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8 avril 2010

conflict with other events

To reinforce seminar messages and to position seminar topics within a larger context, Tiffany teamed with Buck Consultants to create a pocketsize Take 5 resource guide, organized around important life events such as starting a family, paying for college, buying a house Tiffany Keys. The guide was short - about 100 words on a page - so the information would not be intimidating.

The discussion of each life event included tips for proactively responding to the related financial challenges while highlighting relevant company programs that provide support. For example, the discussion about buying a home listed some common issues to consider when evaluating mortgage options, as well as a reminder of the loan feature in the company's 401 (k) plan.

Tiffany also wanted to emphasize the steps each individual should take to protect against loss. So the guide included reminders about the importance of homeowners', renters' and auto insurance to protect an individual's property and the importance of life insurance, wills, beneficiary designations and estate planning to provide financial security for an individual's survivors in the event of his or her death.

Finally, a portion of the guide focused on preparing Tiffany 1837 Square tag key ring company retirement plans, as well as vehicles such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and annuities that individuals can fund independently.

CAMPAIGN PLANNING

As with any communication campaign, a financial education campaign requires careful planning. Here are some steps to follow.

* Make the business case to senior managers and get their support. At Tiff any, because physical wellness was already an integral part of the culture, getting buy-in on extending the focus to financial wellness seemed natural. Be sure to update senior managers, human resource reps and others, as applicable, as you develop the campaign.

* Create a brand, theme or tagline so that people can readily identify the campaign. Tiffany chose the Take 5 theme based on a program offered by one of its vendors. The company modified the theme to fit the campaign, and Buck created the graphic treatment to illustrate it, consistent with Tiffany's distinctive business branding.

* Articulate key messages. What messages will the campaign deliver? In Tiffany's case, discount Tiffany Earrings to help employees connect how taking steps to be physically well extends to taking steps to be financially well.

* Determine campaign timing. Tiffany scheduled its campaign to coincide with 401 (k) Day and the distribution of total compensation statements in September. You may choose a different time, such as April, which is Financial Literacy Month. Be sure to time the campaign so it doesn't conflict with other events - such as annual enrollment - so employees can focus on your message.

* Allow enough planning time. Allow at least three months to determine your topics, invite speakers, set up logistics - such as meeting rooms and Webinars - and create support materials.

* Provide for the different ways people learn. Plan to deliver your messages through various media - print, electronic and live.

* Define success measures. How will you know if the campaign is a success? Eliciting feedback from employees will help you assess the campaign's effectiveness and determine future topics and media.

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8 avril 2010

jewelry and important figures

The best beach baubles, finds Lynn Yaeger, are those that really make a splash.

Some people admire their fellow passengers on the Fire Island ferry for their stunning physiques, their glistening suntans, or even a particularly jaunty tattoo. Not me. I am transfixed by the jewelry people wear to the shore Chrome Hearts crosses for neo-Goth beach bunnies; label addicts flaunting boffo bangles cleverly decorated with LVs or interlocking Cs; even the heedless bikini-clad matron draped in acres of diamond-embellished Van Cleef Alhambras. (Can these be real? Is she really going to Return To Tiffany search in vain for a woman with a gaggle of pearls thrown down her back, the way Sara Murphy, who hung out with Scott and Zelda on the Riviera in the 1920s, used to wear hers because, in her words, the jewels wanted sun.

But alas, I have never spotted anyone wearing her necklace backward. Not even me, though over the years I have worn to and sometimes in the water a variety of unusual jewelry selections, including superlong strings of beads meant to evoke the ghost of Coco Venise. (It helps that I usually arrive in a dress light and filmy but still a dress and espadrilles, and maybe a little cardigan, all of which I shed at the last possible moment before plunging into the surf.)

Salty breezes seem to give me license to sport accessories I would never consider on land: funny orange plastic watches; leather wristlets with one too many snaps; overlapping cords dangling silly charms. I am not alone in this penchant for slightly goofy summer accessories. Invited last minute Tiffany 1837 friend K feeling very unbronzed and very unbuff at that particular minute added a host of rhinestone bibelots to her black maillot. She swears the glittering bling gave her the confidence she needed, and it certainly was a conversation starter.

That was then. The summer of '09, it must be admitted, does not feel very bling-worthy. The mood is, at best, just a bit quirkier, a bit shall we say Marniesque? So should I slip one of their cheerful plastic-disk fantasias over my Liberty print Cacharel smock? Or opt for a beaded choker by Aprosio & Co. Firenze (is there a beach on the Arno?), ingeniously made to resemble a series of coral starfishes? Or an aluminum sunflower necklace-and-bangle combo from Terzo, so gigantic it's almost cartoonish, which looks like it weighs a ton but is really lighter than the first sip of a Bellini quaffed on the patio of the Quisisana in Capri?

Well, maybe. Or perhaps I'll channel my inner Sara Murphy and wow my ferrymates with Lanvin's classic grosgrain-ribbon-and-pearl extravaganza thrown down my back, so my necklace and I can worship the sun as we glide across the Great South Bay.

Credit: editor: editor: Tonne Goodman

This work on the changing styles and fashions of Tiffany jewelry complements Tiffany design director John Lot ing's history and panorama of Tiffany's complete production, Louis Comfort Tiffany at Tiffany and Co. (CH, Api'03, 40-4409). From the beginning, "Tiffany" signified quality; rhe Tiffany Notes a leader in taste with its distinctive brand. Jewelry, particularly diamonds, became identified with Tiffany and "became a vital component of American art and material culture," rhis volume suggests. Gemstones and jewelry history in America are intertwined with the Tiffany firm. The Tiffany style was shaped by its presidents, directors, gemologists, and designers. Essays explore Tiffany jewelry and important figures like gemologist Geotge Kunz (1856-1932). Contributors examine 14 exhibitions and expositions - both national and international - all of which received "widespread acclaim." They also consider the distinctive Tiffany styles derived from various natural and historical styles. One essay is on Tiffany jewelry as accessories to changing fashions, and one is on designs for men. Notes include extensive sources. No bibliography or glossary, but a chronology covers the years 18121987. Good quality color photographs and an engaging text make this an excellent addition to a decorative aits collection. Summing Up: Recommended. ** Lowei-level undergraduates and above; general readers. - W. L. Whitwell formerly, Hollins College

6 avril 2010

buying a house

Building on the concept of 401(k) Day observed at many companies each September, the benefits department wanted to promote Tiffany's 401 (k) plan but recognized that financial education takes more than a day. So the department decided to offer something more comprehensive. "We expanded 401 (k) Day to the entire month and broadened the concept to include other aspects of financial wellness," said Sol Klein, benefits director at Tiffany. In addition, the company used this - such as flexible spending accounts and commuter benefits - that can maximize an employee's take-home pay by using tax-free dollars to pay eligible expenses. These. Such programs are even more valuable in today's economy. The campaign culminated with Tiffany 1837 bookmark each employee. The statement, which shows the value of all the programs the company offers, can serve as a key resource in helping employees plan for the future. By distributing statements as part of the Take 5 campaign, Tiffany was able to showcase the statement's importance and, at the same time, furnish each employee with actual data to help with financial planning efforts. As it turned out, the timing for the Return to Tiffany Cuff links world financial markets crashed, and the information that Tiffany was providing became even more relevant. CAMPAIGN COMPONENTS The campaign consisted of was to keep messages and materials as simple as possible. Says Klein, "We didn't want employees to feel overwhelmed by too much information. Consistent with our theme, we wanted employees to be able to review the program in five minutes or less, knowing how little time everyone has these days for such things." Webinars and live seminars held throughout the month covered topics such as investing in a down market, 401(k) basics, budgeting, Medicare, Tiffany's retirement plans, credit reports, identity theft, mortgages and refinancing. Tiffany's 401 (k) and employee assistance program (EAP) Atlas cuff links in-house experts ran these seminars, so there was no cost to the company. (Note that many financial planners also offer seminars free of charge.) To reinforce seminar messages and to position seminar topics within a larger context, Tiffany teamed with Buck Consultants to create a pocketsize Take 5 resource guide, organized around important life events such as starting a family, paying for college, buying a house and everyday responsibilities finances. The guide was short - about 100 words on a page - so the information would not be intimidating. The discussion of each life event included tips for proactively responding to the related financial challenges while highlighting relevant company programs that provide support. For example, the discussion about buying a home listed some common issues to consider when evaluating mortgage options, as well as a reminder of the loan feature in the company's 401 (k) plan. Tiffany also wanted to emphasize the steps each individual should take to protect against loss. So the guide included reminders about the importance of homeowners', renters' and auto insurance to protect an individual's property and the importance of life insurance, wills, beneficiary designations and estate planning to provide financial security for an individual's survivors in the event of his or her death. Finally, a portion of the guide focused on preparing for retirement. It included an outline of company retirement plans, as well as vehicles such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and annuities that individuals can fund independently. CAMPAIGN PLANNING
6 avril 2010

confess to the salesman

Toronto is one of those cities that you just can't help falling in love with. You fall in love with the tall buildings, the mild, lovely people, the cafes and restaurants, and the waterfront.

If you are as lucky as I was on a recent visit to this Canadian city, you also fall in love with the person you are with, even if you have been with that person for years. Fortunately for those of you reading this article, one of the ways men show affection is by purchasing jewelry for the ones they love. Fortunately for Tiffany 8c Co., one of its locations happens to be in the middle of downtown Toronto.

Although it seemed like a busman's holiday, there was we were in front of its entrance. I'm not sure, really, which one of us wanted to go in more.

I find that in all of my travels, Engine-turned money clip of like noticing what kind of watch the person you are speaking to is wearing. I just can't help it. Whenever I have gone into a jewelry store in the past, and actually since that Tiffany's visit as well, I have always announced myself as a jeweler out of respect for the salesperson's time.

I don't want to get their hopes up for making a sale that I know isn't going to happen. When I went into Tiffany's on this trip, however, I was curious as to how I would be treated as a customer.

I must say, it was a wonderful experience. I don't want to gush about how wonderful a store Tiffany's is but I would sure like to hire the person who took care of us.

Upon walking into the store, Tiffany Engine-turned money clipAsian descent who, we learned, had spent his youth growing up in Paris. He was bright and charming. So charming in fact that we refer to him today by his first name only - sort of like Cher or Britney - and each of us knows exactly to whom the other is referring.

My friend wanted to try on several pieces of jewelry and our salesman was very accommodating. We looked at a pair of pink tourmaline and diamond drop earrings that were $27,000, a pair of diamond earrings that cost $1 1,000, and then we were shown, without asking, a diamond pendant that was priced above $350,000.

I was dressed in blue jeans and a sweater, my friend was dressed in and jeans. She was wearing only tricolored gold rolling rings for jewelry and I wasn't wearing any rings, only a strap model Patek Philippe watch.

Perhaps our salesman has the same habit I do of always Paloma Picasso is wearing, but he was very giving and more than happy to spend time with us and show us expensive jewelry. The experience was one that I won't forget, and in fact, I have tried to incorporate the salesman's techniques into my own sales presentations at work.

I like going into jewelry stores to see the merchandise and see how the store is decorated and displayed, but this time I got to see what it was like to be a customer, and I liked it

One day, I'm going to go back to Tiffany's in Toronto and confess to the salesman that I'm in the jewelry business and wanted to see how it felt to be treated as a customer. I want to say thank you for a wonderful experience.

Recognizing the importance of providing financial tools and resources to its employees, Tiffany launched the Take 5 campaign in 2008. According to Naomi Seckler, vice president of human resources at Tiffany, "We saw a real need to talk more comprehensively to employees about financial matters. At the same time, we wanted to showcase the full complement of financial benefits that Tiffany offers."

5 avril 2010

the couple new contacts for their jewelry production

This is a column dedicated to fashion jewelry & accessories. From the history to the mystery, to the how-to repair-we will examine all things faux in the world of bling and even the fakes of the faux. If you're wondering whether your great aunt left you treasure or trash, this is the forum for you.

Did you Know?

Pauline Rader Jewelry will be making a comeback, Jon and Leigh Levine, are re-launching the line in 2009. Pauline Rader jewelry was originally produced from 1962 to 1989. Rader's bold designs were often influenced by her study of classic Greek and Roman antiquities. Her jewelry is Elsa Peretti Eternal Circle cuff links, as it was produced in small quantities and sold primarily through exclusive boutiques. "Just talking about her jewelry [in interviews for articles about his grandmother Pauline Rader's jewelry] sparked interest in re-launching the line," said Jon Levine. Leigh Levine said that she has always been amazed that no one in the family kept the line up.

Pauline Rader was retired when Leigh first met Jon back in college and Leigh and Pauline actually talked about reviving the line. "She was a small woman with such a big presence," Leigh explained. Jon had worked in the mortgage business and now that the couple's three children were older, they felt the time was right for a re-launch.

"We'll have lots of nature themes-substantial pieces," Leigh new, updated ideas based on her designs. We may produce some jewelry from her lost sketches, as well," Jon added. The only piece the Levines may completely reproduce is a snake or sea monster from her original collection.Atlas cuff links likely incorporate a different bead or stone color, to differentiate between the old and the new versions.

"We tried to keep the same themes and the same look," Leigh explained. "We are using the old pieces as inspiration; we want to modernize them," Jon added.

"We want to keep her timeless classic designs, with a modern twist. The jewelry will appeal to every woman-all age groups. It will be timeless and elegant, but we'll incorporate trends into the line," Leigh said. Leigh collaborated with a friend of hers-an artist-to design the new pieces and life.

According to Jon, his wife Leigh has been the vision behind the re-launch. "IElsa Peretti Almond cuff links in the jewelry business and Leigh's family had been in the jewelry business, too. Fate really brought us to this point."

The new Rader jewelry line will be sold both wholesale and retail, and will have an on-line presence at www.Paulinerader.com.You can e-mail them at Paulinerader@gmail.com. Twelve pieces are presently in production, with possible choices of metal tones and colors. The Levines say the jewelry will range in price from $45-175. Jon Levine also noted that the jewelry will probably be produced here in the U.S. to ensure quality control. Leigh said that Pauline Rader's old mold makers, though retired, were helpful in finding the couple new contacts for their jewelry production.

"We will have limited production, not mass-production. We want to take our time and make sure what we're producing is quality. It's coming together quite nicely," Jon said. "It would make my grandmother happy. I feel like my grandmother speaks to me; we were very close. It was meant to be," Jon concluded.

Q CAN YOU HELP me find out more about this set? I've never heard of this mark. What can you tell me about my jewelry marked 'Marboux?

K.Y.J., Oro Valley, AZ

A WHAT YOU HAVE is something very special. Marboux is a rare signature. Your Marboux demi-parure was actually a lower cost line produced by the famed costume jewelry manufacturer, Marcel Boucher. Marcel Boucher was born in Paris in 1898 and as a young man, he became a model maker for Cartier in Paris. In 1923, Cartier transferred him to New York. Due to the Depression, many of those who were employed in the fine jewelry industry were suddenly out of work and sought new vocations by working for costume jewelry companies. It seems that Marcel Boucher was one of those workers, as he did free-lance design work for costume jeweler, Mazer Brothers. In 1937, Boucher launched his own company, Marcel Boucher et Cie, at 304 E. 23rd in New York City. Boucher jewelry is known for its high quality and exquisite design sense. Due to his training as a model maker, Boucher enjoyed creating jewelry that had a mechanical design element. One of his most famous creations was a "Punchinello" pin that raised its arms and legs with the pull of a chain. Besides his keen design sense, Boucher was an excellent businessman, and had cabochon stones manufactured just for him in non-standard sizes to combat the piracy of his designs. Marcel Boucher died in 1965, and his widow Sandra ran the firm until 1970, when she sold out to Irving Ornstein of Davorn Industries. The "Marboux" name was first registered in 1937 and then renewed in 1957. The necklace and bracelet were most likely created in the early post-WWII period (ca. 1948). Your set would have a retail value of $75 to $95 dollars.

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5 avril 2010

engagement rings and wedding bands

Gold may glisten, and diamonds may be forever, but the massive economic recession that began more than year ago has severely impacted Utah's high-end jewelry business.

A casual survey of some of the industries biggest locally-owned names - including J. Brooks, O.C. Tanner, Bennion Jewelers, Paul-Thomas Jewelers and Sierra West Jewelers - yields a variety of answers about just how bad business has gotten. One says it is another says it is "way down." One loosely guesses that business is down by 25 percent or so, while another gives a hard number, saying annual revenues are off by more than $3 million.

The answers may vary in their phrasing and degree of specificity,Tiffany Engine-turned money clip the same in every case: business is not great.

"Jewelers are the first to get hurt and the last better," said Sierra West owner Tim Branscomb. "You can't eat [jewelry], you can't drive it and you can't put it in your gas tank."

Several smaller jewelry shops, Diamonds and Suncrest Jewelry Co. have all gone under during the past year. And there are rumors flying around that many of the large chains such as Zales and the Shane Company may file for bankruptcy by early next year, according to industry insiders. The firms that. have managed to stay afloat have done so primarily because they had little debt prior to the downturn, and they are starting to see some stabilization.

Although, as Tom McDonough of Paul-Tiffany 1837 bookmark still slow and may never get back to where it was.

"And that covers the whole gamut of jewelry, particularly high-end gold - 14 or 18 carat. Platinum too," McDonough said. "These things are not cheap. Dinner rings, charms, bracelets - all of it. People are going to be very cautious about buying for a while to come."

When it comes to consumer reluctance, birthday and anniversary gifts are often the first to go, according to local retailers.

"We've seen about a 40 percent drop in then our 'super clients,' as we call them - movie stars or wealthy business owners - and that has dropped by 85 or 90 percent. They just stopped buying big items, which can be anything from $20,000 to well over $100,000 and that business Return to Tiffany Cuff links which has been a big deal for us."

Branscomb noted that the severe cut back in high-end business has not only been driven by personal economic concerns, but out of societal concerns as well.

"A lot of people had the attitude 'I don't want people to see me upgrading my jewelry when people are out of work and suffering,' " he said. "I think that may be fading though. It was taboo to buy anything large, especially in the Mormon community, where people are so connected, and everyone is aware of their neighbor's problems."

But despite the drop in big ticket sales to established and wealthy customers, every jeweler The Entrprise contacted made a point of noting that it could have been a lot worse. In addition to having lower unemployment than the rest of the country (6.2 percent compared to 9.5 percent nationally) and better consumer spending numbers, Utah enjoys one of the highest marriage rates in the country (10.6 per 1,000 people, versus 8.2 nationally). This, of course, means that engagement rings and wedding bands remain big business.

"Our engagement ring business has not varied very much at all," McDonough said. "And newlyweds wilwl still spring for gold, because they expect to pay top dollar."

J. Brooks also relies heavily on the engagement and wedding market.

"We do have a young population that still wants to get married," said Sally Archer, J. Brooks' spokesperson. "We are lucky to live in Utah for lots of reasons, but certainly one of them is our young, educated population."

This is leading some jewelers to alter their marketing strategies to target what they see as the likely demographic responsible for these marriages. "We are going heavier after the college business, particularly those at BYU and UVU and others that have largely Mormon student bodies," Branscomb said. "And Mormon kids are of course encouraged to many early, rather than cohabiting,"

But young people, many jewelers are finding, are more inclined to shop online, rather than at brick-and-mortar stores. This is forcing a rather old-fashioned industry, one that prides it's self on personal service and trust, to adjust.

"I don't want to give away too much strategy," Archer said. "But in the fourth quarter, we are going to finish our Web site, rather than do other kinds of marketing. We think that that is what we need to do to take us to the future. We want to be able to show product more easily."

Other vendors are taking on similar projects. And despite the harsh financial climate, there is a general sense of optimism in the jewelry industry.

"Jewelry is a luxury," said Michael Lawrence, manager of Bunion Jewelers. "But it is also a lasting gift, and people do still buy gifts."

27 mars 2010

everyday responsibilities

Building on the concept of 401(k) Day observed at many companies each September, the benefits department wanted to promote Tiffany's 401 (k) plan but recognized that financial education takes more than a day. So the department decided to offer something more comprehensive. "We expanded 401 (k) Day to the entire month and broadened the concept to include other aspects of financial wellness," said Sol Klein, benefits director at Tiffany.

In addition, the company used this opportunity to promote existing programs - such as flexible spending accounts and commuter benefits - that can maximize an employee's take-home pay by using tax-free dollars to pay eligible expenses. These programs had been available - and, too often, Return to Tiffany Cuff links - for years. Such programs are even more valuable in today's economy.

The campaign culminated with a personalized total compensation annual statement for each employee. The statement, which shows the value of all the programs the company offers, can serve as a key resource in helping employees plan for the future. By distributing statements as part of the Take 5 campaign, Tiffany was able to showcase the statement's importance and, at the same time, furnish each employee with actual data to help with financial planning efforts.

As it turned out, the timing for the financial wellness initiative was Elsa Peretti Eternal Circle cuff links. During that month, the U.S. and world financial markets crashed, and the information that Tiffany was providing became even more relevant.

CAMPAIGN COMPONENTS

The campaign consisted of a series of seminars with written and online support materials. A key imperative was to keep messages and materials as simple as possible. Says Klein, "We didn't want employees to feel overwhelmed by too much information. Consistent with our theme, we wanted employees to be able to review the program in five minutes or less, knowing how little time everyone has these days for such things."

Webinars and live seminars held throughout the month Atlas cuff links topics such as investing in a down market, 401(k) basics, budgeting, Medicare, Tiffany's retirement plans, credit reports, identity theft, mortgages and refinancing. Tiffany's 401 (k) and employee assistance program (EAP) vendors, a Social Security representative and in-house experts ran these seminars, so there was no cost to the company. (Note that many financial planners also offer seminars free of charge.)

To reinforce seminar messages and to position seminar topics within a larger context, Tiffany teamed with Buck Consultants to create a pocketsize Take 5 resource guide, organized around important life events such as starting a family, paying for college, buying a house and everyday responsibilities like managing day-to-day finances. The guide was short - about 100 words on a page - so the information would not be intimidating.

The discussion of each life event included tips for proactively responding to the related financial challenges while highlighting relevant company programs that provide support. For example, the discussion about buying a home listed some common issues to consider when evaluating mortgage options, as well as a reminder of the loan feature in the company's 401 (k) plan.

Tiffany also wanted to emphasize the steps each individual should take to protect against loss. So the guide included reminders about the importance of homeowners', renters' and auto insurance to protect an individual's property and the importance of life insurance, wills, beneficiary designations and estate planning to provide financial security for an individual's survivors in the event of his or her death.

Finally, a portion of the guide focused on preparing for retirement. It included an outline of company retirement plans, as well as vehicles such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and annuities that individuals can fund independently.

CAMPAIGN PLANNING

27 mars 2010

make sound financial decisions

Today's financial realities underscore the importance of having a good handle on personal finances. Yet when a bit of planning can make a huge difference in bringing some sense of control over an otherwise seemingly out-of-control world, many people operate in reactive mode. In 2008, Tiffany and Company launched its "Take 5" campaign to proactively provide financial education, tools and resources to employees. As Tiffany's communication consultant, Buck Consultants assisted the company's human resources staff in creating and producing print pieces to support the campaign. This article provides background and practical steps to follow in planning and launching a relatively low-cost financial education campaign for employees.

The recent economic downturn underscores the Engine-turned money clip of making good decisions when it comes to finances. Numerous studies indicate that many people in the United States lack basic financial knowledge, such as how credit cards work, which accounts the FDIC insures in which financial institutions or how compound interest works. Even more significant, during the years leading up to the current financial crisis, millions of Americans took mortgages and loans that they could not afford. In short, many people simply do not have the skills to meet financial challenges. And although lots of resources are available, such as TV talk shows, magazines and self-help books, people often don't know where to start.

According to the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, founded in 2008 under the auspices of the U.S. Treasury Department, "The need for improved financial literacy within the workforce is irrefutable," and employers are uniquely positioned to fill the financial literacy void.1

Unfortunately, financial education programs in the Tiffany Engine-turned money clip are relatively rare, even though financial wellness offers important benefits for both employers and employees.

* For employers, a robust financial education program is a real differentiator in recruiting and retaining top talent. And research by the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy found that "employees who are financially healthy are more productive." They simply have fewer distractions from their jobs.

* For employees, learning to make sound financial decisions can have a positive effect on the person's life, both on and off the job.

While financial education programs can offer tangible benefits to employers and employees alike, there is one caveat: Employers must strike a delicate balance. As Tiffany's senior vice president of global human resources Vicky Berger-Gross points out, "Although employers Tiffany 1837 bookmark uniquely positioned to offer practical financial tools at times of major life decisions, they need to refrain from seeming to endorse decisions that may overextend an employee's financial risk." In short, an employer cannot appear to be giving financial advice.

TIFFANY AND COMPANY'S TAKE 5 CAMPAIGN

Recognizing the importance of providing financial tools and resources to its employees, Tiffany launched the Take 5 campaign in 2008. According to Naomi Seckler, vice president of human resources at Tiffany, "We saw a real need to talk more comprehensively to employees about financial matters. At the same time, we wanted to showcase the full complement of financial benefits that Tiffany offers."

The company's strategy was to position the campaign within the context of overall wellness. "Because health and wellness have always been an important part of Tiffany's benefit strategy and culture, financial wellness was a natural extension of that focus. We saw an opportunity to leverage our success in presenting health and wellness concepts to our employees," said Sidnie Wilder, Tiffany's group director, workforce, policies programs and services. The company wants employees to understand that people who are physically healthy often take time to eat right, exercise, get annual physicals, etc. Similarly, being financially healthy requires time and planning, so the campaign asked all employees to take a few minutes to consider important financial issues.

26 mars 2010

same religious ceremony

Ceremonial Culture in Pre-Modern Europe. Edited by NICHOLAS HOWE. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 2007. 168 pp. $25.00 (paper).

Although these four essays are separated by both time and place, and the ceremonies examined are very different, Nicholas Howe's introduction does a wonderful job tying them tightly together. According to Howe, all four essays explore common themes: the relationship between public and private space, how the ceremony/ritual being examined changed and developed over time, how the symbolism of the ceremony was transmitted to the audience, and the difference between the early modern audience's sensibility and Heart lock charm pendant employ a range of sources from archival material to surviving images and architecture. However, as Howe reminds the reader, although many of these rituals and ceremonies have been preserved in the form of texts, they had a life that went far beyond the printed page because they were meant to be visually performed, often in front of an audience that was largely illiterate.

One of the most important assertions made in the introduction was that premodern ceremony and ritual both constructed and perpetuated a sense of timelessness and universality of beliefs and practices both across generations and across geographical distances, and that those beliefs and practices often served to fashion and reaffirm communal identity. Although this claim is not an original one, all four essays emphasize an important point that has received far less scholarly attention: these ceremonies often did not fashion the Tiffany 1837 concove circle cufflinks for everyone; in fact, ceremony and ritual also had the power to identify certain groups as outsiders, such as the medieval Jews of Chartres, as presented by Fassler. Flier also shows how the religious/ political split between the Old Believers and the ruling elite shaped their interpretations of the traditional Palm Sunday procession, which often fed the tension between the two groups instead of creating a bridge to connect them. Whereas that same religious ceremony had once worked together to reaffirm a common positive destiny, after a period of political and religious turmoil, it took on very negative messages to those discontented with the new dynasty.

Another important theme that was explored was the contradiction that the authority of a ritual or a ceremony rested upon its standardization and repetition, (and which in turn endowed its participants with legitimacy), was still flexible enough to incorporate political and religious changes so that they could transmit timely messages as opposed to reiterating out-of-date and out-of-touch ones, as demonstrated by Kipling's analysis of three civic triumphs offered by sixteenth-century Antwerp. The first two affirmed the political legitimacy Tiffany 1837 square cufflinks Hapsburgs, but the third one denounced them as tyrants. However, Muir's reading of Italian Renaissance processions makes the important point that the people watching the procession and the people in the procession were simultaneously both object and subject and that their role in the procession in combination with their social status and gender dictated what they saw. Moreover, acknowledging that the people in the procession were watching the crowd that watched them blurs the lines between witness and participant, which in turn redefines the act of witnessing a ceremony. According to Muir, as long as the audience is engaged by the procession, it is actively negotiating its meaning, keeping it relevant and important.

In many ways these essays work well together and demonstrate some of the new understandings of premodern use and reception of ceremony and ritual. For example, Muir's inclusion of Renaissance optical theory to try to explain how people saw the procession was both interesting and innovative. However, his claim that ceremony could never impose a single message or produce a single interpretation was not as original. There were no references to scholarship that had already demonstrated the ambiguity of early modern symbolism or that most of the common people did not comprehend the elaborate allegories staged by the civic elites and often only caught glimpses or heard snatches of the entire event.1 Although all four essays tried to explicitly evaluate the participation of the audience, they did not really take into account that the ceremony/ritual itself was not experienced in its totality. Whereas Muir's bibliography may not have been as inclusive as I would have liked, he did include gender in his analysis, something that the other authors did not do, which does seem a striking omission, especially if one is trying to discern the possible messages received by the audience. In spite of each essay's shortcomings, this erudite and comparative collection of scholarship on ritual and ceremony in premodern Europe, although probably too advanced for undergraduate students, does offer interesting insights to scholars who work on this subject.

26 mars 2010

zoom in on the images you like

Colors did it in October. Wallpaper did it in December (in its January 2010 issue). FrencTi video game glossy Amusement did it way bacTc in Mardi. And even US mainstream titles Esquire and In Style got on board, in their November 2009 and Mardi 2010 issues respectively. What have they all done? Augmented reality special editions.

AR is a term mudi beloved of sci-fi fantasies, where it means hologram-style additions to the real world visible to the naked eye. We haven't quite got there yet, but computer-aided additions to daily life are becoming a reality, seen via a computer or specially Tiffany 1837 Cuff links there are two types of AR," says Yolande Kolstee, head of the AR+RFID Lab jointly run by the DutcTi Royal Academy of Art and Delft University of TecTinology. "One is screen-based, the other in the real air. One you need a device to see, whether it's a screen or a smartphone, the other you can see with your own eyes, but you need to be wearing goggles or glasses."

Magazines sudi as Wallpaper and Colors have been playing with the first, planting "keys" in their pages that trigger online content. The results are rudimentary so far, but still impressive. In Colors 76, for example, readers can see photographs "come alive" on screen, as they trigger pre-recorded video footage by holding the magazine up to the webcam. In Wallpaper's version, meanwhile, a cover shot of a set of storage cubes springs into 3D life on screen, and the viewer can look around them in 360 Atlas pendant around. More content, 3D, animation and video, is available via other pages in both magazines, all triggered by relevant keys and images. "The tricTc is that the user controls the AR with the magazine, so the perspective is integrated to them," says Tony Chambers, editor-in-chief of Wallpaper. "It's more interesting than being taken directly to the content."

"For me the moment when [the photograph of] Andrea Nardin looks at himself across the page is really exciting," says Andy Cameron executive director of Fabrica (whicTi creates Colors). "The magazine comes to life."

The technology these magazines are using varies from title to title - Amusement used RFID microchip tags that need to be read by special scanners, for example, while the other magazines have used simple webcam-friendly versions. Some allow users to put the magazine down having triggered the content, others encourage them to manipulate the images online by holding up the issue. While some wear their tecTinophilia on their sleeves by printing large blacTc-andwhite triggers on their pages, others go for imperceptible photographic keys. "Unlike other magazines we had no big blade marker," says Ariel Foxman, editor of In Style. "I wouldn't use the tecTinology if it detracted from the experience our readers know and love."

But whatever the details, the basic principle is the same, Imagine taking control of your favourite magazine. You can decide what goes in, and where, change the layouts, zoom in on the images you like, or skip the articles altogether and focus solely on the latest videos.

After nearly two decades of publishing online, newspapers and magazines Tiffany Metropolis Cuff links to grips with the technology. Gone are the days of static websites lacking interactivity and, in most cases, any real visual acumen. And with the advent of smartphones and mobile media players - in particular, the hotly anticipated iPad, with its

9.7-inch touchscreen - the publishing industry is having a serious rethink about how the print experience translates onto screen.

Sports Illustrated is at the forefront. Recently, with the help of the Wonderfactory, a New York-based creative agency, it presented what a fully interactive version of its 20-million-issue selling magazine would look and behave like on a tablet computer. The application lets the user scroll around the magazine as they wish. You can view full-screen slideshows, watch the latest recap videos and increase the size of the text at your convenience. The application transforms Sports Illustrated into your version of Sports Illustrated. And the concept is already being developed for other magazines such as Wallpaper, People, Fortune, In Style and Time.

Interview and Wired magazines have fast-tracked their own version iPad-based magazines, which they expect will appear as soon as next month. Interview says that its digital offshoot will combine "the benefits of the digital age with the familiar advantages of Guttenberg's printing press to deliver a groundbreaking, knock-out reader experience".

For Wired, which has spent the last 17 years reporting on technological innovations, the iPad will allow periodicals "for the first time to do digital content with all of the same values and artistic range that are the hallmark of print magazines", it says.

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