Cyber Risk & Resilience Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Talk about the Cyber Risk and Resilience. Answer: Digital Risk Resilience Linkov and Palma-Oliveira (2017) have characterized digital hazard as any harm, disturbance or budgetary misfortune because of the disappointment of outer assault on the data arrangement of a business association. Digital dangers and dangers are getting increasingly differed and visit with brisk versatility and deft attribute of the aggressors. Biener, Eling and Wirfs (2015) asserted that a fruitful digital assault on a firm can cost a yearly normal of $20 millionfinancial misfortune. The capacity of an association for ID, discovery, reacting and counteraction of the data framework recuperation and disappointment for limiting the monetary misfortune, reputational harm and client hurt is characterized as digital versatility. Then again, Estay and Khan (2015) characterized the digital dangers as a multi-dimensional idea. Along these lines, todays association needs to concentrate on three significant regions for controlling the digital dangers. Linkov and Palma-Oliveira (2017) indicated that the IT framework and the innovation dangers are considered as the most practical territory for digital assaults. Directing standard reconnaissance, customary observing, and testing and coordinating appropriate administration program for controlling; the dangers helps in lessening digital assaults. The second zone of digital dangers is inside the tasks. As per Biener, Eling and Wirfs (2015), the operational dangers regularly brings about the possible disappointment in the innovation foundation and standard procedures followed inside the business associations. The operational dangers can be relieved by deciding the dangers hunger for the specific assaults. The standard business activities ought to incorporate appropriate capacities and system for forestalling the digital assaults. The third territory includes the budgetary fake wrongdoings over, minimal effort, littler occasions. The business organist particles needs to consolidate the framework and projects for recognizing any assault or peculiarities inside the business association for alleviating digital assaults. References Biener, C., Eling, M. also, Wirfs, J.H., 2015. Insurability of digital hazard: An experimental analysis.The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance Issues and Practice,40(1), pp.131-158. Estay, D.A.S. furthermore, Khan, O., 2015. TOWARDS A SUPPLY CHAIN CYBER-RISK AND RESILIENCE RESEARCH AGENDAA SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW. In20th International Symposium on Logistics (ISL 2015). Linkov, I. furthermore, Palma-Oliveira, J.M. eds., 2017.Resilience and Risk: Methods and Application in Environment, Cyber and Social Domains. Springer.

The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

The tale opens with a depiction of mounted guns loaded soldiers walking gradually through the downpours recently summer and fall. One of these men is the American Frederic Henry, a rescue vehicle driver. Henry is at present in the Italian armed force, at the Italian front during World War I. The fundamental activity of these initial hardly any parts starts when Henry comes back from winter leave in late-winter. His flat mate, Rinaldi, is enchanted of a British medical caretaker, Catherine Barkley, at a close by British emergency clinic. Rinaldi persuades Henry to visit the clinic with him and Henry ends up pulled in to Catherine. A couple of days after the fact, Henry returns to see Catherine and the two kiss The connection among Henry and Catharine turns out to be progressively characterized as Henry pays her customary visits. Be that as it may, the relationship is one without affection to Henry, it seems as though they are playing a game. Catherine perceives this also, lastly proclaims that it is a "rotten game we play," stopping the bogus lovemaking. Then, the hostile is going to resume, and Fredrick Henry is dispatched to the front to drive the injured back to medical clinics. At the front, Henry and his kindred emergency vehicle drivers sit in a burrow, eating pasta and trusting that the hostile will start. One of the drivers, Passini, stands in opposition to the war, saying that "War isn't won by triumph. . . . One side must quit battling. For what reason don't we stop fighting?" As they talk, shells break over their heads until at long last a channel mortar shell impacts open the burrow. Passini's leg is passed over and he bites the dust; both of Henry's legs are seriously injured. At a field medical clinic, Henry is visited first by Rinaldi, at that point by the cleric. Rinaldi discloses to Henry that he will get a decoration of grit from the Italians, and jokes about turns of events. The minister, then again, has increasingly genuine issues to discuss. He attempts to disclose to Henry how "There are individuals who might make war . . . [and] there are others who might not make war," and how the last are helpless before the previous. The cleric likewise reveals to Henry that affection is an ability to serve another person, and that genuine satisfaction can be accomplished through adoration. Following a couple of days at the field clinic, Henry is moved away from the front to an American emergency clinic in Milan.

Can You Have Bad Credit Even With a Good Income

Can You Have Bad Credit Even With a Good Income Can You Have Bad Credit Even With a Good Income? Can You Have Bad Credit Even With a Good Income?Yes, you can!  Your credit score doesnt  care about how much money you make, only how much you owe and whether you can pay it back.If you earn a modest income, it’s easy to be envious of the super-wealthy. They travel around the world, eat at Michelin-rated restaurants, and shop for high-end luxury items. They enjoy a lifestyle that’s nothing more than a pipe dream for most of us.But when it comes to credit, your score may be just as highâ€"or higherâ€"than even billionaires Bill Gates and Richard Branson. That’s probably not much consolation, but it is the truth.It may seem like credit scores should increase with your income, but the truth is much more complicated. Read on for a deep dive into what makes up your credit scoreâ€"and why just being wealthy can’t protect you from bad credit.Why Credit Bureaus Don’t Care About Your Income.Despite what many people think, your credit score is completely independent of your income. P eople with $20,000 salaries can have good credit scores, just like those with $200,000 incomes can have poor credit scores.Credit scores only look at one thingâ€"your credit. It doesn’t matter how large your 401k is or how much equity you have in your house. A credit score doesn’t show how much you earn, how stable your job is or how much you save. Though a credit score is a popular financial barometer, it’s not a comprehensive look at your finances. Credit bureaus don’t collect any information about your incomeâ€"only about how you treat any credit you’ve taken on.“The purpose of credit scores is to help assess the risk a person will not pay a debt as agreedâ€"regardless of income,” said Rod Griffin, Director of Public Education for Experian  (@Experian_US).A lender looks at your credit score because it reflects how well you manage your credit obligations. A high credit score means you’re dependable and reliable, and a poor credit score means you’re negligent and irresponsible.Some consumers mistakenly think income is part of their credit score because lenders ask for it on applications and can use it as a reason to deny a line of credit. If you have a good credit score and low income, you might not qualify for a loan because the lender thinks the payments will be too high.If you have bad credit with good income, you can also be denied. According to Griffin, your credit history is typically more important to a potential lender than your income, because the former shows your track record of managing debt.“Understanding the components of your credit report is essential because a strong credit history increases your access to the financial services you need,” he said.How High-Earners End Up With Bad Credit.Because income has no impact on credit, the wealthy are just as likely to have a low credit score as the poor. The rich can miss payments, rely too heavily on credit, and open too many new accounts, all of which will lower their credit sc ore. If you’re a doctor making $300,000 a year and have $1 million in debt, for example, you’ll likely have a poor credit score.On a practical level, it boils down to whether or not your income can support your lifestyle. We’ve all seen examples of lifestyle creepâ€"where you start to scale up your expenses as your income increasesâ€"and the wealthy are no more immune to this. A busy mother of three working in a call center can attain a perfect credit score by diligently paying her bills, just like a superstar basketball player can tank his score with a few purchases he can’t afford.(To read more about how your friends bad spending habits can affect your own, check out our blog post: Is Bad Credit Contagious?)However, wealthy people may also have a bad credit score or no credit because they don’t borrow money. If you can afford to buy your house or car in cash and only use a debit card, you won’t build up a credit history.The fact is, a poor credit history doesn’t real ly matter if you don’t need to borrow money. Many financially independent or early retirees have no credit or poor credit because they only use their debit cards.What Makes Up Your Credit Score.Though the exact algorithm is a secret, FICO uses the following factors to decide your credit score:Payment history: Your history of paying credit bills on time makes up 35 percent of your credit score. This is the most important component and also the easiest to change. If you pay your bills on time every month, your credit score will increase. If you miss payments repeatedly, your credit score will suffer. Switching to auto-pay will guarantee you’re never late again.Amounts owed: How much you owe relative to how much credit you have available to you constitutes 30 percent of your credit score. This is also known as your credit utilization ratio. If you owe $35,000 on your credit cards and have a credit limit of $100,000, you have a credit utilization ratio of 35 percent. Credit bureaus don’t like to see a ratio of more than 30 percent. Anything higher makes them worry that you can’t afford to pay down your balance and that you’re relying too heavily on credit.Length of credit history: How long you’ve had credit only counts for 15 percent of your credit score. The longer you’ve had your accounts, the better. The only way to improve this section is to avoid opening new accounts and keep your oldest accounts active.Type of credit: Lenders like to see a variety of credit accounts on your report, including student loans, auto loans, credit cards, personal loans, and mortgages. You won’t be heavily dinged for not having more than one or two different types of accounts, as this part only makes up 10 percent of your credit score.New credit inquiries: Any time you open or apply for a new line of credit, it shows up on your credit report. New inquiries account for 10 percent of your credit report. The more inquiries you have on your report, the lower your score will be. It takes one year for inquiries to fall off, and if you’re applying for a big loan like a mortgage, it’s best not to have any recent inquiries on your credit report.If you have a solid income and a poor credit score, there are plenty of ways you can increase your score quickly. Go through your credit report and look at any red marks. Are you bad at paying your bills on time? Or is your credit ratio too high?Address each reason you see a negative score and work on improving those areas. You should see a higher credit score in just a few months if you follow the right steps.To learn more about what it takes to improve your credit, check out these related posts and articles from OppLoans:Credit Workbook: The OppLoans Guide to Understanding Your Credit, Credit Report and Credit ScoreHow to Fix Your Bad Credit in 20186 Common Credit Myths Debunked!What else do you want to know about your credit score? Let us know!  You can  email us  or you can find us on  Facebook  and  Twi tter.ContributorsRod Griffin is Director of Public Education forExperian  (Experian_US). He leads Experian’s national consumer education programs and supports the company’s community involvement and corporate responsibility efforts. Rod oversees the company’s financial literacy grant program, which awarded more than $850,000 in 2015 to non-profit programs that help people achieve financial success. He works with consumer advocates, financial educators and others to help consumers increase their ability to understand and manage personal finances and protect themselves from fraud and identity theft.

An Introduction to Korsakoffs Syndrome

Korsakoff’s syndrome is a memory disorder caused by a deficiency of thiamine, or vitamin B1, in the body. It is usually characterized by amnesia, disorientation, apathy, and confabulation – a condition in which a person reports events that never happened. Korsakoff’s syndrome is commonly associated with prolonged alcohol misuse. Effects of Thiamine Deficiency on the Body Thiamine is critical to the health of living organisms. It serves as a  cofactor  for enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism.  These  enzymes  help produce chemicals needed for generating important  molecules  for the body, such as those that help give cells energy and others that are crucial to building protein. Thus, a lack of thiamine can interfere with many of the body’s processes and lead to  cellular death. Although thiamine is essential for the body, the body does not produce thiamine on its own, and only stores a small amount of thiamine (about 30 mg) at one time. The body can deplete this small store of thiamine in only a few weeks if thiamine is not ingested. When combined with alcohol misuse, thiamine deficiency can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb and transport additional amounts of thiamine. For example, liver damage can reduce how much thiamine can be stored in the body. Furthermore, the transport of thiamine through several parts of the body, like the  blood-brain barrier, can be impaired. These sites would then require even more thiamine to function normally. Neuropsychology of Korsakoffs Syndrome Thiamine deficiency affects several brain regions involved in  episodic memory. These areas, which include structures in the  limbic system  such as the  hippocampus, are responsible for the coding, storage, and retrieval of memories related to specific events. Other memory systems can also be affected by thiamine deficiency,  including autobiographical memory, which combines memories of personal experiences (episodic memory) with general knowledge about the world (autobiographical knowledge). Another area that can be damaged is implicit learning, which is the knowledge that one learns without being aware of it, like the motor skills involved in riding a bike. Though researchers have emphasized the role of memory in Korsakoff’s syndrome, its symptoms often include impairments in executive functions, like reasoning and speech, which are associated with the  frontal lobes  of the brain. For example, confabulation – which is a main characteristic of the syndrome – may involve both memory and the frontal lobes. This has led some researchers to postulate that neurotoxicity resulting from alcohol would primarily affect the frontal lobes of the brain, and occur alongside thiamine deficiency, which affects memory – though this hypothesis has been debated. Causes of Korsakoffs Syndrome Though Korsakoff’s syndrome is commonly associated with alcohol misuse, the condition is not necessarily caused by alcohol. Other causes of Korsakoff’s syndrome include poor nutrition, anorexia, and surgical procedures that are performed to induce weight loss – which can lead to a deficiency of thiamine in the body. TheWet Brain â€Å"Wet brain,† or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, describes individuals who develop both Korsakoff’s syndrome and Wernicke’s encephalopathy due to  alcohol misuse. In cases of wet brain, Wernicke’s encephalopathy, which is characterized by imbalance, confusion, and double vision, occurs  first. Wernicke’s encephalopathy occurs suddenly but its symptoms are often reversible with thiamine treatments. Korsakoff’s syndrome occurs more slowly, and its symptoms are typically irreversible. Around 85 percent of individuals with Wernicke’s encephalopathy develop Korsakoff’s syndrome. Theoretical Explanations There are two distinct theoretical explanations for Korsakoffs syndrome: the continuity hypothesis and the dual-process model. The continuity hypothesis for Korsakoff’s syndrome states that there is a continuum of increasingly worsening cognitive and neurophysiological symptoms, such as memory loss, that can result from alcohol misuse. This continuum extends from individuals who are dependent on alcohol but do not have any complications to those with Korsakoff syndrome. This suggests that Korsakoff’s syndrome is a more severe consequence of alcohol dependence, though worse conditions do not necessarily correlate to a more pronounced drinking history. However, studies testing the continuity hypothesis have mostly focused on memory, with little evidence for other impairments that are also observed in Korsakoff’s syndrome. The dual-process model states that cognitive processes like decision-making utilize one of two systems: the â€Å"reflective system,† in which an individual deliberates a decision before making one, and the â€Å"automatic-affective system,† in which someone impulsively acts. The reflective system is associated with the prefrontal lobes, while the automatic-affective system mostly concerns the limbic system. Normally, these two systems work together to ensure that someone is making coherent decisions. However, this balance may be disrupted in someone who is addicted to alcohol. They have a more active automatic-affective system, which leads to more impulsive behavior, and a less active reflective system, which means those impulsive behaviors are less likely to be inhibited. Though this model may be of relevance to Korsakoff’s syndrome, it has mostly been tested on people who have recently recovered from an alcohol addiction and do not have Korsakoff’s syndrome. The model should be validated through further study. Korsakoffs Syndrome Key Takeaways Korsakoff’s syndrome, which is commonly associated with the misuse of alcohol, is a long-term consequence of thiamine deficiency. Thiamine, or vitamin B1, is an essential vitamin for the body to function.The syndrome is mostly characterized by deficits in memory, though it affects other functions of the brain as well.Models have been postulated to explain Korsakoff’s syndrome, but the models still require further study. Sources â€Å"Autobiographical memory.† In Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference, 2008, pp. 893-909.Brion, M., D’Hondt, F., Davidoff, D., and Maurage, P. â€Å"Beyond cognition: Understanding affective impairments in Korsakoff syndrome.† Emotion Review, vol. 8, no. 4, 2016, pp. 376-384.Brion, M., Pitel, A., Beaunieux, H., and Maurage, P. â€Å"Revisiting the continuum hypothesis: toward an in-depth exploration of executive functions in Korsakoff syndrome.† Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 8, 2014.Cornell University. â€Å"Thiamine biochemistry.†Martin, P., Singleton, C., and Hiller-Sturmhà ¶fel, S. â€Å"The role of thiamine deficiency in alcoholic brain disease.†McCormick, L., Buchanan, J., Onwuameze, O., Pierson, R., and Paradiso, S. â€Å"Beyond alcoholism: Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome in patients with psychiatric disorders.† Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, vol. 24, no. 4, 2011, pp. 209-216Thomson, A., Guerrini, I., and Ma rshall, E. â€Å"The evolution and treatment of Korsakoff’s syndrome.† Neuropsychology Review, vol. 22, no. 2, 2012, pp. 81-92.

New Questions About Letter Essay Answered and Why You Must Read Every Word of This Report

New Questions About Letter Essay Answered and Why You Must Read Every Word of This Report Explain why you wish to be a global student as opposed to study in your nation. Our teachers will have the ability to help answer any questions that may have. Don't forget, all sort of activities you're speaking about in the essay must be associated with the scholarship program. Review what you've been requested to address in your essay Sometimes educational institutions wish to learn more than just your career targets. Describe what you would like to achieve in graduate school. While an essay is a sizable project, there are numerous steps a student can take which will help break down the task into manageable components. Ultimately, finish with why you believe you are ideal for the college. It would be useful for the student to meet up with a faculty member as they begin to consider about the content and structure of their essay. The Unexpected Truth About Letter Essay Use every available resource at your disposal wisely so that you'll wind up with an impressive application essay that will certainly go a very long way to increasing your probability of admission. Since you can see by my resume, I have a continuous commitment to professional improvement. Not having the appropriate documentation is among the most typical ways for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to conclude you ought to be sent back to your residence country. Demonstrate, if at all possible, some understanding of the org anization to which you're applying. Letter Essay at a Glance Regardless of what essay topic you are given, our essay generator will have the ability to finish your essay easily. After you've narrowed your Topic, you will want to set up a purpose for your essay. If you wish to make an academic essay that's both outstanding and relevant, always set the items that we've discussed above in mind. Whether it's an argumentative or expository essay which you're writing, it is crucial to develop a clear thesis statement and a crystal clear sound reasoning. You can also see academic essay. You might also see descriptive essay. An academic essay always must be relevant. It is crucial to be aware an argumentative essay and an expository essay might be similar, but they vary greatly when it comes to the sum of pre-writing and research involved. The Characteristics of Letter Essay The motive of your essay is essential to be deemed as it can identify whether it's possible to be of help to the men and women who want a distinct educational reference. The course materials which you need to speak about within an academic essay can reflect your degree of understanding about the matter. Your academic essay should evoke an emotion that is needed to spark different ideas, opinions and other types of responses. Always keep in mind that it should be playful it must not bore your audience. The Letter Essay Stories Letter writing contributes to the mastery of the technique of very good writing. Letters continue to be the very best medium of communication amongst all the most recent mediums that were introduced with the assistance of advanced science and technology. Writing an official letter could possibly be a hard job for a beginner but once you have the appropriate format, it'll be easy later on. Utilize our free Sample College Application Letter to assist you begin. The Downside Risk of Letter Essay For example, if you've included many documents and will need to be sure that the recipient is conscious of each document, it might be a very good idea to list the names. Think about the comments in the text to have a better comprehension of how a superior invitation letter should look. Anyway, an invitation letter is a kind of persuasive writing, especially if you have to obtain a 100% positive reaction to the invitation. An invitation letter is usually constrained by one page, but might be expanded if you will need to attach more information regarding the function. Letter Wizard should only be used in case you have a basic understand of the way to compose a business letter. It's compulsory to incorporate a subject in an official letter which isn't necessary in an informal letter. If you are going to be writing a personal letter, make sure you accurately mention their names. Most formal letters aren't very long. For this reason, you should talk a business writing handbook in case you have any questions or doubt the truth of the Letter Wizard. Also, you should discover whether the letter is formal or informal and select the proper tone. Letters don't have the capability to transmit malware or other harmful files that may be transmitted by email. A covering letter is the one which accompanies your CV when you're applying for employment.

Ann Taylor Free Essays

string(35) " 2 billion in fiscal 2009 and \$1\." Table of Contents |Executive Summary |2 | |Company background Current Marketing Situation |3-7 | |Marketing Objectives |7-8 | |Opportunity Issue Analysis |8-13 | |Marketing Strategy Actions taken |13-16 | |Appendix 1 2 |17-20 | |Bibliography |21 | Contributions (write ups only) Executive Summary, Company background Marketing Strategy- Priyanka Chigurupati Marketing Objectives Marketing Strategy- Maira Braga Opportunity Issue Analysis- Judy Seng Yui Yasuda Executive Summary Ann Taylor Stores Corp. has been one of the largest apparel and accessories firms in the fashion industry for a long time. It has four divisions; Ann Taylor, LOFT, Ann Taylor Factory and LOFT Outlet each of which caters the same category of apparel and accessories, i. We will write a custom essay sample on Ann Taylor or any similar topic only for you Order Now e. work related clothing to different markets. The introduction of Dan Taylor; our challenge has been positive and we feel that this division for men’s clothing would reap benefits for the company primarily because the men’s market is a growing one. Also, Dan Taylor can capitalize on Ann Taylor’s reputation of being amongst the top few brands customers pick for work related, casual yet chic clothing. Our product line will follow along the path of LOFT; catered to men instead of women. Although there are several threats the company might face, we strongly believe that the opportunities will outweigh the risks. Dan Taylor will use promotional tools that Ann Taylor never used but in terms of overall advertising, Dan Taylor will follow Ann Taylor’s path. The company’s overall goal is to improve the bottom line growth of both the divisions (Ann Taylor Dan Taylor). If successful, Ann Taylor Store Corp. will be one of the highest grossing companies in the United States. COMPANY BACKGROUND CURRENT MARKETING SITUATION Ann Taylor Stores Corp. has been one of the most popular women’s clothing company in the United States for the past few decades. Founded in 1954 by Richard Liebeskind, the company was named â€Å"Ann Taylor,† because â€Å"Ann,† was considered a very New England name and â€Å"Taylor,† evoked an image of tailored clothing. Ann Taylor has four divisions; Ann Taylor, LOFT, Ann Taylor Factory and LOFT Outlet. Ann Taylor caters to working women with classic clothing that is polished, refined and versatile. The fashions offered at Ann Taylor stores are for affluent career women. With price points between $40 (for a basic top) and $430, Ann Taylor falls in the â€Å"better,† category. LOFT was established in the late 90’s and offers more casual and relaxed fashions for relatively younger customers. Priced anywhere between $20- $90 and $200 for suits (two separates), it falls under the â€Å"upper moderate,† category. Ann Taylor Factory and the LOFT outlet are extensions of the brand (Ann Taylor and LOFT) in the outlet division. Ann Taylor Stores Corp. ’s product line (width) includes â€Å"Apparel,† that includes tops and blouses, sweaters and knits, dresses, pants, skirts, suits, jackets and coats, denim and accessories among all four divisions (based on different price points). The depth of the accessories includes shoes, jewelry, handbags, belts, scarves and shape wear. Ann Taylor has an exclusive line of Bridal wear that is an one stop shop for all wedding needs for women including wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, shoes and accessories at an affordable range of $38 (accessories) to $495 (wedding dress). LOFT, being the more casual between the two has an exclusive line of lounge wear ranging between $20 and $60. The extensive product line is available for Ann Taylor and LOFT in brick and mortar stores, on the internet (ecommerce) and in catalogues. Ann Taylor’s strengths lie in the fact that it caters to a strong and growing market, i. e. primarily to the working sector of people. Ann Taylor’s target market primarily comprises of ages between 30 years and 60 years to whom, the company offers a plethora of work related apparel and accessories. LOFT’s target market comprises of 18 to 34 year olds who have a wide variety of casual work related (can be used for other purposes) apparel and accessories. Although the two divisions cater to different target markets, their primary purpose is to provide to the ‘working customer. Ann Taylor’s expansion into value based divisions (LOFT and its clearance centers) has captured the value market. The pricing at LOFT is about 30% lower than its sister concept, Ann Taylor. The outlets too, have captured the market that comprises of consumers seeking deeper value over traditional pricing and stores. The corporation added more value to these â€Å"clearance cente rs,† by creating private labels for the outlet centers. All the three divisions have proven to be a success among consumers. A third strength of the company would be its marketing strategies through celebrity associations. Some of the biggest celebrities like Heidi Klum, Milla Jovovich, Rachel Bilson are the faces of the company. The brand equity of the company, i. e. the image of the company in the minds of the consumers is enhanced because of positive perceptions. To further enhance this, the company is specifically targeting different markets by using different celebrities for each type of market. For example: Christina Hendricks, known for her curves is a face of the company. Although not directly done this speaks to the relatively more curvy women, a huge upcoming market. Also, since Ann Taylor has been associated with ‘luxury products,’ its reputation has trickled down to its LOFT brand and customers have started to consider LOFT as affordably luxurious. One of the biggest weaknesses of the company (in disguise) is also a blessing for the company, i. e. its LOFT division. The LOFT brand has been growing rampantly with 506 LOFT stores as compared to 291 Ann Taylor stores in 2009. The reason for this growth has been the demand for value oriented ‘luxury,’ products offered by LOFT. When LOFT was set up in the late 90’s, it was oriented towards casual clothing. Today, with the shift towards more casual clothing even in the working environment (casual Friday), LOFT unwittingly turned into Ann Taylor’s direct competitor with a better value proposition. Ever since the economy has been in the throes of a recession, Ann Taylor’s performance like that of most other companies has spiraled downwards. Since 2008, the company has been spiraling downwards with net sales of $2. 4 billion in fiscal 2008, $2. 2 billion in fiscal 2009 and $1. You read "Ann Taylor" in category "Papers" 8 billion in fiscal 2010. The net loss went down considerably from $333,906,000 in fiscal 2009 to $18,208,000 in fiscal 2010. The company has been facing tough competition from its major competitors like White House Black Market, Chico’s, Anne Klein, Talbots, Banana Republic, J Crew and Cold Water Creek for Ann Taylor and The Gap, AK Anne Klein, New York Co. and INC International Concepts (Private Label at Macy’s), a few among others. In terms of advertising, Ann Taylor promotes it products mainly through catalogs, television and magazine ads. It uses a combination of Institutional advertising, i. e. dvertising done to promote the company’s image and Promotional advertising, i. e. advertising that highlights an item or a category of items to get an immediate response. [pic] [pic] Institutional Advertising Promotional Advertising In 2009, Ann Taylor partnered with Proctor Gamble due to the economic downturn, and handed out free samples of detergent and coupons to customers who buy machin e washable clothes. In addition, Ann Taylor created an eight-page magazine, available for free in stores that provided tips on how to keep clothes looking fresh. Of course, due to the partnership, they require Tide or Downy Total Care, which are both Proctor Gamble products, but this was one of the many successful promotional strategies implemented by Ann Taylor. In an effort to utilize maximum amounts of different media in order to integrate the customer with the promotion strategies, Ann Taylor partnered with CFDA/ Vogue fashion fund in which the selected stylists were asked to put together a full look for Ann Taylor that would suit today’s working woman. This brought out not only increased exposure but also offers a fashionable, vivacious look to the brand. MARKETING OBJECTIVES Given the current market situation, Ann Taylor should be looking to expand and conquer any new potential clientele to drive profits up. Sale trends still place the retailer amongst the top two competitors of its US Top Women’s Apparel Division, giving the brand a leadership position within its industry. Although product offerings are fairly uniform amongst such brands, very few of Ann Taylor’s direct competitors are currently in the Men’s clothes division (primarily department store private labels). Furthermore, as was once predicted of Contemporary and Young Designer fashions, Menswear is the next â€Å"white space† of the industry, offering high rates of growth and return for early entrants. This provides Ann Taylor a high incentive towards accepting the risk of being an early-mover and adding a menswear line to its current offerings. Ann Taylor’s previously existent mill and factory relationships will also conduce towards seamless integration of the production of a menswear line for select stores. Furthermore, despite harsh economic times, Ann Taylor shows clear signs of recovery, having started to post profits of $18. million in the second quarter of 2010, over $260 million to finance expansive efforts. Another trend that has been identified within a more general Apparel market is that women make up to 80% of all of all shopping for a family. This would indicate that for a large portion of the male population, it is in fact their female counterparts that are ma king the calls in regards to many purchasing decision. Large portions of these women are wives of family households as well as long-term partners. Nationally, nearly 50% percent of the entire population is comprised of married couples – a broad base for a core target audience. This buying behavior creates an untapped potential market for the Ann Taylor brand. Since women would already be in the store, this is a process of adding on to their current purchases, adding not only profit, but value to the Ann Taylor brand by having the client associate stores with convenience and multi-level shopping. This was already proven successful with strategic integration of home furnishings and accessories to select flagship stores. The target male consumer for these groups was a relatively simple process of reexamining our current demographics under a different lens. Most evidently, the targeted age group would be a similar 18-34. This age group makes up 23. 5% of the American consumer base as a whole, with over 23 million potential male customers. The ideal â€Å"Dan Taylor† is a middle classed, working male aged 18-34 either with, or thinking about a family who makes $75-99,000 a year, and is looking for workable, affordable, well-constructed clothes that speak to a tailored, New England look. Nationally, this corresponds to 12% of American households with a corresponding range of disposable income, with slight variations across regions of the country. Furthermore, in a more generic view, 78. 6% of the population consists of private wage and salary workers who would maintain the targeted aesthetic of the Dan Taylor line. Considering the harsh economic times, many higher income group clients would also be looking towards lower end options for their everyday work wear. This comprises an additional 31. 7% of the population that would be well within means to shop at Ann Taylor. With further research into specific regional demographics, initial expansion of the Dan Taylor line would be limited to the Northeast area. As will be detailed, this capitalizes on maximum saturation of target market as well as core following of brand lifestyle and traditional aesthetic. The Northeast region shows the highest rate of educated males with a bachelor’s degree or higher educational attainment at 32. 5%. This figure is well above any other regions and is a full 4 points higher than the national average at 28. 4%. The Northeast also has to the second highest percentage of private wage and salary workers at 79. 5% or workforce, only behind the Midwest at 81. 1%. This category corresponds to the key lifestyle psychographics of the Dan Taylor customer. The area also corresponds to the second highest percentage of households within the targeted $75-$99,000 income level with 12. 6% and leads in terms of households making above $75,000 dollars, at 37. 6%, a full six points above the national level. Another compelling factor in terms of income is the Northeast’s mean male yearly earnings is a full $10,000 above the national level and is by far the highest of all regions. This higher income level means this population has a greater willingness to spend from discretionary income, particularly during harder economic times. Another great value in early investment in the Northeast of the United States is the historical association of the Ann Taylor brand with the region. As previously mentioned, the brand’s name is already associated with the area. The label’s look, comprising fashionable day and work wear for the active woman is also in key target with the ambiance and feel of the Northeast region. Color stories of Ann Taylor lines are also frequently associated with this area; pastels, khakis and navy are proven a timeless classic to locals of the area. This mix of ideal target market as well as a value-conscious higher income customer that is not only accustomed, but a follower of the Ann Taylor aesthetic creates an ideal marketing position for the Dan Taylor line. If success is seen within the Northeast sector, analyzed demographics then suggest the Western region of the United States as being the best to serve, followed by the Midwest and finally the South. OPPORTUNITY AND ISSUE ANALYSIS Opportunities 1. Growing Menswear Industry Men nowadays have become more aware of their appearance, and therefore, their spending on apparels also increased. According to Data Monitor (Table 1 Figure 1- Appendix 1), from year 2004 to year 2008, the market value of the menswear market has a steady growth rate from around 3% to 5 %, its market value has also grown from $82. 6 billion in 2004 to $98. 2 billion in 2008. Data Monitor also forecasted that by 2013, the market value would grow to $118. 3 million dollars, an increase of 20. 4% since 2008. If we take a look at Table 3, our target customers who are among the age group of less than 25 years old and 25 – 34 years old, have a total of 27,919 thousand (7875 + 20,044) customers. Their added annual expenditure will be $76,413. Compared to women, men spend less on apparel. This may seem to be a discouraging data, however; it also proves that the menswear market is still catching up, and that Ann Taylor can utilize its edge of having the existing loyal female customers to expand to the menswear market. By introducing Dan Taylor in the Loft store, it is expected that our female customers would purchase menswear merchandise for their male friends and husbands. Some of the men may not like to spend too much too much time shopping around and may leave the styling job to their girlfriends or wives. This becomes a strong edge for the launch of Dan Taylor because this approach helps Loft to reach to a new group of male customers through our existing female customers. It is certain that the menswear market is still growing, and therefore Dan Taylor will seize this growing market to obtain some market share in the menswear industry for more profits in the future. By making the first move, Dan Taylor will have the first mover’s advantage. 2. Product line and Price Points The chart below includes the product lines of each of our competitors and their price points. Department private labels such as Alfani, INC and Izod have a narrow product line and a relatively lower price point. They place their focus on business clothing with items such as t-shirts, polo, shirts (casual and formal), sweaters, and trousers. However, for each assortment, they only offer a few styles. Compared to competitors, such as Gap and Express, Dan Taylor positions itself as more for the same; we provide better quality but offer the same price points. This positioning allows us to fit in the white space between low to medium priced and medium priced specialty stores. Although our quality is comparatively lower than what medium priced brands such as Kenneth Cole and J. Crew offer; our price points are much lower and therefore, Dan Taylor provides better value. In addition to the demographics qualities, we are also targeting customers that look for consistent qualities and values. Our goal is to establish a long-lasting relationship with our customers by offering great quality, details, and a wide variety of products with affordable price. We believe in values, and so do our customers. It is expected that customers from our competitors will be drawn to our store because of our promising value and quality. 3. Strong Brand Image Ann Taylor Loft has been in the women specialty retail market since 1983. Currently, we have around 900 stores in the United States, including the labels Ann Taylor, Loft, Ann Taylor Factory, as well as Loft outlet stores. Within these 900 stores, there are 509 LOFT stores because Loft has outperformed Ann Taylor by using a more moderate pricing strategy. Loft targets to a slightly younger group who has a more relaxed lifestyles at work and at home. Our customers are value-conscious and are loyal; this allows us to introduce Dan Taylor (which will have LOFT’s price points and quality) which targets to a similar group of men. Our approach is to first introduce the menswear to our existing Loft customers. It is common that women will buy gifts for their boyfriends or husbands during special occasion such as holiday seasons or birthdays. Therefore, it will be a great opportunity to launch Dan Taylor since our well-known values and quality will draw our existing customers to purchase our menswear’s’ products as gifts for their spouses. This approach allows us to reach our potential male customers and provide them exploration to our products. 4. Online Opportunities The online U. S retail market is growing tremendously in the recent years. According to industry reports by Data monitor, ‘the US online retail market grew by 16. 6% in 2008 to reach a value of $186. 7 billion. in 2013, he US online retail market is forecast to have a value of $325. 2 billion, an increase of 74. 2% since 2008†. This trend leads many of the retailers setting up their own websites, providing customers an easy access to their newest campaigns and other information related to the company. This approach helps the customers to have a better knowledge of the company. Some of these companies also set up an online store whe re customers can purchase directly online. Images, measurements and other details are shown to give customers a better visual idea of the merchandise. Today, with such busy lifestyles, people who do not have enough time to shop at the virtual store can now have the option to shop online. Therefore, Ann Taylor should keep focusing on the online sales channel to drive margins because e-commerce is the fastest growing and high margin segments which currently representing nearly a 25% of the company’s revenue base. 5. Collaborations with designer labels and international markets Today, the trend of retail stores collaborating with high-fashion brand labels is more popular than ever. Some of these examples would be HM and Lanvin, as well as Uniqlo and Jil Sander. Regardless of it the partnership being short term or long term, this approach has always been successful. Long queues are found lining up outside the store on the launch date, and most of the limited merchandises in the collaboration collections are gone in less than a few hours. This not only creates instant buzz about the company but the other customers who come to shop the designer collections might end up looking at the other merchandize as well. Aside from advertising purpose, the limited merchandise brings in some differentiation and freshness to the company and attracts a new group of customers. A further opportunity derived from these collaborations is the recognition in the international markets. While Ann Taylor High-end designer labels now mainly focus on the domestic U. S market, the collaboration with designer labels can help promoting Ann Taylor Loft and Dan Taylor throughout the world. Getting the name out to the global market will be a stepping-stone for the company to launch new stores in new markets. Threats/ Issues 1: Effects of recessionary environment will continue impacting consumers spending habits The economic condition might be one of the most serious threats for Ann Taylor. We haven’t come out of the recession yet, and consumers in the US are suffering high unemployment and lower disposable income. Consumers are reluctant to pay for anything that is not on sale or with some sort of down pricing. Rising unemployment further reduces consumers’ ability to spend, which might be a threat to Dan Taylor although the economy is slowly recovering from the recession. Rising unemployment also means less people are at work – the precise demographic of the Ann Taylor and Dan Taylor aesthetics. Increased pursuit of everyday/ lounge wear from high unemployment trends could show significant damage to Dan Taylor’s future success. 2: Increased regulations on cards issued by the retailers will affect the appeal of these cards adversely A new act called the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 was passed which enforces several restrictions for retailers while issuing the credit cards. Several norms that originally contributed to the rising popularity of the retailer cards, have been identified as the reasons that later left the consumer with high debt. The new set of rules will benefit the customers, but will nevertheless restrict retailers and the earlier growth in retailer credit cards. Additionally, retailers rely on offering loyalty programs through these cards. The decline in the card base will negatively impact the success of these promotions. Ann Taylor issues its own branded and co-branded charge card for its customers. This will expose the company to high risk of default, higher regulations and compliances. The new act further imposes higher restrictions and this might lead to less popularity of the cards impacting the cards business adversely. The new regulations might also make it more difficult for the company to issue new cards to the customers. 3: Rising of private label has affected the sales of national brands seriously Due to the recession, customers care now about price more than they did before. As customers became more price-oriented, large retailers filled that gap with lower priced private labels. Their close ties with factories allow these clothes to sit at a very low price point while still offering profit to the retailer. As a result, Macys, which is one of the largest department stores in the world and other companies have begun to focus on their private brands (Alfani, INC and IZOD for Macy’s, Aqua for Bloomingdales) and launched various types of clothes with reasonable prices for men and women of all ages. In addition, many discounted supermarkets such as Wal-mart and Target collaborated with designers and launched fashionable collections with reasonable prices as well. The popularities and sales of these brands increased rapidly. This might be another potential threat to the moderately priced Dan Taylor. 4: Rising apparel costs and labor costs in China are pressurizing margins Dan Taylor’s major production will be in China where the costs are estimated to inflate in the near future. This will increase costs for the company and pressurize margins. The prices of cotton, which typically comprise 40-45% of the price of a garment, were up 25% year in one year. Higher energy costs and rising labor costs in China will contribute to the increase in import cost of the apparel as well. The relative cost of manufacturing in China will almost certainly rise as the labor costs rise. Wage increases, coupled with higher costs for cotton, oil and freight will also push up prices. This cost increase is particularly troubling when taking into consideration the rise of private labels and increased competition within the industry to keep prices down. 5: A men’s brand in a women’s store might inhibit men from walking in Ann Taylor, being the feminine store it is might often prevent men from walking into the store. A large portion of men, even while shopping with their partner, prefer to wait outside or visit a different store, rather than shopping alongside the woman. This moderate level of interest shows a threat to the Dan Taylor line, however, it is also provides room for growth. By changing promotional efforts in-store, management can captivate the attention of such idle shoppers and transform their boredom into profits. MARKETING STRATEGY ACTIONS TAKEN Ann Taylor’s primary advertising strategies will be â€Å"combination advertising,† including both Institutional and Promotional advertising. The promotion strategies will be divided into two phases. Stage 1 will involve bringing the company’s name out to the public and creating loyalty from Ann Taylor’s female consumers thereby exposing their partners to the line in a passive manner. Stage 2 will be dependent upon the first stage’s success and will encompass the creation of the actual ‘Dan Taylor,’ stores and shifting shopping responsibilities from the woman to the man. Product line |Tops |Bottoms |Jackets Coats Accessories | |T shirts |Pants/ Trousers |Suit Blazers |Ties | |- Polos |- Flat front |- Suit jackets |-Boleros | |- Henley |- Pleated |- Sports blazers |-Neckties | |- Sleeveless | | |-Bow ties | | | | |-Ascots | |Sweaters |Denim | |Cufflinks | |-Vests |- Relaxed | |- Double faced | |-Crew neck |- Straight leg | |- Chain | |- Full sleeved |- Skinny | |- Snap on | |- Boat neck |- Boot cut | |Belts | |- V neck | | |- Casual | | | | |- Formal | |Shirts |Shorts | |Socks | |- Dress s hirts |- Cargo | |- Ankle length | |- Cufflink shirts |- Chino | |- Low cut | | |- Bermuda | |- Mid calf | Stage 1: At this stage, Dan Taylor’s promotional efforts will be limited to news papers, magazines, in store promotions and social media. Given the economic difficulties of the Ann Taylor stores at the moment and the high-risk nature of adding a menswear line, these forms of advertising were chosen due to their maximum exposure to both men and women. Although newspaper advertising is a slowly dying medium, it still has the maximum exposure at minimum cost. This is an efficient medium to get the â€Å"Dan Taylor,† name out there to people who read newspapers that are not fashion related. In addition, trade publications like Women’s Wear Daily and other national and local magazines in the North East Region will feature advertisements for both Ann Taylor and Dan Taylor with both male and female models. Social Media, a highly upcoming medium for advertising will be taken advantage of as well. Dan Taylor will feature on facebook and twitter. These social networks will be constantly updated with new arrivals, sales and other promotions. These are excellent tools for reaching out to a mass audience that is specifically interested in the brand. Particular focus will be placed on these tools before the launch of the first Dan Taylor line to reach a wide audience and create massive hype. By using such a medium the brand can create an interaction and communication with the fan base, sponsoring loyalty and a following before the label is even launched. To introduce line on a grand scale, the company will have a launch party for the Dan Taylor line. Social media will be heavily used to publicize and to create excitement over the brand before said opening. Much emphasis will be placed in public relations and in creating hype for the launch. One such effort will be a competition on the Dan Taylor website (which is a part of the Ann Taylor website). Links to the website will be available on the facebook and twitter pages. The competition will involve men dressing their girlfriends or wives in Ann Taylor clothing and accessories and then submitting their entries. Visitors of the website will get a chance to vote for their favorite outfit and the top three couples will win free flight tickets, hotel accommodations and be featured at the launch party of the Dan Taylor brand. At the party, the winners, along with three celebrity couples will be highlighted as the event’s main feature. Each couple will be given an exclusive look into the Dan Taylor line and the woman will be given the opportunity to style their man. At the party, both the contest winners as well as the celebrity males will be asked to walk down a runway. Outfits will later be featured in editorials in a major fashion magazine. The celebrity couples will be chosen directly from previously existent Ann Taylor spoke models including Rachel Bilson, Heidi Klum and Christina Hendricks. Fortunately, all three women have famous actors as their boyfriend or husbands, which would translate seamlessly with raising awareness of the brand in a fun, star studded manner. Once the line is in store, promotional efforts will be rampant. Campaigns will appear primarily in newspapers and magazines. Adverts will always feature both a man and a woman, posing together in some manner to suggest a relationship. Emphasis will be placed on the novelty of the line as well as on how shopping the line makes the female reader a better wife or girlfriend. Ads will play on the idea that one uses gifts to demonstrate their love, adding that now woman can shop for men – while they shop for themselves! This activity will be depicted as pleasurable and an enjoyable addition to a woman’s afternoon shopping trip. The Dan Taylor line will be available in all Ann Taylor Loft outlets within the Northeast region. As previously detailed, this region shows highest rates of employment and of brand loyalty. It will be a perfect smaller test market to see whether the line has potential for future success. Loft stores were chosen due to their history of higher sales and lower price point. By limiting distribution of the product, we will also create a greater sense of demand and urgency for the label when stage two moves distribution nationwide. Stage 2: At this point, there will already be some sort of general awareness within the market of the Dan Taylor brand. Depending on the success of the first stage we will move directly into constructing brick and mortar Dan Taylor retail outlets. These will most likely be connected to Ann Taylor stores, much in the vain of Gap’s strategy. In addition to the print campaign, television ads will start being used specifically for the Dan Taylor line. Also, Dan Taylor print campaigns will no longer always feature a both a woman and a man. Campaigns should have similar feelings as Tod’s campaigns, with very manly, dark colors and a restrained sense of humor. We want a sleek sophistication in our ads to go in line with the product. We will increase product offerings to match the larger retail space, with products no longer being exhibited simply in racks within already existent Ann Taylor Loft outlets. A large launch party will be offered for both the Ann and Dan Taylor lines. The ultimate goal is to have both men and women’s wear lines have equal stature within the corporate structure. We will have created a one-stop shop for the power couple family unit, creating a comfortable environment for both the man and the woman. Conclusion The company’s overall goal is to improve the bottom line growth of both the divisions (Ann Taylor Dan Taylor). If successful, Ann Taylor Store Corp. ill be one of the highest grossing companies in the United States. Appendix 1 [pic] [pic][pic][pic] Appendix 2: [pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic] Bibliography †¢ Karr, Arnol J. â€Å"Ann Taylor Update Leads Retail Rally. † Women’s Wear Daily 3 Feb. 2010,199th ed. , sec. 23: 14. Print. †¢ Moin, David. â€Å"Ann Taylor Moves to Profit in 2nd Qtr. † Women’s Wear Daily 23 Aug. 2010, 2000th ed. , sec. 39: 10. Print. †¢ Moin, David. â€Å"Ann Taylor Swings to Pofit in 4th Qtr. † Women’s Wear Daily 15 Mar. 2010, 199th ed. , sec. 56: 2. Print. †¢ Romano, Anthony M. â€Å"How Ann Taylor Put Strategic Sourcing on the Management. † Supply Chain Management Review October (2006): 32-40. Print. U. S. Censs Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey †¢ Datamonitor | the Home of Business Information. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. http://www. datamonitor. com/ †¢ EBSCOhost – Worldaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Foremost Premium Research Database Service. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Macy’s| Department Store, Dept Store , Department Stores, Clothing, Apparel, Accessories. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ J. Crew – Cashmere, Sweaters, Women’s Clothing ; Dresses, Men’s Clothing, Children’s Clothing ; Kids Clothes. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . How to cite Ann Taylor, Papers

Symbolism In Strange News From Another Star Essay Research Paper Example For Students

Symbolism In Strange News From Another Star Essay Research Paper Symbolism in ?Strange News From Another Star?Symbolism in ?Strange News From Another StarStrange News from another Star? is found to be a story which contains numerous symbols which in many cases contain some important, abstract information. Symbolism is something which is very difficult to explain due to the fact that not everyone sees the so mentioned symbol. They dont quite see it as you, because no two minds are the same, which implies the fact that they dont react equally to something which must be internally interpreted as it is not present as mere information. On this essay I will try to back up with concise words, why I believe that something is representing something abstract, as well as with information from the author.One of the first symbols that we may find, is actually the star. A star is known as a gaseous sphere, which with nuclear fusion and fission may actually give out huge amounts of energy. We will write a custom essay on Symbolism In Strange News From Another Star Research Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Obviously a star is a inhospitable place, so I believe that the star actually represents a planet or a country.The flowers, which have a very important part in the plot of the book are a symbol as well. They, have always, as least as far as I know, had a special message. A message of love, tranquillity, joy and they represent the harmony of nature itself. In the first stage of the book, we may see how a problem, the earthquake, has made the people in the star loose a vast amount of flowers. They lost some of the tranquillity and joy that had invaded their lives. And when they look for a messenger to go find flowers, theyre talking about re-finding the tranquillity and lack of fear that they wanted.I believe that the burials, actually represent life. It may sound a bit peculiar, but in real life once you get accustomed to living a happy, joyful life, you then will not be able to live without it and so, you will need to do practically anything, as the people in the star did, to find the ?flowers?.The symbol of the deity that the youth saw in the temple, I understand that by the way in which the story progresses the symbol is actually representing the fact that war, or trouble (the bird of prey) destroys all happiness or good hearted feelings. I think that the representation is what I mentioned above, because when the messenger ?goes? to the foreign star he sees destruction and a total lack of joy.We may find another symbol which goes from pages 55-59. Its the conversation that the youth holds with the king whos nation is in war. Its apparently a symbol because even-though it has important, concrete information for the story, theres more to the phrases themselves. They can be abstracted and thats when I see that the conversation is actually trying to explain the way in which the humanity is being erratic by trying to find happiness. To achieve happiness, you must first get rid of sadness, poverty, trouble, etc (war is the symbol used to represent all of them). It may not be found just by ignoring the others. In the kings star they werent happy because all of the nouns mentioned above were present. A proof of that may be the fact that when trouble, the earthquake, arouse in the province of the youth then they lost the peace and tranquillity, represented by the flowers that they had had.And ultimately I will mention the symbol which the black bird represents, its what I believe is the image of the harshness, horror and terror of war. Which may reach such levels of futility that it may apparently only be seen as a dream, or even more correct, would be to say that its like a nightmare.