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Because services are intangible, marketing messages for services do more than market services. Communications make services more tangible, and offer prospects something firm to measure.

As a result, marketing communications for most services drag around a heavier load than communications for products. A bright red Porsche 911 convertible, for example, chants loudly and beautifully for itself. Very few services speak for themselves at all.

We implicitly give trust to most products. We trust that our new tyres won’t explode, our brown sugar will taste sweet, and our aspirin will reduce our headaches without bad side effects. But we are far less trusting and certain about most services.

We worry that our solicitors and web designers will toil on our behalf more than necessary, and charge more than is warranted. We worry that the latest weight loss service will be useless, just like the five before it. We worry that our remodelers will extend their budget and complete the job weeks after they agreed to. We worry that the collection agency we hire for our service will badger our clients worth keeping and collect only a small part of our outstanding receivables.

So unlike communicating about products, talking about services must make the service more tangible and real, and must soothe the worried prospect. It’s not like selling Porsche automobiles.

For more information about services marketing and making services more concrete, visit Rob Johnson’s Twitter page. Sponsored by Rob Johnson of http://seocairns.seovoodoo.com.au/

HelpMeSis.com.au is a brand new website that acts as a portal featuring the very best Australian online shopping sites and information websites. The comprehensive and well-researched website has been two years in the making and saves women valuable time and frustration by only showing the best and most relevant websites in each of the many categories.

After 2 years of meticulous research and web development, HelpMeSis.com.au was officially launched in Sydney on 1 January 2010. This comprehensive website acts as a useful portal for busy Australian women, showing them the very best Australian online shopping sites and information websites.

The extensive and informative guide to Australia’s best and most relevant websites was created to help time-poor women find quality products, information and services quickly and easily. Its launch was the culmination of two years of labour by former high school teacher Veronica Ryan.

“Over the past few years, I have visited and revisited many thousands of Australian websites and have hand picked hundreds of the very best to be included in the HelpMeSis website,” said Ms Ryan. “I have chosen these websites for their overall quality, integrity and security and their usefulness and relevance to Australian women,” she said.

The website listings and reviews have been organised into logical categories. Along with a logo, name, link to the site and description of products and services, Ms Ryan has also included practical details such as each company’s ABN and shipping information for shopping websites.

“To have all this information available on one website means women no longer need to visit dozens of individual websites first to find out exactly what they offer and whether they provide online shopping and Australia-wide shipping. They can compare all of this on the HelpMeSis website and only visit the most relevant website, saving them a great deal of time,” said Ms Ryan.

The manual selection process for included websites, together with the navigational simplicity of the portal, its sheer comprehensiveness, detailed information and overall relevance to Australian women, sets HelpMeSis apart from other online directories.

In addition to Australian shopping websites, the HelpMeSis portal also includes a number of themed information sections. A ‘Green Guide’ offers a great deal of information about green products and services and links to quality businesses that sell natural Australian organic products. The ‘Useful Information’ section provides answers to many common queries Australian women have. A complete ‘Parenting’ and baby shopping section gives links to Australian stores specialising in quality parenting & baby products and to sites offering expert information and advice for parents.

Other noteworthy sections on the HelpMeSis website include a ‘Health and Fitness’ section and a ‘Leisure’ section, which offers links to websites providing What’s On information for all Australian capital cities and the Gold Coast. The site further features a blog spot and people can sign up to receive an informative monthly HelpMeSis newsletter.

Men needn’t feel left out either, as Ms Ryan has also launched a ‘brother’ site, aptly named HelpMeBro.com.au where men can shop online at the best Australian online shopping sites. This guys-only site has many of the features of the women’s site but has been styled for men and doesn’t include any of the ‘girly’ content.

To find out more, please visit the HelpMeSis and HelpMeBro websites.

The invention of jet propulsion was ideal for fighter aircraft. Although at first it reduced range and endurance and often increased the take-off run. The German Messerschmitt Me 262 and the British Gloster Meteor twin jets saw action in 1944, together with the tailless Me 163 rocket interceptor which sacrificed range and endurance for astounding climb and speed in defending local areas against heavy bombers.

Germany was far in front of other countries in another factor too: armament. A range of 30 mm (1 inch) cannon, radically new high-speed cannon with multiple-revolver chambers, very large recoilless guns, spin-stabilised air-to-air rockets fired in salvoes, and wire-guided air-to-air missiles were all under test before the Luftwaffe s defeat. They gradually inspired similar developments in other countries: one German gun, the Mauser MG 213, led to the American Pontiac M-39, the French DEFA, the Russian NR-30, the Swiss Oerlikon KCA, and the British Aden, all of which are still in use.

Many early jet fighters were fitted into more or less conventional airframes. The fighter often considered the ultimate achievement of the piston era, the long-range North American P-51 Mustang appeared both in a twinned double-fuselage form and, with few changes, as a US Navy jet.

But the US Air Force decided to wait a year until its makers could sweep back the wings and tail at 35 degrees, which German research had shown could lead to higher speed. The result was the F-86 Sabre, which in 1948 set a speed record at 1,080 km/h (671 mph) and outflew all other fighters. Later versions carried radar and rockets and reached 1,150 km/h (715 mph).

During the Korean War (1950-3) the F-86 met a previously unknown machine built in the Soviet Union, the somewhat lighter and simpler MiG-15, and although the MiG could climb higher and had heavy cannon, the Sabre’s skilled pilots and better equipment gave it the edge in combat.

North American’s next fighter was the F-100 Super Sabre, which exceeded the speed of sound in level flight. The MiG bureau built the twin jet MiG-19, which was even faster, and is still in wide use. The US Air Force ordered various all-weather interceptors with largely automatic radar and flight control systems so that, with guided missiles, they could intercept and destroy enemy aircraft without the pilot ever seeing them.

The British ordered a jet-fighter flying-boat, but discovered that this way of doing business without airfields yielded an inferior fighter. The Americans suffered similar problems with a ‘hydroski’ fighter, which could dive faster than sound, but took off and landed on retractable water skis.

Two even stranger fighters were designed around powerful turboprop engines and, standing on their tails, screwed themselves vertically into the air (they were intended to operate from the confined decks of warships or merchant vessels). Britain built high-altitude supersonic fighters with ‘mixed power’ from a turbojet and a rocket. In 1957 the British Minister of Defence suggested there would soon be no more manned fighters at all, only missiles. The Americans stuck to fighters, but made them very large and armed them with missiles, but no gun.

Today the wheel has turned full circle. In the past 10 to 20 years there has been a powerful trend to get back to the ‘eyeball-to-eyeball’ type of confrontation of the man in the Sopwith Camel. The pre-eminent Western fighter, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom, was rebuilt with an internal gun, a rapid-fire 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon with six barrels firing up to 6,000 rds/ min, and a slatted wing to pull tighter turns in combat.

New small fighters appeared, such as the General Dynamics F-16, which, although bigger and heavier than any single-engined fighters of World War II, are nevertheless small and light by comparison with such impressive machines as the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, and MiG-25 Foxbat, The RAF’s next interceptor, the ADV (Air-Defence Version) of the Panavia Tornado, is a careful midway compromise, smaller than the three monsters just listed, but with two engines, long range, powerful radar, and extremely effective Skyflash missiles.

Modern interceptors defend vast blocks of airspace up to 160 km (100 miles) in radius, with powerful radar able to look down at the surrounding land and water and spot low-flying intruders trying to slip through the defences unnoticed. Their task is eased by the presence of special surveillance, early-warning, and AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft, with enormous radars and sophisticated command and control systems to manage all a nation’s defences in the most efficient way.

There is no better feeling than being in the cockpit during your jet fighter flight. Jet fighter flights and jet fighter joy flights are the ultimate gift giving and receiving experience that will be remembered forever. Your jet fighter pilot experience is available in Melbourne, Cairns and Townsville. Visit flyingwarbirds.com.au for more details.

Joy, sun and photographs of a stress reducing summer getaway, these are magical ingredients for the getaway of a lifetime when you and yours visit Cairns and the Far North’s Queensland.

Blessed with a holiday climate all year-round, featuring temperatures in summer (October-April) of 29-33 degrees C, and winter months (April-October) 25-29 degrees C, Cairns is home to some of the earth’s most vibrant natural attractions, the barrier reef, the rainforest and the Australian outback, and they are all here awaiting your discovery.

The very friendly locals of Tropical North Queensland will show you the kind of warm and unassuming welcome that has become the standard to aspire to for other tourism destinations. Adventure tourism, night life, great eating and shopping multiply the charm and attraction of this secret city.

If you have been here previously, welcome back. If you are here for your first adventure, bask in our tourist offerings and make the most of your stay. Australia’s finest non-capital city, Cairns is the international gateway to Tropical North Queensland. It is a vibrant cosmopolitan destination with warm, sunny tropical days offset by cool onshore breezes.

Indulge in a walk along the interesting Esplanade or satisfy your hunger in one of the city’s many multi-cultural, diverse and prize-winning places to eat. Cairns provides access to the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforests along with the Australian Outback. Cairns, with its international and domestic airport, is the first stop for most visitors who want to see the Dundee Australia. Bask on the sandy beaches, snorkel on the reef and experience the unique tropical rainforests that date back to when the continent was part of ancient Gondwanaland, thousands of eons ago.

Take a swim in the famous Esplanade lagoon, then cast your eyes across the calm waters of Trinity Inlet and you will discover coastal mountains and mangrove environs that have not changed since the site was named by Captain James Cook in 1770. The beautiful Esplanade Lagoon is the perfect place to spend a lazy day basking in the sun and wading in the lagoon’s cool and seductive shallows.

There are many shady spots to take refuge from the sun in the heat of the day, as well as cooking facilities. The boardwalk has unique displays of Cairns’s local history and has many exercise facilities for those keen on getting a bit of exercise.

Cairns is extremely well suited to walking, or travel by bicycle. Well used paths and dedicated walking tracks abound. A visit to the Cairns Botanical Gardens is not to be missed. It features 38 hectares of native Aussie gardens which are kept to lush standards, and many species found here cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.

Located among the fauna is a cafe and restaurant, which is open daily for breakfast and lunch. Access to the gardens is free.

This article is brought to you by seo cairns. If you’re looking for Cairns seo or a Cairns internet marketing specialist, visit seocairns.seovoodoo.com.au.

Fundraising is exactly what the word implies – it’s the process by which non-profit organisations raise money, by requesting donations or selling products or services. Fundraising is a significant way that these community groups obtain the money that’s required for them to perform their operations, and pay for the facilities and programs that the group wishes to manage. Apart from needing money to merely survive, often these fundraising groups also fundraise for a particular purpose, for example a major fundraising campaign may be undertaken to raise money for a new building project, or a school may want to update its extra curricular sports equipment.

While donations often underpin the fundraising of many of these community groups, money is also often generated by the selling of fundraising products. Most fundraising groups continually search for new and interesting ways to fundraise, in order to keep their core support group (made up of parents, relatives and friends) interested and dedicated. The internet is used almost exclusively these days by fundraising groups in order to find interesting and profitable methods by which to raise much needed funds. There are literally hundreds of fundraising companies available these days offering an abundance of ideas and products that can be used for fundraising purposes.

The majority of people assume that fundraising is as simple as holding bake sales, cent auctions or some other organizational activity until enough money is raised. If you only want to raise a small amount of money these ideas may be fine, but for many groups this approach is too uncertain and too limited to be very effective. Most fundraising groups that have been around for a while need to raise money consistently in order to keep their group financially viable.

Deciding which fundraising program to run is a difficult decision, because it all depends on the particular fundraising group as to how much funds are required, and how much time has been allocated. Brainstorming at your monthly meetings is usually a good way to go about the process of deciding on new fundraising options, and the simple ideas are usually the best. It’s advisable to stick with fundraising ideas that are simple, easy to run, take up minimal time, and will gain you the most profit.

Of course planning ahead is the key to running a successful fundraiser. No matter what fundraising company or type of fundraiser the group chooses to run, the planning is paramount. Tasks should be allocated to each member, and plenty of time should be allowed for each task, so that they can be completed in a timely and efficient manner, and even if there are hold ups or other problems, the fundraiser can finish on the designated date. What time of the year to run the fundraiser is another important decision in the planning process. The fundraising group should carefully do its homework, and organise for the fundraiser to run at a time of the year when there are no other major events taking place, so that the whole focus will be on the fundraiser.

Gold Star Gifts and Stationery are fundraising specialists. They supply their novelty gifts and stationery items to schools, clubs and other community groups for fundraising purposes. They offer large discounts to fundraising groups, and free delivery. So if you’re looking for school fundraising ideas, ideas for fundraising or new fundraiser ideas, contact them via their website for more information on their fantastic fundraisers.

As a customer service concept, relationship marketing is not new. For decades, business-to-business marketers have employed account managers who have the responsibility to dedicate themselves to key clients. In the financial world, `relationship banking’, whereby high-yield customers are assigned a personal manager, has been practised for many years.

When direct marketing is embraced to establish connections or relations between the marketer and the consumer, it is too easy to suggest that all forms of direct marketing communications achieve a closer relationship, a closer bond between the two parties. Such a conclusion exaggerates what generally happens in the marketplace.

Direct marketing is all about generating a direct response from the consumer and about direct communications to the consumer. A direct response is needed to generate better understanding of the advertising message or to motivate transactions. Direct communication is simply about media reach efficiency. Relationship marketing is a concept that transcends these pragmatic direct marketing objectives.

Kotler appropriately positions the concept of relationship marketing as one which applies principally to business-to-business situations:

Smart marketers try to build up long-term, trusting, `win—win’ relationships with customers, distributors, dealers and suppliers. That is accomplished by promising and delivering high quality, good service, and fair prices to the other party over time.

It is accomplished by strengthening the economic, technical, and social ties between members of the two organizations. The two parties grow more trusting, more knowledgeable, and more interested in helping each other. Relationship marketing cuts down on transaction costs and time; in the best cases, transactions move from being negotiated each time to being routinized.

Outside of `membership’ or `continuity’ programs, there are two basic ways to approach consumers. The first is with a product and price combination considered to be `the standard’. That is, the proposition is essentially of long standing and relies on the features and benefits being competitive. The second way, normally of short-term duration, is a `special offer’. Direct marketing textbooks are full of the theory, practice and case histories relating to `the offer’.

The choice of basic propositions or selection of special offers depends on the circumstances of the individual firm and its competitive environment. The right proposition or offer can make a world of difference to response cost-effectiveness.

Looking for online marketing assistance? For seo brisbane contact seovoodoo.com.au For assistance with web copywriting, contact copyvoodoo. Landing pages by salespages.com.au

The Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia has become well known in the Southern Hemisphere as the region of choice for the well-heeled to holiday.

It has all the ingredients that are sought by the hard working executive to relax and recharge their batteries. Stunning beaches, a consistent climate, world class restaurants, great surf and an endless supply of cold beer. However hidden beneath the surface of this holiday paradise is the fact that it is consistently producing and training world class athletes.

Pat Rafter who was ranked number 1 mens singles tennis player in the world in 1999 and won 2 US open titles at Flushing Meadow, was honing his tennis skills from an early age in Eumundi,(he went to the same primary school as Kevin Rudd, the current Australian Prime Minister).

Gary Elkerton was raised in a beachside caravan park in Mooloolaba, where he honed his surfing skills. He finished runner up on the world tour three times in the 80’s and 90’s and won the Quicksilver Masters in France in 2001. Alexandra Headland, Point Cartwright, Old Woman Island, Moffats and Double Island Point are where he learnt his trade.

Mal Meninga was raised in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, starting his A grade Rugby League career with Palmwoods then moved onto the Nambour All Whites. He went onto captain Australia as well as lead the Maroons to four straight State of Origin series wins as coach (the best coaching record in the history of Origin). He also holds the world record for shortest political career when in 2001 he resigned within 28 seconds of announcing he was running for parliament.

Ian Baker-Finch grew up in Nambour and joined the PGA tour in 1979, he gradually built a reputation as a world class golfer through the eighties finally winning the most coveted major in golf, the 1991 Open Championship.

After retiring from the professional tour he became a commentator for CBS in the States and gained worldwide press headlines when he stood by the 18th green commentating at the 2007 Barclays tournament, to be hit on the head and laid out unconscious by a stray shot from the American Rich Beem.

Other world class athletes from the Sunshine Coast include Grant Kenny who grew up in Maryborough and won canoeing bronze in the LA Olympics of 1984, Billy Slater who grew up in Nambour and has become one of the stars of the NRL as well as representing Australia and Josh Constable, born and raised in Noosa, who won the World Longboard title in 2006.

The Coast is also currently home to Evonne Cawley(winner of 6 Grand Slam singles tennis titles), who lives in Sunshine Beach, Michael O’Connor (represented Australia at Rugby Union and League) who lives in Sunshine Beach, Raelene Boyle(winner of 7 Commonwealth Games gold medals and 3 Olympic silvers in the 100m and 200m) who lives in Buderim and Lisa Curry-Kenny (winner of 7 Commonwealth games swimming gold medals), who lives in Minyama.

If you are looking for Sunshine Coast accommodation, particularly a Mooloolaba resort, you will find the best Mooloolaba apartments at Bluewater Point resort.

How disappointing for my 11 year old son. I bought a copy of Order of War for him for Christmas today, but when I installed it, I got the message:

“Duplicate Product Code – The product you’ve entered has already been activated by an existing Steam account and is therefore invalid. Your activation of Order of War Retail has not been completed.”

You see this game is “Steam Powered”, which means you have to have an internet connection and a Steam account to install the bloody thing. Oh, it is written on the box, in about 4 point type on the back.

I suspect the Steam Powered is a clunky and unreliable way of trying to overcome software piracy.

So now I have to go through the process of either returning the game to the retailer when next it opens in the new year, or work through the Steam help desk process to try and get it fixed.

Based on the feedback on the Internet about Steam support, I think I’ll just return the game to the retailer, get a refund and ask them what non-Steam powered games they have.

You see the Steam CD Key reactivation process is a pain. You have to register for yet another Steam account, no, you can’t use the Steam account you created when you first install the game.

The process is along the lines of:

1. Register a support account at Steam support
2. Confirm the email
3. Find the support request area
4. Realise that you have to take a digital picture of the back of the instruction book to prove that you did, in fact, buy the game.
5. Borrow a digital camera. Hey Steam Support – not everyone owns a digital camera !
6. Take the picture of the back of the instruction book
7. Upload the picture to your PC
8. Complete the support request and attach the digital picture from your PC
9. Return the digital camera from where you borrowed it
10. Wait for Steam support to get back to you with an answer. Who knows how long that will take over the Christmas period.
11. Write a blog post slamming the whole Steam system

I don’t know, we can land a remote vehicle on Mars, but we can’t some up with a simple and reliable software activation process.

Do not, I repeat, do not buy Steam powered games. Especially if you don’t want to disappoint a child on Christmas day.

Angry Dad of Disappointed Child

Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, just off Canada’s Pacific coast, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Georgia. It is 460 km (286 mi) long and up to 80 km (50 mi) wide, a magnificent landscape of emerald forests, snow-capped mountains, flower-filled meadows, crystal-clear ice-cold lakes and rivers, and pristine coastline pounded by the Pacific Ocean. The island is paradise for outdoor pursuits enthusiasts, and it is one of the few places in the world where you can play golf and go skiing on the same day.

There are mountains down the centre of the island, the Vancouver Island Ranges, dividing it into the rugged and wet west coast and the drier east coast with a more rolling landscape. The highest point on the island is the Golden Hinde at 2,195 m (7,200 ft), lying within the Strathcona Provincial Park, and there are a few glaciers here, the largest of which is the Comox Glacier.

The west coast is rocky and mountainous, characterized by fjords, bays and inlets, while the interior has many rivers and lakes, of which Kennedy Lake, northeast of Ucluelet, is the largest.

At the southern tip of the island is the elegant capital, Victoria, with its historic parliament, narrow streets dotted with cafes, pubs and colourful gardens, and boats floating lazily in the sparkling harbour. There is an abundance of sights to experience here, including the world-famous Butchart Botanical Gardens, with over a million plants. The gardens are divided into themed areas, such as Japanese or Italian, and each is a beautiful garden in its own right.

Activities available in this big outdoors include skiing, white-water rafting, caving, mountain biking, surfing, sailing, diving and snorkelling, bungy jumping and many other exciting pursuits. There are deep-sea fishing trips for halibut, salmon and chinook, whale-watching excursions or kayaking in the inlets of the Pacific Rim National Park.

Trekking and hiking through the wilderness is also popular here, and can be done on horse or on foot along the trails in the fir-lined woods. Wildlife viewing is becoming more and more popular, with black bears high on the wish-list, and ecotours by boat can offer sightings of bald eagles, sea lions and sea otters.

Looking to travel overseas or within Australia? For cheap flights to Gold Coast, cheap flights to Cairns or cheap flights to Brisbane, contact Flight Centre today.

There are now many different types of equipment to perform hair removal the best being genuine Quantum IPL machines.

Permanent hair reduction is performed by using a specific wavelength (colour) of light to destroy the hair follicle and to restrict the hair regrowth.

IPL uses multiple wavelengths of light to target the hair follicle. This means both the hair and skin are treated at the same time.

If the hair removal laser has only one specific wavelength of light this is why there are so many different types of lasers in the world today because each specific laser is built to do a certain type of procedure.

The laser most suitable for hair removal is either the 755 Alexandrite laser or 810 diode laser. These two types of lasers are pretty much equal. The Alexandrite is great for light skin and dark hair, whereas the 810 diode laser is better suited to a slightly darker skin tone.

IPL was generally regarded as one of the better forms of hair removal until knock-off machines became available at ridiculously low prices. These machines are typical of the saying you pay for what you get and the results relate to this.

Though you will get some hair reduction with these knock-off IPL’S , most of the time the hair follicle is only made dormant, rather than destroyed, and the hair tends to regrow after about six months. That is why clinics who use this type of equipment will say that you will need maintenance treatments.

The latest technologies in laser hair removal are the IBL Alexandrite and IBL Diode laser. The reason these lasers are superior to the older types of laser is that the new lasers can change the pulse duration as well as the pulse power. This means a vastly superior hair reduction treatment on more hair types and more skin types.

The Alexandrite is a unique laser that can be customised to treat hair with different degrees of thickness and density. This is achieved through a large range of spot sizes. Another advantage of the Alexandrite lasers is that they are fast. With professional use, they can remove male chest hair in about less than 40 minutes.

Due to the specialised nature of laser equipment, professional laser hair removal clinics are required to be licensed with state health authorities. The strict regulations that clinics must adhere to and number of licenses that must be obtained means that there are very few genuine specialised clinics in the community.

Image by Laser has been in hair removal business since 1999 during this time we have treated thousands of happy clients. No-Cost, no-obligation consultations are available at Image by Laser Brisbane and Image by Laser Sunshine Coast. Our friendly, informed, and qualified laser technicians will customise a laser hair removal program to meet your individual needs.