A number of dance groups, mainly hailing from Bulawayo, stormed the scene and had multitudes of followers across the country. Although there were many talented groups that included, Girls La Musica and Exotic Dancers, Mambokadzi was the most popular outfit for the better part of that period.
Founded by actress, dancer and choreographer Enisia Mashusha (formerly with Amavithikazi), Mambokadzi changed the face of the local dance scene in many ways.
Mambokadzi toured locally and regionally and made Mashusha a household name. However, with the fall of dance group popularity and rise of pole dancers, Mambokadzi folded in 2010.
Because of her passion for challenging tasks, Mashusha has taken the Mambokadzi brand into a completely different field, construction.
“I ventured into construction because I enjoy tackling challenging tasks. I teamed up with people with experience in the construction industry to form the new company,” said Mashusha.
“We have been busy since the company was formed and I am gaining experience in this new exciting field. At the moment we are doing light jobs. We are working on driveways, roof and floor tiles as well as precast walls. We also do painting, which I have mastered well.
“When I started Mambokadzi dance group, there were very few female dancers making it on big stages like we did. We inspired many other young women to take up dancing and within two years, there were various groups across the country taking after us.
“In the same way, I realised that there are few women in the construction business and decided to venture into this field. I know many other women will be inspired to pursue this challenging task if Mambokadzi Construction Company does well.”
“I fell in love with arts before anything else that I do now. I participated in various arts disciplines when I was at school before enrolling at Amakhosi Theatre for professional training.”
During her days at Amakhosi, Mashusha participated in a number of national productions. She majored in dance and theatre and toured regionally.
She has also done a number of film productions that include an outstanding role in a movie titled Sores of Emmanuel.
She has featured in a number of plays at Theatre in the Park and Harare International Festival of the Arts.
In 2009 Mashusha formed a band that released an album titled Ndotamba. However, the album was poorly marketed and the band did not do any live shows. Mashusha says she will soon revive the band.
One choice is to create this jaw-dropping penthouse in downtown Birmingham with nearly any embellishment you can conceive from fantasy painting on a ceiling, to a powder room of solid onyx, to arches, coves and 18-inch crown moldings, all built on site by hand.
This interior took 3 1/2 years and cost $3.5 million, says the developer, Casey Askar. That does not count the cost of the building, a new five-story condo building on a corner in downtown Birmingham.
"When you're dealing with artists, nothing is on time," Askar says. "Everything takes twice as long and costs twice as much."
Throughout the rooms, pillars, arches and deep crown molding were all crafted on site. Three fireplaces are all deeply carved stone. The large media room is all hand-crafted mahogany, not only the walls but the ceiling.
Walls of the powder room are lined with full slabs of onyx, as opposed to onyx tiles, Askar says. "It had been sitting on the bottom of the ocean for centuries." The mirror was built from Venetian glass.
The master bathroom is a Roman extravaganza -- arches and coves, a shower and steam room for two, a Roman tub in the center, walls again of onyx, this time as tiles.
The kitchen is 29-by-19 feet with Wolf, Sub-Zero and Bosch appliances, elaborate Italian cabinetry, a built-in espresso machine, and a full-sized wine storage area that holds different temperatures for reds and whites.
The house has between 64 and 68 sconces or chandeliers, Askar says. He's no longer sure of the count.
All floors are marble slabs, and Askar notes that the marble workers installed them with no visible lines of grout. Heat to the unit is radiated through these floors.
Built between 2000 and 2004, 180 Pierce is a five-story building with commercial space on the ground floor and four condos stacked above. Heated parking is underground with a private elevator to the residential floors.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Drainage and irrigation
Just when the local authority needs to maximise income from matches, the pitches are under water. Just when the course manager hopes to increase pay-and-play rounds, there is a lake on a fairway and the greens are waterlogged. Just when gardens open to show off daffodils and early-spring flowers, the paths are muddy and the tractor has to pull visitors' cars out of the swamp that used to be the car park - if they turn up in the first place.
It does not stop there. If play does take place, there are the muddy changing rooms and clubhouses with which to contend. After touring the gardens, visitors may proceed to trample dirt into the old, expensive carpets of the historic house.
What happens when the rains eventually stop? What if this spring and summer are dry and sogginess turns into drought? How will players respond to brown, baked-hard ground and visitors to wilting shrubs and poor flower displays? Should that drought then end in sudden downpours, will it mean flooding all over again? As we continue to experience more intense and extreme weather, the role of drainage and irrigation in keeping facilities functional and able to generate income has never been so important.
Since the words "drought" and "hosepipe ban" were mentioned - and in some places enforced - in late spring last year, the UK has seen phenomenal rainfall. More recently, the situation has been compounded by thawing snow. It is not surprising then, despite the economic climate, that contractors are reporting increases in enquiries for sports turf and golf drainage.
Shelton Sportsturf Drainage Solutions designs and builds specialist machinery that can be bought or hired and offers a contracting service. General manager Mick Claxton describes last year as "busy". He adds: "The heavy rain after a drought has highlighted drainage problems and machinery sales and hire have been on the up."
Enquiries are one thing, but drainage work has to cope with the weather and contractors found the wet autumn and winter challenging. "It's certainly a question of dealing with jobs according to the weather," Speedcut Contractors contracts manager Kevin Smith confirms. "The wet weather has played havoc with our work patterns, but we have been meeting the demands of clients by switching between jobs according to the ground conditions."
Speedcut has installed drainage at Chislehurst, Royal Mid Surrey, Old Fold Manor, Barnet and Highgate Golf Clubs. At Hadley Wood in Barnet, north London, Speedcut re-levelled a football pitch and installed drainage for Old Stationers' FC. The appalling weather also led to more requests for treatments using the Gwazae deep-probe aerator to decompact root zones and inject materials to help grass survive.
Drainage does not always have to be done in one go. Waterlooville Golf Club in Hampshire is benefiting from an upgrade of drainage carried out over the past five years by sports turf drainage specialist MJ Abbott. Completed in stages to suit budgetary requirements, the scheme has improved drainage across all parts of the 18-hole parkland course and, importantly, enables to winter play to continue uninterrupted.
Inspection of the existing system showed soil contamination of the gravel above the primary drainage pipes was seriously restricting water flow. Over two years, supplementary piped drainage was installed between the existing laterals, along with an additional main drain on part of the course. Further upgrades were carried out in 2012 accompanied by upgrades to outfalls.
"It's taken time to achieve, but the end result is a golf course that can remain open in virtually all weathers, despite sitting on very clay soil," according to MJ Abbott contracts director Steve Biggs.
Managing director Duncan Ross says: "The answer lay in constructing additional lateral drains at 0.55m deep with 80mm pipes allowing the water to be redirected to the main drainage system. Soil was excavated and removed straight away to avoid any contamination, then we backfilled the 820m of trenches with 6mm stone at 150mm depth from the surface. Then we topped with a sand and soil mix before seeding."
Gravel or sand banding can be a quick and cost-effective way of installing a secondary drainage system - especially for sports fields. It is installed perpendicular to the primary system to help the removal of surface water and allow water to move more speedily to the primary drainage system. Trenches are cut into the turf and simultaneously backfilled with gravel, Lytag or sand before being rolled flat.
AFT Trenchers' Sandbander proved to be the solution at Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands Golf Club, where shared "in" and "out" routes accommodate 600 pairs of feet a day. Incessant rainfall caused problems but the one-man-operated AFT Sandbander coped with the most challenging part of the course, successfully dispersing water on the greens and redirecting it to drains.
Cheaper than installing a new system, mole draining could provide the answer to poorly draining pitches and other waterlogged sites. The technique involves pulling a bullet-shaped steel foot through the soil to create a drainage channel and it has been studied by Cranfield University. It was found to provide similar drainage performance to sand slit but at a much reduced cost.
Mole draining, however, is not a panacea for all sports-surface drainage problems. It is limited to heavy clay soils of a particular type, but it is that very type of soil that has the biggest drainage problems. Technically, there are also important aspects of machinery design and operation that are critical to the success of the mole drainage scheme.
It does not stop there. If play does take place, there are the muddy changing rooms and clubhouses with which to contend. After touring the gardens, visitors may proceed to trample dirt into the old, expensive carpets of the historic house.
What happens when the rains eventually stop? What if this spring and summer are dry and sogginess turns into drought? How will players respond to brown, baked-hard ground and visitors to wilting shrubs and poor flower displays? Should that drought then end in sudden downpours, will it mean flooding all over again? As we continue to experience more intense and extreme weather, the role of drainage and irrigation in keeping facilities functional and able to generate income has never been so important.
Since the words "drought" and "hosepipe ban" were mentioned - and in some places enforced - in late spring last year, the UK has seen phenomenal rainfall. More recently, the situation has been compounded by thawing snow. It is not surprising then, despite the economic climate, that contractors are reporting increases in enquiries for sports turf and golf drainage.
Shelton Sportsturf Drainage Solutions designs and builds specialist machinery that can be bought or hired and offers a contracting service. General manager Mick Claxton describes last year as "busy". He adds: "The heavy rain after a drought has highlighted drainage problems and machinery sales and hire have been on the up."
Enquiries are one thing, but drainage work has to cope with the weather and contractors found the wet autumn and winter challenging. "It's certainly a question of dealing with jobs according to the weather," Speedcut Contractors contracts manager Kevin Smith confirms. "The wet weather has played havoc with our work patterns, but we have been meeting the demands of clients by switching between jobs according to the ground conditions."
Speedcut has installed drainage at Chislehurst, Royal Mid Surrey, Old Fold Manor, Barnet and Highgate Golf Clubs. At Hadley Wood in Barnet, north London, Speedcut re-levelled a football pitch and installed drainage for Old Stationers' FC. The appalling weather also led to more requests for treatments using the Gwazae deep-probe aerator to decompact root zones and inject materials to help grass survive.
Drainage does not always have to be done in one go. Waterlooville Golf Club in Hampshire is benefiting from an upgrade of drainage carried out over the past five years by sports turf drainage specialist MJ Abbott. Completed in stages to suit budgetary requirements, the scheme has improved drainage across all parts of the 18-hole parkland course and, importantly, enables to winter play to continue uninterrupted.
Inspection of the existing system showed soil contamination of the gravel above the primary drainage pipes was seriously restricting water flow. Over two years, supplementary piped drainage was installed between the existing laterals, along with an additional main drain on part of the course. Further upgrades were carried out in 2012 accompanied by upgrades to outfalls.
"It's taken time to achieve, but the end result is a golf course that can remain open in virtually all weathers, despite sitting on very clay soil," according to MJ Abbott contracts director Steve Biggs.
Managing director Duncan Ross says: "The answer lay in constructing additional lateral drains at 0.55m deep with 80mm pipes allowing the water to be redirected to the main drainage system. Soil was excavated and removed straight away to avoid any contamination, then we backfilled the 820m of trenches with 6mm stone at 150mm depth from the surface. Then we topped with a sand and soil mix before seeding."
Gravel or sand banding can be a quick and cost-effective way of installing a secondary drainage system - especially for sports fields. It is installed perpendicular to the primary system to help the removal of surface water and allow water to move more speedily to the primary drainage system. Trenches are cut into the turf and simultaneously backfilled with gravel, Lytag or sand before being rolled flat.
AFT Trenchers' Sandbander proved to be the solution at Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands Golf Club, where shared "in" and "out" routes accommodate 600 pairs of feet a day. Incessant rainfall caused problems but the one-man-operated AFT Sandbander coped with the most challenging part of the course, successfully dispersing water on the greens and redirecting it to drains.
Cheaper than installing a new system, mole draining could provide the answer to poorly draining pitches and other waterlogged sites. The technique involves pulling a bullet-shaped steel foot through the soil to create a drainage channel and it has been studied by Cranfield University. It was found to provide similar drainage performance to sand slit but at a much reduced cost.
Mole draining, however, is not a panacea for all sports-surface drainage problems. It is limited to heavy clay soils of a particular type, but it is that very type of soil that has the biggest drainage problems. Technically, there are also important aspects of machinery design and operation that are critical to the success of the mole drainage scheme.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Buckeye Catholics settle into new place to adore the Lord
The town, the nation’s second-fastest growing suburb in 2006, has ballooned eight-fold since 2000 and acquired a larger planning area to go with it. So the “old church,” which will house parish administration and meetings until the next phase is complete, was no longer widely accessible. Largely rural areas and general commerce lie south of it.
Future communities are planned as far north as Happy Valley Road and the Carefree Highway. The new parish property is about four miles north of the old one, on Lower Buckeye Road just south of Interstate 10 and Miller Road.
A couple of hundred parishioners joined in the eucharistic procession from a neighboring high school to the new church. They sang, “Bendito, bendito, bendito sea Dios” as they walked, the sun setting around them.
Parishioners with a collection of camera phones, stand-alone cameras and iPads awaited the procession in the courtyard. Six Knights of Columbus in regalia and another six men supporting a tent for the Blessed Sacrament led the way into the chapel.
“Blessed be God. Blessed be His holy name,” Fr. Kosco began, the first words uttered to a group of Catholics gathered in the chapel.
He went on to lead the “Prayer for a new parish home,” which many St. Henry churchgoers had memorized in at least one language. The parish has a fair mix of English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics.
After benediction, Fr. Kosco encouraged others to explore the new 150-seat chapel with a high ceiling and a tile floor.
The chapel also features Stations of the Cross, tastefully hung lights and rafters for aesthetics. Ecce Agnus Dei, or Latin for “Behold the Lamb of God,” is engraved in front of the wooden altar.
“The new space is beautiful. It’s very modern, but still very peaceful and reverence-based,” said Elisia Gaiza, who has been a St. Henry parishioner for 30-some years.
The hall, which also features a large kitchen, is a replica of what St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Parish in Anthem opened as its temporary church nearly three-and-a-half years ago. The hall will seat 600 for Mass and any missions or catechesis talks on the horizon.
Some ministries and groups might meet at the new property on a trial basis. Parish ambassadors will “staff” the new location during the day and offer tours and parish information.
Gaiza is excited to see the parish grow and welcome new faces. Deacon Victor Leon is also eager to embrace growth. The parish already offers religious education in Tonopah. Fr. Kosco hopes to ultimately build the church followed by a school or adult education center.
And while the upgrades included new countertops, floors and appliances, the project also included a $2,700 built-in, state-of-the-art coffeemaker the governor’s office later decided will be paid for with private donations rather than with taxpayer funds.
“Hope it makes damn good coffee,” said Sen. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, when told of the expenditure, which was initially paid for with public money.
The governor’s residence was built in the 1950s and features a public wing and private wing. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and her husband live in the smaller, cozier private wing that has its own kitchen, living room and bedrooms.
The public side of the mansion plays host to state dinners honoring visiting leaders and dignitaries, as well as private events put on by non-profit organizations. Caterers mainly use the kitchen. No serious work had been done to the public kitchen since the 1960s or 70s, and it was showing its age, according to pictures and Mike Unthank, deputy secretary of the General Services Department.
“You can imagine having 200-300 people here at an event and we have caterers that are cleaning out pots and pans outside” because the sinks were too small, Unthank said. “(Caterers) would take food trays and put them on the floor” because there wasn’t enough counter space.
Besides the sinks and counters, the floor was uneven and hard to keep clean, the lighting was poor, the stove leaked gas and water had leaked behind the backsplash tile behind the counters, he said. In short, it was deteriorating and shabby.
“We found issues with water leaks, which would lead to mold, which would lead to bacteria,” Unthank said.
One of the worst deficiencies was the gas stove. At one point, Martinez said she was walking through the home during winter with a member of her security detail and noticed open doors.
“I said, ‘Why are these doors open?’ ” she told News 13. “And he said, ‘Because of the gas leak.’ He said, ‘The stove is leaking,’ and I said, ‘We’re going to blow up. What are we doing here?’ ”
So officials at GSD, which is charged with maintaining public buildings, began looking at possible sources of funding to pay for the renovation. That was when officials discovered that the New Mexico Board of Finance had allocated close to $137,000 during former Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration specifically for repairs to the governor’s mansion. That money had never been spent, Unthank said.
Future communities are planned as far north as Happy Valley Road and the Carefree Highway. The new parish property is about four miles north of the old one, on Lower Buckeye Road just south of Interstate 10 and Miller Road.
A couple of hundred parishioners joined in the eucharistic procession from a neighboring high school to the new church. They sang, “Bendito, bendito, bendito sea Dios” as they walked, the sun setting around them.
Parishioners with a collection of camera phones, stand-alone cameras and iPads awaited the procession in the courtyard. Six Knights of Columbus in regalia and another six men supporting a tent for the Blessed Sacrament led the way into the chapel.
“Blessed be God. Blessed be His holy name,” Fr. Kosco began, the first words uttered to a group of Catholics gathered in the chapel.
He went on to lead the “Prayer for a new parish home,” which many St. Henry churchgoers had memorized in at least one language. The parish has a fair mix of English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics.
After benediction, Fr. Kosco encouraged others to explore the new 150-seat chapel with a high ceiling and a tile floor.
The chapel also features Stations of the Cross, tastefully hung lights and rafters for aesthetics. Ecce Agnus Dei, or Latin for “Behold the Lamb of God,” is engraved in front of the wooden altar.
“The new space is beautiful. It’s very modern, but still very peaceful and reverence-based,” said Elisia Gaiza, who has been a St. Henry parishioner for 30-some years.
The hall, which also features a large kitchen, is a replica of what St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Parish in Anthem opened as its temporary church nearly three-and-a-half years ago. The hall will seat 600 for Mass and any missions or catechesis talks on the horizon.
Some ministries and groups might meet at the new property on a trial basis. Parish ambassadors will “staff” the new location during the day and offer tours and parish information.
Gaiza is excited to see the parish grow and welcome new faces. Deacon Victor Leon is also eager to embrace growth. The parish already offers religious education in Tonopah. Fr. Kosco hopes to ultimately build the church followed by a school or adult education center.
And while the upgrades included new countertops, floors and appliances, the project also included a $2,700 built-in, state-of-the-art coffeemaker the governor’s office later decided will be paid for with private donations rather than with taxpayer funds.
“Hope it makes damn good coffee,” said Sen. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, when told of the expenditure, which was initially paid for with public money.
The governor’s residence was built in the 1950s and features a public wing and private wing. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and her husband live in the smaller, cozier private wing that has its own kitchen, living room and bedrooms.
The public side of the mansion plays host to state dinners honoring visiting leaders and dignitaries, as well as private events put on by non-profit organizations. Caterers mainly use the kitchen. No serious work had been done to the public kitchen since the 1960s or 70s, and it was showing its age, according to pictures and Mike Unthank, deputy secretary of the General Services Department.
“You can imagine having 200-300 people here at an event and we have caterers that are cleaning out pots and pans outside” because the sinks were too small, Unthank said. “(Caterers) would take food trays and put them on the floor” because there wasn’t enough counter space.
Besides the sinks and counters, the floor was uneven and hard to keep clean, the lighting was poor, the stove leaked gas and water had leaked behind the backsplash tile behind the counters, he said. In short, it was deteriorating and shabby.
“We found issues with water leaks, which would lead to mold, which would lead to bacteria,” Unthank said.
One of the worst deficiencies was the gas stove. At one point, Martinez said she was walking through the home during winter with a member of her security detail and noticed open doors.
“I said, ‘Why are these doors open?’ ” she told News 13. “And he said, ‘Because of the gas leak.’ He said, ‘The stove is leaking,’ and I said, ‘We’re going to blow up. What are we doing here?’ ”
So officials at GSD, which is charged with maintaining public buildings, began looking at possible sources of funding to pay for the renovation. That was when officials discovered that the New Mexico Board of Finance had allocated close to $137,000 during former Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration specifically for repairs to the governor’s mansion. That money had never been spent, Unthank said.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Affordable Tile Announces the Launch
For over 15 years, Affordable Tile has been the retailer of choice that many people have relied on for all of their home tile needs. Because the company specializes in tile only, it offers an amazing selection of high-quality materials at affordable prices. In fact, customers can find beautiful styles of outdoor ceramic tile and kitchen tile as well as porcelain tile floor, natural stone, glass mosaic tile and more. By placing an order with Affordable Tile, they can easily update the look of a home without spending a fortune. Now, the company is offering a special for free shipping on select orders, and this offer can help customers to save even more money when remodeling or renovating a home.
Affordable Tile specializes in provides the best selection of tile to its customers. The tiles are suitable for indoor and outdoor use, so you can easily find styles to meet the needs of all customers. The selection includes beautiful outdoor ceramic tile that is suitable for patios, outdoor kitchen areas and other areas that require a decorative touch. Ceramic kitchen tiles and borders are available in various colors and styles to meet various needs. These are most commonly used for backsplash, and ceramic tile may also look great on the floor, in the bathroom and in other areas inside the home.Porcelain tile floor is a highly durable, stylish choice, and Affordable Tile offers many sizes and colors of porcelain tiles to choose from. In addition, customers can also selection from gorgeous natural stone and glass mosaic tiles. With so many options to choose from, Affordable Tile is the ultimate resource for many home tile needs. In addition, all tile is ensured to be superior in quality. Before an order is shipped, samples will go through a five point process, and all shipments will be securely packaged to prevent damage while shipping.
Affordable Tile strives to provide its customers with an amazing selection of tiles at low prices. Whether customers are shopping for ceramic kitchen tiles, natural stone tiles or other types of tiles, they will find the prices to be highly competitive. In addition, Affordable Tile goes a step further to ensure that its customers can enjoy the beautiful look of tile in their home on a budget. The company is now offering free shipping on orders of 600 square feet of tile or more. This offer is valid for outdoor ceramic tile, mosaic tile and other types of tile. With this special offer, customers will initially pay for shipping on the order. After 30 days, Affordable Tile will issue a rebate on the customer’s credit card or debit card. This is a great way for customers to save money on high-quality tile. “We want to make our tile accessible to anyone anywhere”, Affordable Tile said.
Customers who have been thinking about remodeling their home and installing a beautiful porcelain tile floor, ceramic kitchen tiles for the backsplash, durable tile in the outdoor patio area or tile in another area of the home, Affordable Tile provides an budget-minded and high-quality solution. Homeowners as well as contractors, designers and others are invited to browse through the amazing selection of tiles on the website and to take advantage of the free shipping offer today.
The Villas of Traditions at Grey Oaks is a collection of residences ranging from 2,642 to 4,476 square feet base-priced from $705,000 to $870,000. The collection includes three floor plans, each with three available elevations. Each home comes with architecturally designed landscaping and mahogany front entry doors. Fully-furnished models are available for viewing.
A global chic, soft contemporary interior is featured in the Alegria villa model. The floor plan offers 2,642 square feet with formal living and dining rooms, two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a study, island kitchen and family room, an outdoor living area and a two-car garage with golf cart storage.
Walnut floors throughout the Alegria add warmth to the space while adjacent marble floors in polished royal oyster convey additional elegance. A subdued natural pallet of papyrus beige, pewter grays and rice paper ivories provides a sense of calm. Indochine fabrics focus on an earthy color pallet of plum, cinnamon, sage, nutmeg and burnished bronze. The wall colors are flaxen tan, parchment gray and creamy beige with painted white wood and distressed maple accent moldings. White-on-white custom ceiling trays are found in every room and include distressed and stained details mixed with traditional painted crown. The Alegria floor plan is base-priced at $705,000.
One move-in ready Alegria 3 residence is available for purchase and priced at $818,841, including the lot premium and upgrades. Twelve-foot ceilings and porcelain tile flooring are featured in the main living areas. The den is finished with a hardwood floor while designer carpeting with a premium cushion is utilized in the bedrooms. A Jenn-Air stainless steel appliance package, including a 30-inch gas cook top and a double convection oven, is featured in the kitchen. The living areas, kitchen and bedrooms are trimmed with crown molding. The outdoor living area and heated pool offer a western exposure.
The Bregante villa model’s European classic design is inspired by nature. Walls in soft moss green, ivory and faint gray colors play against crown and applied molding details. Creams, taupes, browns, linens, bronze, teals and blues are included in the color palette. Custom tray ceilings are finished with white washed and glazed designs. Cream and taupe honed marble floors with brushed and chiseled edges resemble old-world cobblestone flooring. Furnishings include traditional European pieces in a wide range of styles. The Bregante floor plan is base-priced at $795,000 and provides 3,319 square feet with formal living and dining rooms, three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a study, island kitchen and family room, an outdoor living area and a two-car garage with golf cart storage.
Affordable Tile specializes in provides the best selection of tile to its customers. The tiles are suitable for indoor and outdoor use, so you can easily find styles to meet the needs of all customers. The selection includes beautiful outdoor ceramic tile that is suitable for patios, outdoor kitchen areas and other areas that require a decorative touch. Ceramic kitchen tiles and borders are available in various colors and styles to meet various needs. These are most commonly used for backsplash, and ceramic tile may also look great on the floor, in the bathroom and in other areas inside the home.Porcelain tile floor is a highly durable, stylish choice, and Affordable Tile offers many sizes and colors of porcelain tiles to choose from. In addition, customers can also selection from gorgeous natural stone and glass mosaic tiles. With so many options to choose from, Affordable Tile is the ultimate resource for many home tile needs. In addition, all tile is ensured to be superior in quality. Before an order is shipped, samples will go through a five point process, and all shipments will be securely packaged to prevent damage while shipping.
Affordable Tile strives to provide its customers with an amazing selection of tiles at low prices. Whether customers are shopping for ceramic kitchen tiles, natural stone tiles or other types of tiles, they will find the prices to be highly competitive. In addition, Affordable Tile goes a step further to ensure that its customers can enjoy the beautiful look of tile in their home on a budget. The company is now offering free shipping on orders of 600 square feet of tile or more. This offer is valid for outdoor ceramic tile, mosaic tile and other types of tile. With this special offer, customers will initially pay for shipping on the order. After 30 days, Affordable Tile will issue a rebate on the customer’s credit card or debit card. This is a great way for customers to save money on high-quality tile. “We want to make our tile accessible to anyone anywhere”, Affordable Tile said.
Customers who have been thinking about remodeling their home and installing a beautiful porcelain tile floor, ceramic kitchen tiles for the backsplash, durable tile in the outdoor patio area or tile in another area of the home, Affordable Tile provides an budget-minded and high-quality solution. Homeowners as well as contractors, designers and others are invited to browse through the amazing selection of tiles on the website and to take advantage of the free shipping offer today.
The Villas of Traditions at Grey Oaks is a collection of residences ranging from 2,642 to 4,476 square feet base-priced from $705,000 to $870,000. The collection includes three floor plans, each with three available elevations. Each home comes with architecturally designed landscaping and mahogany front entry doors. Fully-furnished models are available for viewing.
A global chic, soft contemporary interior is featured in the Alegria villa model. The floor plan offers 2,642 square feet with formal living and dining rooms, two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a study, island kitchen and family room, an outdoor living area and a two-car garage with golf cart storage.
Walnut floors throughout the Alegria add warmth to the space while adjacent marble floors in polished royal oyster convey additional elegance. A subdued natural pallet of papyrus beige, pewter grays and rice paper ivories provides a sense of calm. Indochine fabrics focus on an earthy color pallet of plum, cinnamon, sage, nutmeg and burnished bronze. The wall colors are flaxen tan, parchment gray and creamy beige with painted white wood and distressed maple accent moldings. White-on-white custom ceiling trays are found in every room and include distressed and stained details mixed with traditional painted crown. The Alegria floor plan is base-priced at $705,000.
One move-in ready Alegria 3 residence is available for purchase and priced at $818,841, including the lot premium and upgrades. Twelve-foot ceilings and porcelain tile flooring are featured in the main living areas. The den is finished with a hardwood floor while designer carpeting with a premium cushion is utilized in the bedrooms. A Jenn-Air stainless steel appliance package, including a 30-inch gas cook top and a double convection oven, is featured in the kitchen. The living areas, kitchen and bedrooms are trimmed with crown molding. The outdoor living area and heated pool offer a western exposure.
The Bregante villa model’s European classic design is inspired by nature. Walls in soft moss green, ivory and faint gray colors play against crown and applied molding details. Creams, taupes, browns, linens, bronze, teals and blues are included in the color palette. Custom tray ceilings are finished with white washed and glazed designs. Cream and taupe honed marble floors with brushed and chiseled edges resemble old-world cobblestone flooring. Furnishings include traditional European pieces in a wide range of styles. The Bregante floor plan is base-priced at $795,000 and provides 3,319 square feet with formal living and dining rooms, three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a study, island kitchen and family room, an outdoor living area and a two-car garage with golf cart storage.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Emirates ID releases electronic linkage booklet
The project linking government organisations in the UAE is aimed at maintaining the accuracy of the population register, which was completed recently. It supports decision-makers and the ways to ascertain the data of citizens and expatriates to provide services through advanced, secure and reliable applications that take into account the highest standards of security and confidentiality, the Emirates ID statement explained.
The electronic linkage project helps update the civil and individual data files of the UAE population, thereby reducing duplication and repetition of data and enhancing national and individual security by strengthening the personal identity in the UAE through the interdependent databases of the UAE organisations, notably the ministries of interior, justice, education, higher education, health and labour), these being responsible for such major civil incidents as birth, marriage, divorce, citizenship, residency, death, education, health record and supporting documents.
The Emirates ID statement pointed out that the strategy of electronic linkage with the UAE government entities, 2012-2015, would contribute to streamlining government services, easing transactions and procedures, reducing costs, minimising paper consumption and providing ID management services to the UAE federal and local government organisations through engineering a range of flexible services that can be developed and harmonised.
This strategy helps the federal government and the local government entities in the UAE achieve its objectives in establishing a government that is available round-the-clock, thereby contributing to the prosperity of the UAE and its economy and helping citizens and residents get highly efficient and secure government services.
The booklet contains many themes that explain the strategy and describe the aspects including the global trends in ID management and electronic linkage among government entities, the challenges faced by governments, the UAE’s experience in developing the unified ID project and the need for electronic linkage among government entities.
The booklet provides an overview of the electronic linkage strategy and its objectives and priorities. It explains the framework of electronic linkage as well as its models, services, structure and governance. It also highlights the key projects and initiatives of the strategy, the electronic linkage roadmap and the key elements of success of the strategy.
Carter, 8-0 with four knockouts as a middleweight since turning pro in late 2010, was scheduled to face 41-year-old Antwun Echols (32-19-4, 28 KOs), who is originally from Davenport, for the CABA North American middleweight title at Davenport’s Danceland Ballroom.
However, Echols, a three-time world title contender in the late 1990s and early 2000s, withdrew from the fight on Tuesday due to a contract dispute.
“Well of course, I didn’t like it. It’s a terrible thing. A lot of people wanted to see me fight Antwun,” said Carter, who won the Illinois Golden Gloves championship in 2006. “You owe it to your fans and me. You signed the contract even if it’s not what you wanted.
“He signed it and hasn’t fought in his hometown in 13 years,” added Carter. ”If it was me and I got a chance to come home and box like he had I would. I don’t think it was the contract personally. He knew what he was getting into six weeks ago and I don’t think he was prepared for the fight. It’s kind of crazy. Childish if you ask me.
“The thing is, I don’t know anything about my new opponent, so the first round I have to see what he can and can’t do. Basically, the same approach I’d take,” he added. “Most of the guys I box are right-handed. I’m left-handed and right-handed boxers are southpaw killers. I just have to be smart about things and make adjustments as they come.”
Carter’s longtime coach and trainer, Carlos Duncan, doesn’t have any issues with his pupil’s new opponent.
“I think we need to fight. I would much rather have Antwun for the name recognition, but I feel George is ready for any opponent within a certain range,” he said. “We have a good game plan. I don’t see any problem with the opponent. It doesn’t look like he has much power but that doesn’t mean much.
The electronic linkage project helps update the civil and individual data files of the UAE population, thereby reducing duplication and repetition of data and enhancing national and individual security by strengthening the personal identity in the UAE through the interdependent databases of the UAE organisations, notably the ministries of interior, justice, education, higher education, health and labour), these being responsible for such major civil incidents as birth, marriage, divorce, citizenship, residency, death, education, health record and supporting documents.
The Emirates ID statement pointed out that the strategy of electronic linkage with the UAE government entities, 2012-2015, would contribute to streamlining government services, easing transactions and procedures, reducing costs, minimising paper consumption and providing ID management services to the UAE federal and local government organisations through engineering a range of flexible services that can be developed and harmonised.
This strategy helps the federal government and the local government entities in the UAE achieve its objectives in establishing a government that is available round-the-clock, thereby contributing to the prosperity of the UAE and its economy and helping citizens and residents get highly efficient and secure government services.
The booklet contains many themes that explain the strategy and describe the aspects including the global trends in ID management and electronic linkage among government entities, the challenges faced by governments, the UAE’s experience in developing the unified ID project and the need for electronic linkage among government entities.
The booklet provides an overview of the electronic linkage strategy and its objectives and priorities. It explains the framework of electronic linkage as well as its models, services, structure and governance. It also highlights the key projects and initiatives of the strategy, the electronic linkage roadmap and the key elements of success of the strategy.
Carter, 8-0 with four knockouts as a middleweight since turning pro in late 2010, was scheduled to face 41-year-old Antwun Echols (32-19-4, 28 KOs), who is originally from Davenport, for the CABA North American middleweight title at Davenport’s Danceland Ballroom.
However, Echols, a three-time world title contender in the late 1990s and early 2000s, withdrew from the fight on Tuesday due to a contract dispute.
“Well of course, I didn’t like it. It’s a terrible thing. A lot of people wanted to see me fight Antwun,” said Carter, who won the Illinois Golden Gloves championship in 2006. “You owe it to your fans and me. You signed the contract even if it’s not what you wanted.
“He signed it and hasn’t fought in his hometown in 13 years,” added Carter. ”If it was me and I got a chance to come home and box like he had I would. I don’t think it was the contract personally. He knew what he was getting into six weeks ago and I don’t think he was prepared for the fight. It’s kind of crazy. Childish if you ask me.
“The thing is, I don’t know anything about my new opponent, so the first round I have to see what he can and can’t do. Basically, the same approach I’d take,” he added. “Most of the guys I box are right-handed. I’m left-handed and right-handed boxers are southpaw killers. I just have to be smart about things and make adjustments as they come.”
Carter’s longtime coach and trainer, Carlos Duncan, doesn’t have any issues with his pupil’s new opponent.
“I think we need to fight. I would much rather have Antwun for the name recognition, but I feel George is ready for any opponent within a certain range,” he said. “We have a good game plan. I don’t see any problem with the opponent. It doesn’t look like he has much power but that doesn’t mean much.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
County moves forward with renovation plans
A long-considered plan to renovate the Exhibition Building at the Finney County fairgrounds took a step forward Tuesday after the county commission asked the project’s architect to prepare documents in advance of seeking bids.
“We’ve been talking about this now for close to five years,” Commissioner Dave Jones said. “At some point, we need to make a decision.”
Blaine Davis, the project’s architect, told the commission it will take a few weeks to prepare bid documents for the project. Once they are ready, the commission will have a better idea of costs associated with the project, and they can decide whether to bid it as one large project, or as a base bid with several alternates.
According to October’s estimate, the renovation would cost about $707,000, generally split evenly between interior and exterior improvements. On the outside, work would include improving the south vestibule and canopy, the east vestibule and table/chair storage, doors and hardware and painting. Interior work includes an insulation retrofit of roof and walls, catering kitchen improvements and painting, mechanical unit heaters and lighting.
County Administrator Randy Partington believes enough money is available in the budget for the project from reserve funds and county sales tax.
The county has about $339,000 saved in a capital reserve fund from previous budget years that were meant for building maintenance, he said. Additional funding could come from the county’s sales tax. The county collects about $850,000 per year in sales tax and spends about $800,000 per year on road projects and building maintenance.
Partington said the county ended 2012 with a cash balance of $509,000 in the sales tax fund and the proposed 2013 budget includes more than $1 million in budget authority.
Commissioner Cliff Mayo expressed concern about the building’s ventilation system, which isn’t currently in the proposed project. The current system is loud and doesn’t do a good job of taking hot air out of the building in the summer.
Mayo said there may be additional options to consider to make the building more useable.
“We want to make sure what we put out for bid is what we really want to do,” Mayo said. “I’d rather spend a little more right now. ... rather than leaving ourselves so short that we can’t use it for anything.”
Other than improvements to the kitchen, Davis said the project currently doesn’t really expand the building or its use, it mostly addresses cosmetic and maintenance-type issues.
Other commissioners are ready to start the project.
“We’ve kicked this thing around for quite awhile. I think we need to go ahead and get it out for bid and then look at options for maybe splitting some of it out if needed,” Commissioner Roman Halbur said.
Jones suggested the county could bid the projects as interior and exterior improvements. When the numbers come in, the commission could decide whether something could be taken out of the exterior plan to do something else with the interior, like improving the ventilation system.
One thing the county won’t need to worry about is the building’s roof. In November, the commission postponed putting the project out for bids due to concerns about the roof.
But a recent inspection found the 37-year-old roof is in good condition and should be serviceable for quite awhile. Inspectors observed some minimal hail damage and indicated the skylights are still serviceable with little degradation from ultraviolet light.
“I was pleasantly surprised at how good it looked,” Davis said. “It doesn’t show any signs of rust or seams opening up. Everything about it looked good. We’re safe to spend some money under that roof.”
The air can be described as … well … “chewy.” It's thick, and you feel it in your lungs with some actual heft. And it has a flavor — metallic, with hints of charcoal and just a touch of grit, it’s long on the palate. Every day I walk my fiancée to her office about a mile away. On a clear day, it’s an easy walk that I enjoy, taking in the hustle-and-bustle of one of the planet’s most vibrant cities. On a bad day – well, it’s kind of like running a marathon. Your lungs burn, your eyes sting, and you push through it to get to the finish line. We both wear masks – the industrial-grade kind that filter out very fine particulate matter. You’ve probably seen them before in the U.S. — in construction sites, or hospitals or asbestos-removal projects. Now, imagine that about half the people you encounter, everywhere you go, are wearing them all of the time. That’s Beijing. Well, Beijing, or a scene from “Outbreak.”
The funny thing is, I’ve grown really accustomed to my mask. It fits snugly and has a soft lining, keeping my face warm against the bitter winter cold. It looks kind of cool in a Darth Vadery way. And there’s something comforting about the hiss-click sound the filter makes as I inhale and exhale while cutting my way through the pea-soup haze. I’m going to miss it when I inevitably return to the U.S., and I often picture myself wearing it in Atlanta traffic and wonder if I’ll be able to pull that off.
Apparently I’m not alone in liking the mask either. As mentioned, at least half of the folks these days are wearing them, and being the hottest fashion accessory, many people have taken to accessorizing accordingly. This morning’s walk revealed several themes, from Hello Kitty, panda, to kitten and puppy masks. I even saw a young woman wearing a cotton “Juicy Couture” mask. I was tempted to stop her and let her know that not only was the cotton mask virtually useless in filtering out the dangerous particulates in the air, but it was painfully out of vogue as well.
Mask or not, most folks I know have cut their outdoor time to a minimum. You go where you have to go and head back home. Restaurants seem less crowded, cafes are nearly deserted, and the parks are practically empty as people bunker down and wait for a rare clear-air day. I pity the poor restaurant delivery guys who are especially busy these days. Chinese culture eschews the notion of tipping, which is a shame, as most of these guys should probably be saving up for the inevitable lung transplant.
“We’ve been talking about this now for close to five years,” Commissioner Dave Jones said. “At some point, we need to make a decision.”
Blaine Davis, the project’s architect, told the commission it will take a few weeks to prepare bid documents for the project. Once they are ready, the commission will have a better idea of costs associated with the project, and they can decide whether to bid it as one large project, or as a base bid with several alternates.
According to October’s estimate, the renovation would cost about $707,000, generally split evenly between interior and exterior improvements. On the outside, work would include improving the south vestibule and canopy, the east vestibule and table/chair storage, doors and hardware and painting. Interior work includes an insulation retrofit of roof and walls, catering kitchen improvements and painting, mechanical unit heaters and lighting.
County Administrator Randy Partington believes enough money is available in the budget for the project from reserve funds and county sales tax.
The county has about $339,000 saved in a capital reserve fund from previous budget years that were meant for building maintenance, he said. Additional funding could come from the county’s sales tax. The county collects about $850,000 per year in sales tax and spends about $800,000 per year on road projects and building maintenance.
Partington said the county ended 2012 with a cash balance of $509,000 in the sales tax fund and the proposed 2013 budget includes more than $1 million in budget authority.
Commissioner Cliff Mayo expressed concern about the building’s ventilation system, which isn’t currently in the proposed project. The current system is loud and doesn’t do a good job of taking hot air out of the building in the summer.
Mayo said there may be additional options to consider to make the building more useable.
“We want to make sure what we put out for bid is what we really want to do,” Mayo said. “I’d rather spend a little more right now. ... rather than leaving ourselves so short that we can’t use it for anything.”
Other than improvements to the kitchen, Davis said the project currently doesn’t really expand the building or its use, it mostly addresses cosmetic and maintenance-type issues.
Other commissioners are ready to start the project.
“We’ve kicked this thing around for quite awhile. I think we need to go ahead and get it out for bid and then look at options for maybe splitting some of it out if needed,” Commissioner Roman Halbur said.
Jones suggested the county could bid the projects as interior and exterior improvements. When the numbers come in, the commission could decide whether something could be taken out of the exterior plan to do something else with the interior, like improving the ventilation system.
One thing the county won’t need to worry about is the building’s roof. In November, the commission postponed putting the project out for bids due to concerns about the roof.
But a recent inspection found the 37-year-old roof is in good condition and should be serviceable for quite awhile. Inspectors observed some minimal hail damage and indicated the skylights are still serviceable with little degradation from ultraviolet light.
“I was pleasantly surprised at how good it looked,” Davis said. “It doesn’t show any signs of rust or seams opening up. Everything about it looked good. We’re safe to spend some money under that roof.”
The air can be described as … well … “chewy.” It's thick, and you feel it in your lungs with some actual heft. And it has a flavor — metallic, with hints of charcoal and just a touch of grit, it’s long on the palate. Every day I walk my fiancée to her office about a mile away. On a clear day, it’s an easy walk that I enjoy, taking in the hustle-and-bustle of one of the planet’s most vibrant cities. On a bad day – well, it’s kind of like running a marathon. Your lungs burn, your eyes sting, and you push through it to get to the finish line. We both wear masks – the industrial-grade kind that filter out very fine particulate matter. You’ve probably seen them before in the U.S. — in construction sites, or hospitals or asbestos-removal projects. Now, imagine that about half the people you encounter, everywhere you go, are wearing them all of the time. That’s Beijing. Well, Beijing, or a scene from “Outbreak.”
The funny thing is, I’ve grown really accustomed to my mask. It fits snugly and has a soft lining, keeping my face warm against the bitter winter cold. It looks kind of cool in a Darth Vadery way. And there’s something comforting about the hiss-click sound the filter makes as I inhale and exhale while cutting my way through the pea-soup haze. I’m going to miss it when I inevitably return to the U.S., and I often picture myself wearing it in Atlanta traffic and wonder if I’ll be able to pull that off.
Apparently I’m not alone in liking the mask either. As mentioned, at least half of the folks these days are wearing them, and being the hottest fashion accessory, many people have taken to accessorizing accordingly. This morning’s walk revealed several themes, from Hello Kitty, panda, to kitten and puppy masks. I even saw a young woman wearing a cotton “Juicy Couture” mask. I was tempted to stop her and let her know that not only was the cotton mask virtually useless in filtering out the dangerous particulates in the air, but it was painfully out of vogue as well.
Mask or not, most folks I know have cut their outdoor time to a minimum. You go where you have to go and head back home. Restaurants seem less crowded, cafes are nearly deserted, and the parks are practically empty as people bunker down and wait for a rare clear-air day. I pity the poor restaurant delivery guys who are especially busy these days. Chinese culture eschews the notion of tipping, which is a shame, as most of these guys should probably be saving up for the inevitable lung transplant.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Next generation research
If marketers are the architects of brand solutions, researchers are the engineers. The former can’t operate without the latter. The most imaginative designs, strategies and executions fall flat without the relevant facts, figures and insights to shape and guide them; it’s construction, and marketing, 101.
But in today’s ultra-competitive landscape, where consumers have more choice, less time and tighter wallets than ever before, research is increasingly critical.
Whether testing advertising, preparing to launch new products or testing products already in market, brands are forking out millions to get the scoop on what their consumers like and don’t like well before they lose out in market share, or bare the brunt on Facebook.
And, as the importance of research grows, so too do the scope of its objectives, data sources and collection methods.
The fragmentation of media channels over the last five years has opened up vast oceans of data which both research companies and businesses are working to translate into actionable insights.
Furthermore, the proliferation of new media, particularly social media and mobile devices, has revolutionised the way brands can find, interact with and analyse their sample audiences, making contemporary research fast, economical and far more fun for the consumers involved.
“The amount of change in the last three years has been amazing,” says Peter Harris, MD of Vision Critical. “Research has always been about making sure every ‘i’ is dotted and ‘t’ is crossed. It’s been slow and steady and accurate but the speed of decision-making in business has increased very quickly in the last three years, so now market research has to evolve to keep up.
Simplistically put, research provides brands with data and insights to help them understand consumers’ behaviour and spending patterns. It helps marketers build audience profiles and consequently target marketing efforts to relevant consumer communities.
Market research, as an industry, sprung to life in the 1960s in line with advertising’s ‘golden age’. Its mainstays were face-to-face surveys, telephone questionnaires and focus groups – the type where 20 people were lumped in a room to be observed by a brand scientist from behind a mirrored glass pane.
Then advent of the internet in the late 1990s turned the industry, like so many others, on its head. Since then, online and digital have become its linchpins both in terms of both data creation and collection.
The uptake of personal devices, like mobile phones and tablets, and the advent of social media mean clients now have far more behavioural and sales data at their fingertips.
“The research function is basically moving from a ‘we need to ask some questions and conduct surveys to inform marketing management’ to ‘what are all the different sources of data and touch points we have to our target audience? And how are we going to form that into a coherent knowledge and insights program to help meet our overall business objectives?’” says James Burge, MD of Research Now.
Five years ago a brand’s annual research would consist of implementing a traditional brand tracker, running a number of usage to attitude studies and a few big segmentations during the year. The projects were fewer, slower and of much larger value.
The modern approach to research, however, is about “using existing intelligence, technology and capabilities to extract insights now rather than waiting for the perfect solution,” says MCN Multiview insights and analytics director, Murray Love.
Why? Because marketers need to be faster to market than ever before and that pressure, in turn, is passed on to their research teams.
“The speed to market is much faster than it was ten or 15 years ago,” says Kate Platter, New South Wales director of Ipsos ASI. “The speed at which you can launch a product is much faster, and the speed at which somebody can copy it is much faster, so your window of opportunity as a marketer has become much smaller. We have to match that now.”
Today too, marketing research is more and more about “integrative learning” and ongoing conversations. The typical research approach may be to ask your sample five questions, find out the answers two days later, change something in the business accordingly, measure the effects of that change, then come up with another few questions for your sample.
Surveys can be written, distributed and answered all in a matter of hours online. Brands can also create “closed communities” of consumers to whom they can refer again and again at short notice – something brands like Telstra and Nestle – two of Vision Critical’s clients, are already doing.
Nestle’s is called the Nestle Kitchen Conversation and allows the brand to conduct survey discussions and qualitative research in a dedicated online forum which replaces the traditional focus group.
While the digital shift may provide the biggest opportunities for brands, it also presents some major hurdles.
In the words of Ipsos’ Platter, “The proliferation and fragmentation of media channels is one of the biggest challenge for marketers [because] brands need to integrate and push their product across all these different platforms.”
Media fragmentation, in turn, means researchers have to be broader with their data collection.
Now, instead of just looking at paid media like TV, print and radio, research needs to be across owned media – like Facebook, Twitter and branded microsites, and earned media – which includes people retweeting, sharing emails and posting messages on their Facebook pages.
But in today’s ultra-competitive landscape, where consumers have more choice, less time and tighter wallets than ever before, research is increasingly critical.
Whether testing advertising, preparing to launch new products or testing products already in market, brands are forking out millions to get the scoop on what their consumers like and don’t like well before they lose out in market share, or bare the brunt on Facebook.
And, as the importance of research grows, so too do the scope of its objectives, data sources and collection methods.
The fragmentation of media channels over the last five years has opened up vast oceans of data which both research companies and businesses are working to translate into actionable insights.
Furthermore, the proliferation of new media, particularly social media and mobile devices, has revolutionised the way brands can find, interact with and analyse their sample audiences, making contemporary research fast, economical and far more fun for the consumers involved.
“The amount of change in the last three years has been amazing,” says Peter Harris, MD of Vision Critical. “Research has always been about making sure every ‘i’ is dotted and ‘t’ is crossed. It’s been slow and steady and accurate but the speed of decision-making in business has increased very quickly in the last three years, so now market research has to evolve to keep up.
Simplistically put, research provides brands with data and insights to help them understand consumers’ behaviour and spending patterns. It helps marketers build audience profiles and consequently target marketing efforts to relevant consumer communities.
Market research, as an industry, sprung to life in the 1960s in line with advertising’s ‘golden age’. Its mainstays were face-to-face surveys, telephone questionnaires and focus groups – the type where 20 people were lumped in a room to be observed by a brand scientist from behind a mirrored glass pane.
Then advent of the internet in the late 1990s turned the industry, like so many others, on its head. Since then, online and digital have become its linchpins both in terms of both data creation and collection.
The uptake of personal devices, like mobile phones and tablets, and the advent of social media mean clients now have far more behavioural and sales data at their fingertips.
“The research function is basically moving from a ‘we need to ask some questions and conduct surveys to inform marketing management’ to ‘what are all the different sources of data and touch points we have to our target audience? And how are we going to form that into a coherent knowledge and insights program to help meet our overall business objectives?’” says James Burge, MD of Research Now.
Five years ago a brand’s annual research would consist of implementing a traditional brand tracker, running a number of usage to attitude studies and a few big segmentations during the year. The projects were fewer, slower and of much larger value.
The modern approach to research, however, is about “using existing intelligence, technology and capabilities to extract insights now rather than waiting for the perfect solution,” says MCN Multiview insights and analytics director, Murray Love.
Why? Because marketers need to be faster to market than ever before and that pressure, in turn, is passed on to their research teams.
“The speed to market is much faster than it was ten or 15 years ago,” says Kate Platter, New South Wales director of Ipsos ASI. “The speed at which you can launch a product is much faster, and the speed at which somebody can copy it is much faster, so your window of opportunity as a marketer has become much smaller. We have to match that now.”
Today too, marketing research is more and more about “integrative learning” and ongoing conversations. The typical research approach may be to ask your sample five questions, find out the answers two days later, change something in the business accordingly, measure the effects of that change, then come up with another few questions for your sample.
Surveys can be written, distributed and answered all in a matter of hours online. Brands can also create “closed communities” of consumers to whom they can refer again and again at short notice – something brands like Telstra and Nestle – two of Vision Critical’s clients, are already doing.
Nestle’s is called the Nestle Kitchen Conversation and allows the brand to conduct survey discussions and qualitative research in a dedicated online forum which replaces the traditional focus group.
While the digital shift may provide the biggest opportunities for brands, it also presents some major hurdles.
In the words of Ipsos’ Platter, “The proliferation and fragmentation of media channels is one of the biggest challenge for marketers [because] brands need to integrate and push their product across all these different platforms.”
Media fragmentation, in turn, means researchers have to be broader with their data collection.
Now, instead of just looking at paid media like TV, print and radio, research needs to be across owned media – like Facebook, Twitter and branded microsites, and earned media – which includes people retweeting, sharing emails and posting messages on their Facebook pages.
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