The Impact of Morality, Religion, and Law Upon Advertising Essay

The Impact of Morality, Religion, and Law Upon Advertising Religion and other value systems are certainly crucial in defining and sanctioning sex and decency. Moslem countries tend to frown upon all kinds of salacious displays and even indirect sexual references. Similar Christian standards operate in such countries as Ireland, South Africa, Mexico, and the Philippines. Other cultures may be considered rather tolerant in sexual matters (for example, French commercials on public television readily show live semi-nude models) but may prohibit any show of pubic hair (Japan), the promotion of contraceptives (France), or the lewd use of women (Scandinavia and the Netherlands) in advertisements. Values change, however. Thus, the spread of AIDS has reopened the issue of advertising condoms and other contraceptives in a totally different context, which transcends the older concerns about birth control and venereal-disease prevention. The law usually parallels religious and moral standards. There are often statutes dealing with public indecency (in Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom), the moral protection of minors, the restriction of violent displays (including sado-masochistic ones), and discriminatory job advertisements (particularly in Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States). Restrictions on the publication and circulation of "sexy" magazines of the Playbqy variety, with their usually more risque ads, also belong to this category (Argentina, Lebanon, South Africa, and Thailand). Reflecting concerns about "sexist" portrayals, a 1979 amendment to the 1972 Norwegian Marketing Control Law states: An advertiser and anyone who creates advertising matter shall ensure that the advertisement does not conflict with the inherent parity between the sexes, and that it does not imply any derogatory judgment of either sex or portray a woman or a man in an offensive manner." Similar provisions have been enacted in India, Peru, and Portugal to protect women against indecent or derogatory representations. Still, the matter of constitutional freedom of speech as applied to advertising has raised serious questions concerning control of sex and decency in advertising. Swedish courts, for example, have not sustained some initiatives of the Consumer Ombudsman in this matter; and the Swedish Parliament sta... ...and P.R. Parsons, "Self-Regulation and Magazine Advertising," Journal of Advertising, 18, 4 (1989): 33-40. Randall Rothenberg, Condom Makers Change Approach," New York, Times, August 8, 1988, p. D1. Colin Shaw, Sex and Violence, Plus Decent Research," Marketing Review (UK), February 1989, pp. 6-7. Sherry B. Valan, Broadcast Ad Standards for Personal Products," Advertising Compliance Service, December 21, 1987, pp. 5-7. Laurel Wentz, AIDS: Condom Advertising Charts Broader Course Overseas," Advertising, Age, March 9, 1987, p. 62. Aubrey Wilson and Christopher West, The Marketing of Unmentionables,"' Harvard Business Review, January-February 1981, pp. 91 102. World Federation of Advertisers, "The Portrayal of Women in Advertisements" (Brussels, April 1988). R.G. Wyckham, "Self-Regulation of Sex Role Stereotyping in Advertising: The Canadian Experience," Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 6 (1987): 76-92. Jean J. Boddewyn is a professor of marketing and international business at Baruch College, City University of New York. Heidi Kunz is an assistant vice president and financial controller with FISERV, Inc., New York.

Baseball and Antitrust Laws Essay

Any commerce with operations spanning state boundaries, thus undertaking interstate trade, is governed by antitrust laws. Efforts at monopolizing and controlling trade could be regarded unlawful by national circuit courts as per the Clayton and Sherman Acts. Baseball has always been immune from such antitrust regulations from 1922, upon the Supreme Court’s verdict made baseball winner in Federal Baseball Club of Baltimore, Inc. v. National Baseball Clubs. It was determined that although planning of sports was done across State boundaries, such games constituted intrastate occasions since movement from state to state was not essential (Falk, 1994). The antirust immunity bars MLB from being legally challenged because of national antirust braches. Unless such immunity is removed by Congress, baseball proprietors make whatever decisions they wish because no antirust-related legal proceedings can be instituted against them. Whenever the proprietors attempt to modify baseball, the MLBPA quickly comes in to claim that they were not consulted (Bendix, 2008). Despite the fact that proprietors may do whatever they wish disregarding antitrust regulations, nothing which breaches the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) can be done. Such agreement requires that almost each dispute be mediated, like it is done with numerous labor deals. If the antirust immunity of baseball was cancelled, would this mean the changing of baseball? This is unlikely since the same regulations that govern NHL, NFL, and NBA would continue to govern baseball. The USA at the moment has antitrust regulations meant to bar businesses from controlling specific markets. Nevertheless, US baseball market has been monopolized by key league baseball for ages, thus preventing upcoming players from actually gaining footage. The US Supreme Court has defended Major League Baseball’s (MLB) liberty to monopolize in a number of instances. MLB remains the sole US monopoly in numerous ways, and has remained so from its beginning. Upon the 1903 merger of the National League (NL) with the American League (AL), such partnership immediately proved successful. Such success was surely bound to invite imitation. Therefore a different baseball league almost immediately demonstrated willingness to challenge the NL/AL monopoly. The Federal League began as an insignificant league; however, it espoused key intentions (Anderson, 2002). By 1914, numerous individuals regarded such Federal League to be a main league; the league itself desired to officially confirm this. The Federal League (FL) took legal action against Major League Baseball on 5th January 1915 for disrupting their efforts at hiring players who were between agreements that is, not governed by the Reserve Clause, from the American National League, citing national antitrust law. The case was heard by Kennesaw Mountain Landhis, reputed for his firm observance of the law. However, Ladhis was as well a big fan of Chicago Cubs. He knew that the Federal League’s case was a justifiable one, however, his favorite team, the Cubs, would suffer if FL won the case, and thus Ladhis kept such case under advisement as opposed to immediately issuing a verdict. The FL’s 19156 collapse made everyone happy. The Baltimore Federal League license proprietors tried to buy out a team of the Major League (ML) only to be rejected. They subsequently attempted to purchase a franchise of the International league; they were once more rejected. The proprietor of White Sox, Chalets Chomsky, offended Baltimore city by saying that the metropolis constituted a bad and insignificant league. Charles Ebbets, the proprietor of Dodgers, added to the insult by stating that the metropolis was among the worst insignificant league metropolis because of having excess colored people. The perspective proprietors then took legal action against ML baseball, alleging a scheme to tear down the FL. In April 1919, a law court declared the Baltimore proprietors the winners of the suit, thus awarding them damages worth $240,000. An appeal was instituted in 1920, with the appeal ruling being made in 1921 (Barra, 2003). The 1921 ruling nullified the decision of the junior court and declared that baseball did not constitute the type of trade national law ought to standardize. The US Supreme Court endorsed such a ruling on May 22nd 1922, thus strengthening baseball’s antitrust immunity. In the Federal Baseball Club v. National League, the Supreme Court gave the verdict that ML baseball remained immune from the Sherman Antitrust Act provisions. Following the 1915 folding of the FL, majority of the FL proprietors were purchased by proprietors within the other MLs, or had received compensation in other modes. For instance, St. Louis FL owner was authorized to purchase the St Louis Browns. Baltimore Federal League club owner did not get this authorization and hence he took legal action against the American league, National League, as well as additional defendants, such as a number of FL officials. The suit alleged a plot to dominate baseball through demolishing the FL (Rovell, 2001). The listed defendants were declared jointly answerable, with $80,000 worth of damages assessed. The figure was tripled to total $240,000 as per the Clayton Antitrust Act provisions. Such immunity, as well as the monopoly of MLB, was unchallenged up to 1972. Curt Flood took legal action against baseball following his sale to Philadelphia Phillies from the Saint Louis Cardinals following 1969’s season. Such a case ultimately reached the Supreme Court, where the initial decision was endorsed with Congress left to rectify the inconsistency. Despite the fact that Flood did not win the case, he set the precedence for wage negotiation, and immediately afterwards, free action. At the moment free agency survives, however such antitrust immunity is as well law. Baseball was not to be awarded antitrust immunity if the Baltimore League squad owners had been reimbursed after the league was disbanded. All other squad’s proprietors were compensated with the exception of Baltimore, thus prompting their filing of the initial antitrust lawsuit. Such immunity is suspect, and several observers are convinced that it may once more be upheld in a law court. Nevertheless, from the Flood case of 1972, no any one case has been even close to being heard at the Supreme Court (Barra, 2006). In addition MLB’s domination has not been challenged by any league since the 1950s unsuccessful Continental League. The National Federal League has been engrossed in majority of the major antitrust court cases, such as, its lawsuits against the US Football League. Such cases have demonstrated that antitrust lawsuits are not essentially fatal. Despite that fact that the NFL lost the two cases, numerous lawsuits have been previously won by sports leagues. In antitrust lawsuits, such leagues have to demonstrate that they did not breach antitrust regulations through demonstrating that their activities generally, served to promote contest more as opposed to inhibiting it. Despite the fact that Al Davis legally defeated the NFL, the NFL could as well have emerged victorious if it possessed an unambiguous guidelines and adhered to them rather than acting because they particularly disliked Al Davis (Bartree, 2005). In addition, despite the fact that USFL legally beat NFL, a mere $3 worth of damages was awarded. If the US Congress completely revokes the antirust immunity of baseball, some interesting enduring consequences could result. Firstly, the key leagues are to be affected. Insignificant-league baseball t the moment relies on the ongoing presence of the Reserve Clause , which permits major-league teams to legally control players even following the expiry of the players’ contracts. Such Reserve Clause permits the existence of deep insignificant-league structures within baseball by permitting such teams to control numerous players not in their key-league rosters. NBA and NFL do not have any minor-league structures. Hockey has insignificant-league squads; however, such are mediated into the joint bargaining of hockey with the players. The Reserve Clause is likely to be legally challenged if the antitrust immunity of baseball is lost. In case such clause is determined to breach antitrust regulations, baseball squads could be forced surrender the legal claims to a number of or even every of their insignificant-league players. With no interest to develop the team members whom they formerly controlled, big-league squads would be less motivated to offer support to their insignificant-league partners through subsidizing their activities (Blum, 2001). This has thus made insignificant leagues lobby Congress to uphold the antitrust immunity of baseball. Without such immunity insignificant leagues would be forced to modify their activities, to become more similar to free insignificant early 1900s leagues rather than be under MLB. Proprietors would have no power regarding discussing with team members due to lack of legal standing to possess a Reserve Clause. When squads have no rights over team members, there will be less willingness to recruit high school players and accord them 4 or 5 development years, particularly if they are forced to dwell much on major league rosters. This could imply a major impetus fro baseball in colleges, and perhaps also for global baseball leagues (Rovell, 2001). Such would form the major MLB’s propagation ground as has been for basketball and football. If the antitrust immunity is revoked, franchise transfer, and particularly contraction, would from the greatest challenge. Close to thirty years have elapsed since a single baseball squad relocated from one metropolis to the other. Since that time, the other 3 games have progressed since the antitrust immunity grants baseball proprietors extra authority to bar squads from relocating than the proprietors have within other games. Such authority was especially apparent in 1992 at the time when the Tampa/St. Petersburg Vince Piazza’s group wanted to purchase the Giants from Bob Lurie at $115 million. The proprietors declined to allow such sale, and then compelled Lurie to accept $100 million from Peter Mogowan for the squad. Piazza instituted legal proceedings against MLB, actually winning the initial round of the case. The court stated that the antitrust immunity did not cover relocations (Belth, 2001). However, the Curt Flood Act currently holds that immunity does touch on relocations. Absence of antitrust immunity makes it hard to bar teams from relocating by the MLB. Attempts to block relocations would surely be met with lawsuits instituted by the cities or teams that were attempting to relocate. Baseball would be tasked with the responsibility to demonstrating that barring such relocation would benefit contest, plus that the resolution was founded on unambiguous guidelines. If Congress repealed the immunity, the contraction war would most likely not be based on Twin’s release and labor deals. Contraction challengers would posit that the proprietors were attempting to get rid of 2 competitors so as to raise profits; this is a typical antitrust breach (Falk, 1994). The proprietors would be forced to defend such relocation arguing that they were enhancing competition within the game. It is difficult to determine whether America or baseball would benefit if the antitrust immunity of baseball is revoked. Attorneys would surely benefit owing to increased lawsuits. The proprietors would benefit since the MLB has previously won against attempts to revoke the immunity and Congress always takes it time. References Anderson, P. (2002). Recent major league baseball contraction cases. Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://law. marquette. edu/cgi-bin/site. pl? 2130&pageID=474 Barra, A. (2003). Policy debate: Should the antitrust exemption be eliminated? Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://swcollege. com/bef/policy_debates/baseball. html Barra, A. (2006). Policy debate: Should the antitrust exemption be eliminated? Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://www. swlearning. com/economics/policy_debates/baseball. html Bartree, H. (2005). The role of antirust laws in the professional sports industry from a financial perspective. Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://www. thesportjournal. org/article/role-antitrust-laws-professional-sports-industry-financial-perspective Belth, A. (November 26th 2001). Ending baseballs antitrust exemption. Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://courses. cit. cornell. edu/econ352jpw/readme/Baseball%20Prospectus%20-%20Ending%20Baseball%27s%20Antitrust%20Exemption. htm Bendix, P. (December 3rd 2008). The history of baseball’s antitrust exemption. Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://www. beyondtheboxscore. com/2008/12/3/678134/the-history-of-baseball-s Blum, R. (June 12th 2001). Why is the antitrust exemption important? Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://www. usatoday. com/sports/baseball/stories/2001-12-05-antitrust-explanation. htm

The Lowell Mill Girls in the 19th Century

The Lowell Mill Girls were female workers in early 19th century America, young women employed in an innovative system of labor in textile mills centered in Lowell, Massachusetts. The employment of women in a factory was  novel to the point of being revolutionary. And the system of labor in the Lowell mills became widely admired because the young women were housed in an environment that was not only safe but reputed to be culturally advantageous. The young women were encouraged to engage in educational pursuits while not working, and they even contributed articles to a magazine, The Lowell Offering.   Lowell System Employed Young Women Francis Cabot Lowell founded the Boston Manufacturing Company, prompted by the increased demand for cloth during the War of 1812. Using the latest technology, he built a factory in Massachusetts which used water power to run machines that processed raw cotton into finished fabric. The factory needed workers, and Lowell wanted to avoid using child labor, which was commonly used in fabric mills in England. The workers did not need to be physically strong, as the work was not strenuous. However, the workers had to be fairly intelligent to master the complicated machinery. The solution was to hire young women. In New England, there were a number of girls who had some education, in that they could read and write. And working in the textile mill seemed like a step up from working on the family farm. Working at a job and earning wages was an innovation in the early decades of the 19th century when many Americans still worked on family farms or at small family businesses. And for young women at the time, it was considered an opportunity to assert some independence from their families despite being paid less than men. The company set up boardinghouses to provide safe places for the women employees to live, and also imposed a strict moral code. Lowell Became Center of Industry Francis Cabot Lowell, the founder of the Boston Manufacturing Company, died in 1817. But his colleagues continued the company  and built a larger and improved mill along the Merrimack River in a town they renamed in Lowells honor. In the 1820s and 1830s, Lowell and its mill girls became fairly famous. In 1834, faced with increased competition in the textile business, the mill cut the workers wages, and the workers responded by forming the Factory Girls Association, an early labor union. The efforts at organized labor were not successful, however. In the late 1830s, the housing rates for the female mill workers were raised, and they attempted to hold a strike, but it did not succeed. They were back on the job within weeks. Mill Girls and Their Cultural Programs The mill girls became known for engaging in cultural programs centered around their boardinghouses. The young women tended to read, and discussions of books were a common pursuit. The women also began publishing The Lowell Offering.  The magazine was published from 1840 to 1845 and sold for six-and-one-fourth cents a copy. It contained poems and autobiographical sketches, which were usually published anonymously, or with the authors identified solely by their initials. The mill owners essentially controlled what appeared in the magazine, so the articles tended to be positive. Yet the magazines very existence was seen as evidence of a positive work environment.   When Charles Dickens, the great Victorian novelist, visited the United States in 1842, he was taken to Lowell to see the factory system. Dickens, who had seen the horrible conditions of British factories up close, was impressed at the conditions of the mills in Lowell. He was also impressed by The Lowell Offering. But one operator, reading of Dickens impressions, responded in The Voice of Industry newspaper, Very pretty picture, but we who work in the factory know the sober reality to be quite another thing altogether. The Lowell Offering ceased publication in 1845 when tensions between the workers and the mill owners increased. Over the last year of publication, the magazine had published material that was not entirely positive, such as an article which pointed out that loud machinery in the mills could damage a workers hearing. When the magazine promoted the cause of a workday shortened to 10 hours, tensions between workers and management became inflamed and the magazine was shut down. Immigration Ended Lowell System In the mid-1840s, the Lowell workers organized the Female Labor Reform Association, which tried to bargain for improved wages. But the Lowell System of Labor was essentially undone by increased immigration to the United States. Instead of hiring local New England girls to work in the mills, the factory owners discovered they could hire newly arrived immigrants. The immigrants, many of whom had come from Ireland, fleeing the Great Famine, were content to find any work at all, even for relatively low wages.

My Desire to Become a Young Adult Novelist - 721 Words

John Green, one of my biggest role-models, once said, â€Å"Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia.† Nostalgia means something you long for, I long for a bright future. In my future, I desire to be an author. In order to accomplish that, I must thoughtfully construct a plan that will lead me to the ultimate result of the life that I crave for. Authors influenced me to want to become an author myself. After reading a wide range of books by varying writers like Ned Vizzini, J.D Salinger, Natalie Babbit, Mitch Albom, and as I said earlier, John Green, I am determined to leave that evangelical zeal that you get from books, and only books, on my readers the way many books have done to me before. Establishing goals is crucial to actualizing my dreams of having a gratifying career as a Young Adult/Teen novelist. Knowledge is a key aspect when creating the goals that you will pursue because it is extremely beneficial to know which universities you are bound to attend. For instanc e, my university of choice is Columbia University of New York. I would like to study at Columbia University because I am interested in the clubs and activities they have available there such as The Artist Society Blog, Quiz Bowl, and Feminist Thought. Furthermore, Columbia University has many classes and courses for writing. Defining clear goals for myself will motivate me to propel forward with my endeavors. With a definite mindset of where I want to end up, a Point A to a Point B, it will ease any stressShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Louisa May Alcotts Little Women1720 Words   |  7 PagesLouisa May Alcott was a famous American writer and novelist â€Å"who was born on November 29, 1832, in Germantown, Pennsylvania.† (The Biography.com website, 2014). She wrote various writings under many pseudonyms and only used real name when she finally felt ready to be known. Alcott was known as the best-selling novelist in the late Eighteenth century and many works that she had done is popular till today. She was taught by her father and to support her family, she worked, along other positions, asRead MoreLearning Fundamentals Of Dealing With People1023 Words   |  5 PagesLearning The Fundamentals of Dealing With People Throughout life everyone must deal with people, whether in the office, or behind the counter of popular chain coffee shop. Encountering new people has become a day to day routine of the average american. Now whether that encounter is a positive one, or a negative one all depends on one thing, you. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a cheat sheet on making every instance a pleasant one. 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The Pros And Cons Of Harry Potter - 1487 Words

Since Harry Potter’s release there has been much conversation surrounding the controversies around it. From being considered occultic and anti-Christian to being thought of as poison to children’s minds, Harry Potter earned a spot on the list of books banned from being taught in public schools. There were many arguments concerning Harry Potter. While being written and published as a young adult book meant for ages 10 and up, many adults did not find it suitable for this age group. Jacqui Komschlies, being one who is against the teaching of Harry Potter as a piece of literature in schools, stated that the books were similar to â€Å"orange soda† mixed with â€Å"rat poison†. He, along with many others, argues that Harry Potter and all of its†¦show more content†¦For this reason, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone made its way onto the list of banned books. Christian parents fear that the book paints magic in a manner that is good, while their religion enforces the idea that magic is the fruit of dark labor. Seemingly, there are several ways that the story of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone can be said to be rat poison disguised as orange soda. It stands to reason that the story is a brilliantly written piece of fiction, that draws readers in with meticulous and vivid descriptions, leaving no stone unturned in the mind. The way this book is written allows for readers to delve into the world of Harry Potter while understanding that it is a figment of Rowling’s imagination. Although readers may be aware that this is fictional, they voluntarily ignore this fact, put their disbeliefs to the side and when reading become completely encompassed in the story. Fantasizing about receiving an owl for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is not how parents intend their children to spend their eleventh birthday. The thought of their home being filled with letters inviting their children to study magic as seen in chapter three is terrifying to people who classify magic as a part of the dark world. On page 41 Rowling writes: â€Å"No post on Sundays,† he reminded the cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, â€Å"no damn letters today-†. Something came whizzing down theShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Whats Going On In The World1048 Words   |  5 Pageskids reading about inappropriate topics. â€Å"According to certain adults, these stories teach witchcraft, sorcery, and Satanism† (Judy Blume, The New York Times). Blume states in her article a reason for why parents don’t let their children read Harry Potter books and tries to get them banned in schools. To that parent, he or she made this choice to protect their child from reading or learning about witchcraft and wizards. 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Succubus on Top CHAPTER 5 Free Essays

I jerked my head away from him. â€Å"What?† Bastien didn’t miss a beat, obviously amused by my reaction. â€Å"You heard me. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus on Top CHAPTER 5 or any similar topic only for you Order Now We’re going to break in. I overheard Bill saying the whole family would be out the night after next.† â€Å"And pray tell, how are we going to lead her to scandal through violating her home? By proving to the world that her security system isn’t as good as she thought it was?† He laughed. â€Å"No, by rifling through her paperwork and finding some sort of incriminating evidence. Money laundered from the CPFV. Illegal means of carrying out the group’s goals. Maybe even love letters from the infamous pool boy. You know there’s got to be something.† â€Å"Bastien, this is – â€Å" â€Å"Ingenious?† â€Å"Ridiculous. Even for us.† â€Å"Hardly. Like I said, it’s a backup plan. Probably not even necessary, since I suspect she’s probably in the shower right now masturbating to fantasies of me.† â€Å"Yeah, she sure looked like it back there,† I said nastily. â€Å"More likely she’s sanitizing her pool after my defilement of it. Well, backup or no, you’re going to have to do this break-in on your own. â€Å" â€Å"Come on! We’ll bein visible. Nothing to lose.† â€Å"That’s not the point. The point is I don’t do this kind of thing.† â€Å"We’re agents of evil. We lead innocents into temptation and suck away their life. How is breaking and entering that much of a leap?† I tightened my lips and shook my head. â€Å"I thought those broadcasts pissed you off. Don’t you want to see her fall?† â€Å"Not enough, apparently.† He fixed me with a sharp stare. â€Å"Did you know that the CPFV recently kicked out a woman for leaving her husband? He had been beating her incessantly – sent her to the hospital twice. When she finally got the nerve to walk out on him, Dana condemned her for violating the sanctity of marriage. Said the woman hadn’t tried hard enough to make things work.† I groaned. â€Å"Don’t tell me this stuff.† â€Å"So are you in or out?† â€Å"You sure are pushy, you know that?† He kissed my cheek and hugged me. â€Å"I learned from the best.† I went to Doug’s concert the following night, showing up about halfway through the opening act’s set. I found several of the bookstore staff occupying a corner but saw no sign of Seth yet. Part of me regretted the whole separate-arrival mandate, but then I remembered the part in Seth’s story where Genevieve had spanked O’Neill. Suddenly I didn’t feel so bad anymore. While waiting at the bar for a vodka gimlet, a familiar shape slid up next to me. â€Å"Hey, hey, pretty lady.† I flashed a smile at Doug’s bass player, Corey. â€Å"Hey yourself. You guys ready for this? You’re in the big time now.† He returned my smile, eyes alight. Intimidating and fierce looking, he wore a lot of black and had piercings everywhere. He was also one of the nicest guys I knew. â€Å"Hell yeah, we are. We were born for this night. This is the night that’s going to define our existence! The night that’s going to define existence for everyone in this room!† He extended his hands over his head and whooped with delight, emitting something like a cross between Tarzan and a B movie Apache chief. The silvery glitter of those piercings added to his savage persona. He was as exuberant as Doug had been the other day. Maybe more so. As much as I wanted to see the band succeed, there was no telling what true fame would do to them. They’d be bouncing off the walls. Setting things on fire. When I got the gimlet, Corey tugged at my arm. â€Å"Come on. I’ll give you a sneak peek backstage. You can say hi to Doug.† I glanced back at the corner, saw no sign of Seth, and followed him. In the dressing room, the rest of the band was in similar form. They all knew me and cheered my arrival, holding up their drinks in a giddy salute. Doug was dressed in a spectacularly gaudy manner, sporting black spandex biker shorts, a Thundercats shirt Seth would have envied, and a sweeping red velour cape. His shoulder-length black hair was tied back in a sleek ponytail. He scooped me up as I entered, hoisting me so that I nearly sat on his shoulder. Min, the group’s saxophonist, waved the instrument over his head in barbaric approval at my capture as Doug roared a cry of victory. â€Å"Here she is! Kin-fucking-caid! You ready to rock, babe?† â€Å"I’m ready to dump this drink on your head. Put me down. â€Å" Doug laughed and eased me down to the floor. I stumbled a bit but not from being set down. It was here again. That weird tingling feeling I’d felt with Doug in our office. Only this time, it was stronger. Much stronger. It pulsed around me, almost making me squirm. I peered around stupidly, trying to figure out where it came from, but it was impossible to tell. The sensation was everywhere, an abrasive vibration singing through the air that only I seemed affected by. Wyatt, a redheaded guitarist, grinned at me. â€Å"How much have you been drinking out there? You look a little glazed over. â€Å" â€Å"Starry-eyed’s more like it,† said Doug, teasing. â€Å"Not every day a girl can be around this much sexy action, huh?† â€Å"Whatever. I think her sexiness is a little more lethal than ours,† Wyatt said. He gently turned me around. â€Å"You met Alec yet?† The new drummer, presumably. He stepped forward and bowed before me with a flourish, just as goofily wound up as the rest. He was a little younger than they were, a bit lanky, and had fading blue streaks in his blond hair. He seemed only slightly less keyed up. Still clueless about what was making me feel so weird, I attempted to push it out of my mind and offer Alec a normal smile. â€Å"Hi,† I said. â€Å"You sure you want to hang with this group of misfits?† â€Å"I’ve seen worse.† â€Å"In an asylum?† He laughed and nodded at my drink. â€Å"What are you having?† â€Å"Vodka gimlet.† â€Å"Nice choice,† he said coolly, though I suspected he’d probably never heard of one before. There was a total look of fumbling inexperience about him. â€Å"Order your next one on me. Tell the bartender to put it on my tab.† I worked hard to keep a straight face. He was attempting suave movie-star lines, but they lost some of their effectiveness coming from someone who was barely old enough to drink himself. He probably hoped Wyatt’s earlier assessment of my inebriation was accurate. â€Å"Hey,† said Doug, grabbing hold of me. â€Å"Stop flirting with my Groupie Queen. Only when you can snatch the fly with the chopsticks, Grasshopper, can you accumulate the groupies. For now, the student must leave the groupies to the master. â€Å" Doug marched me around the room in a – very bad – mock tango. The jerking motion, combined with that grating buzzing in the air, made me lightheaded. â€Å"Is the rest of the gang out there?† â€Å"Waiting with bated breath,† I promised. I cocked my head at him. â€Å"Shouldn’t you be a little more nervous than this?† â€Å"Sure. If I had anything to be nervous about. Which I don’t.† I felt just as astonished now as I had at work. Doug knew his own talent, but I’d seen him before shows in the past. While always joking and in a good mood, there had been a nervousness to him before, a private sort of ruminating while he mentally braced himself to put on the best show he could. I knew he’d said the band had hit some sort of peak recently, but the change was dramatic, to say the least. After a few more jokes and sexual innuendoes, I finally left them. Just like that, the discordant feeling disappeared as soon as I cleared the door. It was like breathing fresh air after a sandstorm. Glancing behind me, I stared into the room, trying to find any indication of what had just happened. Nothing revealed itself. The band had forgotten me already. They were laughing at something else, drinking their beer or pop or whatever, and roughhousing in what must have been some male tension-reliever. Puzzled, I walked away. Seth had joined the others when I finally made my way back to the main floor. I felt a smile creeping up on me in spite of my concerns. His hair was as unkempt as ever, and he wore a Thundercats shirt. â€Å"Hey,† I said when I saw him, conscious that everyone was watching us, apparently waiting for me to pull out my handcuffs. â€Å"Hey,† he returned, hands casually in his pockets, posture relaxed and easy like always. â€Å"You know, Doug’s wearing a shirt very similar to that.† â€Å"I know. I lent it to him.† We all shared a good laugh over that, and Beth turned to me. â€Å"You saw Doug? Is he ready for this?† â€Å"The question, actually,† I told them with a small frown, â€Å"is ‘Is the world ready for Doug?'† A half hour later, they saw what I meant. Nocturnal Admission burst onto the stage, and suddenly all that pent-up energy and enthusiasm was channeled into their music. Like I’d told Doug, I’d long been a fan of the group. Their style combined hard rock with a bit of ska, and the fusion always hooked me. After centuries filled with repetition, innovation was a treat. They regularly performed with flair and passion, making them as much fun to watch as to listen to. My biased affection for Doug didn’t hurt either. Tonight was unbelievable. All of their songs were new; I’d never heard any of them before. And Christ, what songs they were. Amazing. Incredible. Ten times better than the old ones – which I’d hitherto found hard to beat. I wondered when Doug had had time to compose these. He wrote most of their stuff, and I’d last seen them perform about a month and a half ago. He must have had help to write all of those in so short a time. I knew he usually took a while to compose one, refining lyrics over and over. He never treated the process lightly. And the performance itself†¦Well, Doug was always flamboyant; it was his trademark. Tonight, I swear, he never stopped moving. Pure energy in human form. He danced, he sauntered, he did cartwheels. His between-song monologues were hilarious. His singing voice surpassed anything I’d ever heard from him, rich and deep. It resonated in my body. The audience couldn’t get enough. They loved him, and I understood why. No one, even the people who worked there, could take their eyes off the stage. Except one. There, along the far edges of the crowd, was a man casually making his way toward the exit. By his stride and apparent lack of interest, he didn’t find Nocturnal Admission as compelling as the rest of us. While this was intriguing enough to draw my own gaze from the band, his attire struck me even more strongly. If GQ magazine had been around in the days of Victorian poets, he would have been their cover model. He wore beautifully tailored black slacks paired with a long, black coat, the tails of which almost touched the backs of his knees. Underneath the coat was a gorgeous, billowing white shirt that might have been silk. Whatever it was, it made me want to touch it and see how soft it was. Unlike Horatio, whose demonic wear had simply been out-of-date, this guy had taken the past and made it his own. His own hot historic couture. The kind the modern day â€Å"goth† movement so longed to achieve. He’d opened the first few buttons to reveal smooth, tanned skin. That skin tone paired with the glossy black hair that flowed halfway down his back made me think he must be of Middle Eastern or Indian descent. When he reached the door leading out, he paused and turned toward the stage, watching the band for a few moments. A small, pleased smile played along his lips, and then he was gone. Weird, I thought. I wondered who he was. Prospective agent maybe? Or perhaps just someone who didn’t get down to this type of music. He had looked like the kind of guy who owned Chopin’s complete works, after all. I considered the man for a few more moments, then turned back toward the stage. The group was taking a momentary reprieve from their new stash and doing a cover of one of my favorite Nine Inch Nails songs. Nothing like hearing Trent Reznor’s lyrics paired with a saxophone. â€Å"I can’t believe this,† I told Seth later, moving to the back of our group so I could stand near him. Our friends were so hypnotized by what was onstage that Seth and I could actually talk without drawing attention. â€Å"It’s†¦unbelievable.† â€Å"That it is,† he agreed. â€Å"I take it this isn’t the norm then?† â€Å"No. Absolutely not. But I hope it becomes the norm. Jesus.† We fell silent then, our eyes and ears drawn back to the band. As we watched, however, Seth rested his hand on my back in a friendly, innocent gesture that made me promptly lose interest in the music. And that was saying something. The shirt I wore was hardly a shirt at all. It was a glittering tunic type thing that covered the front of me only, then tied behind my neck and once below my shoulder blades, thus letting his fingers stroke bare, exposed skin. Less than a week ago, I’d been in a hotel room with a guy who’d massaged scented oil all over my body and then gone down on me in a way that left me gasping. And yet, I swear that didn’t do as much for me as Seth’s fingers on my bare skin did now. The rest of my body jolted to life, suddenly ravenous for more of him. When he trailed his fingertips down to my lower back, I could perfectly discern every place he had touched me and every place he hadn’t, as though his fingers left scorch marks in my flesh. Magic fingers. Seductive fingers. My nerves pulsed hungrily, demanding I take action and give them more. When his hand finally came to rest by my tailbone, right at the edge of my jeans, I murmured, â€Å"You can go lower if you want. â€Å" â€Å"No,† he returned. His voice seemed huskier than usual, holding an unfamiliar intensity. But it was laced with wistfulness too. â€Å"I really can’t.† The audience whooped and demanded an encore when the show ended, which the band was only too happy to give – multiple times. Talk about stamina. As I watched them wrap up the song and make their bows, an idea suddenly struck me. Excusing myself for the bathroom, I headed back in the direction of the dressing room. Once out of any passerby’s eyesight, I turned invisible and slipped back into that room, still perplexed about that burning, crawling sensation. It was gone. Everything felt perfectly normal in the room. Jackets and instrument cases lay in unceremonious heaps on the floor, and empty red plastic cups vied with overflowing ashtrays to cover up other flat surfaces. I paced around slowly, peering in corners, looking for something – anything – that would explain what I had felt. And again, I came up empty-handed. All was quiet and still. No person or creature waited to leap out, though I was pretty sure what I’d felt hadn’t come from anything living. Yet, it also hadn’t resembled any charm or enchanted object I knew of either. If anything, that tingle had felt like something in the middle: half sentient, half not. But that made no sense. Returning to my friends, I saw them making preparations to leave. None of us could stop talking about the show. We separated and met up again at Doug’s place for a post-show party he’d invited us to. I’d been to similar gigs of his but saw more people here than ever before. They packed the place. Alcohol and pot flowed like milk and honey, but I stopped after a couple shots since I had to open at work in the morning. Through the smoky, decadent haze, the band worked the crowd like they’d done this sort of PR all their lives. They talked to everyone, charismatic and outgoing, though never too proud or conceited. As this went on, Seth and I kept a respectable distance from each other in order to maintain the illusion we were nothing but friends. While I still believed that was a good idea, it sort of seemed like rubbing salt into open wounds. Bad enough we couldn’t touch each other; now we couldn’t talk either. Alec found me at some point, attempting to resume the conversation we’d been having when Doug spirited me away. The drummer handed me a plastic cup. â€Å"This guy over there knows how to make vodka gimlets,† he said happily. I sniffed the cup. It smelled like pure vodka. Probably a cheap kind at that. â€Å"Thanks,† I said, literally keeping it at arm’s length. Alec leaned against a nearby wall, propping his elbow against it to create a more enclosed sense of space between us. â€Å"So, did you like the show?† â€Å"Yes. Absolutely. You guys were amazing.† His chest puffed up with pride. â€Å"Thanks. We’ve been working really hard. We’ve got some other big shows coming up soon – I hope you’ll come see us.† â€Å"I will if I can. I seem to be working a lot lately.† â€Å"Over at that bookstore with Doug? I can’t figure that out. Neither of you seem like that type. Especially you. You look like someone with a wild side. Someone who likes to party. â€Å" I kept my smile up and took a step back. â€Å"Sure. Just not on school nights, you know?† Ignoring what I thought were obvious â€Å"back off† signs, he took a step toward me with a smile he probably believed was seductive. His clumsy attempts at flirtation suddenly seemed less endearing. â€Å"Come on,† he laughed. â€Å"Call in sick tomorrow. I know somewhere†¦somewhere we could go if you really wanted to have a good time. A more intense scene than this.† â€Å"No. I can’t. Sorry. Um, thanks for the drink, but I’ve got to go ask Doug†¦uh, something about work. I’ll see you around.† Clear disappointment flashed across Alec’s face at my rejection, but he didn’t push the matter as I made a hasty retreat toward Doug. When I found him, he and I didn’t really discuss work, but we hashed out a number of other amusing topics, made more so by his increasing intoxication and the fact that he really did now have an entourage of groupies. It looked like he’d be getting lucky after all. If he was still running on the same energy tonight, he’d probably keep a bunch of them happy. Finally, tired of the scene, I told him good-bye and found Seth on the other side of the room. Not surprisingly, he was by himself and not drinking. He’d been born without the small-talk gene, and I knew for a fact interacting with others at parties made him uncomfortable. I had teased him in the past that he might actually be pleasantly surprised if he just made an attempt at talking to new people. He wouldn’t have any of it, however. He seemed fairly entertained by people-watching, eyes twinkling and lips quirked in a half-smile as if he were in on some kind of joke the rest of us didn’t know about. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he was logging all of this for future novels. â€Å"Hey,† I said. He brightened upon seeing me. The twinkling eyes took on a warm, knowing look. Something inside of me heated and tightened. â€Å"Hey.† â€Å"I’m ready to go. You want to come over to my place?† He deserved it after the way I’d neglected him tonight. â€Å"Sure.† We were discussing who would leave first when I looked across the room and saw Alec handing Casey a drink. She looked like she’d already had more than enough, and Alec was doing the same closing-in maneuver he’d tried on me. â€Å"What’s wrong?† asked Seth, seeing my frown. â€Å"That new drummer. Alec. He hit on me earlier, and now he’s moving in on Casey. I think he’s one of those guys who thinks plying girls with liquor is the only way to get laid.† â€Å"Wait. I thought I was the only guy who knew that secret.† I chastised him with a dry look before turning back to Alec and Casey. â€Å"I don’t like it. I don’t like him thinking he can do that to women.† â€Å"You don’t even know he’s thinking that. Besides, look around. Every guy here is trying to get laid. Alcohol is par for the course. Casey’s old enough to know that.† â€Å"I’m going to go over there.† Seth gave me a warning glance. â€Å"She won’t thank you for playing mother hen.† â€Å"Better she’s mad at me than does something stupid.† â€Å"Thetis, don’t – â€Å" I’d already left him behind, weaving through the people as I honed in on my target. â€Å"†¦look like someone who likes to party,† Alec was saying as I approached. â€Å"Hey,† I said loudly, sort of wedging my way in between them. They both turned to me in surprise. â€Å"Hi, Georgina. What’s up?† â€Å"I’m heading home,† I told her. â€Å"Wondered if you wanted a ride.† Casey smiled, glanced at Alec, then back to me. College-age, Casey was Hawaiian and Filipino, with high cheekbones and sleek black hair. Very pretty. â€Å"Thanks, but I’m gonna stay here for a while.† Alec looked very pleased with himself. I turned back to her. â€Å"Okay, but can I ask you something real quick, Case?† I smiled sweetly at Alec. â€Å"It’ll just take a minute.† I steered her away, catching her as she stumbled. Closer inspection revealed she’d been indulging in more than just alcohol. â€Å"Casey,† I told her, once we were out of earshot, â€Å"I don’t think you should be hanging around with him. â€Å" â€Å"Why not? He’s a nice guy.† â€Å"I don’t know about that. He just used the same pick-up lines on me. I think he’s trying to get laid.† â€Å"Every guy here is trying to get laid. I know the game.† â€Å"Yeah, but – â€Å" â€Å"Look,† she said, â€Å"I appreciate the big sister thing, but I’m not stupid. I can handle this.† A mischievous look crossed her face. â€Å"Besides, I never would have thought you would be the one preaching sexual caution.† Like I didn’t know what that was a reference to. Damn O’Neill’s libido. I made a face and attempted a few more logical pleas. She rejected them all, indulgence soon giving way to annoyance. By then, Alec hadn’t been able to control himself. He came back over and put a possessive arm around her. She looked up at him adoringly, and I knew a lost cause when I saw one. Seth and I met up back at my place, and he listened with admirable patience while I vented about men preying on women. â€Å"Isn’t that what you do though?† We were sitting on my living-room floor, setting up a game of Scrabble. â€Å"I†¦no. It’s not the same at all.† â€Å"How so?† He held my eyes for a moment, and I finally looked away. â€Å"It just isn’t. Do you want to go first?† He let the matter drop. Another nice thing about being with a non confrontational guy. I quickly discovered playing Scrabble with Seth was like playing Monopoly with Jerome. A losing battle from the first turn. Admittedly, my knowledge of more than two dozen languages gave me a large vocabulary, but I didn’t craft or manipulate words on a regular basis. Seth was a master. He could study the board, spend a minute calculating, and then play some word that was not only worth tons of points but interesting too. Maize. Hexagon. Tawdry. Bisque. That last one was just cruel. Meanwhile, I was spelling words like as, lit, ill, and tee. And almost never on high-point spaces. â€Å"Wait,† he said. â€Å"That’s not a word.† I looked down to where, in a moment of desperation, I’d played zixic on a triple-word-score space. â€Å"Uh, sure it is.† â€Å"What’s it mean?† â€Å"It’s sort of like†¦quixotic, but with more†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Bullshit?† I laughed out loud. I’d never heard him swear before. â€Å"More zeal. Hence the z.† â€Å"Uh-huh. Use it in a sentence.† â€Å"Um†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢You are a zixic writer.'† â€Å"I don’t believe this.† â€Å"That you’re zixic?† â€Å"That you’re trying to cheat at Scrabble.† He leaned back against my couch, shaking his head. â€Å"I mean, I was ready to accept the whole evil thing, but this is kind of extreme. â€Å" â€Å"Hey, it’s not cheating. Just because your limited vocabulary doesn’t include this word doesn’t mean there’s anything sinister going on.† â€Å"Care to back that up with a dictionary?† â€Å"Hey,† I said haughtily, â€Å"I don’t appreciate your zixistic tone.† â€Å"If you weren’t such a zixy woman, I’d be angry.† â€Å"Your zixicism is infuriating.† The game forgotten, we spent the next twenty minutes coming up with as many zix variations as we could. Interestingly, it seemed to function just as well as a suffix as a prefix. I suspected that if Bastien had heard this conversation, I’d be accused of more boring geekiness. Seth and I finally went to bed on the verge of hysterics, both of us still giggling once we were wrapped up in my covers. â€Å"You smell good,† I told him, my face close to his neck. â€Å"What cologne is that?† He stifled a yawn. â€Å"I don’t wear cologne. Too strong.† â€Å"You must.† I pressed my face closer. â€Å"Hey, be careful. You’re giving me funny ideas.† He had skin and sweat smells unique to him and him alone, deliriously delicious. With that, however, was a faint scent of something else. Almost like apples, but not in a girly, boutique sort of way. It was fleeting and lovely, mingled with musk and soft leather. â€Å"No, it’s something. You must. Is it your deodorant?† â€Å"Oh,† he mumbled, yawning again. â€Å"I bet it’s this soap Andrea and Terry got me. Came as part of some set.† â€Å"Mmm. It’s perfect.† It made me want to eat his neck – among other things. â€Å"You know, you still owe me pancakes. I think I could go for†¦apple cinnamon ones now. â€Å" â€Å"Apple cinnamon? You sure are demanding.† â€Å"It’s all right. I think you’re man enough for it.† â€Å"Thetis, if I actually believed you had either apples or cinnamon in your kitchen, I’d make them for you right now.† I didn’t answer. I was pretty sure I had some year-old Apple Jacks, but that was about it. Seth gave a low laugh at my silence and then kissed my temple. â€Å"I don’t know how anyone could think you were Genevieve. I couldn’t make up someone like you in a thousand years.† I considered that, not entirely sure if it was a compliment or not. â€Å"How do you come up with your characters then?† He laughed again. â€Å"If I didn’t know any better – and I’m sure I do – I’d say that sounds suspiciously like ‘Where do you get your ideas from?'† I blushed in the darkness. When he and I had first met, I’d taken a haughty high ground over that question, making fun of the fans that so often asked him that. â€Å"Hey, it’s a totally different question.† I could sense his amusement as he contemplated an answer. Part of the reason he stumbled in conversation sometimes was because he didn’t like to blurt things out. He chose his words carefully. â€Å"They come from my head, I guess. The stories too. They live there, screaming to get out. If I didn’t write them down, they’d eat me up. Give me less of a grip on the real world than I already have.† â€Å"Not that I’m complaining†¦but, if there’s so much inside, do you even need to care about the real world?† â€Å"Well, that’s the paradox. The stories are born in my head, but my inner self is fueled by my outer self. Symbiotic relationship of sorts. The stories’ ideas wouldn’t come if I didn’t have experiences to draw on. Jealousy. Love. Lust. Anger. Heartache. All that stuff.† Something pulled inside of me. â€Å"You had your heart broken much?† He paused. â€Å"Of course. Everyone does. Part of life.† â€Å"Tell me her name. I’ll kick her ass. I don’t want anyone hurting you.† He rested his face against my hair, his tone even and gentle when he spoke. â€Å"You’re wondrous and powerful and gifted, but even you can’t save me from hurting. No one can do that for anyone. I can make things perfect in the fictions I create, but the real world isn’t so kind. That’s just how it is. And anyway, for every bad thing in life, there are more good things to tip the balance.† â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"Like little blonde nieces. And royalty checks. And you.† I sighed and relaxed into him. His grip on me shifted into something more comfortable, and in a few minutes he was asleep. Amazing. I lay snuggled with him for a while, but sleep proved more elusive for me this time, as I turned over his words. I thought about someone breaking his heart and wondered if I’d be the next culprit, intentionally or otherwise. When sleep came, I immediately dropped into a steamy dream in which Seth and I were having mad, passionate sex. He’d tied my hands to my bedposts, and naturally, he was huge. Each thrust made my headboard bang against the wall, so much so that my neighbors complained. I woke up with a start, suddenly thinking being so entwined with him wasn’t such a great idea. Of course, I was apparently the only one who had a problem with it. Seth slept on peacefully and heavily, like I wasn’t even there, no doubt having properly chaste dreams. A paradigm of virtue and resolve. I watched him for a long time, admiring the way the soft lighting fell across his features. The fit muscles of his upper body. Eyelashes I wished I could have had as a mortal. Biting my lip, I resisted the urge to reach out and touch him. It was lust and something else, something that just wanted to be close to him. It scared me. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who could walk away from this with a broken heart. I wiggled my own weak self away to the other side of the bed, putting what space I could between us. As I lay there, my back to him, Aubrey jumped up and lay next to my stomach. I stroked her black-speckled white head and sighed. â€Å"They were all wrong, Aub,† I whispered. â€Å"There’s at least one guy in this world not trying to get laid.† How to cite Succubus on Top CHAPTER 5, Essay examples

Marketing Management free essay sample

The sellers were also pleased because they reached a wide variety of buyers, and they ended up owing very little overhead when the deals were done (Kotler amp; Keller, 2012, p. 411). The reason eBay succeeded while others failed is because the others were unable to create a unique business model which pleased both buyers and sellers (Bandyopadhyay amp; Wolfe, 2004, p. 141). Although there is little revenue input from these companies, many sites such as auction. com, sandcrawler. com, and firstauction. om, merged with others or shutdown due to lack of participants (Bandyopadhyay amp; Wolfe, 2004, p. 141). Bandyopadhyay and Wolfe (2004) examined the reasons an auction site succeeds and their variables for their research were determined as ease of user interactivity, variety of product offerings, level of trust, rate of growth and adoption, networking, level of commitment, and payment options. When customers feel they are more than just a number, they will soon become frequent buyers. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Other mentionables by Bandyopadhyay and Wolfe (2004) were the web address must be easy to remember, the site must be easy to navigate, easy interaction with other members or the site itself, availability 24/7, high-usage interaction, advanced features, and the design of the website must be clutter-free (Bandyopadhyay amp; Wolfe, 2004, p. 141-143). eBay has all of these listed features and must be part of its success. In addition to the above reasons, the CEO, John Donohue, states that he continues to search for new innovations. This gives eBay a competitive advantage from its competitors with mobile apps and e-commerce offline as well as online (Stewart, 2012). Changes in technology will continue and Donohue seems like the needed man for the job to continue with eBay’s success. eBay also surveys its buyers and sellers quite frequently and holds teleconferences with them. They use this information to make recommended changes from the active users. eBay is constantly aiming to please their eBay community (Kotler amp; Keller, 2012, p. 411). 2. Evaluate eBay’s fee structure. Is it optimal or could it be improved? Why? How? Sellers currently must pay a listing fee per item (whether it sells or not). They also have the option to pay for additional list features such as product pictures, the duration of the auction, a secret reserve price, borders, bold titles, etc. If the item sells, the seller pays a commission to eBay (Song amp; Mela, 2008, p. 863). There is always room for improvements within every business. eBay is not any different. eBay currently does not charge the bidders for any participation or bought items. They could offer the buyers to elect to pay to go into a select penny auction bidding room for special products. However, I would not recommend the same business model as quibids. com, as it seems you pay sixty cents for every one cent you spend, plus the members must pay to be members and then, buy the products as well (Quibids. com, 2012). eBay could also charge the sellers to enter their products in the special penny auction bidding room for a discount price if they are having trouble selling it on a â€Å"Buy it Now† option. Bay could also pilot other types of auctions such as the Dutch auction, where the auctioner places the high bid and slowly decreases the bid until a bidder accepts it (Kotler amp; Keller, 2012, p. 402). Or, eBay could try the sealed-bid auction which would allow for bidders to only submit one secret bid without knowing the other amounts of the bids (Kotler amp; Keller, 2012, p. 402). Also, eBay could always increase their percentage of commission which I would not recommend with the current economy. 3. What’s next for eBay? How does it continue to grow when it needs both buyers and sellers? Where will this growth come from? eBay will continue to grow through innovations like its CEO, John Donahue, stated in the recent New York Times article, Behind eBay’s Comeback (Stewart, 2012). They must always concentrate on the newest technologies and what the customer wants before the customer knows it even wants it. eBay should continue to look into other profitable business ventures such as paypal, but should continue to stay in the realm of auctioning or paying for auctioning items. They should continue to increase their business ventures in Europe and Asia. Currently, its largest market in Europe is Germany and its largest market in Asia is South Korea (Bazdan, 2011). They should focus on other wealthy countries which they have minimal presence or no presence at all. Perhaps also, ebay should venture into the different types of auctions as I mentioned above. Some buyers and sellers may be attracted to the silent-bid auction or Dutch auction. This may actually attract additional sellers and buyers who were never interested in the current ebay English auction type. They will not know if it is a success unless they pilot the new idea for many months in many different geographical locations.