This book offers rich critical perspectives on the marketing of a variety of toys, brands, and product categories. Topics include marketing undertaken by specific children's toy brands such as American Girl, Barbie, Disney, GoldieBlox, Fisher-Price, and LEGO, and marketing trends characterizing broader toy categories such as on-trend grotesque toys; toy firearms; minimalist toys; toyetics; toys meant to offer diverse representation; STEM toys; and unboxing videos. Toy marketing warrants a sustained scholarly critique because of toys' cultural significance and their roles in children's lives, as well as the industry's economic importance. Discourses surrounding toys-including who certain toys are meant for and what various toys and brands can signify about their owners' identities-have implications for our understandings of adults' expectations of children and of broader societal norms into which children are being socialized.

This edited volume presents the results of a three-year comparative study on Chinese cultural diplomacy (CD) across Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, which contributes to the broader theoretical debate on China`s increasing soft power in international relations. The study, 'China's Cultural Diplomacy and the Role of Non-State Actors' was conducted by a research team at the Oriental Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic from 2015 to 2018. This book pays special attention to China's localized forms of CD, focusing on the regional variations and involvement of non-state actors, especially local actors outside China. Local actors involved in Chinese CD diplomacy are characterized by their intermediary status as working for the aims of two states, while trying to bridge conflicts and enhance mutual understanding. This book will be of interest to scholars, diplomats, and China watchers.

This book studies the Chinese "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI), also called "New Silk Road", and focuses on its regional and local effects. Written by experts from various fields, it presents a range of case studies on the geopolitical, socio-economic, ecological and cultural implications of the BRI for European regions and their stakeholders. The book is divided into four parts, the first of which discusses the history of and China's motivations for the BRI. The second part explores the global phenomenon from a number of regional standpoints. In turn, the third part presents studies on the political, socio-economic, cultural and ecological implications of the New Silk Road project. The final part highlights the tourism prospects in connection with the Silk Road project, as tourism has established itself as an important economic sector in many regions along the historic Silk Road. This book will appeal to scholars of economics, international relations and tourism, decision-makers, managers, chambers of commerce and entrepreneurs with special interests in establishing collaboration with the Chinese market.

Following the success of the first two editions, Age of Conversation 3: It's Time to Get Busy again kick-starts the discussion about how the global marketing landscape is changing. With over 170 of the world's leading marketers, writers, thinkers and creative innovators contributing chapters, this collaborative work investigates the roles that community, conversation, experimentation, engagement, and collaboration play in shaping the 21st century's economy of ideas. As businesses, public and private organizations, and individuals realize that there's much more to social media and its impacts than meets the eye, Age of Conversation 3 shows us which platforms, tools, and approaches truly work, as well as those that simply don't. "Social media" may be the business buzzword (or, buzz-phrase) of 2010, but what's happening beyond the hype? What new practices and guidelines is social media imposing on business-as-usual? And what makes this type of media so much different than the media we're all used to? From the boardroom to the locus of customer interaction, social media is transforming the way we do business. The impact of this is being felt in every customer interaction, each business decision, and even in the way we source, retain and engage our staffs. This third book in the Age of Conversation series is crowdsourced, bringing together the world's leading practitioners to share their stories, perspectives, observations, and strategies. Their diverse insights and varying approaches are a reflection of the global, changing nature of business today.

As marketing professionals look for more effective ways to promote their goods and services to customers, a thorough understanding of customer needs and the ability to predict a target audience's reaction to advertising campaigns is essential. The Handbook of Research on Social Marketing and Its Influence on Animal Origin Food Product Consumption is a critical scholarly resource that examines the role of social marketing in understanding and changing behavior regarding the negative impacts of consuming animal-based foods. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics, such as the psychology of meat consumption, food waste, and meat substitutes, this publication is geared towards academicians, students, and professionals seeking current research on social marketing interventions and the demarketing of meat.

Rural tourism marketing is a subject that remains significantly under-researched. Gunjan Saxena seeks to encourage a fuller understanding of rural tourism marketing by uncovering the lived experiences and enterprise of different actor groups as they respond to the impact of tourism on their communities and cultural identities. Marketing Rural Tourism presents actor narratives to reveal nuances inherent in their practices and perceptions as they develop, support or oppose tourism in their locality. By focusing on actors' experience and enterprise involved in the ongoing production, consumption and marketing of rural landscapes for tourism, this book enables an insight into varied storylines that underlie the processes of place making. Academics in the area of marketing and tourism as well as development studies will appreciate the contribution this book will make to the wider marketing discourse that circulates about rural destinations. The book will also be a valuable resource to undergraduate students looking to incorporate fresh conceptual insights into their projects, as well as postgraduate students looking to apply newer approaches to conceptualising tourism or place marketing.

Highlights the trailers, merchandising and cultural conversations that shape our experiences of film and television It is virtually impossible to watch a movie or TV show without preconceived notions because of the hype that precedes them, while a host of media extensions guarantees them a life long past their air dates. An onslaught of information from print media, trailers, internet discussion, merchandising, podcasts, and guerilla marketing, we generally know something about upcoming movies and TV shows well before they are even released or aired. The extras, or "paratexts," that surround viewing experiences are far from peripheral, shaping our understanding of them and informing our decisions about what to watch or not watch and even how to watch before we even sit down for a show. Show Sold Separately gives critical attention to this ubiquitous but often overlooked phenomenon, examining paratexts like DVD bonus materials for The Lord of the Rings, spoilers for Lost, the opening credits of The Simpsons, Star Wars actions figures, press reviews for Friday Night Lights, the framing of Batman Begins, the videogame of The Thing, and the trailers for The Sweet Hereafter. Plucking these extra materials from the wings and giving them the spotlight they deserve, Jonathan Gray examines the world of film and television that exists before and after the show.

Social media and emerging internet technologies have expanded the ideas of marketing approaches. In particular, the phenomenon of the internet in China challenges the common perception of new media environments. Internet Mercenaries and Viral Marketing: The Case of Chinese Social Media presents case studies, textual analysis, media reviews, and in-depth interviews in order to investigate the Chinese "pushing hand" operation from the conceptual perspective of communications and viral marketing. This book is significant to researchers, marketers, and advocates interested in the persuasive influence of social networks.

First of all, the level everyone understands isthat an executive is the person who is responsiblefor policy and direction of a departmentalfunction. I call this the functional silo. Theyare in charge and lead the Sales and Marketingeffort, the Manufacturing Division, the R&Defforts, the financial function or various otherareas. Each has the primary responsibility forestablishing policy and direction within theirdepartment making certain that BOTH support theoverall corporate direction. Their efforts anddecisions in this functional silo are not basedon the slickness or sexiness of a particulartechnology or application, but rather on itsoverall ability to bring their silo into alignmentwith the corporation's strategic intent.But this is only part of their job. There isa second part which carries a greater deal ofinvolvement and time investment. When you are ableto recognize and understand this, it will createmore value opportunities for you. Executives mustalso establish policy and direction at the corporatelevel. I call this the corporate strategic silo.This corporate silo always takes precedence overthe functional silo. If the two ever come intoconflict, the corporate silo always wins. Perhapsthis might explain why salespeople who go into ameeting with an executive to "pitch their wares,"and are addressing the impact they can bring to thefunctional department silo lose the executive'sinterest. While this "stuff," (which is how theexecutives usually describe it), is important tothe salesperson and possibly the functional silo, it does not capture the executive's attention, or address the value they most care about or arelooking for. The response that usually followssounds something like, "This is very interesting.I would like you to continue this discussion withmy Director of Manufacturing," thus effectivelyGET OUT OF MY OFFICE 31ending the opportunity for you to build any kindof relationship with this executive. Understandthat relationships will be built based on thevalue you can offer. For the executive the valuethat would cause them to entertain the idea of therelationship will be separate from the impact youmay have on their functional silo. Remember, theirprimary responsibility, by definition, will be thecorporate silo. They will have others to managethe functional aspects of the corporation.I have used the word "primary" several times andit bears some explanation. I am trying to conveythat executives have multiple responsibilities.Sometimes it will be necessary to get theircoveralls on and go down into the bowels of theship. While they may often have to make theseroad trips, please don't confuse this with thechance for you to bring in your value propositionand have it fall on eager and accepting ears.Executives are NOT managers. They have people totake care of the tactical efforts of a functionor project. The executive will LEAD and determinethe direction of the silo and team up with theircolleagues to lead the company.When people get a meeting with an executive, they typically have a conversation that addressesthe executive not from the corporate silo butrather as the highest-ranking manager of thefunctional silo. Yes the executive can and willtalk the talk, look the look and walk the walk, with technical, functional silo language, but atthe end of the day the value that they are lookingfor as an executive has not been addressed in thistype of exchange.Allow me to illustrate this in another way.Have you ever wondered why there is such a hugedifference in compensation between executives andthe rest of the organization? The typical companyhas a pay scale that is used for all employees.32 KEVIN L. STINSONFrom the lowest level employee to the highestsenior management position, there might be 20

This book focuses on the latest developments in behaviormetrics and data science, covering a wide range of topics in data analysis and related areas of data science, including analysis of complex data, analysis of qualitative data, methods for high-dimensional data, dimensionality reduction, visualization of such data, multivariate statistical methods, analysis of asymmetric relational data, and various applications to real data. In addition to theoretical and methodological results, it also shows how to apply the proposed methods to a variety of problems, for example in consumer behavior, decision making, marketing data, and social network structures. Moreover, it discuses methodological aspects and applications in a wide range of areas, such as behaviormetrics; behavioral science; psychology; and marketing, management and social sciences. Combining methodological advances with real-world applications collected from a variety of research fields, the book is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners, as well as for applied statisticians and data analysts.

A hands-on guide to help your nonprofit build its brand, raise its profile, strengthen impact and develop deeper relationships with donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders. "Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding" is about the power a constituency-focused, compelling brand can have to revolutionize an organization and the way people view and support it.Shows how to optimally define what your organization stands for to differieniate, create value and breakthroughExplains how to build loyal communities inside and outside of your organization to increase social impactFeatures seven principles for transforming a brand from ordinary trademark to strategic advantageIncludes case studies of eleven breakthrough nonprofit brands and transferable ideas and practices that nonprofits of any size, scope or experience can implementOther title by Daw: "Cause Marketing for Nonprofits: Partner for Purpose, Passion, and Profits"

A practical road map and essential tool for nonprofit leaders, board members, and volunteers, this book reveals the vital principles you need to know to build and manage your organization's most valuable asset - its brand. In today's highly competitive nonprofit world, building a breakthrough brand is no longer a "nice to do," but the new imperative.

"Jocelyne Daw," a pioneer and leader in building business and community partnerships has over 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience.

"Carol Cone," named by PR WEEK as the most powerful and visible figure in the world of cause branding, has been linking companies and causes for over 25 years.

The explosive growth of multimedia data on the web creates significant opportunities for multimedia advertising. Multimedia content becomes a natural information carrier for advertisements and business models that freely distribute multimedia contents and recoup revenue from multimedia advertisements have emerged in large numbers. Online Multimedia Advertising: Techniques and Technologies unites recent research efforts in online multimedia advertising. This book include introductions to basic concepts and fundamental technologies for online advertising, basic multimedia technologies for online multimedia advertising, and modern multimedia advertising schemes, theories and technologies.

The trading, selling, and buying of personal transport has changed little over the past one hundred years. Whether horse trading in the early twentieth century or car buying today, haggling over prices has been the common practice of buyers and sellers alike. "Horse Trading in the Age of Cars" offers a fascinating study of the process of buying an automobile in a historical and gendered context.

Steven M. Gelber convincingly demonstrates that the combative and frequently dishonest culture of the showroom floor is a historical artifact whose origins lie in the history of horse trading. Bartering and bargaining were the norm in this predominantly male transaction, with both buyers and sellers staking their reputations and pride on their ability to negotiate the better deal. Gelber comments on this point-of-sale behavior and what it reveals about American men.

Gelber's highly readable and lively prose makes clear how this unique economic ritual survived into the industrial twentieth century, in the process adding a colorful and interesting chapter to the history of the automobile.

Communication is of vital importance for everyone. It is omnipresent and exerts enormous influence on the way we think and act - from interpersonal relationships to consumer behavior. Marketing comes into play whenever something is to be sold. It lays out the course of action, determines the goals, and develops the strategies by which these goals can be attained as quickly and effectively as possible.

In Communicational Marketing, Luigi Carlo De Micco combines both of these factors. Like other marketing approaches, communicational marketing is concerned with the advertising and selling of products and services. But unlike conventional advertising methods, the starting point for communicational marketing is not the individual psyche but rather the inter-communicational processes that have a lasting effect on the behavior of those involved.

De Micco explains the role played by communication in modern marketing and the mechanisms that have to be taken into account. He shows the reasons for the failure of marketing ideas by analyzing the paradoxes in well-known advertising approaches, and provides the reader with communication-oriented marketing strategies.

Communicational marketing presupposes a competent, self-directed buyer who categorically rejects suggestion and who is able to recognize manipulation whenever he or she is exposed to it.