Shinto Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Shinto Reflection - Essay Example Shinto Shrine is one of the most common sacred spaces among religious groups. It is a sacred space designed for worship purpose of the Shinto groups of Japan. Shinto is an indigenous religious group professed by the people of Japan and it involves action-based religious beliefs and practices (Breen and Teeuwen 2000). Ritual practices are practiced by this religious group diligently to connect between modern Japan and the ancient Japan. It is a traditional religion of Japan as opposed to modern Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Shinto involves the worship of Kami, which refers to divinity, spirits or sacred essence. These sacred essences and divinities include animals, rivers, trees, rocks and places. Shinto people believe that people and Kami are inseparable (Hardacre 1986). Therefore, Shinto use the Shinto shrines to meet and worship the Kami as a way of demonstrating their sacred life and beliefs. The design of Shinto Shrines also shows the architectural style of Japanese history, which reveals values, beliefs and practices of the Shinto. At the front there is a Japanese gate consisting of two upright bars and two crossbars that show the separation between common space and sacred space (Hardacre 1986). These gates are known as torii, and they exist in twenty styles that match the buildings and the enshrined Kami and lineage. Therefore, the Shinto shrine reflects the sacred worship of Kami by the Shinto from the gate. The Shinto shrine also reflects the beliefs of the Shinto people who worship there through various symbolic and real barriers between the normal world and the shrine space.

Blackberry Smartphones and Other Competitors Term Paper

Blackberry Smartphones and Other Competitors - Term Paper Example Consumers are attracted to the features that a smartphone brand exhibits such as touch screen capability, music, fast internet speeds, camera and expansive storage. The opinions that consumers of smartphones provide reveal that there are psychographics that determine the smartphone they prefer such as its popularity among peers. It is therefore reflective that competitive advantage and improved market performance is achieved by mobile phone companies by providing features that meet the needs and preferences of consumers as well as effective marketing strategies. Introduction Advancement in information and communication technology has had a significant impact in the mobile industry. Developments in the mobile industry emanate from creativity, innovativeness and customer needs motivated design of phones (Parsons 2012). More notable is the introduction of the smartphone technologies and mobile applications. This has resulted from the changes in the preferences and needs of consumers. In return mobile companies have demonstrated increased competition which is driving the various strategies in marketing which are employed to achieve a competitive advantage within the market (Strategic Direction 2009). This paper presents an analytical report on the Blackberry smartphone versus Samsung, iPhone and HTC which comprise of its main competitors. ... Blackberry Smartphone versus Competitors When Blackberry was introduced to the market by the Research In Motion Ltd, many competitors sprouted within the smartphone market with an aim of grabbing a significant share of the mobile phone market (Shields 2010). Early brands of the Blackberry such as the 7000, 7100 and 8000 series attracted many consumers with a resultant advantageous positioning of these brands in the market (Woyke 2011). This is attributed to the customer value that was achieved by the innovativeness of the company and the provision of attractive features such as Wi-F, options for memory expansion and in-built cameras (Shepherd 2010). These brand elements as presented by the design of the blackberry is attributed to the strategic and better positioning of Blackberry within the market. More innovation was included within the Blackberry mobile as demonstrated by the mobile applications that are provided within its smartphone brands (Mobile Phones Industry Profile: Europe 2011). The mobile phone industry is characterized by rapid changes in the preferences and needs of consumers. This is attributed to the business competition that Blackberry received from other smartphone brands such as Samsung, iPhone and HTC Mobile (Boost Mobile 2012). The competitor companies provided more innovative features such as fast processing speeds, high megapixel cameras, full touch screen capabilities, android and thousands of mobile software applications for the diverse needs of the consumers (Segan and Jenn 2007). In this sense, the ability of Blackberry to maintain its position in the market would only be achieved through Customer Based Equity (CBE), brand advertising and marketing communication that was