5 years.

Roth IRA and 401(k) Plans
If you need to create a retirement plan, Roth IRA, traditional IRA and 401 (k) plans are good choices to opt for. Know about other types of retirement plans. Not only do they carry tax benefits, but their return is guaranteed after retirement. While the 401 (k) plans are usually employer sponsored, an employee can make a greater contribution if he wants. Roth IRA, a type of individual retirement account (), is one of the most trusted retirement planning investment options. Understand what is Roth IRA and how does it work. Consult a financial advisor for detailed information. This is the best way to invest 10,000 dollars and also the safest, if you are thinking of post retirement financial security.

Mutual Fund Investment
If you are willing to take some degree of risk, you can invest in mutual funds. A mutual fund pools in money from multiple investors to buy securities of various kinds. The profits are shared with the investors. Risk in mutual fund investment arises from volatility of the prices of securities purchased. Read the rest of this entry »

The following is a quick list of some of the really good small investments which you can make as of today. A very quick overview of the significant pros and cons, and some of the really good features of the options have also been discussed. Take a look…

1. Government Bonds and Other Treasury Bills
One of the best ways of stowing away small amounts of money for shorter time periods is into treasury bills and bond. Treasury, bills, notes, bonds, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS), I Savings, EE/E Savings are some of the best channels, most of which require about only $100 minimum investment. The advantage of such an investment option is that you can pay off the investment and wait till it matures, where upon you can enjoy the returns. Some of these bonds and State government bonds and municipal bonds are some similar investments.

2. Common Stock, Corporate Bonds and Debentures
There are three types of contributions to the capital of a company. Common stock, corporate bonds and debentures are some of the common ones. All the three can be traded freely, and bonds and debentures also have a certain maturity or expiration dates upon which a certain accumulated interest is also paid off as a return on the same. The bonds and debentures are perfect investments, all you have to do is invest into them and wait for the returns. On the other hand, stocks or rather shares are the investments where you need to keep a tab on the prices of shares in which you have invested.

3. Systematic Investment Plans and Collective Investment Schemes
The Systematic Investment Plans (SIP) and Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) are professionally managed plans, such as mutual funds wherein you need to invest small sums of money periodically in the fund. In case of SIP, the amount that is to be invested, is not specified or mandatory, in fact for certain years, one may not even invest anything. The Collective Investment Schemes on the other hand have a certain mandatory investment is to be invested every year.

4. Roth IRA
Individual Retirement Accounts are probably the best accounts to invest your money into. The IRA can be opened in prominent banks and also in financial institutes and there is not mandatory minimum limit on the amount that can be invested into it. The IRA account is tax-free and it usually as an upper limit. Read the rest of this entry »