E †Marketing of the Music Products Essay Example for Free

E – Marketing of the Music Products Essay The success of music marketing traditionally has been determined by the power of the musicians artists and the consumers. However there had been a quantum change in the power recently thanks to the increased use of information and communication technology. The music industry had long held the power to control the development of the marketing, but the advent of the internet and the technological advancement in the information and communication technology has allowed the artistes and consumers to take power of their own. There were initial apprehensions about the impact of the internet on the marketing of the music industry due to the presence of file-sharing and peer-to-peer networks that might hinder the growth of sales of the music products. However it so happened that the internet has opened up a sea of chances for the growth of the marketing of the music products through the development of new retail channels for consumers as well as for the artistes to take advantage of the increased customer net work. This marketing channel has made much more music available to a much wider and larger set of audience and consumers. Punjabi music and songs have been estimated to originate between the 14th and 15th century, as folklore with the farmers composing songs in their own dialects and tunes. There are different varieties of Punjabi music that enthrall the music lovers. The Punjabi music market had grown with the time by selling the products through recorded cassette tapes and then through the medium of compact discs. With the passage of time the internet marketing has taken over the reins and the industry developed with newer and improved technological means of marketing the ancient cultural treasure. The internet marketing has proved to be an effective platform for the Punjabi music to gain popularity not only in India but throughout the world. There is a huge difference in the marketing strategy and approaches of the Punjabi music industry before and after the introduction of internet as a marketing medium. Internet marketing has made the industry to constantly work on finding new strategies to develop the marketing efforts. While originally it was apprehended that features like file sharing and peer-to-peer networks will hamper the growth of the sale of Punjabi music products, there were no such hindrances in reality and the industry is growing day by day with the introduction of new and improved music themes. With the help of internet marketing the purchasing of music products has improved considerably and this has increased the customer needs and preferences. In this context this study looks at the contribution of internet marketing to the growth of sale of Punjabi music products and how internet has helped the music industry to introduce new and improved methods of marketing. The scope of the study is to review the development of the Punjabi music industry over the period of time along with the development of the internet marketing concept. The study also analyses the problems in the music industry associated with the development of the internet market. 1. 1 Research Objectives While looking at the overall development of the internet marketing of the Indian Punjabi music the study has other objectives like 1. Comparing the differences in the marketing approaches prior to the introduction and development of the internet marketing and the present day approaches backed by internet marketing. 2. Exploring the available present and future technologies that can help the music industry grow 3. Analysing the impact of these technologies on the conduct of business and development of marketing for the music industry in general 4. Reviewing the response of the music industry to the technological developments 5. Assessing the impact the internet marketing had on the consumer preferences and tastes in the context of the music industry in general and Punjabi music in particular 6. Assessing the impact of file sharing and peer-to-peer networks on the internet marketing of the music products. 7. Assessing the possibility of turning the illegitimate music routes to legitimate saleable propositions. 1. 2 Research Scope The study intends to review the development of the marketing concept of the music industry in general and the Punjabi music in particular over the period of time till the introduction of the concept of internet marketing and how the marketing concepts have changed over time. This can be seen from the changes in consumer preferences over the time in them asking new and more improved ways of listening to the music without losing the quality of the music. Examples in this connection are the I-pods and MP3 concepts. The findings of this study will greatly interest the music lovers as well as the music industry because some interesting information on the E-marketing strategies would be evolved which can help them to adapt to the latest developments in the technology. The study will also extend to the analysis of the reasons and extent of piracy prevalent in the music industry and the scope for converting such piracies to saleable propositions. Overall the study aims at reviewing the growth of the music industry over the period of technological improvements. 1. 3 Research Questions This study attempts to answer the following research questions among other things: 1. What is the impact of technological developments in the marketing growth of the music industry in general and Indian Punjabi music in particular? 2. What are the changes in the consumer preferences in respect of the music products with the development of internet marketing in the music industry? 3. What are the chances that piracy in the E-marketing can be contained with respect to the music products? 1. 4 Structure of the Dissertation In order to make a cohesive presentation this dissertation has been divided in to different chapters. Chapter 1 makes a brief introduction to the readers about the background of the Punjabi music and the internet marketing being the subject the thesis is going to deal. This chapter also outlines the objectives of the research and sets the questions that the research intends to find answers. Chapter 2 makes a detailed review of the available literature on the internet marketing of the music products and the associated issues with a view to familiarize the readers to the discussions on the core subject of the paper ‘Impact of Internet on Indian Punjabi Music Industry: An overview on the Internet Marketing of the Music Products’ . Chapter 3 presents an account of the research methodology that was adopted to gather the information and data needed for the completion of the research along with a justification for the chosen method of research. The findings of the research and an analysis there of constitutes Chapter 4. Some concluding remarks recapitulating the issues discussed forming the content of the text is presented in the final chapter 5. There were certain limitations of this research which are mentioned in the concluding chapter. Chapter 2 Literature Review The scope of this chapter extends to the presentation of a review of the available literature on the subject of the impact of the internet marketing on the Indian Punjabi music industry. While reviewing the literature on this particular subject the study also extends to an analysis of the impact of E-marketing on the music industry and its products. 2. 1 Indian Punjabi Music – a Background As observed earlier the origin of the Indian Punjabi music dates back to the 14th or 15 the century. Developed as folklore the music had the exquisite character of instilling energy and rhythm in to the lives of those who sing these songs. There are a number of varieties of Punjabi songs like â€Å"bhangara, jhumar, luddi, giddha, julli† and so on. The music had a vibrant style which made it popular in the world and with the migration of the people the music also travelled westwards. With the fascination for this kind of music the Punjabi music and songs have acquired a greater significance in the international world of music. Music charts are being prepared with the flavor of this Asian culture. The Punjabi music has developed to such an extent that it is compared with other popular music like rock and reggae. Even European songs are infused with the mixture of the Punjabi music and songs and have attracted music lovers all over the world. (Indian Child) 2. 1. 1 Development of Indian Punjabi Music ‘Bhangra’ one of the traditional forms of Indian Punjabi music has become increasingly popular in the Western music cultures over the period. With a tradition of more than 500 years old ‘bhangra’ which was performed during harvest festivals was increasingly being performed in weddings and other joyous occasions like New Year celebrations. According to Asia Today though the Indian Punjabi music ‘bhangra’ is still performed in its traditional form, in recent years the music has taken new versions in the form of ‘remixes, film songs, hip-hop, reggae and house music’ and through these new forms has developed a growing Western audience in the regions of Europe and North America. The music has seen its developments in the UK during the 1970s when it started influencing the British club scenes. The development of the music has been accelerated due to the presence of a large section of South Asian Diaspora especially belonging to the second generation youngsters in the whole of Europe and more specifically in the UK. In the recent past ‘bhangra’ has reverted back to its original drum beats and it is sure that this music will enthrall more audience world wide in the years to come (Asia Today)

Sir Francis Drake :: essays research papers

Sir Francis Drake Late in 1577, Francis Drake left England with five ships, ostensibly on a trading expedition to the Nile. On reaching Africa, the true destination was revealed to be the Pacific Ocean via the Strait of Magellan, to the dismay of some of the accompanying gentlemen and sailors. Still in the eastern Atlantic, a Portuguese merchant ship and its pilot - who was to stay with Drake for 15 months - was captured, and the fleet crossed the Atlantic, via the Cape Verde Islands, to a Brazilian landfall. Running down the Atlantic South American coast, storms, separations, dissension, and a fatal skirmish with natives marred the journey. Before leaving the Atlantic, Drake lightened the expedition by disposing of two unfit ships and one English gentleman, who was tried and executed for mutiny. After rallying his men and unifying his command with a remarkable speech, Drake renamed his flagship, previously the Pelican, the Golden Hind. In September of 1578, the fleet, now three ships, sailed through the deadly Strait of Magellan with speed and ease, only to emerge into terrific Pacific storms. For two months the ships were in mortal danger, unable to sail clear of the weather or to stay clear of the coast. The ships were scattered, and the smallest, the Marigold, went down with all hands. The Elizabeth found herself back in the strait and turned tail for England, where she arrived safely but in disgrace. Meanwhile, the Golden Hind had been blown far to the south, where Drake discovered - perhaps - that there was open water below the South American continent. The storms abated, and the Golden Hind was finally able to sail north along the Pacific South American coast, into the previously undisturbed private waters of King Philip of Spain. The first stop, for food and water, was at the (now) Chilean Island of Mocha, where the rebellious residents laid a nearly disastrous ambush, having mistaken the English for their Spanish oppressors. After this bad beginning in the Pacific the tide turned, and for the next five and a half months Drake raided Spanish settlements at will, among them Valpariso, Lima and Arica, and easily took Spanish ships, including the rich treasure ship "Cacafuego," leaving panic, chaos, and a confused pursuit in his wake. During this time, he captured and released a number of Europeans, whose subsequent testimony survives. The plundering was remarkable for its restraint; neither the Spanish nor the natives were intentionally harmed, there was very little violence, and there were very few casualties.

Illustrate and Critically Discuss the Representation of Gay People in Television Sitcoms or Soap Opera.

Illustrate and critically discuss the representation of gay people in television sitcoms or soap opera. As the issue of representation is central to this essay, it is important to note that there have been problems with identifying a definitive meaning of ‘representation’. Several theorists have commented on the concept of representation. Stuart Hall (1997: 61)) defines representation as ‘the process by which members of a culture use language†¦to provide meaning’.From this meaning, he says, we can already see that ‘representation’ cannot possibly be a fixed, unchangeable notion. While culture and language evolve and grow with human society, the same must therefore be said of the perceptions of ‘representation’. Gillian Swanson (1991: 123) backs up Hall’s theory, observing that ‘there can be no absolute version of ‘how things are’ but only many competing versions’. She continues: Ideas about what people are like and how they are meant to be understood already prevail in our culture.They give meaning to our sense of self and allow us to position ourselves in relation to others. Such meanings and attitudes are reproduced in representation but the way representations are constructed is as important as the ideas and meanings they project, since they offer positions for us, through which we recognise images as similar, or different from, ourselves and those around us. We continually define ourselves in changing relations to those meanings; images change over time and the meanings which are legitimated by the social or cultural context change as well.The general idea of ‘representation’ then, not only changes over time, but may also have several different interpretations at any given point. Alexander Doty and Ben Gove (1997: 84) argue that when discussing homosexual representation in the mass media and popular culture we must look ‘beyond understanding the â₠¬Ëœmass’ or ‘popular’ as necessarily meaning a mainstream media or culture that only addresses millions of heterosexuals’. They acknowledge another, ‘alternative’ mass media that runs parallel to the ‘mainstream’ mass media but has been pushed to the sidelines in the past.A conservative viewpoint would state that this is because the mass media should convey the will and desires of the ‘majority’ and therefore should not be made to positively represent anything that contradicts the society’s dominant ideology. However, Doty and Gove note that in recent years the lines between these ‘mainstream’ and ‘alternative’ mass media have become blurred with, for example, the screening of programmes written, starring and watched by lesbians, gays and queers on television.Having said that, this by no means implies that there is less of an issue to be raised by the representation of homosexuality on television. The most obvious issue surrounding this is, of course, the stereotyping of gay characters on television and, in particular, television sitcoms. While gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters did not appear in television sitcoms until the 1970s, modern television sees an entire genre of situation comedies featuring gays.These types of programmes are no longer written by the homosexual for the homosexual, but have become integrated within Doty and Gove’s ‘mainstream’ mass media. They discuss the importance of being aware of who finances, creates, publicises and exhibits a certain programme, and how these factors might affect the way that programme represents ‘queerness’. For example, the two creators of the ‘gay-best-friend’ sitcom Will & Grace are Max Mutchnick, who is gay, and David Kohan, who is straight.Arguably, the way in which ‘queerness’ is represented here may have benefited from having a homosex ual and a heterosexual input. This way, the show has more chance of appealing to a wider ‘mass’ audience. Consequently, it is possible that the gay, lesbian or queer characters featured in television sitcoms may have been tailored, in a sense, for a heterosexual audience. This could go some way to clarifying why Will & Grace, unlike many other similar sitcoms of its kind, has become so popular. Stephen Tropiano holds a simpler view, claiming that ‘the success of Will & Grace really comes down to one thing – it’s funny.What separates Will &Grace from the gaycoms that only last a few months has little to do with its politics and more to do with the talent of the performers and the quality of the writing and direction (mainly, James Burrows, one of the best in the business). ’ Swanson notes the ‘extreme and caricatured way in which [stereotyping] draws on commonly-held impressions and assumptions’. It may be assumed that the views Sw anson talks about are ‘commonly-held’ by the dominant, heterosexual audience that the mass media is seen to address.If this is the case, then this may account, in part, for some of the stereotyping of gays in television sitcoms. A more positive (and therefore acceptable) representation would make the programme much more accessible to a much wider audience. But what could be regarded as a ‘positive’ image of gays and lesbians in television? Doty and Gove note that many of the images regarded as ‘positive’ by, and that received praise from critics and watchdogs were ones that played down homosexuality or ignored the issue altogether, depicting gays as being ‘just like everyone else’ in their attempts not to make it a focal point.On the other hand, those images where gays were more explicitly depicted fared no better. Joshua Gamson (1998: 21) found that studies of the portrayals of gay men and lesbians in film and television ‘ha ve soundly demonstrated how homosexual lives have been subject to systematic exclusion and stereotyping as victims and villains’. For example, Gamson cites Vito Russo’s The Celluloid Closet, in which Russo argues that television has produced ‘stereotypical conceptualisations of AIDS that vilify gays and legitimate homophobia’. Doty and Gove take this a step further, observing that:By the late 1980s and 1990s, the recurring televisual image of gay men with AIDS sparked heated critical debates over exactly what kind of image it was: ‘negative’, because it depicted homosexuality as a victimhood that, yet again, ended in death; or ‘positive’, as it encouraged sympathy and even admiration for gay men through images of their courage in the face of death. They identify a bit of a grey area concerning the labelling of the representation of homosexual images as ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ in that different people wi ll look at these images from a variety of perspectives; there can be no universal interpretation of any given image.The same can be said of trying to define ‘realistic’ images of gays, lesbians and queers on television. Doty and Gove observe that there are two ways in which people recognise these ‘real’ images; some note that text expressively marks the imagery through dialogue or by showing physical or sexual activity. Recent examples of this are Matt Fielding (Melrose Place), Simon and Tony (Eastenders) and Beth Jordache (Brookside). Other people feel that realistic images do not need to use explicit text to gauge a character’s sexuality on the basis of other signs.Many viewers see characters like Mr Humphries (Are You Being Served? ) and Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess) as being gay, lesbian or bisexual. These two binary explanations of what constitutes as a ‘realistic’ image of queerness shows the difficulty in even defining what Ã¢â‚¬Ë œreality’ is for gays, lesbians and queers. It is difficult to define a ‘typical reality’ or, to put it another way, to recognise a general gay ‘identity’ in which to categorise them. Essentialist theorists state that they are bound together by the fact that their identities are determined by their sexuality.Donald Hall (2003: 42) suggests that such theorists would argue that ‘same-sex desiring individuals have always existed and that however much their context may have changed, they were, without a doubt, aware of their sexual desires and they must have thought of themselves as belonging to a distinct group of similar individuals’. While it makes sense that the individual would have been aware of their sexual desires, constructionist theory would perhaps note that historically they may not have been aware of any sense of belonging, rather one of detachment due to the cultural influences in society at the time.Constructionist theory, say s Hall, emphasises language and belief systems in order to determine identity. Richard Dyer (2002: 19) observes, rather importantly, that ‘a major fact about being gay is that it doesn’t show†¦the person’s person alone does not show†¦that he or she is gay’. He argues that there are ‘signs of gayness’ such as expressions, stances and clothing that ‘make visible the invisible’. Typification is a near necessity, says Dyer, for the representation of gayness, which he argues is the product of social, political, practical and textual determinations.He deduces that the social factor is an integral one from which gay people can be recognised: The prevalent fact of gay typification is determined by the importance of a social category whose members would be invisible did they and the culture not provide lifestyle signs with which to make recognition possible†¦It is probable that most gay people are for most of their lives in fact invisible. Acting and dressing gay may only be an evening or weekend activity; in particular, it may not be practised at the workplace, or for married gays at home either.Equally, many people who are homosexual may never identify with the various gay lifestyles, never, in this sense, define and produce themselves as gay. What Dyer conveys here is that to be classed as ‘gay’, a person must be able to identify with not only the inner, biological aspects of ‘gayness’ (as put forward by essentialism) but also with the cultural aspects around them (as suggested by constructionism). This in itself is quite stereotypical because of the presumption about what is ‘gay’. Those who do not conform to this ideal are classed as ‘invisible’.Accordingly, the images we have been seeing of gay characters in television sitcoms may only be representations of certain types of gay people, and it is difficult to know whether or not these people are a majority or a minority. Will & Grace attempts to deviate from the stereotypical notions of ‘gayness’ through its two gay main characters, Will and Jack, and provide an insight into ‘invisible’ gayness. James Keller (2002: 124) describes the two main male characters as ‘foils representing diversity within gay masculinity, a diversity which argues for and against gender stereotypes about gay men’.The name ‘Will’, Keller says, signifies resolution and courage while the surname ‘Truman’ suggests that Will is a ‘real man’. This is also put across in the way he dresses. As an attorney, his conservative style and uptight personality mean that Will shows little of the usual stereotypical traits that signal to an audience that he is gay. Keller compares him to the modern sensitive male (such as Ross Geller in Friends), and his primary relationships focus mainly on women, namely Grace.The name ‘Jack’ is reminiscent of a joker or jester, a clown basically. While ‘Truman’ represents composure and respectability, ‘McFarland’ implies waywardness and outlandish behaviour. Tropiano asserts that, similarly to Will, Jack ‘isn’t exactly gay either: he’s hyper-gay’. Keller describes Jack as ‘silly, irresponsible, immature, narcissistic, effeminate, insulting and promiscuous’, the epitome of the negative stereotypical gay male, ‘made lovable by humour and childlike unselfconsciousness’.Their apparent contradictory personalities are, says Keller, the ‘respective embodiments of the familiar and the unfamiliar, although, paradoxically, what is coded as familiar here is actually unfamiliar in the history of gay representation’. He notes that Will is presented as the ‘norm’ whilst Jack is portrayed as unusual among gay men in a respectable, middle class situation. While Will is offered as th e ‘preferable alternative’ to the stereotype of the gay man, because Jack is much funnier and more stylish than Will he could, points out Keller, easily also be a preferable alternative.This presentation of two very different types of gay men, both preferable to the stereotype, serves to not only expand the culturally accepted notion of ‘gayness’ (as part of its political agenda) but also works as a hook to keep its audience interested (the main function of the programme). In addition to this, Will and Jack have enough depth, enough layers in their personalities, to represent – arguably – a certain sense of ‘realism’. Tropiano explains ‘[Sean] Hayes and the writers have created a three-dimensional character who, beneath his somewhat shallow exterior, is a strong, confident person.As a gay man, he’s also completely comfortable with his sexuality. ’ Will, on the other hand, though smart and successful, is the cha racter that most needs personal guidance, about love and relationships in particular, and Jack is often on hand to give this advice. Between these two characters, then, are a fair number of characteristics that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight people alike would be able to relate to in some way.Furthermore, Will & Grace compromises with the dominant ideologies by making the most important relationships in the lives of the two gay characters heterosocial and quasi-heterosexual. By doing this, the problems identified in earlier ‘gaycoms’ such as Ellen (which was axed for being ‘too gay’ and overly political) are overcome and, as a result, more meaningful, contemporary representations of gay people seen in the show are able to ease naturally into cultural ideology as opposed to being forced through. Vito Russo (1987:325) argues against Richard Dyer’s (and others’) theory of invisibility.He says that ‘gays have always been vi sible†¦it’s how they’ve been visible that has remained offensive for almost a century’. Joshua Gamson supports Russo, pointing out that, until recently, gays and lesbians had very little input into their own representations. Dominant ideologies have therefore held virtually all control over how gays have been represented in the past, leading to negative stereotypes of gays. To remedy this, Gamson argues that ‘more exposure is the answer’. However, this in itself poses problems, such as when considering the positive/negative images approach.Doty and Gove note that its critics have suggested that ‘most definitions of what constitutes a ‘positive’ image would restrict the range of gay and lesbian representation as much as so-called ‘negative’, stereotypical images do, by encouraging only bland, saintly, desexualised mainstream figures who might as well be heterosexual’. But herein lies the problem: dominant c ultural ideology has, throughout history, commanded how gay people are represented in society and on television, and only recently have they been able to acquire some control themselves.After a period of trial and error, the television sitcom Will & Grace, with its innovative balance of hetero and homosexual political comedy, could be making its mark on society. During this time, gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders have been continually trying to become fully accepted as part of mainstream culture. However, the images approach has been criticised for attempting to do just that. In an ever-changing culture, is the gay community in a state of confusion about which direction it wants to go, and how it wants to be represented when it gets there?References †¢ Craig, Steve (1992). Men, Masculinity and the Media. London: Sage Publications Ltd. †¢ Dyer, Richard (2002). The Matter of Images: Essays on Representation. London: Routledge †¢ Gamson, Joshua (1998). Freaks Ta lk Back. Chicago: University of Chicago Press †¢ Hall, Donald E. (2003). Queer Theories. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan †¢ Hall, Stuart (1997). Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage Publications Ltd. †¢ Keller, James R. (2002).Queer (Un)Friendly Film and Television. North Carolina: McFarland & Company Inc. †¢ Lusted, David (edited by) (1991). The Media Studies Book: A Guide For Teachers. London: Routledge †¢ Medhurst, Andy and Sally R. Munt (1997). Lesbian and Gay Studies: A Critical Introduction. London: Cassell †¢ Tropiano, Stephen (2002). The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians on TV. Kent: Combined Book Services Ltd. †¢ Russo, Vito (1987). The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies. 2nd Ed. New York: Harper & Row

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