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Brand Identity is simply the promise a company makes to its customers. It may be purely the function of a product, or it can be personality or values-oriented. Whatever it is, it’s something companies all over the world attempt to leverage as a way of strengthening their businesses.

Why is Brand Identity important?

A brand identity is important because it has the power to single-handedly set a company apart from its competition. And those who successfully craft their brand identities to positively affect their bottom lines know that doing so takes time, money and effort. It’s not as simple as just a logo or a tagline. In essence, brand identity is the reason you give your market to choose you…is it compelling enough? Your market will decide.

A word on revising your brand identity…
The key to a successful re-branding effort is “evolution,” not “revolution.” You must reassure your existing customers that everything they like about you will remain intact and become integral part of something even better. Don’t go to unjustified extremes for any reason because major perceived changes may destroy existing emotional ties to your brand thereby eroding valuable customer loyalty.

More than marketing, Brand Identity is the lifeblood of a company having an outward brand identity that resonates with your market is very important, but just as important is the people who make up your company understanding that brand identity and doing their part to reinforce it. Truly effective marketing starts from the inside out. Do your employees believe in the company? Do they feel like they’re an important part of it and that they have a vested stake in its success? A company with truly solid brand identity can say yes to those questions. If your company can’t, here are some steps to address the issue:

1. Get your brand personality, values and corporate culture on the same page: Marketing needs to work closely with human resources to ensure values and expectations are in sync both internally and externally.

2. Empower your employees to effective brand representatives: Align your criteria for recruiting talent and rewarding performance in such a way that promotes voluntarily brand reinforcement from your team.

3. Constantly reinforce brand-centric values and behaviors: Internal communications are a useful tool for achieving this. Like a good football coach, keep hammering the fundamentals until they’re second nature.

Your employees are your brand ambassadors and the people who determine ultimate success or failure for your company. That’s why it’s so important to get them to buy into your brand identity and take individual ownership and responsibility for it. When that kind of culture exists in a company, growth and success simply become byproducts of a happy, motivated team.

Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru, a leading brand consulting and market research firm located in Easton, Massachusetts, near Boston.

Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation. Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.

Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, Archway Marketing Services, Franklin Sports and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies. Scott can be reached at swhite@brandidentityguru.com or 508-238-4347.

The more advanced DVD players are capable of playing back a wide range of drives, besides just DVDs. The DVD players can play back DVD RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD audio, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, WMA, JPEG, MPEG 4, VCR, picture CD, SVCD, DVCD, and DivX. These DVD players are available with various features and a wide price range. The DVD players’ manufacturers decide upon the types of features to incorporate and the type of discs that are supported, taking into account consumer demands and affordability.

Region free DVD players are generally designed to read all the various discs and are therefore higher priced in the market. They are widely available in all the Region 2 countries including UK, France, Italy, Greece, and Spain. In these countries, it is legal to own and use region free DVD players if used for non-commercial purpose.

CD-R

There are two types of CDs, the CD-R and the CD-RW. CD-R (Compact Disc-Recordable) is a variation of the digital audio disc and was invented by Philips and Sony, in 1988. The CD-Rs were first produced by the companies Taiyo Yuden, Kodak, Maxell, and TDK. They are capable of storing music or data. The CD-R is burned using laser. The standard CD-R is a polycarbonate disc of 120mm or 80 mm diameter and a 1.2 mm thickness. These standard CD-Rs have a storage capacity of 74 minutes of audio or 650 MB (Mega Byte) of data.

The non-standard CD-Rs can store 702 MB data and 79 minutes and 59 seconds of audio. The writable surface of the CD-R has a spiral groove, which guides the laser beam for writing and reading information. The spiral groove side is coated with a thin layer of organic dye, followed by a thin layer of silver, a silver alloy, or gold. Then a final protective layer of lacquer, which is photo-polymerizable, is coated as a thin layer, and is cured using UV light in the end. This is how a blank disc is prepared. The data is inscribed on the spiral groove. For writing data on a CD-R, the laser physically burns the organic dye by heating to a certain level. This area on the disc that has been written upon turns opaque to the laser and reflects less light than the other areas. When a CD-R is written upon, its organic dye undergoes an irreversible decomposition. Hence once a CD-R is written upon, it is permanent and cannot be erased or re-used.

Three Methods for Writing on a CD-R using a CD Recorder

There are three methods used for writing on a CD-R using a CD recorder. In the “Disc At Once” technique, the CD is written completely in one go, and thereafter “Closed,” such that no more data can be added to it subsequently. This type of recording is commonly utilized in “Live” audio recordings. This CD-R becomes a read-only CD.

The “Track At Once” technique is used for recording one track at a time, leaving the CD-R open for further additions subsequently. These CDs are capable of storing both data and audio. The third technique is the “Packet Writing” system in which the data is recorded as appendages, allowing for new data to be added later. These CD-Rs are very similar in functioning to CD-RWs. However, due to this technique, certain DVD players are unable to read these CD-Rs.

CD-RW

A CD-RW or “Compact Disc Re Writable,” as the name suggests, is a CD disc on which data can be written, erased, and rewritten. A CD-RW is capable of re-writing as many as 1,000 to 100,000 times, depending on the type of disc. A CD-RW is also capable of erasing single files at a time.

The CD-RW is similar to the CD-R in most of the recording and usage aspects. These are compatible for “Disc At Once” and “Packet Writing” just like the CD-R. The CD-RW discs are written using the technology of “Phase-Change”. When written upon, the laser alters the physical state of the writable layer from crystalline phase to the amorphous phase. The refractive index of the crystalline form differs from that of the amorphous form and makes the disc optically readable.

Multi Read and Multi Play

The CD-R and CD-RW can be played back conveniently on the CD players. There are a number of DVD players that can play only DVD discs and are incapable of reading the CDs. This is due to certain technological disparities between the two formats. The CD-R, CD-RW, and DVDs are read using different laser specifications. The CD-R is read using infrared 780nm laser, while the DVD is read by a visible red 635nm or 650nm laser. The CD-RW can be read by the 650nm laser, since its recording layer is not very dependant on the laser wavelength for being read.

Also, the optical device used for reading DVDs has a numerical aperture of 0.60 as opposed to 0.45 used for CD-R. So, certain DVD players cannot read CD-R discs and need to be fitted with a dual laser to be able to read CD-Rs also. Most DVD players are capable of reading CD-RW, but in some cases, the optical system of the DVD is not sensitive enough to read the signal change and lower reflectivity of a CD-RW.

The consumers usually demand DVD systems that are capable of handling all types of discs. The DVD players were modified to be able to read and play other discs by incorporating the MultiRead and MultiPlay features. This is possible by the addition of an extra laser optical pickup that generates both types of wavelengths. The MultiRead format was created in 1997 by OSTA. This was devised to link together the CD and DVD technologies, and enable the DVD players to read CD-R and CD-RW discs.

The OSTA formulated MultiPlay in 2000, to enable the CD and DVD electronic devices to be compatible with CD-R and CD-RW devices. Thereafter, the MultiRead and MultiPlay compliant DVD players and recorders are able to play both CD-R and CD-RW discs. Most of the compliant DVD devices provide a MultiRead and MultiPlay logo sticker on the box to be recognized by the consumer.

Where to get REGION FREE DVD players/recorders. To prevent the latest movies from reaching countries where a film has not reached theaters yet, Hollywood studios imposed a block. This regional coding is a digital flag on the disc that tells the DVD player where a particular DVD comes from. This is supposed to prevent the disc from being used by an incompatible player in another country. A normal DVD player can only play discs designated for the player’s own particular region. However, a codefree DVD player is a capable of playing DVD discs from anywhere around the world. A codefree DVD player can play DVD discs from all 6 regions and both standards, PAL and NTSC. That’s every DVD movie on earth! PAL-NTSC 110-220 volts DVD/VCR Combos for use worldwide. CODEFREE DVD / PAL-NTSC VCR combos and MULTISTANDARD VCRs will play 100% all known DVD discs including FRENCH DVDs. You can buy region free and region free converting DVD players and region free DVD recorders from http://www.mindlogic.com in California. They give you a LIFETIME Warranty and ship worldwide. Tel.800-514-2984 or tel. 925-686-9945

They have more thank 140,000 consumer electronics including multisystem pal TVs such as plasma, LCD, DLP etc. They also have free standing video standards converters from Tenlab and converting PAL-SECAM,NTSC, PAL-N , PAL-M VCRs and much more.

Allergies and Tree Selections

Many people wonder why so many people today seem to have allergies. It seems that more people today than 50 years ago are suffering. I know of a school that can not have peanut butter present because one child could suffer life a threatening reaction if exposed to peanut butter. Could our trees that we are planting also be a cause? There has been changes in our urban and rural tree planting to adjust for such plant deseases as the Dutch Elm Disease. Our elm trees which were very common in the landscape has all but disappeared. This tree had little air born pollen because this tree is mostly pollinated by insects. (Elms have both male and female flowers present on each tree.) Thus elms can cause less allergy problems for people. Since 1949 our USDA, through its yearbook, has recommended trees which are males because they are less messy. No acorns and no fruit but alas more pollen. So what is recommended as suitable for urban plantings does effect the total amount of pollen in the air. Selections should be made with pollen production in mind. Trees with high pollen production should be kept out of urban planting if possible. This is even more important in high density urban areas such as schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and as street trees in downtown areas. Trees with high pollen production should never be near fresh air ducts for buildings. Municipalities should incorporate pollen production of trees into land use regulations. Lists of trees that are allowed in land use plans should reflect good health factors for our communities. Think of all the law suits that could be derived as a result of poor planning.

Best Trees to Plant Female Ash Trees Female Red Maple Trees Female Red Locust Trees Double Flowering Cherry Trees

Good Trees to Plant Flowering Pears and Plums Pines and Spruces Dogwoods

Poor Trees to Plant Male Ash Trees Male Mullberry Trees Male Red Maple Male Junipers Red Oak Trees

See more articles by B Hirst at the farm web site http://www.seedlingsrus.com or http://www.zone5trees.com

There is a new wave of email “phishing” that is showing up in email mailboxes this spring, unscrupulous scammers are now targeting the American public with email claiming to be from the IRS.

The ingenious fraudsters’ aim is to collect your Social Security number, credit card account information and banking account information. The emails, which look authentic complete with the IRS logo and privacy policy, lure people into providing this information by notifying them of an audit or offering them access to a link to collect their refund. Additionally, the web site that appears bears a striking resemblance to the official IRS web site (even the font type matches) and when people click home, it actually takes them to www.IRS.gov (the real IRS web site).

However, there are some flaws to these thief’s attempts to secure people’s private and personal information. This is what the public should know: In one of the scam emails in the browser or address bar at the top of the page it reads: http://tzk.kozle.pl and the information that is requested, Social Security number, credit card number, banking information (where the refund goes).

The public needs to know that the IRS generally does not communicate with them via email.

“We do not communicate with taxpayers via email. We may send you a letter, we may call you, but we do not send out email,” stated IRS spokeswoman Nancy Mathis.

In recent weeks up to one hundred complaints a day are reported regarding email scams and the IRS has found twelve web sites operated in eighteen different countries committing this type of fraud or other types of IRS related fraud.

If you get an email from the IRS and if you doubt its authenticity, it is best to call the IRS and verify that they did, in fact send the correspondence. Call the IRS at 1-(800) 829-1040 ask confirm if they are trying to contact you. To report a fraudulent or suspicious email claiming to be from the IRS, call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1 (800) 366-4484. Furthermore, report any cases of identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Robert Benson operates www.ezshoppinghere.com a website devoted to helping shoppers find unique gift ideas in unique places with over 400 stores to choose from and millions of options available, stop by for a visit today.

Introduction
Australia is oldest continent on earth and has one of the most fragile and least fertile soils. Other than Antarctica, Australia is the driest continent on this planet, with over 80% of our land arid and infertile. It has one of the least understood ecological systems in the developed world and there are new species of plants and animals discovered every year in Australia.
Yet for over 150 years we have been using “European Style” farming techniques with little regard to the fact that European soils are far more fertile and are often silt based, providing fertile soils every year.
Since the Second World War, the state of agricultural decay has increased dramatically with the “Great Agricultural Push in Australia”, in areas that were simply not suited for long-term agricultural use. Mechanisation, fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides as well as push to standardise products in order to increase yields (productivity) has led to extensive environmental catastrophes.
One example that clearly comes to mind is the vast lands in SW Australia (East of Perth), where people were fooled to believe that they could run agricultural operations over a long period of time.
Our land is still being deforested at a rapid rate leading to high levels of salinity, over-grazed leading to desertification and land degradation through bad soil management techniques.
Its water courses altered, dammed drained straightened etc. Whilst 95% of Victorian rivers lie in some state of decay, with fish breeding grounds lost, flows reduced, swamps drained etc. Our water management practices have in the past been inadequate. Just take a look at our open channel irrigation systems, which stretch across a vast reach of Australia. It loses a third of its volume through evaporation.
In 1983 during our last water restrictions the government promised that once the Thompson and Dartmouth Dams were finished that we would never have water restrictions again. Twenty years later it’s happening again. What has happened to our vision?
These are just simple examples of where our ignorance and lack of foresight has let us astray. There has been and still is an irresponsible approach to water, soil and forestry management.
Today Australia faces many environmental issues of which the most important are:
1.Water management
2.Land Degradation and poor soil management
3.Deforestation
4.Overgrazing
Yet very little has been addressed. For over 100 years we couldn’t even get Victoria South Australia and NSW to sign an agreement for a management plan for the Murray River.
These mistakes have led us to a more contemporary approach to agriculture. No longer are farmers just simply doing what “their fathers did”. It simply doesn’t work and is a time bomb ready to explode. The explosion being total desertification and degradation of our land within our lifetime! This has pushed us to a “big picture” approach to Agriculture, which has made us stop for a moment and think about what we are doing. Over the last 30 years there has been a push into sustainable agricultural practices leading us to better resource management with a long-term view.
Sustainable Agriculture can be described as resource management based agricultural system that minimises the impact of agriculture produce and practices whilst providing a profitable output or produce at minimal impact to the surrounding environment, both short and long-term, whilst maximising biodiversity.

Biodiversity
So what is so important about biodiversity? Biodiversity gives us the “quality of life” that enables us to survive and enjoy life. Life’s wonderful choices! Many choices provide many solutions especially in the random changing realm of Darwin’s Natural Selection. We must maintain biodiversity if the human species is to survive.

Farm Management Plan
An integral part of any Sustainable Agricultural venture is to have a Farm Management Plan.
This analyses all the resource to minimise inputs, and provides a suitable output with view to long-term sustainability.
Inputs
These inputs could be but are not limited to the following:
•Water
•Soil
•Fertilisers
•Seeds
•Chemicals including pesticides, herbicides, fungicides
•Labour
•Machinery including fuel

The Farm Management Plan should also incorporate a vision for what you want to achieve, assess the inherent risks and provide contingency plans to minimise all the exposure to risks as part of the plan. It also provide solutions through an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan
A Farm Management Plan should look at all aspects of the current state of the venture and provide any solutions, generally organic based, to rectify any inherent problems occurring or to provide practices that will not lead to long-term problems.
Many of the problems in intensive (monoculture) agriculture can be reversed if all the parameters are understood. The problem in the past has been we have not taken the time to analyse and understand our soils and ecological systems that support us until it is too late. In the past, (and still happening today) there has been a push by big corporations, such as Monsanto, DuPont etc. to buy…buy….buy their agricultural products, whilst their consultants, provided us with the wrong, often biased information leading us to make bad choices over time.
Whilst Sustainable Agriculture is the right step in our approach to resource management we still have a long way to go to change people’s habits and provide them with a greater understanding of our ecological systems which is blocked by our ignorance and apathy from distractions such as terrorism, boat people and war on Iraq. The real issue is resource management, which we alone must take control of and not rely on external states or systems to determine our destiny or freedom of choice.

About the Author

Tobi Nagy is a small business develoment consultant and a specialist on developing sustainable systems. His website can be found at http://www.sustainable-development.net