Counterfeit Brands

“Purse parties” are the newest trend in the counterfeit fashion trade, an industry that is running rampant worldwide. Fashion isn’t the only type of brand susceptible to copycats. Pharmaceuticals, beverages, toys, furniture, software, electronics -- you name a brand niche and it has most likely fallen victim to counterfeiting. The International Chamber of Commerce estimates that the counterfeiting industry comprises five to seven percent of global trade and is worth roughly US$ 450 to 500 billion.
Knock-offs of luxury fashion brand accessories, like purses, make up just a fraction of the counterfeit trade industry but they are among the most prominent offenses. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Kate Spade, Christian Dior and Burberry are just some of the big-name (and big-price) brands that are relentlessly knocked off. The replicated accessories go beyond just purses to include wallets, sunglasses, scarves and more.
There’s a lot of profit in counterfeiting. Knock-offs in the US are priced one-sixth to one-eighth of the retail value of an authentic product. When a simple wool Burberry scarf retails for US$ 200, a Christian Dior belt can bring in US$ 400 and big-brand purses, like Louis Vuitton, can sell for over US$ 1000, it’s easy to see how merchants can make ten times their manufacturing costs for mass-produced counterfeit goods.

It seems silly to get worked up over fashion fakes when there are knock-offs that can cause physical harm, even death, when dealing in fake pharmaceuticals or counterfeit automotive parts. Why even worry about the superficial world of the knock-off fashion industry? Is there any real harm in letting someone a little short of cash get the Louis purse they’ve always dreamed about?
According to Ellen Goldstein, chairperson of the accessories design department at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, fakes do harm the real brand. “It hurts the worth of the brand terribly; it cheapens the brand,” she says.
Goldstein goes on to explain, “People assume that this is a form of flattery, but the brands don’t. It’s stealing and it cuts back on authentic brands’ sales considerably.”
Tim Trainer, president of the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition in Washington DC dismisses the theory that knock-off brands offer a type of free advertising and promotion for legitimate brands. “Counterfeiters trade off the backs of legitimate brands. They let the real brands pay for the marketing, advertising, develop the designs, and then they profit off of it.”
There’s no question that ripping off a fashion design is a crime, but busts like the one in Florida are rare. If the consequences of knock-offs are so severe for the real brands, why isn’t more being done to crackdown on this growing problem? In fact, if anything counterfeiting appears to be more prevalent than ever.
One used to have to shop big cities to find knock-offs. Now purse parties are replacing Tupperware parties, the web is saturated with sites dealing in fakes, store-fronts in strip malls advertise “imposter goods,” and most county fairs have booths loaded with knock-off goods. The brands being knocked off are, in most cases, multi-million dollar brands so the question remains why aren’t they doing more to protect their products?
“Brands do fight to protect themselves, but it’s a very long and arduous process,” says Goldstein. “Coach went through it and won, but it was a very long process.”

A process that in the end, just might not be worth it. Even if these brands have the money to spend in legal fees, it is a strenuous, drawn out course of action.
Instead brands like Kate Spade and Louis Vuitton tend to take matters into their own hands first by hiring private investigators to find where knock-offs of their brands are being sold. Convincing authorities to step-in is tough; they’re off fighting “real” crimes. So a typical next step is to have the brand’s lawyer send a threatening letter in hopes that it will scare merchants into shutting down shop or canceling their next purse party. Sometimes the threat is enough, sometimes it’s ignored or merchants just lie low for a while. After this, it’s a matter of trying to convince authorities to step in.
Then there’s the chance -- a good chance -- that authentic brands may not win over knock-offs in court. There are intricate details that go into brand protection and fashion design. Unlike other products, copyright protection is denied to fashion designs under the US Copyright Act. Trademarks are available to designs, but it’s a fine line between an actual counterfeit and a “creative interpretation.”
For instance, it’s still possible to find knock-offs of Coach’s popular demi bag despite the company’s fight; the fakes replace the trademarked Cs, adorning the small canvas bags, with Gs. The same goes for Burberry; although the company makes its stance about the trademarked plaid quite clear in communication materials, replicas of Burberry purses and scarves using variations of the colors are popular knock-off items. Even when legitimate brands win, punishment is usually only as harsh as a slap on the wrist.
On top of all this, while brands are putting forth all of this effort and money, the designs they are fighting to protect are already out of style, replaced by new ones.
What’s worse is that as the industry advances, so does the technology used to make the imitations. Goldstein speculates that counterfeiters attain authentic looks by purchasing the real purse, wallet or scarf and copy it detail for detail. “There are knock-offs now where you cannot tell the difference between the fake and the real,” she says.
Those mirror-image replicas mean more sales, even to consumers with distinguishing tastes. Anyone is up for saving money.
If there is a bright side to this whole dilemma, it’s that law enforcement is starting to become more involved in cracking down on the knock-off industry. That’s because counterfeiting fashion brands has a more serious consequence than just stealing legitimate brands’ designs.
“Consumers pay street prices for knock-offs and think they are just pulling one over on legitimate brands…. Narcotics, prostitution, weapons; [the money they spend] could be going to all those things,” explains Trainer.
Trainer says consumers need to step back and think of where the money they spend on knock-offs could be going. Just as selling knock-offs is a crime, a connection is drawn between counterfeit goods and funding for other crimes involving drugs and weapons. Now law enforcement is worried about a link between counterfeit goods and terrorism, which means since September 11, authorities have stepped up their pursuit of those knocking off fashion brands.
As Trainer explained, law enforcement is not so much concerned with brand protection, as it is looking at trade in fake luxury brand names and logos that can bring in enough money to fund crime (which was the case in the Florida purse party where law enforcement seized over US$ 40,000 in knock-offs). “There’s interest from authorities,” says Trainer. “But they are only interested in finding large quantities [that are funding crime] -- the major distribution centers. Knock-offs are coming from large, sophisticated distribution centers.”
Pinpointing the centers is only a guess, but many US sold fakes are suspected to come from Asia, primarily China, Thailand and South Korea.
Although the whole issue may first appear to be a simple yet rampant case of copycatting, in fact it demonstrates that there is a real need for stricter protection laws of luxury fashion brands, enforcement of those laws, and harsher punishments for merchants and makers of counterfeit goods. But as far as knocking out counterfeiting completely, Trainer says like other crime, it’ll never be gone and brands need to view counterfeit products just like any other competition.
Indeed FIT’s Goldstein agrees: “Counterfeiting will always exist. It’s the subculture of the fashion industry.”

Official Launch New Telkom

16 October 2009

Bertempat di Gedung Grha Citra Caraka, Gatot Soebroto Jakarta, Telkom meluncurkan logo terbaru mereka dan juga mengumumkan group company mereka. Dan pada saat itu ada juga sesi fashion show untuk memperagakan seragam baru mereka yang didesain oleh designer ternama Poppy Dharsono. Baju tersebut dipergakan oleh 6 model; Celine, Alvin, Chaca, Thamrin, Eric dan Nandya.

McDonald's Corporation "Are We Still Lovin' It?"

By A.K. Cabell

For starters, regroup, regroup, regroup. CEO Jim Cantalupo was brought out of retirement to take over the helm of the corporation, and he has publicly announced that he will give himself eighteen months to turn the company’s brand back around.
Is eighteen months a realistic time frame to pull off such a dramatic feat, which includes re-establishing brand identity as well as executing new menu items to satisfy the brand’s fickle but newly-food conscious 18 to 35 market group?

Corresponding by email, brand consultant Martin Lindstrom feels the new management can succeed. “Yes, [Cantalupo] has the talent required to do this, so does Charlie Bell (COO) and Larry Light (CMO), they are a very tight team, good friends, and old timers in the industry, [which is] required to turn around such an enormous company,” writes Lindstrom. “However, they only have one chance left to do this before shareholders lose patience.”

Tony Spaeth of Identity Works, an independent consultant to corporate leaders, feels the strategy will require some time to take hold with consumers. “You can create an effective new brand strategy in eighteen months,” says Spaeth. “But you can’t change the meaning of an established brand any faster than its customers die. McDonald’s is basically [a] three components product, which is menu, distribution (franchise and stores), and brand.” Spaeth’s recommendation? “Keep the distribution, selectively change the product, and rebrand…. [This will be] much faster than trying to change the meaning of ‘McDonald’s.’ ”

As part of the rebrand effort, McDonald’s appears to be seeding key positions with new blood. Executive vice president and global chief marketing officer Larry Light was recently brought in to re-charge the organization. Light’s bio reads like a how-to-get-it-right story of the quintessential corporate marketing executive with high-appointment stints at Bates, BBDO Worldwide, and lecturing background at New York University, Wharton, Indiana’s Kelley School of Businesses, and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business.

As expected, Light is throwing himself into the challenge. This past spring, The New York Times reported that he was to preside over a marketing pow-wow made up of advertising, marketing and creative managers. The focus of the meeting was to discuss various ideas for original marketing and advertising campaigns that would jump-start fervor in the brand. Shortly thereafter, the current “I’m lovin’ it” campaign was born.

The new strategy is based on current tastes and trends. “[McDonald’s marketing strategy team] did research in various countries to find the strengths and weaknesses of our brand,” says Light, from McDonald’s corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. “The first thing we began to notice was a commonality in five continents. A fun, youthful spirit was at the core of the brand and the most dominant trait. But we wanted to carefully distinguish between ‘youthful spirit’ and children. Our brand is about attitude, not age.”

The US market will see a stream of new TV and print ads featuring a slicker, edgier look that is still synonymous with the McDonald’s brand identity. And the company hired one of the hottest American pop stars of the moment, Justin Timberlake, and hip hop mega producers the Neptunes to create a song for the campaign. The brand also gains access to its prime market by sponsoring Timberlake’s 2003 to 2004 global tour.

The new campaign extends beyond advertising; the “I’m lovin’ it” attitude will be indoctrinated as philosophy in various facets of the company structure across the globe, including customer service and restaurant operations, menu food choices, and new restaurant decors.
“McDonald’s is not only a retail food brand,” says Light. “It is a brand that represents the art of marketing.” That rather grand suggestion is not without merit. Even though the corporation faces major challenges, McDonald’s past brand campaigns have produced acclaimed sales profits in a variety of franchised stores and set the stage for other fast food retail brands. Who can forget: “Two-all-beef-patties-special-sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions-on-a-sesame-seed-bun”? Or the simple but compelling: “You Deserve A Break Today”?

As for menu, attempting to recapture the market share of a consumer base that has essentially changed its taste from burgers and fries to neatly packaged store-bought sushi is not going to be an experimentation for McDonald’s; it is now an expectation. Accused of implementing overly aggressive brand strategies by “training” its customers to eat fatty foods, McDonald’s is fighting not only to maintain brand power in the vast pool of competition, but also to dispel notions that its previous brand strategy was improperly planned for the next five to seven years down the road.

Roger Hurni, co-partner in the advertising firm Off Madison Ave, discusses this by email: “Actually, the reason they find themselves in their current situation isn’t because of improper planning of brand strategies, but rather improper planning of a product mix and the inability to adapt [the] brand image of that mix to an evolving marketplace.”
On the anti-globalization front, the question of whether or not McDonald’s is being unfairly targeted because of its global visibility is not one that enters Light’s mind. He is far too busy with the strategic solution to accept social responsibility and make an effort to develop creative ventures to support it.

“I don’t think the question is whether or not it’s fair or unfair,” says Light about the responsibility placed on McDonald’s. “I think the question should be how do we make it an asset? We are a corporation that serves forty million customers a day. Because of that size and scale, we do have responsibilities. But I don’t believe the solution should not be how can we get smaller.”

Although it is obviously possible for a dominant global brand like McDonald’s to take a hit and lose brand edge, the focus now has shifted to restructuring and ultimately, survival. Chances?
“[T]he brand can survive,” concludes Lindstrom. “Just as Microsoft managed to turn its organization 180 degrees when realizing that they [had] lost the Internet boat. Just as adidas turned its organization 180 degrees, and as a result, turned into a serious competitor to Nike. And just as Apple did with [the] return of Steve Jobs. However, common for all the above is a serious change in management, and in fact, this is exactly what has happened at McDonald’s with three new positions: replacing the CEO, the COO, and the CMO in just two years. So I actually believe the organization can change -- not overnight, but over a year or two.”

With a company as old and ingrained in the public’s cultural landscape as McDonald’s, two years is a short bump on the path to smoother times.

Marketing to the Affluent Class

By Rahul Chaudhari

Rich and mass affluent customers are driving business for many industries including fashion, jewelry, automobiles, real estate and even banking & investments. The future growth from these segments is expected to come primarily from the emerging markets like India, China, Asia-pacific, Brazil etc in addition to the developed economies of US and Europe. This is owing to strong economic growth in these regions and emergence of neo-money clients who are cash-rich and time-poor. The attitudes and behaviors demonstrated by this segment is quite different for certain instances as compared to the traditional money clients. There are however certain things that run common and can serve as guidelines for marketing to this class of customers.

Before talking about marketing to these customers it’s extremely important to understand the segment well. Their age, income levels, occupation etc. helps to filter them from the rest of the lot. It is however their behavior and psychographics that really matters in striking the right chord with them. What do they wear, where do they buy, how do they think, what matters to them, where are they seen or would like to be seen etc. is extremely important to get this understanding right. Let’s look at some aspects that can help us understand them better:

• 
  
  Affluent customers want to be distinguished from the crowd: They only want to be seen at certain places, using only certain brands. Not just that, they want to be a step ahead of the crowd and look up to brands to identify the key trends for them and help them access/buy these products before anyone else. Fashion shows are an attempt by luxury & fashion brands to define what’s next and help the customers access it.
  


• 
  
  They seek exclusivity: Exclusivity is a big hit with these customers and therefore ‘limited editions’ or ‘only for select audience’ are tactics that certain luxury brands use for their brand extensions. They want access to the most exclusive brands and finest quality and have a passionate desire for the best things in life. In fact snob consumers perceive price as an indicator of exclusivity, and avoid using popular brands. A separate store entrance, exclusive areas, different branding, very fine décor and ambience, differently dressed personnel servicing them can be used to provide this sense of exclusivity.
  


• 
  
  They want to feel unique and special: Personalization of products and services helps to provide these benefits. Brands need to recognize this hidden desire and offer them products that help them achieve it. In the luxury market, high service levels are a given. They key to success is to get customer loyalty through providing a personalized/individualized experience.
  


• 
  
  They seek convenience: Affluent customers value their time as much as their money, making convenience fundamental to success in this market.
  


• 
  
  They are willing to pay a premium: They want the best quality, exclusivity, satisfaction and outstanding customer service. Brands that wish to target affluent customers will have to upgrade the quality/caliber of every person who represents them in the market or has any level of interaction with the customer.
  


• 
  
  High involvement buying behavior: Marketing to affluent customers generally involves selling high-ticket-size items where the degree of engagement with the client also needs to be high, as most times these purchases are a reflection of the person’s self-concept and have strong self-expressive benefits. Making buying an experience in itself is the key here, something done well by brands like Neiman Marcus.

How can brands target these customers:

One point of essence is that it’s extremely important for the brand to have a clear positioning and the right image in the minds of the customers. Tag Heuer, Rolex, Cartier are all luxury brands but they have different positionings. Consistency in communication efforts plays an important role here and strong brands usually are protagonists for something that is of value to the customers. Celebrity endorsements or as brand ambassadors is also used by some brands like Armani, L’Oreal, Swarovski with good effect.

Though there cannot be a one-size-fits-all kind of an approach to reach out to affluent customers, ones that could be used are:

• 
  
  Direct Mail: Enormous efforts and thinking needs to go in selecting the correct list. Equally important is the aspect of creating the mailer—the headline, copy, visual etc. and above all, the offer (don’t talk price, talk value).
  


• 
  
  Endorsed mails: Mailers from brands whose services / products that they already use makes the maximum impact in terms of the communication being read and carrying the right kind of associations. It also takes away the apprehensions of these customers of being on unsolicited mailing lists, which only harms the brand.
  


• 
  
  Referrals: Referrals from existing customers willing to share details of people they know who would be interested is the most tried and tested method of getting access to new clients. These customers may not mind their name being used to make contact with the reference (one needs to take permission) and at times act as your best ambassadors. The phenomenon of word-of-mouth can be very effectively used as a marketing tool here and the brand has to proactively manage it.
  


• 
  
  Pull marketing: Show them benefits of your offering and tell them how you can create value for them by giving them convenience, personalized attention, exclusivity etc. Let them have a taste of it with no strings attached by inviting them to your events, launch parties etc. The idea is to make them aware of the need and giving selling a more consultative approach.
  

Happy marketing! :)

Public Relations and The Journalists

According to marketing educator Thomas L. Harris, however, many consumers fail to make a distinction between advertising and PR when the two are used together. “I don’t think the consumer is so astute as to be aware of or object to various product placement,” Harris writes in an email interview. In fact, he argues in Value-Added Public Relations (NTC, 1998) that it may be nearly impossible to determine where PR ends and advertising begins in an integrated marketing campaign.

This lack of distinction may ultimately lead to a loss of PR credibility. Says Carole Gorney, Professor and Director of the Center for Crisis Public Relations and Litigation Studies at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, “Public relations credibility has been damaged because it is often heavily involved in and associated with marketing products. It is difficult to maintain the needed objectivity when one’s job depends on how well the product is promoted and how well it sells. If at some point down the road the product is accused of causing harm, that same PR practitioner is called on to defend the product. It’s no wonder that the media is a tiny bit skeptical.”

The practice known as press agentry has not helped matters. Press agents, who create newsworthy stories and events to attract media attention and gain public notice, have a reputation for stretching the truth or going even further to promote a story. Says Paul S. Forbes, chairman emeritus of the Forbes Group, “Just because someone uses a press release as a tool doesn’t make it public relations or even marketing. It’s not the tool that defines public relations but the purpose to which it is put.” Although press agents are generally frowned upon by public relations professionals, the textbook Effective Public Relations notes that “most public relations practitioners engage in a little press agentry at some time or another to achieve public notice through publicity” (Prentice Hall, 2000).

Some marketing professionals argue that PR cannot — and should not — be related directly to the overall success or failure to achieve marketing objectives and sales goals.

Certainly there is less potential for charges of unethical conduct if PR is not tied to return on investment. In any case, there are no magic formulas that predict how positive or negative media coverage translates to sales or stock prices. And PR can presumably be measured in terms of return on investment in a direct way only when it is the sole marketing strategy as, for example, in business-to-business marketing.

Metrosexuals

A well-groomed market?
By Vivian Manning-Schaffel

The term “metrosexual” has been bounced around more than a bad check since it was coined over ten years ago to signify a straight man who not only knows how to make coq au vin, but who also isn’t afraid to be seen getting his toes buffed at a nail salon.

Since the advent of metrosexuality, companies have realized that they have a new market to capitalize on—men who spend their money on grooming and appearance supplies. Walk through the aisles of any US drugstore, and you’ll notice an abundance of male-targeted personal grooming products, such as anti-aging eye-creams, shower gels and formula facial cleansers, slowly monopolizing the shelves.

With so many brands clamoring for their slice of the pie, metrosexuals have out and out become their own market segment. And as sales figures roll in, there is clear evidence that the metrosexual market is indeed quite viable.

“With men becoming more involved with their grooming habits and the explosive growth in the men's segment (dollar volume +49% in 2005), we saw a huge opportunity to introduce the male consumer to a new proposition in skincare,” says Carol J. Hamilton, president of the L’Oréal Paris division of L’Oréal USA, Inc., whose Men’s Expert line was among the first to hit the mass market a few years ago.

According to L’Oréal Paris’ 2005 annual report, men’s skincare—with its 11% growth in sales—was L’Oréal Paris’ fastest growing sector. And it’s not just a US-based trend. There are numbers that quantify this as a global trend. The same report states only 4% of European men used a skincare product in 1990, compared to a whopping 20% in 2003.

Interestingly, younger men seem to be leading the charge, which points to a generational shift in thinking. In Europe, 24% of men under 30 use skincare products, compared with 20% of the population as a whole. In Japan, some 30% of men under 30 use a skincare product, and in South Korea the figure clocks in at over 80%.

The numbers do not lie. Younger men are clearly more interested in taking care of themselves than their fathers or even their older brothers. But is it because metrosexuality has become more widely accepted by the masses or simply because of their generation’s habits?

Edina Sultanik-Silver, owner of BrandPimps and Media Whores, a New York-based men’s fashion public relations company, thinks metrosexual tendencies are a sign of the times.

“It’s a generational thing. I think that Gen Y and millennial guys view all the creams and grooming preparations out there as OK and perfectly natural for them to use, rather than girly,” says Sultanik-Silver. “The guys in these generations get their bodies waxed, work out, style their hair, go to tanning salons, etc., more than their predecessors. Possibly because they were raised on MTV, the Internet and reality shows, every minute of their lives is a photo-op, they always want to look like they’re ready for their 15 minutes of fame, and don't think there's anything feminine about that.”

So what liberated the inner metrosexual in these young men? Sultanik-Silver thinks it’s the marriage between the media and consumerism, producing a sector that will continue to grow for some time.

“It (this trend) was mostly media driven, I believe,” says Sultanik-Silver. “Everyone wants a piece of ‘the next big thing.’ Our popular culture is driven by image and consumerism right now. Word on the street was that men were interested in dressing up more, spending more on clothes, moisturizers, etc. Men's fashion and style were the hot buzz segment of the youth market and as a result, more brands began targeting young men as more retailers begin catering to them. To me, this signals the mainstreamization of metrosexualism,” says Sultanik-Silver. “And it’s going to continue to grow.”

As the success of Men’s Expert bears testament, L’Oréal Paris has played an active role in the ongoing mainstreaming of metrosexuals. “In our first year, we brought a significant number of these ‘men on the cusp’ into the category and we will continue to do so,” states Hamilton. “Our efforts, combined with other heavy activity in the category, will mean continued growth for many more years.”

Although she agrees that the remaining stigma about men who are keen on grooming is dissolving rapidly, there is still a serious learning curve in regard to marketing to metrosexuals.

“Despite tremendous growth rates over the past several years, the men's treatment segment is still in its infancy,” surmises Hamilton. “Today, less than 20% of men use a facial moisturizer. However, another 25% of men today say that they are interested in trying skincare treatments, but have not yet made the leap. On the whole, most men have moved away from any stigma associated with using what could be considered a more female product, but they are still not sure what to do and how to do it.”

Young or old, metrosexuals apparently are here to stay. Eventually, the term “metrosexual” might even become dated. Then, metrosexuals simply would be known as men who enjoy their right to groom and shop for clothes.

Big Brand On Campus

By Dale Buss

If the Western philosophy of higher education hadn’t done it for them already, today’s marketers certainly would have had to invent the modern college campus. There’s simply nowhere else they can find a nearly captive audience of Generation Y-ers, away from home and wide open to a flood of new influences on brand choices that they will be making and, in many cases, sticking with for years to come.

And oh, yes: This ultra-convenient venue for marketers comes complete with a student union to generate targeted traffic flow; mini-focus groups including fraternities and sororities; and, increasingly, the cooperation of college officials who understand, perhaps reluctantly, that today their ivied towers almost inevitably must yield more to commercialization than the relatively cloistered campus confines of even a generation ago.

Right now might be the best time in years for on-campus marketing initiatives because some of most active advertisers of the 90s, the dot-coms, have vanished. In fact, as millions of college students across the US head into their second semester, they're being targeted by more and more of what can only be called traditional major marketers: automakers such as Volkswagen and Honda, entertainment brands including MTV and Playboy, and communications brands including Sprint PCS.

Methods and tactics vary, but to succeed in breaking through the cacophony of competing voices in the collegiate environment, brand-marketing executives are applying these six principles:
Take it seriously: Capturing the college consumer requires a commitment that more brands are willing to make because they realize the short-term benefits, such as the chance to fuel a buzz about an innovative new product as well as the long-term benefits, which often revolve around trying to win customers for life.

While researching the market for its just-introduced Element SUV, for example, Honda Motor Co. visited fraternity houses at the University of Southern California, the University of Washington and three other campuses to convene informal focus groups. Honda engineers and designers shared sketches of the vehicle with fraternity members over beer and pizza and the fraternity received donations in return for its members' input. Honda asked fraternity leaders to invite only "people who were articulate and opinion leaders, and by default many of them were business majors," says Aziz Ucmakli, an advanced product planning analyst for Torrance, California-based Honda R&D. "We were hoping to get a better understanding of how the car might fit into their lifestyle."

Honda was so pleased with the results, Ucmakli says, that it later conducted a second round of discussions with the same fraternity groups, this time bringing with them more refined drawings. "We wanted to ascertain whether we had understood them correctly the first time," he says. "We were pretty surprised by their marketing and industry savvy." The students' feedback figured in the final configuration of the Element, and the exercise helped seed interest in the vehicle, at least on those five campuses.

For Bible publisher Harper Collins/Zondervan, the college campus represents perhaps the single most important market for its one-year-old translation of the New Testament, called Today's New International Version (TNIV). The twist behind the TNIV is that it's a gender-neutral translation of a decades-old Bible, the New International Version, which is the favorite of conservative Protestants across North America. Many prominent evangelical leaders actually have come out against the TNIV, but Zondervan is hoping to do an end-run around them by popularizing the book on campuses.

"We're targeting key gatekeepers such as the leaders of local chapters of campus Bible studies and parachurch organizations," says Chris Doornbos, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Zondervan. "Many of them are working their way through it even now and loving what they're seeing. And their opinions will be crucial in gaining acceptance for the TNIV going forward" among the Generation Y Christians who will be crucial to the ultimate success of the translation.

Become part of their lives: Experts say that college students bond best with brands that extend themselves beyond conventional marketing tactics to attempt to appeal to them in some broader or deeper way. "The way to get loyalty isn't through just sampling or postering but to show some kind of connection to your audience," says Kevin Colleran, the 21-year-old president and co-CEO of a startup called BlabberForce Enterprises Inc., who consults with companies on college marketing.

College Television Network (CTN), for example, has 6,500 television monitors on 800 campuses nationwide, which broadcast a proprietary mix of information, entertainment and features specifically related to each campus. It's supported by advertisers including ESPN, the History Channel and other cable providers, Nintendo and other video game makers, and cosmetics brands such as Clairol. New York City-based CTN includes a large service component, such as a show called Paydirt, which presents career advice from alumni who've been out in the working world for several years.

Harness the power of music: More than ever, it's the common denominator of the college experience and many, many brands look for ways to take advantage of it.

The angle is obvious for MTV, and the Viacom cable channel doesn’t squander the opportunity. This spring will be the fifth year that MTV has deployed some kind of mobile promotional campaign. The initiative in spring 2002, called the Campus Invasion 2K2 Interactive Music Expo, traveled to 20 universities around the nation. It included a "music playground" where students could jam along with their favorite music tracks, add instruments and vocals, perform onstage and then take home a custom CD and picture of their performance. Students also had the opportunity to have a virtual "audition" with Ozzy Osbourne and there were stations where they could experience the latest in music-listening technology.

"The biggest challenge we had was coming up with something that was really new and different that would enhance and extend MTV's relationship with students," says Jane Hawley, an executive of Jack Morton Worldwide, the New York City-based creative agency that handled the mobile tour for MTV. "Music is still a big part of their world, so every element we created was driven by some kind of music."

Other brands aren't hesitating to appropriate the power of music either. Volkswagen of America, for example, conducted a one-month promotion in the fall of 2002 that was highlighted by on-campus concerts by Rusted Root, warmed up by a local band that had won the privilege by besting other local bands in a submission of demo tapes to VW. "We've always had an association with hip, cool music, and this keeps the face of VW tied to it," says Heidi Korte, manager of promotions and sponsorships for the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based auto company.

Offer unique experiences: Music is only one way for marketers to provide memorable cameos that college students often will associate positively with a brand. CTN's Music Binge Tour includes a shower, suggestively called the Organic Experience, that is sponsored by Clairol for its Herbal Essence shampoo, whose past TV commercials have featured sex therapist Dr. Ruth. Playboy has sponsored an online video game tournament among college players for US$ 1,000. Volkswagen events have included a game called "Find Your Twin and Win" in which students must find their peer somewhere on campus who has the number that matches their own.

Last spring (2002), a PR agency contracted, the student chapter of the Public Relations Society of America at Arizona State University. For a US$ 500 donation, the students were asked to come up with a promotional initiative that would appeal especially to the college-aged women who are the primary target market for Zilactin, a cold- and canker-sore medicine made by Phoenix-based Zila Pharmaceuticals. What emerged was a "Stressbuster Olympics" on the campus quad that included a yoga demonstrator, free massages – and samples of Zilactin.

"Finals are a big reason for stress and therefore cold-sore outbreaks on campus," explains Dana Weidaw, senior account executive for the Scottsdale, Arizona-based agency, Lavidge & Baumayr. "This was a chance to wrap the brand in an experience that helped associate a good emotion with it."

Recognize where you are: Colleran, a student at Babson College in Wellesley, MA, stresses that brand marketers must understand that every college campus is a bit different from the rest, with its own personality, and shape a campaign to account for those differences. Another major imperative for marketers is to acknowledge that a college or university is an autonomously governed environment that isn't the same as the "open society" off-campus.

"We're very mindful of relationships with schools and with the fact that we're there by invitation," says CTN's Brown. "For instance, we're not going to put someone on our music tour who could be very controversial and we try to keep admission fees low. We use a strategy of holding hands with the school."

Colleges will often try to make sure that a physical exhibit, for example, fits into a given area or onto a given space reserved on campus for marketing efforts. Administration may reserve on-campus marketing campaigns to specific days of the week, or they may require marketers to partner with local food vendors or a school publication.

"You must have a template but it has to be flexible," says Ranie Vernon, a public relations executive who manages some of the campus-marketing activities for Sprint PCS.

Deploy peers: The most effective on-campus marketers, brand owners say, are people who seem like college students. That's why Sprint PCS's "field-marketing" team is mostly 20-somethings who visit campuses during class registrations and other important moments and wander an area in front of a student union or other landmark hawking the mobile-phone service. "Kids shy away from salespeople who are much older than them or who don't look like them or talk like them," says Vernon, who is with Greenville, South Carolina-based Leslie Agency, a marketing communications firm.

And while it's easier to control like-aged outsiders who rep on campus, Colleran says, "It's just too difficult for them to connect with kids." Thus, more marketers that are serious about on-campus customers are establishing their own networks of "campus reps" – especially brands that can attract students to represent them without much financial compensation, just by rubbing off some cool on them. Sony Music, Red Bull energy drinks and Playboy have three of the most robust networks of campus reps nationwide.

Playboy Publishing, for example, is now aiming to expand its staff of campus reps to about 200 this year from a corps of about 150 last year and about 100 when it launched the program five years ago. (The New York City-based company says 15 percent of the representatives are women.) To eliminate hangers-on, Playboy requires applicants to have a 3.0 grade point average and a resume that includes extracurricular activities such as serving as the social chairperson for a fraternity or sorority.

The reps usually work an average of one or two hours a week for little recompense other than Playboy-branded apparel, says Lisa Natale, senior vice president and marketing director for Playboy Publishing. During a big on-campus campaign, each rep might be working several hours a week and also collect, say, US$ 200 for their efforts. "They don't get compensated much monetarily," Natale says. "Just being part of the Playboy brand is exciting for them."

Playboy reps' duties still center around throwing parties for the brand and, as was done during the Sony festival, scouting campus locations for promotions, placing ads in the college newspaper and on the campus radio station, and helping to run the event. But in these leaner times, Natale says, Playboy also has begun to use its campus reps more for helping build databases of fans of the brand and potential subscribers. Initially each rep, for example, must provide to Playboy information about 50 individuals who will volunteer to receive the company's email newsletters as well as online coupons for Playboy merchandise.

"Reps are very receptive to this new requirement because they've opted in to become part of the database network themselves," Natale says. "It's fun and very glamorous." Which is exactly the light that will positively reflect on your brand.

Peter, I Love You!

Peter dan Tina sedang duduk bersama di taman kampus tanpa melakukan apapun, hanya memandang langit sementara sahabat-sahabat mereka sedang asyik bercanda ria dengan kekasih mereka masing-masing.

Tina: "Duh bosen banget. Aku harap aku juga punya pacar yang bisa berbagi waktu denganku."

Peter: "Kayaknya cuma tinggal kita berdua deh yang jomblo. Cuma kita berdua saja yang tidak punya pasangan sekarang."
(keduanya mengeluh dan berdiam beberapa saat)

Tina: "Kayaknya aku ada ide bagus deh. Kita adakan permainan yuk?"

Peter: "Eh? Permainan apaan?"

Tina: "Eng... gampang sih permainannya. Kamu jadi pacarku dan aku jadi pacarmu tapi hanya untuk 100 hari saja. Gimana menurutmu?"

Peter: "Baiklah.... lagian aku juga gada rencana apa-apa untuk beberapa bulan ke depan."

Tina: "Kok kayaknya kamu gak terlalu niat ya... semangat dong! Hari ini akan jadi hari pertama kita kencan. Mau jalan-jalan kemana nih?"

Peter: "Gimana kalo kita nonton saja? Kalo gak salah film The Troy lagi maen
deh. Katanya film itu bagus"

Tina: "OK dech.... Yuk kita pergi sekarang. Ntar pulang nonton kita ke karaoke ya... Ajak aja adik kamu sama pacarnya biar seru."

Peter : "Boleh juga..."
(mereka pun pergi nonton, berkaraoke dan Peter mengantarkan Tina pulang malam harinya)

Hari ke 2:
Peter dan Tina menghabiskan waktu untuk ngobrol dan bercanda di kafe, suasana kafe yang remang-remang dan alunan musik yang syahdu membawa hati mereka pada situasi yang romantis. Sebelum pulang Peter membeli sebuah kalung perak berliontin bintang untuk Tina.

Hari ke 3:
Mereka pergi ke pusat perbelanjaan untuk mencari kado untuk seorang sahabat Peter. Setelah lelah berkeliling pusat perbelanjaan, mereka memutuskan membeli sebuah miniatur mobil mini. Setelah itu mereka beristirahat duduk di foodcourt, makan satu potong kue dan satu gelas jus berdua dan mulai berpegangan tangan untuk pertama kalinya.

Hari ke 7:
Bermain bowling dengan teman-teman Peter. Tangan tina terasa sakit karena tidak pernah bermain bowling sebelumnya. Peter memijit-mijit tangan Tina dengan lembut.

Hari ke 25:
Peter mengajak Tina makan malam di Ancol Bay. Bulan sudah menampakan diri, langit yang cerah menghamparkan ribuan bintang dalam pelukannya. Mereka duduk menunggu makanan, sambil menikmati suara desir angin berpadu dengan suara gelombang bergulung di pantai. Sekali lagi Tina memandang langit, dan melihat bintang jatuh. Dia mengucapkan suatu permintaan dalam hatinya.

Hari ke 41:
Peter berulang tahun. Tina membuatkan kue ulang tahun untuk Peter. Bukan kue buatannya yang pertama, tapi kasih sayang yang mulai timbul dalam hatinya membuat kue buatannya itu menjadi yang terbaik. Peter terharu menerima kue itu, dan dia mengucapkan suatu harapan saat meniup lilin ulang tahunnya.

Hari ke 67:
Menghabiskan waktu di Dufan. Naik halilintar, makan es krim bersama, dan mengunjungi stand permainan. Peter menghadiahkan sebuah boneka teddy bear untuk Tina, dan Tina membelikan sebuah pulpen untuk Peter.

Hari ke 72:
Pergi Ke PRJ. Melihat meriahnya pameran lampion dari negeri China. Tina penasaran untuk mengunjungi salah satu tenda peramal. Sang peramal hanya mengatakan "Hargai waktumu bersamanya mulai sekarang", kemudian peramal itu meneteskan air mata.

Hari ke 84:
Peter mengusulkan agar mereka refreshing ke pantai. Pantai Anyer sangat sepi karena bukan waktunya liburan bagi orang lain. Mereka melepaskan sandal dan berjalan sepanjang pantai sambil berpegangan tangan, merasakan lembutnya pasir dan dinginnya air laut menghempas kaki mereka. Matahari terbenam, dan mereka berpelukan seakan tidak ingin berpisah lagi.

Hari ke 99:
Peter memutuskan agar mereka menjalani hari ini dengan santai dan sederhana. Mereka berkeliling kota dan akhirnya duduk di sebuah taman kota.


15:20 pm
Tina: "Aku haus.. Istirahat dulu yuk sebentar."

Peter: "Tunggu disini, aku beli minuman dulu. Aku mau teh botol saja. Kamu mau minum apa?"

Tina: "Aku saja yang beli. kamu kan capek sudah menyetir keliling kota hari ini. Sebentar ya"

Peter mengangguk. kakinya memang pegal sekali karena dimana-mana Jakarta selalu macet.



15:30 pm
Peter sudah menunggu selama 10 menit and Tina belum kembali juga. Tiba-tiba seseorang yang tak dikenal berlari menghampirinya dengan wajah panik.

Peter : "Ada apa pak?"

Orang asing: "Ada seorang perempuan ditabrak mobil. Kayaknya perempuan itu adalah temanmu"

Peter segera berlari bersama dengan orang asing itu. Disana, di atas aspal yang panas terjemur terik matahari siang, tergeletak tubuh Tina bersimbah darah, masih memegang botol minumannya.

Peter segera melarikan mobilnya membawa Tina ke rumah sakit terdekat. Peter duduk diluar ruang gawat darurat selama 8 jam 10 menit. Seorang dokter keluar dengan wajah penuh penyesalan.


23:53 pm
Dokter: "Maaf, tapi kami sudah mencoba melakukan yang terbaik. Dia masih bernafas sekarang tapi Yang kuasa akan segera menjemput. Kami menemukan surat ini dalam kantung bajunya."

Dokter memberikan surat yang terkena percikan darah kepada Peter dan dia segera masuk ke dalam kamar rawat untuk melihat Tina. Wajahnya pucat tetapi terlihat damai. Peter duduk disamping pembaringan Tina dan menggenggam tangan Tina dengan erat.

Untuk pertama kali dalam hidupnya Peter merasakan torehan luka yang sangat dalam di hatinya. Butiran air mata mengalir dari kedua belah matanya. Kemudian dia mulai membaca surat yang telah ditulis Tina untuknya.

Dear Peter...
ke 100 hari kita sudah hampir berakhir.
Aku menikmati
hari-hari yang kulalui bersamamu.
Walaupun kadang-kadang kamu jutek dan tidak
bisa ditebak,
tapi semua hal ini telah membawa kebahagiaan dalam hidupku.
Aku sudah menyadari bahwa kau adalah pria yang berharga dalam
hidupku.
Aku menyesal tidak pernah berusaha untuk mengenalmu lebih dalam
lagi sebelumnya.
Sekarang aku tidak meminta apa-apa, hanya berharap kita
bisa memperpanjang hari-hari kebersamaan kita. Sama seperti yang kuucapkan
pada bintang jatuh malam itu di pantai,
Aku ingin kau menjadi cinta sejati
dalam hidupku. Aku ingin menjadi
kekasihmu selamanya dan berharap kau juga
bisa berada disisiku seumur
hidupku. Peter, aku sangat sayang padamu.

23:58
Peter: "Tina, apakah kau tahu harapan apa yang kuucapkan dalam hati saat meniup lilin ulang tahunku? Aku pun berdoa agar Tuhan mengijinkan kita bersama-sama selamanya..Tina, kau tidak bisa meninggalkanku! Hari yang kita lalui baru berjumlah 99 hari! Kamu harus bangun dan kita akan melewati puluhan ribu hari bersama-sama! Aku juga sayang padamu, Tina. Jangan tinggalkan aku, jangan biarkan aku kesepian!
Tina, Aku sayang kamu...!"

Jam dinding berdentang 12 kali.... jantung Tina berhenti berdetak.
Hari itu adalah hari ke 100...


Katakan perasaanmu pada orang yang kau sayangi sebelum terlambat.
Kau tidak akan pernah tahu apa yang akan terjadi besok.
Kau tidak akan pernah tahu siapa yang akan meninggalkanmu dan tidak akan pernah kembali lagi.

Strategi Menciptakan Merk

Salah satu strategi menjual yang dianggap prestisius dan sangat efektif adalah menciptakan brand. Mengapa begitu penting? Karena selain sebagai identitas produk, brand juga akan menumbuhkan loyalitas konsumen. Biasanya bila seseorang sudah cocok dan akrab dengan suatu brand, dia tidak akan mudah berpaling pada brand lain. Selain itu, bagi sebagian orang, brand juga seringkali dianggap sebagai identitas dirinya.

Namun, kecocokan tentu tak hanya berasal dari nama, tetapi juga kualitas produk, pelayanan yang memuaskan, dan harga yang reasonable. Semakin banyak konsumen yang merasa puas dengan kualitas produk, maka semakin tinggi nilai jual sebuah brand.

Simpel dan Bermakna

Berdasarkan salah satu hasil survei marketing, masyarakat berusia muda cenderung lebih memilih menggunakan produk dengan nama brand asing atau pun yang terkesan asing. Namun, tak berarti nama-nama yang terkesan lokal juga tak dilirik, lho. Terpenting, pilihlah nama yang simpel, agar mudah diucapkan dan diingat. Selain itu, ada baiknya memilih nama brand yang memiliki arti tertentu. Bila tak ingin repot, Anda juga bisa menggunakan nama Anda menjadi nama brand, seperti yang dilakukan brand-brand ternama, seperti Yves Saint Laurent dan lainnya.

Gunakan Logo

Ciptakanlah sebuah logo visual yang sesuai dengan produk dan brand produk Anda. Logo ini dapat membantu brand yang Anda ciptakan terkesan lebih mewah dan istimewa. Dengan logo, Anda dapat membentuk sebuah komunikasi melalui tanda yang mudah dimengerti dan diingat oleh setiap orang tanpa batasan bahasa. Inilah yang nantinya akan menjadi identitas produk Anda.

Menyasar Target Market

Hal lain yang tak kalah penting adalah menentukan target market, yakni siapa sasaran utama Anda. Bila Anda memilih target market menengah ke atas, tentu image yang mesti dibentuk adalah sebuah produk mewah. Herry Soebhiantoro, Associate Training Facilitator di Lembaga Management FEUI, pada kesempatan Workshop Inspirasi Wirausaha dari majalah Femina di Sari Pan Pacific (18/7), menekankan pentingnya penentuan target sasaran. Seringkali para pelaku usaha kecil menengah (UKM)) bingung menentukan target sasarannya. Seringkali mereka terjebak ingin memuaskan klien yang mewah, sekaligus ingin melayani klien yang ekonomis dengan harga menengah. Padahal, kedua pasar ini sulit digabungkan. Ketika Anda ingin mengejar target pasar kelas atas, Anda harus pasang harga tinggi dengan kualitas sangat baik. Sementara sebaliknya, jika ingin mengejar konsumen yang amat kritis untuk mendapatkan harga murah, maka juallah produk dengan harga murah, namun kualitas bisa diturunkan. Jika Anda berusaha berada di tengah-tengah, ini hanya akan menyusahkan Anda. Si target pasar yang kelas atas, umumnya gengsi untuk membeli barang murah, karena terbiasa dengan brand-brand bermerek. Sementara yang kelas menengah ke bawah, cenderung mencari yang mereknya biasa, asal murah. Tentukan pasar Anda siapa, dari sana akan lebih mudah meneruskan promosi dan nilai tambah produk Anda ketimbang saingan.

Promosi Sesuai Sasaran

Setiap pengusaha tentu ingin produknya menjadi pembicaraan dan dipuji banyak orang. Tetapi, bagaimana bisa dibicarakan bila tak ada yang mengenal produknya? Trik yang selalu digunakan oleh para marketer adalah dengan teknik promosi. Bukan sembarang promosi, melainkan promosi yang tepat sasaran. Pilih orang-orang yang berpengaruh di kelompoknya untuk mengenal produk Anda. Beri dia sampel gratis atau ajak dia mencoba produk Anda. Bila ia menyukainya, dengan mudah produk Anda akan dikenal luas.

Selain itu, Anda pun perlu menggelar event khusus untuk memperkenalkan brand Anda, dengan beberapa tips berikut:

*Mendompleng ketenaran

Salah satu cara termudah agar produk Anda segera dilirik konsumen adalah membuat produk Anda digunakan oleh selebriti atau public figure saat acara pesta atau event sosial lainnya. Karena biasanya apa yang dikenakan oleh public figure akan segera menjadi perhatian banyak orang. Di sinilah kesempatan Anda untuk memperkenalkan brand sekaligus membentuk brand image. Ini bahkan akan lebih efektif dari sekadar memajang produk Anda di etalase toko.

*Pengenalan produk

Sebagai produk dengan brand baru tentu belum banyak dikenal orang. Pada saat merilis produk tersebut ke pasar, ada baiknya Anda menjelaskan secara detail kepada para calon customer tentang produk tersebut, dari bahan baku, proses pembuatan, hingga manfaatnya. Jangan lupa, paparkan juga keunikan dan keunggulan yang dimiliki brand Anda.

*Berteman dengan media

Anda tahu, kan, media memiliki efek sangat besar untuk memengaruhi penilaian masyarakat? Jadi, jangan hanya duduk berdiam diri dan berharap media akan mencari Anda. Kirimkan press release dan contoh produk atau undangan untuk menghadiri peluncuran produk. Bila perlu, Anda juga bisa meminjamkan beberapa produk untuk mendapat review khusus dari media.

*Pelayanan khusus

Sebuah brand berkualitas biasanya selalu memiliki customer VIP. Berikan pelayanan khusus, karena mereka inilah yang biasanya menjadi orang pertama yang bersedia membeli produk Anda. Anda bisa menjalin komunikasi dengan cara selalu mengirimkan informasi tentang desain atau produk terbaru Anda. Entah itu dengan kartu member, milis khusus, atau SMS info. Buat mereka merasa dihargai.

*Bangun sinergi

Ikutlah program afiliasi atau kerja sama dengan produk atau brand lain. Misal, dengan membeli produk Anda, maka pembeli akan mendapatkan potongan harga untuk produk B dari brand lain. Atau cara lain, bergabunglah dalam event-event besar di kota Anda sebagai sponsor. Makin sering Anda ikut event, maka makin cepat brand Anda dikenal.

Saingan? No Problem“Persaingan itu diperlukan untuk kita selalu bisa berinovasi dan menguntungkan konsumen,” ujar Herry. Selain itu, persaingan membuat kita dan si pesaing berlomba-lomba memperbaiki kekurangan dari produk atau jasa. Jika Anda menyasar kepada konsumen kelas atas, maka Anda bisa mencoba untuk bermain dan menambahkan di nilai tambah (added value) produk. Nilai tambah ini, jelas Herry, bisa didapat dari tiga hal, yakni lewat content (performa produk), context (presentasi atau kemasan, layanan, desain interior, atau suasana), dan infrastructure (kemudahan akses).

Misal, jika Anda memiliki salon, sementara ada pesaing di lingkungan yang sama, Anda bisa mencoba menambahkan nilai tambah pada suasana atau hadiah kepada pelanggan. Ciptakan suatu keunikan dari produk atau jasa Anda yang tak ada di produk pesaing. Jangan lupa untuk terus mengevaluasi ulang hasil promosi dan branding yang sudah Anda lakukan secara berkala. Perhatikan cara yang Anda lakukan, apakah sudah sesuai target market atau belum, agar brand Anda bisa terus sukses.

To be an Accountant

An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy, which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, fax authorities and other decision makers make resource allocation decisions.

In many countries the designation accountant or at least the more specific terms qualified accountant or professional accountant is a certified accountancy and financial expert. Like other legally restricted professions including doctors and lawyers, different countries have their own training and examination systems to maintain the quality of qualified accountants in their jurisdictions. There are many professional bodies for accountants throughout the world.

Accountants originally worked only in public practice, for example, professional accountancy firms selling advice and services to other individuals and businesses. Today, in addition, many work within private corporations, the financial industry and various government bodies.

Accountants may specialize in various fields. For example, forensic accountants analyze financial data when fraud or other criminal actions are suspected.

The word ‘accountant’ is derived from the French ‘compter’ which took its origin from the Latin ‘computare’. As a proof of its derivation the word was formerly written in English ‘accomptant’, but in process of time the word which was always pronounced by dropping the ’p’ became gradually changed both in pronounciation and in orthography to its present form.

An accountant was originally a person employed in connection with the keeping of accounts, and this term became also applicable to those who, being skilled in accounts, devoted their energies to making the examination and the stating of accounts their special occupation. From the word ‘accountant’ the term accountancy, is derived.

New York University was the first to give accountancy an established place in the university curriculum by creating a “School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance”, which was the first school of accountancy in the world.

Accountant
A person who looks after the broader financial well-being of a business, including the preparation of financial plans, budgets and management accounts and may include staff welfare.

Definition: a person whose work it is to inspect, keep or adjust accounts

Accountants help you keep an eye on major costs as early as the startup stage, a time when you are probably preoccupied with counting every paper clip and postage stamp. When you are looking at the details, accountants help you keep your eye on the big picture.

Even after the startup stage, many business owners may not have any idea how well they are doing financially until the end of the year, when they file their tax returns. Meanwhile, they equate their cash flow with profits, whic is wrong. Every dollar counts for business owners, so if you do not know where you stand on a monthly basis, you may find you are not around at the end of the year.
No other business relationship has such potential to pay off. Nowadays, accountants are more than just bean counters. A good accountant can be your company’s financial partner for life—with intimate knowledge of everything from how you are going to finance your next forklift to how you are going to fund your daughter’s college education.

While many people think of accountants strictly as tax prepares, in reality, good accountants have a wide knowledge base that can be an invaluable asset to a business. A general accounting practice covers four basic areas of expertise:
- Business advisory services
- Accounting and record keeping
- Tax advice
- Auditing

These four disciplines often overlap. For instance, if your accountant is helping you prepare the financial statements you need for a loan and he or she gives you some insights into how certain estimates could be recalculated to get a more favorable review, the accountant is crossing the line from auditing into business advisory services. And perhaps, after preparing your midyear financial statements, he or she might suggest how your performance year to date will influence your year end tax liability.

Here is a closer look at these four areas:
- Business advisory services. This is where accountants can really earn their keep. Since the accountant is knowledgeable about your business envirnment, your tax situation and your financial statements, it makes sense to ask him or her to pull all the pieces together and help you come up with a business plan and personal financial plan you can really achieve. Accountants can offer advice on everything from insurance (do you relly need business interruption insurance, or would it be cheaper to lease a second site?) to expansion (how will additional capacity affect operating costs?)

- Accounting and record keeping. Accounting and record keeping are perhaps the most basic accounting disciplines. However, most business owners keep their own books and records instead of having their accountant do it. The reason is simple: if these records are examined by lenders or the IRS, the business owner is responsible for their accuracy; therefore, it makes more sense for the owner to maintain them.
Where accountants can offer help is in initially setting up bookkeeping and accounting systems and showing the business owner how to use them. A good system allows you to evaluate your profitability at any given point in time and modify prices accordingly. It also lets you track expenses to see if any particular areas are getting out of hand. It allows you to establish and track a budget, spot trends in sales and expenses, and reduce accounting fees required to produce financial statements and tax returns.

- Tax advice. Tax help from accountants comes in two forms: tax compliance and tax planning. Planning refers to reducing your overall tax burden; compliance refers to obeying the tax laws

- Auditing. Auditing services are required for many different purposes, most commonly by banks as a condition of a loan. There are many levels of auditing, ranging from simply preparing financial statements from figures that the entrepreneur supplies all the way up to an actual audit, where the accountant or other third party gives assurance that a company’s financial information is accurate.

Before engaging an accountant, ask about fees upront. Most accounting firms charge by the hour; hourly fees can range from $75 to $275. However, there are some accountants who work on a monthly retainer. Figure out what services you are likely to need and which option will be more cost-effective for you.

Get a range of quotes from different accountants. Also try to get an setimate of the total annual charges based on the services you have discussed. Do not base your decision solely on cost, however; an accountant who charges more by the hour is likely to be more experienced and thus able to work faster than a novice who charges less.

Do not hire anyone with getting references, particularly from clients in the same industry as you. A good accountant should be happy to provide you with references. Call ecah of the references they supply and ask how satisfied the client was with the accountant’s services, fees and availability.

After you have made your choice, spell out the terms of the agreement in an ‘engagement letter’ that details the returns and statements to be prepared and the fees to be charged. This ensures you and your accountant have the same expectations and helps prevent misunderstandings and hard feelings.

An accountant provides accounting services to individuals, business, non profit organizations, and governmental entities. Because accounting services range widely, an accountant is likely to specialize in a specific field. A cost accountant records and analizes the cost associated with production. A forensic accountant provides analytical and investigative skills to legal proceedings.

A tax accountant assists in the preparation of tax returns and in devising tax strategies. An auditor is an accountant who test the accuracy, integrity, and fairness, of financial statements through various accounting tests. There are no specific regairements to became an accountant, or to call oneself an accountant. Nevertheless, most accountants will have a four years college degree.

Moreover, an accountant who has met certain education regairements can try to become a certified public accountant (CPA), an accountant who licensed by state boards of accountancy to express an opinion on company financial statements. To became a certified public accountant, an accountant must pass a rigorous exam and work as an auditor in a CPA firm for an axtended period, often two years.

Photography Science

Kata photography berasal dari kata photo yang berarti cahaya dan graph yang berarti gambar. Jadi photography bisa diartikan menggambar/melukis dengan cahaya.

Jenis-jenis kamera

a) Kamera film, sekarang juga disebut dengan kamera analog oleh beberapa orang.

Format film

Sebelum kita melangkah ke jenis-jenis kamera film ada baiknya kita mengenal terlebih dahulu berbagai macam format/ukuran film.

1. APS, Advanced Photography System. Format kecil dengan ukuran film 16x24mm, dikemas dalam cartridge. Meski format ini tergolong baru, namun tidak populer. Toko yang menjual film jenis ini susah dicari di Indonesia

2. Format 135. Dikenal juga dengan film 35mm. Mempunyai ukuran 24x36mm, dikemas dalam bentuk cartridge berisi 20 atau 36 frame. Format ini adalah format yang paling populer, banyak kita temui di sekitar kita

3. Medium format

4. Large format

Jenis Film

1. Film B/W, film negatif hitam putih

2. Film negatif warna. Paling populer, sering kita pakai

3. Film positif, biasa juga disebut slide. Lebih mahal dan rawan overexposure. Meski demikian warna-warna yang dihasilkan lebih bagus karena dapat menangkap rentang kontras yang lebih luas

Jenis-jenis kamera Film

1. Pocket/compact. Kamera saku. Populer bagi orang awam, sederhana dan mudah dioperasikan. Menggunakan film format 35mm

2. Rangefinder. Kamera pencari jarak. Kecil, sekilas mirip dengan kamera saku. Bedanya, kamera ini mempunyai mekanisme fokusing (karenanya disebut rangefinder). Umumnya menggunakan film format 35mm

3. SLR, Single Lens Reflex. Kamera refleks lensa tunggal. Populer di kalangan profesional, amatir dan hobiis. Umumnya mempunyai lensa yang dapat diganti. Menggunakan film format 35mm. Disebut juga kamera sistem

4. TLR, Twin Lens Reflex. Kamera refleks lensa ganda. Biasanya menggunakan format medium

5. Viewfinder. Biasanya menggunakan format medium

Kamera manual dan kamera otomatis. Kamera-kamera SLR terbaru umumnya sudah dilengkapi sistem autofokus dan autoexposure namun masih dapat dioperasikan secara manual.

b ) Kamera digital

Menggunakan sensor digital sebagai pengganti film

1. Consumer. Kamera saku, murah, mudah pemakaiannya. Lensa tak dapat diganti. Sebagian besar hanya punya mode full-otomatis. Just point and shoot. Beberapa, seperti Canon seri A, memiliki mode manual.

2. Prosumer. Kamera SLR-like, harga menengah. Lensa tak dapat diganti. Shooting Mode manual dan auto

3. DSLR. Digital SLR

Lensa Kamera

Mata dari kamera, secara umum menentukan kualitas foto yang dihasilkan lensa memiliki 2 properties penting yaitu panjang fokal dan aperture maksimum.

Field of View (FOV)

tiap lensa memiliki FOV yang lebarnya tergantung dari panjang fokalnya dan luas film/sensor yang digunakan.

Field of View Cropsering

disebut secara salah kaprah dengan focal length multiplier. Hampir semua kamera digital memiliki ukuran sensor yang lebih kecil daripada film 35mm, maka pada field of view kamera digital lebih kecil dari pada kamera 35mm. Misal lensa 50 mm pada Nikon D70 memiliki FOV yang sama dengan lensa 75mm pada kamera film 35mm (FOV crop factor 1.5x)

Jenis-jenis Lensa

a. berdasarkan prime-vario

1. Fixed focal/Prime, memiliki panjang fokal tetap, misal Fujinon 35mm F/3.5 memiliki panjang fokal 35 mm. Lensa prime kurang fleksibel, namun kualitasnya lebih tinggi daripada lensa zoom pada harga yang sama

2. Zoom/Vario, memiliki panjang fokal yang dapat diubah, misal Canon EF-S 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 memiliki panjang fokal yang dapat diubah dari 18 mm sampai 55 mm. Fleksibel karena panjang fokalnya yang dapat diatur

b. berdasarkan panjang focal

1. Wide, lensa dengan FOV lebar, panjang fokal 35 mm atau kurang. Biasanya digunakan untuk memotret pemandangan dan gedung

2. Normal, panjang fokal sekitar 50 mm. Lensa serbaguna, cepat dan harganya murah

3. Tele, lensa dengan FOV sempit, panjang fokal 70mm atau lebih. Untuk memotret dari jarak jauh

c. berdasarkan aperture maksimumnya

1. Cepat, memiliki aperture maksimum yang lebar

2. Lambat, memiliki aperture maksimum sempit

d. lensa-lensa khusus

1. Lensa Makro, digunakan untuk memotret dari jarak dekat

2. Lensa Tilt and Shift, bisa dibengkokan

Ketentuan lensa lebar/tele (berdasarkan panjang focal) di atas berlaku untuk kamera film 35mm. Lensa Nikkor 50 mm menjadi lensa normal pada kamera film 35mm, tapi menjadi lensa tele jika digunakan pada kamera digital Nikon D70. Pada Nikon D70 FOV Nikkor 50 mm setara dengan FOV lensa 75 mm pada kamera film 35mm

Peralatan bantu lain

- Tripod , diperlukan untuk pemotretan dengan kecepatan lambat. Pada kecepatan lambat, menghindari goyangan kamera jika dipegang dengan tangan (handheld). Secara umum kecepatan minimal handhel adalah 1/focal.Membawa tripod saat hunting bisa merepotkan. Untuk keperluan hunting biasanya tripod yang dibawa adalah tripod yang ringan dan kecil.

- Monopod , mirip tripod, kaki satu. Lebih mudah dibawa. Hanya dapat menghilangkan goyangan vertikal saja.

- Flash/blitz/lampu kilat , untuk menerangai obyek dalam kondisi gelap

- Filter , untuk menyaring cahaya yang masuk. Ada banyak jenisnya :

UV, menyaring cahaya UV agar tidak terjadi hazy pada foto2 landscape, sering digunakan untuk melindungi lensa dari debu.

PL/CPL (Polarizer/Circular Polarizar) untuk mengurangi bayangan pada permukaan non logam. Bisa juga untuk menambah kontras langit

Exposure

jumlah cahaya yang masuk ke kamera, tergantung dari aperture dan kecepatan.

- Aperture/diafragma . Makin besar aperture makin banyak cahaya yang masuk. Aperture dinyatakan dengan angka angka antara lain sebagai berikut: f/1,4 f/2 f/3,5 f/5.6 f/8. semakin besar angkanya (f number), aperture makin kecil aperturenya

- Shutter speed/kecepatan rana . Makin cepat, makin sedikit cahaya yang masuk

- ISO , menyatakan sensitivitas sensor/film. Makin tinggi ISOnya maka jumlah cahaya yang dibutuhkan makin sedikit. Film ISO 100 memerlukan jumlah cahaya 2 kali film ISO 200

Contoh: kombinasi diafragma f/5.6 kec. 1/500 pada ISO 100 setara dengan diafragma f/8 kec 1/500 atau f/5.6 kec. 1/1000 pada ISO 200.

Exposure meter , pengukur cahaya. Hampir tiap kamera modern memiliki pengukur cahaya internal. Selain itu juga tersedia pengukur cahaya eksternal

Exposure metering ( sering disingkat dengan metering )adalah metode pengukuran cahaya

1. Average metering , mengukur cahaya rata-rata seluruh frame

2. Center-weighted average metering , mengukur cahaya rata-rata dengan titik berat bagian tengah

3. Matrix/Evaluative metering , Mengukur cahaya di berbagai bagian dari frame, untuk kemudian dikalkulasi dengan metode-metode otomatis tertentu

4. Spot metering , mengukur cahaya hanya pada bagian kecil di tengah frame saja

Exposure compensation, 18% grey . Exposure meter selalu mengukur cahaya dan menghasilkan pengukuran sehingga terang foto yang dihasilkan berkisar pada 18% grey. Jadi kalau kita membidik sebidang kain putih dan menggunakan seting exposure sebagaimana yang ditunjukan oleh meter, maka kain putih tersebut akan menjadi abu-abu dalam foto. Untuk mengatasi hal tersebut kita harus melakukan exposure compensation. Exposure kita tambah sehingga kain menjadi putih.

Under exposured = foto terlalu gelap karena kurang exposure

Over exposured = foto terlalu terang karena kelebihan exposure

Istilah stop

Naik 1 stop, artinya exposure dinaikkan menjadi 2 kali.

Naik 2 stop, artinya exposure dinaikkan menjadi 4 kali.

Turun 1 stop exposure diturunkan menjadi 1/2 kali.

Turun 2 stop exposure diturunkan menjadi 1/4 kali.

Kenaikan 1 stop pada aperture sebagai berikut: f/22; f/16; f/11; f/8; f/5,6; f/4; f/2,8; f/2.

Beda f number tiap stop adalah 0,7 kali (1/ akar2).

Kenaikan 1 stop pada kec. Rana sebagai berikut: 1/2000; 1/1000; 1/500; 1/250; 1/125; 1/60; 1/30; 1/15; 1/8; 1/4; 1/2; 1.

Beda speed tiap stop adalah 2 kali

DOF , Depth of Field, kedalaman medan. DOF adalah daerah tajam di sekitar fokus.Kedalaman medan dipengaruhi oleh besar aperture, panjang fokal, dan jarak ke obyek.

1. Aperture, semakin besar aperture (f number makin kecil) maka DOF akan makin dangkal/sempit

2. Panjang fokal (riil), semakin panjang fokal, DOF makin dangkal/sempit

3. Jarak ke obyek, semakin dekat jarak ke obyek maka DOF makin dangkal/sempit

Pemilihan DOF

- Jika DOF sempit, FG dan BG akan blur. DOF sempit digunakan jika kita ingin mengisolasi/menonjolkan obyek dari lingkungan sekitarnya misalnya pada foto-foto portrait atau foto bunga.

- Jika DOF lebar, FG dan BG tampak lebih tajam. DOF lebar digunakan jika kita menginginkan hampir seluruh bagian pada foto nampak tajam, seperti pada foto landscape atau foto jurnalistik.

Shooting mode

Mode auto , mode point and shoot, tinggal bidik dan jepret

1. Full auto, kamera yang menentukan semua parameter

2. Portrait, kamera menggunakan aperture terbesar untuk menyempitkan DOF

3. Landscape, kamera menggunakan aperture terkecil

4. Nightscene, menggunakan kecepatan lambat dan flash untuk menangkap obyek dan BG sekaligus

5. Fast shuter speed

6. Slow shutter speed

Creative zone

1. P, program AE. Mirip dengan mode auto dengan kontrol lebih. Dengan mode ini kita bisa mengontrol exposure compensation, ISO, metering mode, Auto/manual fokus, white balance, flash on/off, dan continues shooting.

2. Tv, shutter speed priority AE. Kita menetukan speed, kamera akan menghitung aperture yang tepat

3. Av, aperture priority AE. Kita menentukan aperture, kamera mengatur speed

4. M, manual exposure. Kita yang menentukan aperture dan speed secara manual

Komposisi dan Angle

Komposisi adalah penempatan obyek dalam frame foto

Angle adalah sudut pemotretan, dari bawah, atas, atau sejajar

Komposisi dan angle lebih menyangkut ke seni dari fotografi. Faktor selera fotografer sangat besar pengaruhnya.

Sejarah dan Perkembangan Public Relations

Humas kependekan dari hubungan masyarakat. Hal ini seringkali disederhanakan sebagai sebuah terjemahan dari istilah Public Relations (PR). Sebagai ilmu pengetahuan, PR masih relatif baru bagi masyarakat Indonesia. PR sendiri merupakan gabungan berbagai imu dan termasuk dalam jajaran ilmu-ilmu sosial seperti halnya ilmu politik, ekonomi, sejarah, psikologi, sosiologi, komunikasi dan lain-lain.

Dalam kurun waktu 100 tahun terakhir ini PR mengalami perkembangan yang sangat cepat. Namun perkembangan PR dalam setiap negara itu tak sama baik bentuk maupun kualitasnya.Proses perkembangan PR lebih banyak ditentukan oleh situasi masyarakat yang kompleks.

PR merupakan pendekatan yang sangat strategis dengan menggunakan konsep-konsep komunikasi (Kasali, 2005:1). Di masa mendatang PR diperkiraan akan mengalami pertumbuhan yang luar biasa. Pemerintah AS mempekerjakan 9000 karyawan di bidang komunikasi yang ditempatkan di United States Information Agency.

Perkembangan Humas di Dunia
Dalam sejarahnya istilah Public Relations sebagai sebuah teknik menguat dengan adanya aktivitas yang dilakukan oleh pelopor Ivy Ledbetter Lee yang tahun 1906 berhasil menanggulangi kelumpuhan industri batu bara di Amerika Serikat dengan sukes. Atas upayanya ini ia diangkat menjadi The Father of Public Relations.
Perkembangan PR sebenarnya bisa dikaitkan dengan keberadaan manusia. Unsur-unsur memberi informasi kepada masyarakat, membujuk masyarakat, dan mengintegrasikan masyarakat, adalah landasan bagi masyarakat.

Tujuan, teknik, alat dan standar etika berubah-ubah sesuai dengan berlalunya waktu. Misalnya pada masa suku primitif mereka menggunakan kekuatan, intimidasi atau persuasi ntuk memelihara pengawasan terhadap pengikutnya. Atau menggunakan hal-hal yang bersifat magis, totem (benda-benda keramat), taboo (hal-hal bersifat tabu), dan kekuatan supranatural.

Penemuan tulisan akan membuat metode persuasi berubah. Opini publik mulai berperan. Ketika era Mesir Kuno, ulama merupakan pembentuk opini dan pengguna persuasi. Pada saat Yunani kuno mulai dikembangkan Olympiade untuk bertukar pendapat dan meningkatkan hubungan dengan rakyat. Evaluasi mengenai pendapat atau opini publik merupakan perkembangan terakhir dalam sejarah kemanusiaan.

Dasar-dasar fungsi humas ditemukan dalam revolusi Amerika. Ketika ada gerakan yang direncanakan dan dilaksanakan. Pada dasarnya, masing-masing periode perkembangan memiliki perbedaaan dalam startegi mempengaruhi publik, menciptakan opini publik demi perkembangan organisasinya.

Berikut gambaran kronologis PR di dunia:
Abad ke-19 : PR di Amerika dan Eropa merupakan program studi yang mandiri didasarkan pada perkembangan Ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi.

1865-1900 : Publik masih dianggap bodoh

1900-1918 : Publik diberi informasi dan dilayani

1918-1945 : Publik diberi pendidikan dan dihargai

1925 : Di New York, PR sebagai pendidikan tinggi resmi

1928 : Di Belanda memasuki pendidikan tinggi dan minimal di fakultas sebagai mata kuliah wajib. Disamping itu banyak diadakan kursus-kursus yang bermutu

1945-1968 : Publik mulai terbuka dan banyak mengetahui

1968 : Di Belanda mengalami perkembangan pesat. Ke arah ilmiah karena penelitian yang rutin dan kontinyu. Di Amerika perkembangannya lebih ke arah bisnis.

1968-1979 : Publik dikembangkan di berbagai bidang, pendekatan tidak hanya satu aspek saja

1979-1990 : Profesional/internasional memasuki globalisasi dalam perubahan mental dan kualitas

1990-sekarang :

a. perubahan mental, kualitas, pola pikir, pola pandang, sikap dan pola perilaku secara nasioal/internasional

b. membangun kerjasama secara lokal, nasional, internasional

c. saling belajar di bidang politik, ekonomi, sosial budaya, Iptek, sesuai dengan kebutuhan era global/informasi

Asal Mula Istilah
Pengertian :
1. Hubungan dengan masyarakat luas baik melalui publisitas khususnya fungsi-fungsi organisasi dan sebagainya terkait dengan usaha menciptakan opini publik dan citra yang menyenangkan untuk dirinya sendiri (Webster’s New World Dictionary)
2. Fungsi manajemen yang mengevaluasi sikap publik, mengidentifikasi kebijaksanan dan prosedur seorang individu atau organisasi berdasarkan kepentingan publik dan menjalankan suatu program untuk mendapatkan pengertian dan penerimaan publik (Public Relations News)
3. Filsafat sosial dan manajemen yang dinyatakan dalam kebijaksanaan beserta pelaksaannya yang melalui interpretasi yang peka mengenai peristiwa-peristiwa berdasarkan pada komunikasi dua arah dengan publiknya, berusaha memperoleh saling pengertian dan itikad baik (Moore, 2004: 6).

Public Relations yang diterjemahkan menjadi hubungan masyarakat (humas) mempunyai dua pengertian. Pertama, humas dalam artian sebagai teknik komunikasi atau technique of communication dan kedua, humas sebagai metode komunikasi atau method of communication (Abdurrahman, 1993: 10). Konsep Public Relations sebenarnya berkenaan dengan kegiatan penciptaan pemahaman melalui pengetahuan, dan melalui kegiatan-kegiatan tersebut akan muncul perubahan yang berdampak (lihat Jefkins, 2004: 2).

Public Relations menyangkut suatu bentuk komunikasi yang berlaku untuk semua organisasi (non profit - komersial, publik- privat, pemerintah - swasta). Artinya Public Relations jauh lebih luas ketimbang pemasaran dan periklanan atau propaganda, dan telah lebih awal.

Dewasa ini, Public Relations harus berhadapan dengan fakta yang sebenarnya, terlepas dari apakah fakta itu buruk, baik, atau tanpa pengaruh yang jelas. Karena itu, staf Public Relations dituntut mampu menjadikan orang-orang lain memahami suatu pesan, demi menjaga reputasi atau citra lembaga yang diwakilinya.